#DemsInPhilly Go Nuts For NC’s Vitriolic Barber

Posted on July 29, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

North Carolina NAACP President, Reverend Barber, made quite a splash at the Democratic National Convention last night.

Along with the Reverend’s usually cries of ‘racism everywhere’, he offered more of the usual hyperbolic rhetoric and vitriol that North Carolinians have come to expect. Lumbering onto the stage, Barber set to taunting evangelicals, spouting ‘truths such as, “Jesus was a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew.”.

Barber then went on to describe the usual liberal wish list, including favorites like universal healthcare, ‘immigrant rights’, LGBTQ rights, the Voting Rights Act and  Barber stated, “we fight for $15 and a union”.

Barber also said education was of great importance, yet this is the same man who recently led protests to stop legislators from making college more affordable in North Carolina. Barber called the move, ‘”racist“.

As Barber spoke, he began to shout and thump on the podium in the name of the ‘common good’.

Here’s the full speech:

The News and Observer’s headline touted Barber calling for Democrats to be the ‘moral defibrillators of our time’:

The Reverend’s ‘moral defibrillator’ is quite costly, as North Carolinians found out when it was revealed his ‘Moral Monday Agenda’ cost over $10 billion dollars.

One has to wonder how the 501(c)3 status Barber’s organization enjoys is impacted by his very partisan speech and the endorsement of a political candidate.

One also has to wonder about the mention of him in the WikiLeaks leaked DNC emails, which show possible coordination between the DNC, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Barber.

Excerpt, emphasis added:

Re: FOR DWS Review: North Carolina Voting Rights Statement

From:PoughT@dnc.org To: PaustenbachM@dnc.org Date: 2016-04-26 16:02 Subject: Re: FOR DWS Review: North Carolina Voting Rights Statement

Kate- we need to have her call rev barber and see how they are pushing back on this. – TP

On Apr 26, 2016, at 2:00 PM, Paustenbach, Mark <paustenbachm@dnc.org<mailto:PaustenbachM@dnc.org>> wrote:

Washington, D.C. – Today, voting rights activists are pursuing an appeal of a U.S. District Court’s decision to uphold North Carolina’s onerous election law H.B. 589, which ushered in a spate of restrictions designed to make it harder to vote. The Democratic Party believes that voting is our most fundamental rights and is deeply committed to protecting the right to vote.

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement in light of the new developments in North Carolina:

“While we are disappointed in the U.S. District Court for upholding North Carolina’s H.B. 589, the DNC is confident that the courts and the American people will ultimately see these laws for what they are – a cynical political ploy to make it harder for women, people of color, students, the elderly and working families to cast a ballot. These groups of voters represent the Democratic core constituency – and also represent the majority of Americans.

“North Carolina had one of the strongest rates of voter participation in the nation before H.B. 589 was signed into law. The law rolled back the early voting period, eliminated same-day registration, and imposed restrictive photo ID requirements.

“Sadly, North Carolina is joined by several other states making it harder to cast a vote. Make no mistake, this is part of a consistent and concerted effort by Republicans to silence voters who do not agree with the Republicans’ extreme agenda.

 

Related Reading:

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Campaign 2016, ELECTIONS, EXCLUSIVE, Moral Monday, Reverend Barber | Tagged | Comments Off on #DemsInPhilly Go Nuts For NC’s Vitriolic Barber

National PTA: LGBTQ individuals should be a protected class

Posted on July 28, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

At the recent annual convention in Orlando, the National PTA came out with a resolution backing the Obama administration’s push to create federal policies that would recognize LGBTQ individuals as a “protected class”.

Via EdWeek:

As part of the resolution, the group stated it would support legislation that “addresses discrimination based upon sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.”

“Every child deserves to go to school excited to learn in a safe and nurturing environment, without the fear of bullying, violence, or discrimination. However, the vast majority of LGBTQ students are bullied, physically assaulted, and feel unsafe in school because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or identity,” said Laura Bay, president of National PTA, in a statement.

“National PTA delegates have taken a stand to push for policies and protections for LGBTQ youth to make sure they have positive school experiences.”

The NC PTA is affiliated with the National PTA.  According to their most recent annual report,  NC PTA’s membership stood at “138,453 members as of June 30, 2015” with “PTA units in 40% of NC Public Schools.”.

Here is the text of the resolution; take note of the final item highlighted in blue:

PTA Guidance on Recognition of LGBTQ Individuals as a Protected Class Resolution

Whereas, All children and youth should be able to attend school in a safe and inclusive environment free from discrimination, and that history has shown that civil rights laws are effective in contributing to such environments; and

Whereas, Explicit federal statutory protections currently address discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, but not sexual orientation or gender identity; and

Whereas, The lack of awareness and understanding of issues facing LGBTQ children and youth has contributed to a higher rate of isolation, depression, and suicidal ideations or attempts; and

Whereas, Education regarding LGBTQ issues increases understanding and cultivates acceptance of and respect for LGBTQ children and youth; and

Whereas, Harassment and bullying policies that specifically mention sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are associated with: students feeling more safe; lower levels of bullying; decreased incidents of harassment related to sexual orientation; increased teacher/staff intervention; and a greater reporting of incidents; now therefore be it

Resolved, That National PTA support current civil rights legislation[1], Department of Education guidance[2], and Department of Justice guidance[3] regarding guidance and protecting all children and youth, and ensuring their equal access to education; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA seek and support legislation that specifically recognizes LGBTQ as a protected group and addresses discrimination based upon sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA encourage state, local units, and councils to review school policies in regard to bullying and support revisions and amendments to those policies that specifically address the topics of sexual orientation and gender identification/expression as they relate to harassment and bullying; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA and its constituent associations seek and support legislation that creates a safe, supportive and accepting environment in schools, specifically with training for educators and other school related professionals to support all students, updated health education standards that deal with the issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; and be it further

Resolved, That National PTA work with the Department of Education to encourage states to incorporate standards regarding age-appropriate, medically accurate and culturally sensitive information on LGBTQ issues into existing health and other appropriate curricula.

The Dept. of Education does not need to look far, since the “National Sexuality Education Standards” already exist.  Apparently, these standards are already at play in over half the states:

“Developing and disseminating the first-ever National Sexuality Education Standards, K–12 which are being used in 32 states.”

These  standards are a product of  the “Future of Sex Education Initiative” (FoSE). While the website does not use the words ‘Common Core’,  the format and language used to describe them suggests that they are.  View the National Sex Education Standards.

FoSE provides ‘mapping tools‘ for the standards and breaks them out in grade level clusters. The K-2 mapping document includes items like bullying, personal safety and knowing what the difference between male and females are anatomically.  The K-2 document also includes a strand on  “identity:

STRAND 3: identity

ID.2.CC.1 Describe differences and similarities in how boys and girls may be expected to act

ID.2.INF.1 Provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influences ways in which boys and girls think they should act

Under standard ‘ID.5.CC.1’, by the end of grade five the child should be able to, “Define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender.”.

Standard ‘SH.5.CC.1’ states that by the end of 5th grade, 10 and 11-year-old  children should be able to, “Define HIV and identify some age appropriate methods of transmission, as well as ways to prevent transmission.”

The 6th to 8th grade standards turn the corner on the ‘identity’ strand and now references gender identity and gender expression:

ID.8.CC.1: Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation 

 ID.8.INF.1: Analyze external influences that have an impact on one’s attitudes about gender, sexual orientation and gender identity

ID.8.IC.1: Communicate respectfully with and about people of all gender identities, gender expressions and sexual orientations

ID.8.ADV.1: Develop a plan to promote dignity and respect for all people in the school community

ID.8.CC.2: Explain the range of gender roles 

Arguably, the prior years leading up to the 6-8 grade curriculum pave the way for the acceptance of LGBTQ activist altered or promoted terminology such as ‘gender expression’. Grades 9-12 repeat much of the 6-8 standards but in more detail. For example here is the first ‘identity’ standard for each 6-8 and 9-12:

ID.8.CC.1: Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation 

ID.12.CC.1: Differentiate between biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression 

According to the FoSE website, it was “launched in July 2007 as a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS)”.  Read more about these groups on the FoSE partnerships page.

Much of the funding for FoSE has come from the George Gund Foundation.  While George Gund died in January, 2013 at the age of 75, some of his foundations are apparently still running.

In the foundation’s IRS 990 filing for 2013, net revenue stood at $52,318,092. That is the last filing for this foundation located via ProPublica.  The 2013 filing show that the foundation made charitable disbursements to the tune of $24,942,312 in 2013.

These disbursements included grants to the arts, Common Core proponent groups like the Council for a Strong America and number of health education and humanitarian related organizations. Also on the list was NARAL, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, The Sierra Club and nearly $400,000 to Teach for America.

The George Gund Foundation is still giving out grants and the Annual Report for 2015 is available online.  This foundation, however, was not the only one Gund formed.

Between 2007 and 2009, the “Iara Lee and George Gund III Foundation” poured money into multiple radical and left leaning groups and high-profile foundations such as the Tides foundation and the Clinton Foundation. The 990 filings confirm that the Iara Lee and George Gund foundation apparently shut down after Gund’s death in 2013.

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), EDUCATION, EXCLUSIVE, LGBTQ Issues, Poltical Correctness, Racial Justice, Social Justice, YWBMTC | 5 Comments

#HB2 Mentioned at DNC by Raleigh Husband and Wife; Both Roy Cooper Donors

Posted on July 28, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

 

Brooks Bell spoke at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) last night.   When reading the headline, the first question that came to mind was, who is Brooks Bell?

The same question can be applied to her husband, Jason Lipson, who apparently also spoke at the DNC.

What is a Raleigh couple doing speaking at the DNC?

They were there for one purpose and it wasn’t to showcase them as ‘entrepreneurs’. Bell and her husband were there to crank up more smoke and fire around House Bill 2 (HB2).  They were there to keep North Carolina in play for Hillary Clinton.

No media outlet so far has bothered to ask the couple about their own business policies. Does Bell’s business have open bathrooms? Does her husband’s? Does the couple realize that HB2 allows private business to enact their own policies instead of bar single sex facilities as the Charlotte Ordinance did? These are pertinent questions given the position being taken by the couple.

The News and Observer notes that Bell’s speech follow Bill de Blasio. That’s not coincidence, but it is a little ironic due to the fact that de Blasio has enacted a transgender speech code for businesses in New York City. Businesses found to not be using the correct pronouns when addressing their customers can be fined — up to $250,000.

In June, Mayor de Blasio launched a city-wide campaign using tax payer dollars to promote, “every New Yorkers’ right to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity, regardless of their sex assigned at birth”.

The North Carolina media has managed to skip the Roy Cooper connection, again.

Bell’s donations in Q2 totaled $4,800.
3-27-16 $2,700
5-28-16 $2,100

Lispon also donated $4,800:
4-11-16 $2,700
06-26-16 $2,100

Records indicate the overall donation total from Bell and Lipson to Cooper is $5,100 each or a combined total of $10,200.

Related:

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Campaign 2016, ELECTIONS, Media Bias | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Wake Supt. Email: Cuts to Teacher, Student Budget Items but 3% Increases to ‘Support Staff’

Posted on July 27, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

Wake county school officials appear unable to work with an increased budget of over $1.4 billion dollars according to an email to staff obtained by this site penned by the Superintendent of Wake County Schools and David Neter, Chief Operating Officer.

The emails detail the cuts to school level services to ‘close the $17.5 million dollar budget gap’ while simultaneously indicating a 3% pay raise and a half percent bonus for non-teaching support staff.

Cuts include, “Adjustments to teacher funding allotments for elementary and middle schools”, which translated could mean cuts to in-class teachers funding.

Also on the list are items that will impact students and teachers alike, such as changing thermostats in schools to cut costs, cutting the busing budget back again and cutting down on the number of days janitors clean the school.

Read the email:

 

Superintendent Merrill is currently one of the highest paid Superintendents in the state with his original aggregate salary standing at $275,000.  His contract states he can earn up to 5% ($13,750 a year) of his aggregate salary in performance bonuses.  In addition, Merrill receives $900 which is “in lieu of a transportation allowance”.

Merrill’s contract was recently extended through 2019 by the Wake school board  for ‘meeting his board approved goals’. This site reached out for the list of ‘goals’ but was denied access to the documents by Wake County Schools.  The reason cited was that the documents were part of Merrill’s personnel file.

This site argued that the goal list was directly tied to Merrill’s taxpayer funded salary and therefore was a public record.  Wake County Schools officials responded by refusing to turn over the goals list a second time.

The current Wake School Board also put a clause into his contract which has the effect of barring the next elected board from terminating him by attaching a two-year severance parachute of $560,000.

View Merrill’s Contract.

The Wake Board also approved a $1.98 billion building program in the last few months. The new building plan will span 7 years, multiple items such as 14 schools and 11 new miscellaneous projects.  All of this expansion is allegedly to ‘accommodate the student growth rate’ which the WCPSS board has inaccurately estimated in the past.  The real growth in Wake county appears to be coming from homeschooling and charter schools.

Related:

Posted in EDUCATION, Wake County School Board | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Cooper’s Q2 Filings Reveal Big Out of State Cash, Including Former NBA Commissioner

Posted on July 27, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

It’s being widely circulated that the DNC leaked emails show collusion and cheering of the economic threats by certain businesses to North Carolina over House Bill 2 (HB2).

Yesterday, Governor McCory made a statement about these leaks:

“What’s most disturbing is that these emails have clearly shown something we suspected all along,” McCrory said. “That’s the state of North Carolina, the city of Charlotte and especially small businesses are being used as a pawn by Roy Cooper, by the mayor of Charlotte and by the Democratic Party, on an issue that was made up purely for political purpose and to raise money.”  – ABC11

[…]

“They cheered. They literally cheered when businesses would boycott our great state,” the governor said. – ABC11

But how close is the North Carolina media looking at Roy Cooper’s involvement, donations to his campaign or mentions of him in the DNC leaks?

So far, not very closely.

As previously reported, the second quarter campaign finance reports for NC Attorney General Roy Cooper’s campaign shows that the CEO of Lambda Legal , Rachel Tiven, gave the campaign $5,100.  Tiven did not list Lambda Legal as her employer on the donation filing, but instead her most recent former employer.

This donation is problematic due to Lambda Legal being one of the parties suing Governor Pat McCrory and the State of North Carolina over House Bill 2 (HB2). Attorney General Roy Cooper has abandoned his job duties and refused multiple times to defend McCrory or the state when it comes to HB2.

Tiven isn’t the only donor who has ties to the HB2 controversy.  Cooper’s second quarter financials also show that former NBA commissioner, David J. Stern, also gave Cooper $5,100 on June 8th, 2016.

A little over a month after Stern’s donation, the NBA pulls 2017 All Star game out of Charlotte as they had been threatening to do for months.   The preseason NBA games will go on as planned however in China,  which is known for it’s anti-LGBT laws and human rights violations.

Another high profile name was found in Cooper’s most recent campaign finance report, that of wealthy hedge fund manager, political activist and top Democrat fundraiser, Tom Steyer.

Steyer has been a devout big ‘green’ proponent and climate change true believer.  In 2013, he Washington Post described him as: “The man who has Obama’s ear when it comes to energy and climate change.”

As such a climate change proponent, Steyer refused to endorse Hillary Clinton until June of 2016 when it became clear Bernie Sanders was out.  Steyer, however, is also a top tier Clinton Foundation donor.

Clinton Foundation donors, including Steyer, pumped over $13 million into Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s campaign. McAuliffe was chair of both Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential attempt. McAuliffe’s very first Executive order as Governor was prohibiting discrimination based on “Sexual Orientation” or “Gender Identity”.

In 2014, Steyer was notably invested in Sen. Harry Reid to the tune of $5 million dollars. That same 2014 election cycle, Steyer dropped a total of over $75 million.

In a prior article, it was noted that the DNC leaker emails showed a meeting at Goldman Sachs between Cooper and various individuals. That meeting was facilitated by Zach Allen, a DNC employee and owner of TIPAH Consulting.

While the Goldman Sachs employee engaged in that leaked email conversation with Allen was not a donor, two other prominent Goldman Sachs employees were. Both Paul Parker and Timothy Ingrassia work as Co-Chairs of Global Mergers and Acquisitions at Goldman Sachs.  The pair gave donations to Cooper exactly one month apart:

  • 05-01-16 Paul Parker, $5,100 (Goldman Sachs, Co-Chair Global Mergers & Acquisitions)
  • 06-01-16 Timothy J. Ingrassia, $1,000 (Goldman Sachs, Co-Chair Global Mergers & Acquisitions)

Other notable donors included the CEO of HBO, the wife of Disney Company’s Board Chair, Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels, and clothing mogul Ralph Lauren.

Not to be left out of the list is the billionaire who has funded nearly every far Left and progressive group at one point or another, George Soros. Both he and one of his sons, Alexander, gave donations to Cooper totaling $10,200.

Receipts of Note by Date:

04-07-16 George Soros $5,100 (Tides Foundation, Open Society Foundation)

04-07-16 Alexander Soros $5,100 (“Student”)

04-14-16 Cindy Harrel-Horn, $5,100 (Wife of Alan Horn, Disney Board Chair)

04-26-16 William E. Little Jr., $1,000 (#9 Obama Super PAC Donor in 2012)

04-26-16 Thomas Woodbury, $5,100 (HBO CEO)

05-01-16 Paul Parker, $5,100 (Goldman Sachs, Global Mergers & Acquisitions)

05-02-16 Dan Bross, $5,100 (Director of Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft)

05-15-16 John R. Kosa, $5,100 (Bio /worked at Stanford)

05-18-16 George Little, $1,000 (Brother of William Little, Obama Super PAC donor)

05-18-15 Lorne Michaels $1,000 (Saturday Night Live/Producer)

05-25-16 Zachary Allen $5 (DNC Employee / CEO/Founder of TIPAH)

06-01-16 Timothy J. Ingrassia, $1,000 (Goldman Sachs, Global Mergers & Acquisitions)

06-06-16 Tom Steyer, $5,100 (Major DNC Figure/ Donor)

06-07-16 Ralph Lauren, $5,100 (Ralph Lauren Clothing, POLO)

06-08-16 David J. Stern, $5,100 (Former NBA Commissioner)

06-14-16 Stephen Henderson $2,000 (Held fundraiser at NYC home in June for Cooper)

06-24-16 William E. Little Jr., $2,000 (#9 Obama Super PAC Donor in 2012)

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Campaign 2016, ELECTIONS, EXCLUSIVE, Pat McCrory | 3 Comments

E-Learning Academies Target Homeschool Students for Profit

Posted on July 26, 2016 by A.P. Dillon

GUEST POST ICONE-Learning Academies Target Homeschool Students for Profit

by Tammy J. Covil

As public school systems across the country lose funding due to steady declines in enrollment by parents choosing alternative education options, public school administrators have begun devising clever programs designed to coerce them back into the system.

Earlier this month, an article in the Lexington Herald Leader outlined one such program. The Wayne County public school system is attempting to connect with homeschool students through online courses in exchange for enrollment into the school system. Primarily geared toward high school students, these courses are completed online from home, with oversight provided by a public school teacher assigned to the class. The cost to the school system is about $100 per course. The state funding that flows into the district by virtue of student enrollment, however, is $3200 per student per year.

Days later, the New Hanover County school system here in North Carolina followed suit with an almost identical proposal. The details of the profit potential in their presentation was a bit more revealing. The New Hanover County school system is projecting Average Daily Membership (ADM) funding allotment of $5,000 via the state and $2,700 through local funds. The projected cost to the district for a student fully enrolled in the program (4 online courses per year) totals $2,800, which leaves roughly $4,900 in ‘excess funding for use by NHCS per student.’ In other words, 63% of the per pupil state and local ADM allotment is money that will not benefit the student the district is targeting.

So what does the homeschool student receive in return? According to the presentation, 150+ online courses from which to choose, the ability to remain in a small, at-home environment, and ‘FREE’ online courses. For those who know that public school systems are funded through taxpayer dollars, characterizing these courses as free is almost offensive.

To be clear, homeschooled children are able to access online courses through NCVPS without having to enroll in the public school system, although parents must pay for the courses.

One possible benefit to an e-learning academy is that it does allow high school students the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses in preparation for college at a cost savings to the parent. Since there is such a disparity between the actual cost of the courses and the funding allotment the district receives through enrollment, states would be wise to meet school systems somewhere in the middle. By funding only the online courses instead of the full ADM allotment, homeschool families receive the financial break they need and the state saves their taxpayers money. After all, these children never set foot in a public school building, other than to take a final exam.

As suspected, homeschool parents are proving to be skeptical. In a recent article by the Wilmington Star News, the spokeswoman for a local homeschool support group offered her critique of the program. According to her, it’s doubtful that any of the families in the group will participate, as most don’t like the curriculum or the loss of freedom that comes with public school enrollment, which are two of the primary reasons parents choose homeschooling in the first place.

It seems administrators may have not only overestimated the level of interest but the trust level of homeschool parents in their districts. Families have grown increasingly pessimistic of the public school system’s ability to provide their children with a quality education, especially after parents’ objections to the federally-driven implementation of academic standards known as Common Core were met with disdain by public education leaders.

Clearly, the skepticism is justified.

Rather than tackle the problems that have caused families to flee the system and focus their energies on attracting them back through substantive improvements, public school administrators appear to be more interested in looking for creative – albeit deceptive – ways to pad their budgets.

Expect more of these programs to materialize over the coming months as public school administrators around the state awaken to their financial potential.

Tammy_Covil-SMimgTammy Covil is a member of the New Hanover County Board of Education. She also co-chaired the North Carolina Academic Standards Review Commission in 2015. The commission was tasked with reviewing and recommending changes to the math and English language arts standards (a.k.a. Common Core) for North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school students. She and her husband, Tommy, make their home in Wilmington, North Carolina, and are the proud parents of four children.

 

Posted in EDUCATION, GUEST POSTS, Homeschool | Tagged , | 1 Comment