#NCGOP Elects Woodhouse For Exec Director…Yay?

Posted on September 27, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Last night, Dallas Woodhouse was elected as the next Executive Director of the NC GOP.

Yay?

But Woodhouse said accepting the position is ‘tentative’.

“Woodhouse cautioned by text message that he has not received nor accepted a formal offer.” – NCSpin

But wait there’s more. All the ‘right’ people gave their support.

While the hiring process has been an ordeal, with candidates scared off over concerns about the N.C. GOP’s financial state and adjustments to new chairman Hasan Harnett, the heavy lift is still ahead for Woodhouse. He takes the reins of the state party in a year that will see the re-election campaigns of Gov. Pat McCrory, Sen. Richard Burr, and a Republican majority in the General Assembly.

According to those close to the search process, Woodhouse had the support of McCrory, state House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger for the job. Woodhouse’s comments to the Central Committee yesterday and his decades of work building grassroots energy around Republican candidates made him a clear choice. – Jones & Blount

Hey, don’t forget Thom Tillis.  He’s important in that line-up.

CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 4: Dallas Woodhouse attends U.S. Rep. Thom Tillis's watch party at The Omni Hotel Ballroom on November 4, 2014, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rep. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is running in a tight race for the North Carolina Senate seat against opponent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). (Photo by Davis Turner/Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 4: Dallas Woodhouse attends U.S. Rep. Thom Tillis’s watch party at The Omni Hotel Ballroom on November 4, 2014, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rep. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is running in a tight race for the North Carolina Senate seat against opponent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). (Photo by Davis Turner/Getty Images)

Start the clock. Let’s see how long the new chairman, Hassan Harnett lasts.

I can hear the readers asking, ‘What are you talking about, Lady Liberty?’.

I’m talking about the word on the street is that the establishment GOP wants to push out Harnett.

I’ve been watching. The lack of support by the establishment types in the NC GOP for Harnett is not a secret and I’m here to say I find it disgusting.

Newsflash NC GOPe: Your guy lost.  The grassroots guy won.  GET OVER IT.

Seems to me that maybe the primary date changes in HB 373 were aimed not just at controlling national races, but controlling the money for in-state party based agendas.

I’ve asked for comment both the NC GOP on Twitter and through back channels on this ‘rumor’.

What I got back was silence on Twitter and back channels ignoring the question or they won’t ‘comment on rumors’.  If there was nothing to this ‘rumor’, that should have been easy to clear up with a denial. Instead, silence and ‘no comment’. Do the math.

Related Reading

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), ELECTIONS, GOP, NCGA, POLITICS NC | 4 Comments

What They’re Saying about Education In NC – (9/25/15) #NCED

Posted on September 25, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

NCED IconSome quick hits on what is going on in Education in North Carolina.

#1 – HB 334 will be going to the Governor

This bill moves Charter schools out from under the Dept. of Public Instruction and under the State Board of Education. This is good as we have seen what DPI has been up to with regard to the war on charters.

#2 – Big Government Comes to Kindergarten

This article is a lengthy read, but it would be irresponsible for any parent not to read the whole thing. The data collection, in  my opinion, is beyond the pale and includes capturing audio/video of your kid, which will follow them through to college.

Teachers collect data via their own written observations or via audio and video recordings. A new app allows teachers to capture the “evidence” and to store it on an electronic platform. The data will help teachers determine a “child profile” that will follow the child and help teachers determine a learning status or rating in each particular area.

I started warning people about the Kindergarten Entry Assessment, which is part of the NC K-3 Formative Assessment package, in June 2014.  Is anyone listening? Parents, you can opt out. Were you told this?

#3 – Wake County School Board has a “Blame Bush” style moment on ‘resegregation’.

The Democratic school board majority has left in place assignment changes made in 2010 and 2011 by the former Republican majority, changes that shifted low-income students to schools closer to home. Those changes also are being scrutinized by federal civil rights investigators.

“We still have to deal with a lot of the ramifications from that election,” Wake school board Chairwoman Christine Kushner, a Democrat, said of the 2009 elections that briefly put Republicans in charge.

Someone get the popcorn. Read the comments on the article.

#4 – ICYMI, I was on Freedom Action Network’s show, What Matters, yesterday. 

Civitas President Francis De Luca is filling in for Chad on the show today and tomorrow. Francis gives us an update on the legislation that has been passed since the budget has been passed. For example, a farm bill that has nothing to do with farms. Next, Education Analyst and Blogger A.P. Dillon is in studio to discuss the failures of the common core curriculum – like the ability to do basic math.

#5 – WTVD spreads education budget misinformation

Expect a slew of similar stories from NC media outlets about districts complaining about Teacher Assistant cuts when in reality the districts used the funds for TA’s for other purposes.

#6 – Superintendent Atkinson dangles a carrot.

“Atkinson said Wednesday that she is leaning toward another run in 2016, but has not yet decided. She said she expects to make a final decision next week.”

I’ve said before that I don’t think she’s running again and I stand by that. If she does, Common Core is going to be a fun thing to watch her run from.

The article is really about introducing Mark Johnson thinking about getting into the race. That would be “reMARKable“, as Johnson is fond of saying. That establishment candidate smell is all over him. Stay tuned.

#7 – Charter School ‘Take Over’ bill postponed to 2016.

A controversial plan to pilot charter takeover of low-performing district schools in North Carolina won’t come up for a vote this year, state Rep. Rob Bryan said Thursday.

Bryan, a Mecklenburg Republican with a leadership role in education, said in August that he planned to introduce a bill that would force five of the state’s lowest-scoring schools to close or convert to independently run charter schools. But he said Thursday that prolonged work on the budget squeezed out time to deal with the bill in the House education committee.
(Source: Charlotte Observer)

Gee — If these schools are in such dire straits, what’s one more year?

#8 – Read the run down of what happened at the latest NC Common Core Commission meeting.

There are only 3 meetings left. The recommendations are slated to be handed over THIS December, folks. Pay attention!

#9 – ​Metcalf resigns from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board

FYI – Jeannie Metcalf is also on the NC Common Core commission.  She stepped down as Co-Chair earlier this year due to similar issues mentioned in the linked article.

Posted in Academic Standards Review Commission, Charter Schools, Common Core, EDUCATION, June Atkinson, NC Board Of Education, NC DPI, School Choice, Wake County School Board | Tagged , | Comments Off on What They’re Saying about Education In NC – (9/25/15) #NCED

NC NAACP and “Climate Justice”

Posted on September 25, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

HEHClimate needs justice, ya’ll.

It was an all-star line-up event that includes celebrities like Moby and Natasha Bedingfield.

And no one heard anything about it. Heh.

Included in the entertainment line-up was Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, of course.

Who is paying for this, by the way?

Via Press Release:

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II to Join to Top Faith Leaders, Musicians, and Climate Justice
Activists at ‘Moral Action on Climate Justice’ Rally

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On September 24, as Pope Francis addresses Congress, tens of thousands of citizens representing an unprecedented coalition of activitsts of all creeds, colors and faiths, will join together to rally on the National Mall. DC’s only free, un-ticketed public event for the Pope will demand that our leaders #FollowFrancis and take bold action for climate justice.

An all-star lineup of religious leaders, musicians, and climate justice activists including Rev. Dr. William Barber, II, Dolores Huerta, Victoria Justice and others will be at the rally. Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Paul, Victoria Justice and others will participate in a special performance of “ Love Song to the Earth,” a new anthem which captures the spirit of climate action. The recently released song united Friends of the Earth U.S., the UN Foundation, Natasha Bedingfield, Paul McCartney and a host of artists and performers to raise awareness about the threats of climate change, and to inspire action by world leaders before the international climate talks in Paris. The artists, producers and directors of the Love Song project  —as well as Apple —  are donating their respective proceeds to Friends of the Earth U.S. and the United Nations Foundation.

About the Event 

WHAT:    Rally for Moral Action on Climate Justice 

WHEN:    Thursday, September 24, 2015 from 7:30AM to 12:30PM

WHERE:  National Mall between 3rd and 7th Street, Press Tent – 3rd & Madison, NW

WHO:
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church and Architect of Moral Monday
Moby , Songwriter and Musician

Eric Paslay, Country Music Singer and Songwriter

Sean Paul, Singer and Songwriter

Natasha Bedingfield, Singer and Songwriter

Christina Grimmie,  Singer and Songwriter

Victoria Justice, Actress and Singer

Toby Gad, Producer and Songwriter

Q’orianka Kilcher, Actress, Singer

Religious Convocation (Rev. Richard Cizik, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good // Rev. Jim Ball, Creation Care // Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Social Justice Organizing Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College // Rev. Mitch Hescox, The Evangelical Environmental Network // Dimitrios Antokas, Greek Orthodox Church of St.George // Rev. Gerald Durley, Providence Missionary Baptist Church)

The Most Reverend Pedro Jimeno Barreto, Archbishop of Huancayo and delegate of CELAM (Episcopal Conference of LA) for the Pan-Amazon Ecclesial Network REPAM

Rev. Mitch Hescox, The Evangelical Environmental Network

Patrick Carrolan, Franciscan Action Network

Rev. Sally Bingham, President of Interfaith Power and Light

Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director of UPROSE

Aliya Haq, Special Projects Director Climate and Clean Air Program,NRDC

Jay Winter Nightwolf, registered member in good standing of the Echota Cherokee Nation of Alabama

Donnel “Trip” Van Noppen, President of Earthjustice

Marie Dennis, Co-President of Pax Christi International

Alden Meyer, Director of strategy and policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists

Kenneth Berlin, President and CEO of the Climate Reality Project

Dolores Huerta, President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Grassroots Organizing, Co-founder United Farm Workers

Kaya Banton, Chester Environmental Justice

Destiny Watford, Free Your Voice

Michael Brune, Excecutive Director of the Sierra Club

Lydia Camarillo, Vice President of Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.
Greg Moore, Executive Director of NAACP National Voter Fund

Gene Karpinski, President of the League of Conservation Voters

The Rev. Dr. Robert M. Hardies, leader in the Washington Interfaith Network

Thomas Lovejoy, Senior Fellow at the UN Foundation

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus

John R. Seydell III, Trustee Elect, Turner Foundation

Lucia Grenna, Managing Director, Connect4Climate, World Bank

Blanca Juti, Chief Brand Officer, Rovio

Kumi Naidoo, International Executive Director, Greenpeace

Dominique Hazzard and Brenda Sanders, Black Lives Matter

Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network

Dennis Hayes, Board Chair, Earth Day Network

Erich Pica, President, Friends of the Earth

Rachel Lamb, Young Evangelicals Climate Action

Sister Simone Campbell, ‘Nuns on the Bus’

Bob Inglis, Former Congressman

Jose Aguto, Friends Committee on National Legislation

Rio Tazewell, Campaign Coordinator, PFAW

Aijen Po, Philadelphia women walking

Larry Kopald, Founder and President of The Carbon Underground

Fred Tutman, Patuxent River Keeper

Ruth Tyson, Chesapeake Climate

Gustavo Torres, Executive Director CASA

Paul Berry (MC)

Chevy Chase (MC)

 

RELATED:
Looks like Rev. Barber was touting this event as his own, when in fact, it wasn’t.

 All-star group sings ‘Love Song to the Earth’ at DC climate rally, draws 199,800 fewer than expected

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Moral Monday, NC NAACP, Reverend Barber | Tagged | Comments Off on NC NAACP and “Climate Justice”

#NCGA Monkey Business With Presidential Primary Date Goes To McCrory

Posted on September 25, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

A bill to change North Carolina’s Presidential Primary election date from May to March has been passed by the General Assembly. House Bill 373 was ratified yesterday and today was sent to Governor McCrory for signature.

The House vote was close with 52 Ayes and 49 Nays.  So was the Senate’s vote, which had zero Democrats voting for it. The tally in the Senate was 43-30.

Current law is found under Article 18A of Chapter 163, The Presidential Preference Primary Act. A summary of the changes notes the major changes:

  • Primary moved to March 15th. The original date was in May.
  • Reduces the time that a candidate must be affiliated with a political party before filing as a candidate in a party primary for that party from 90 days to 75 days.
  • Moves the filing period from noon on the second Monday in February through noon on the last business day in February to noon on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, through noon on Monday, December 21, 2015.
  • Requires a candidate’s statement of economic interest to be filed with the State Ethics Commission by February 1, 2016.
  • Requires that the first quarter campaign finance reports are due Monday, March 7, 2016, and include the period through February 29, 2016 and that the report for the second quarter also covers March 2016.
  • Sets the date of to May 24, 2016 (May 3, 2016, for office of U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives). This conforms with existing law, which provides that any potential second primary is to be held 7 weeks after the first primary (10 weeks for office of U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives).
  • Provides that any special election authorized by statute or local act that is set for May 2016 must be placed on the ballot on March 15, 2016, unless the unit of government calling the special election affirmatively changes the date for the special election to another date in accordance with current law.

Additional points to note from the text of the bill:

  • No later than December 16, 2015, the chair of each political party shall submit to the State Board of Elections a list of its presidential candidates to be placed on the 2016 presidential preference primary ballot
  • the filing period for the 2016 primary shall open at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, and close at 12:00 noon on Monday, December 21, 2015.

You don’t have to be a genius to see that this date change is being done in order to screw over certain candidates in favor of establishment preferred ones.

The sound bite coming out of the General Assembly about the date change is ‘it will cut costs!’ If you’re buying that as the driving factor, I’ve got a set of experimental education standards to sell you. Don’t worry, Jeb Bush say’s they are great.

Politico thinks the date change is all about Trump. I think that ‘getting Trump’ is part of it, and I agree with George Will’s assessment — Trump’s  supporters will arguably go to a non-establishment type like Ted Cruz or Ben Carson. Given the huge number of delegates in the South to be won, the intent HB 373 becomes crystal clear.

NOJEBWith regard to our state’s Republican party — Do they suffer from tone-deafness, I wonder? Did the election of Hassan Harnett as NC GOP chair not scream loud enough at the GOP establishment in this state?

Apparently not, so let me be blunt: The voters do not want Jeb. Period. The End. Do not Pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Remember, Team Bush in North Carolina is being led by Congressman Patrick McHenry.

A whole cast of characters have lined up behind McHenry, including General Assembly members.  Jones and Blount as the story:

The committee co-chairmen are Sen. Tom Apodaca Chairman (R-Buncombe), Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Duplin) and Rep. Charles Jeter (R-Mecklenburg).

[…]

The other members of the Bush’s team include Cheryl Mills, a former U.S. Small Business Administration Official; Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in NC;  John  Cooper, a USDA Appointee for presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Geroge W. Bush; and Dion Clark, former Policy Director for Governor Pat McCrory. Jonathan Felts will be the N.C. adviser for the campaign. Felts previously served as White House political director and as McCrory’s senior adviser.

And a Partridge in a Pear treeeeeeee!!!  Looks like mainly allies of Phil Berger, yet Berger was absent for the HB 373 vote. 

In order to make this date change more ‘effective’,  one has to have the right pocket-lining measures in place. And so it comes to pass that HB 373 also amends Article 22A of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes to add a new section, § 163-278.8B. Affiliated party committees.

Here’s the main thrust:

“The leader of each political party caucus of the North Carolina House of Representatives and the Senate may establish a separate, affiliated party committee to support the election of candidates of that leader’s political party. The affiliated party committee is deemed a political party for purposes of this Article.” 

Interesting. What I read above is ‘the Tea party has to be cut off’.

This ‘affiliated party committee’ addition has a serious stink to it. I’m apparently not alone here, the Daily Haymaker thinks so too:

In an earlier post, I lamented that you can’t take your eyes off this Jones Street crowd for thirty seconds.  This latest development amplifies that assessment even further.

State Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett), chairman of the House Rules Committee, dumped some changes into the state election rules bill that gives the Raleigh Establishment and consultant class all they need to work around their respective elected party leadership teams and divert millions of dollars meant for said parties to certain favored pockets.

Related Reading:

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), ELECTIONS, NCGA | Tagged , | 5 Comments

September NC Common Core Commission Meeting Highlights

Posted on September 24, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Dont mend it end itThis past Monday was the September meeting of the Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC), which is tasked by SB 812 with reviewing and recommending possible replacements for Common Core.

I was able to attend only half of this meeting, which I live tweeted and then chronicled those tweets in a Storify article: NC Common Core Commission Meeting – 09/21/15

The Winston Salem Journal has a seriously lop-sided account of the meeting. Be sure to read the comments.

Kim Fink from Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association took minutes again and has graciously provided them to me.  The meeting materials are located at the bottom of this article, along with other useful links.

Highlights and Commentary
During the opening business, there was discussion about the math sequencing and questions about the developmental appropriateness and multiple ‘strategies’ being required for the math in elementary grades. Dr. Curtis of the NC Department of Public Instruction came to the podium to address these.

Dr. Curtis said that “research” showed multiple strategies being taught was advantageous. Dr. Curtis did not cite what “research” said that, nor did she address why kids in North Carolina are being assessed on how well they do these multiple strategies being given to them in elementary school.

This discussion on strategies and their assessment highlighted that Common Core is dictating pedagogy.

The Principals
Beyond the usual meeting procedures, there were two presenters listed on the agenda. These announced presenters were two principals, Carrie Tulbert and Dale Cole.

With all due respect, it was rather insulting to sit through the first 10 minutes of their presentation and listen to a string of pro-core buzzwords and empty talking points.

Cole said repeatedly that ‘We need the same standards in every state in case kids move’. Later, Cole would contradict this and say what we need is flexible standards. According to Tulbert and Cole:

The Common Core standards are ‘rigorous’ and ‘logical‘; the idea is that conceptual thinking is appropriate for K-5. Yet, Tulbert contradicted herself, later saying that, “Elementary kids not all ready for conceptual thinking.”

The standards will prepare our kids to be “globally competitive“.

Pushed for more technology like smart phone instruction, because “the Chamber of Commerce is saying it”.

“..the standards are not the devil, it is the implementation”

Tulbert and Cole also went back and forth with the Commission about accountability measures and said there was ‘too much testing’.  Tulbert also said the roll out of Common Core came ‘too fast’ and resources were uneven.

Co-Chair Covil, on the push back to accountability measures by the duo, noted that, ‘NC adopted this program, they are looking for results, but keeps hearing CC is great, but can’t quantify improvement’.  The excuse was “it takes time”.  Neither Tulbert or Cole could say how much time.

The Principals also acknowledged that ‘accountability measures’ were keeping kids from being able to advance as ‘fast as they can or want to’.  In my opinion, that’s half the story. Common Core itself dictates what has to be learned and at what grade. Even if a kid did want to get ahead, the standards won’t let them.

Tulbert was also clear when asked about the standards being a barrier for parents trying to help their kids. Tulbert said,  “parents are not teachers”.

Co-Chair Covil intervened in this line of questioning saying, “[The] biggest indicator of child success, is an involved parent, so why the standards shouldn’t be written in a way that the parents can follow along?”

The Teachers
Apparently, after I left three teachers from the Central Region were given time to talk as well. Those teachers given time to talk were:

  • LuAnn Malik – Carborro HS math coordinator
  • Allison Bowers – Person High School, Math 1 teacher
  • Lynsey Hubbard – Stories Creek Elem. in Person County
  • Trey Ferguson – Leesville Road High School

Upon reviewing their testimony, I have to say I found it was likely coordinated and as a parent, I found their remarks disturbing.

LuAnn Malik presented that scores showed a dip at implementation time, with minorities fairing the worst. She presented a graph. The achievement gap for minorities is clear and is widening.

When asked about this widening gap, Malik echoed Tulbert and Cole’s testimony and said that, “[It] Takes time for the results to show up.“.

Malik made mention of the “Understanding by Design” framework. Here’s what Google turned up on that, courtesy of SAS.  Ms. Malik gets around; see page 20 of this document.

The biggest revelation that came out of Malik’s testimony was in relation to the testing, which was summed up by Commission Member Oxendine, “So, they design their tests before they design their curricula? The test drives the curriculum.”

Allison Bowers was up next and she opened by saying she had taught for 29 years and that if they got rid of Common Core she’d quit. I hate to be snarky, but if she’s taught for that long and can’t recognize Common Core has the messy fad that it is, perhaps she should quit.

Bowers also complained about the implementation problems and the lack of resources, she “goes to Pinterest for ideas and projects on functions.“.

Bowers also said she’d like to see more clarity in the standards. This is interesting since the big selling point from supporters is that Common Core is “clearer” and “deeper”.

The rest of her testimony was a series of contradictions between praising the Common Core and saying it needed changing.  Bowers included a line that bashed parents who didn’t like the standards because they can’t understand them. Wow.

Ms. Bowers left out her level of involvement with Common Core in her district.

Lynsey Hubbard’s opening testimony made it clear she loves Common Core and how it offers so many different methods. She fails to mention those methods or ‘strategies’ are compulsory.

Hubbard made this statement:

 “Traditional algorithms are not wrong, but education is not one size fits all, everyone has the same endpoint, and how the particular kid may get the answer in a different way. “

All due respect, Ms. Hubbard, but Common Core IS one size fits all.

She also said we shouldn’t start over because that will ‘take time and money’. Gee, hate to inconvenience her, it’s only the educational future of our children, after all.

A side note: Ms. Hubbard presented at the ‘2015 Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement’ put on by the Dept. of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Hubbard’s presentation was titled,  Instructional Strategies for the Highly Effective Classroom.

Trey Ferguson was last to speak. I’m frankly stunned he was part of this,  given his affiliation with the Bill Gates backed Hope Street Group — which is little more than another platform for promoting Common Core.

Ferguson repeated the ‘it’s not the standards, it’s the implementation and lack of resources’ line.  Ferguson then talked about the ‘unpacking documents’, which contradicts his resources statement.

Ferguson pushed his desire to keep the integrated math, which has been deemed a disaster by more groups than just the ASRC.  Both Co-Chair Peek and Commission Member Scheik rebutted Ferguson on this front.

Ferguson made a curious statement, “Keep these standards, clarify them, they are improving scores“.

The reality is that the test scores (even after the scoring system was changed and the tests were aligned) are not showing improvement.

The EOG, SAT, ACT? They’re all flat and/or declining, especially in the case of minority students.

Related: A Look at NC’s 2015 SAT Scores – #NCED
Related: A Look At The 2015 NC ACT Scores – #NCed

The September Meeting Materials:

Useful Links

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Academic Standards Review Commission, Common Core, EDUCATION | Tagged | 3 Comments

NC Attorney General Race: The Blueprint NC Candidate – #ncpol

Posted on September 22, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Civitas-map-of-Blueprint-NCNC General Assembly Senator Josh Stein has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the NC Attorney General race. This announcement is, without argument, anti-climactic.

Stein is the Blueprint NC candidate and has been a very vocal supporter of Blueprint NC attack tactics such as Moral Monday.

I am sure that his former NCGA colleague, Rick Glazier, will have his back now that Glazier is heading up Blueprint NC’s parent organization.

Blueprint NC Backstory
Who or What is Blueprint NC? Let’s step back to 2013, when an attack memo circulated by a non-profit called Blueprint NC was leaked to the press.  View a copy of the actual memo.

This memo revealed a four pronged line of attack on focused on Republicans and in particular on Governor McCrory:

• “Crippl(e) their leaders (GovMcCrory, House Speaker Tillis, Senate leader Berger etc.)”

• “Eviscerate the leadership and weaken their ability to govern.”

• “Pressure McCrory at every public event.”

• “Slam him when he contradicts his promises.”

After the memo was leaked, the list of partners surfaced along with the large amounts of money being funneled into Blueprint NC by various non-profits. One such non-profit funding Blueprint NC is the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was by far the largest donor to Blueprint NC both directly and indirectly through the NC Justice Center.  The grand total through 2014 is $2,750,000. The break out is below.

Z. Smith Reynolds Funds given direct to Blueprint NC:
2010 – $850,000
2012 – $400,000
2013 – $400,000

Z. Smith Reynolds Funds given to NC Justice Center to support Blueprint NC:
2006 – $300,000
2007 – $375,000
2008 – $425,000

At the time the memo was leaked, the Charlotte Observer noted the following:

Blueprint, funded in part by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. According to its web site, it is “strictly prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.”

“All Blueprint activities will be strictly non-partisan,” it says. “Blueprint activities will not be coordinated with any candidate, political party or other partisan entity.”

While the article quoted above no longer exists at Charlotte Observer, plenty of other websites have partial cached copies.

According to Secretary of State filings, Blueprint NC is the creation of the NC Justice Center. In their 2010 article of incorporation filing, the original board of directors for  Blueprint NC listed the following individuals:

Chris Estes
Gerda Stein
Carrie Clark
Brad Thompson
Melinda Lawrence
Jennifer Frye
Page Thompson

Gerda Stein is the sister of Senator Josh Stein.

Ms. Stein is and continues to be very involved with far left leaning groups and is still on the board of Blueprint NC. Gerda Stein was one of the top contributors to her brother’s campaign in 2014.

Stein’s sister isn’t the only Blueprint NC contributor to his political campaigns. To name  a few other donors to Stein from the Blueprint NC gang, according to the NC Board of Elections report search, both Mary Mountcastle and Jim Goodmon have been big donors to Senator Stein.

The campaign finance reports also revealed Senator Stein’s affinity for using Democratic campaign tools like NGP VAN which are tied to Obama’s election database machine, Catalist.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Related Articles

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), BlueprintNC, ELECTIONS, NCGA | Tagged , | Comments Off on NC Attorney General Race: The Blueprint NC Candidate – #ncpol