GRNC support of ME

GRNC Political Victory Fund, P.O. Box 10684, Raleigh, NC 27605

919-664-8565, www.grnc.org, GRNC Alert Hotline: (919) 562-4137

GRNC-PVF Alert 10-24-07:

PRO GUN COUNCIL MEMBER FOR SELMA

ELECT TROY LaPLANTE

As GRNC's registered political action committee, the GRNC Political
Victory Fund becomes involved in municipal elections when a candidate
distinguishes himself or herself in supporting the right to keep and
bear arms.

In the Selma (Johnston County) race for town council, TROY LaPLANTE
is exactly such a candidate. LaPlante is a GRNC 4 star candidate with
a survey score of 98% and is holds memberships in both GRNC and Gun
Owners of America.

On or before Election Day on NOVEMBER 6TH, the GRNC Political Victory
Fund recommends that you vote TROY LaPLANTE for town council of Selma.
Below are critical dates and directions for "One Stop Absentee"
registration and voting prior to Election Day.

PRO-GUN CANDIDATES NEED HELP NOW!

Please help the GRNC Political Victory Fund support pro-gun
candidates by making a secure donation at:

https://www.completecampaigns.com/FR/contribute.asp?campaignid=GRNCPVF

WHAT IS GRNC-PVF?

Because organizations like GRNC are prohibited from direct election
action, the GRNC-Political Victory Fund-a federally-registered
political action committee-is our primary tool for electing pro-gun
candidates. The GRNC-PVF uses radio advertising, direct mail and
contributions to pro-gun candidates to create the sort of legislature
that will preserve the right to keep and bear arms.

How to Register and Vote During One-Stop Absentee

A North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote but who misses the
25 - day deadline for voter registration may register and vote at a
One-Stop Site during the One-Stop Absentee Voting period. The
One-Stop Voting period extends from 19 to 3 days before Election Day.

The process is sometimes referred to as "Same-Day Registration," but
it is important to recognize that it not permitted on Election Day
itself.

To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site
in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting
period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3)
provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an
appropriate form of identification with the citizen's current name
and current address. The new registrant may vote ONLY at a One-Stop
Absentee Voting Site in the county of registration during One-Stop
Absentee Voting period and not on Election Day.

Acceptable forms of identification include:

A North Carolina driver's license with current address

A utility bill with name and current address

A telephone or mobile phone bill

An electric or gas bill

A cable television bill

A water or sewage bill

A document with name and current address from a local, state, or U.S.
government agency, such as:

A passport

A government-issued photo ID

U.S. military ID

A license to hunt, fish, own a gun, etc.

A property or other tax bill

Automotive or vehicle registration

Certified documentation of naturalization

A public housing or Social Service Agency document

A check, invoice, or letter from a government agency

A birth certificate

A student photo ID along with a document from the school showing the
student's name and current address

A paycheck or paycheck stub from an employer or a W-2 statement

A bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement

If you cannot supply an acceptable form of identification for
Proof-of-Residence, your registration application cannot be fully
processed until the required information is provided.

Registered voters may also update their address and change vital
information in an existing registration record at the One Stop Site,
but they are not allowed to change their party affiliation during the
One Stop Voting period that precedes a partisan primary.

Critical Dates for 2007 Elections

October 18 One-stop voting begins

October 30 (5:00 PM) Last day to request mail-out absentee ballots

November 3 (1:00 PM) One-stop voting ends

November 5 (5:00 PM) Last day to apply for absentee ballots for
voters who expect to be unable to vote on Election Day because of
sickness or physical disability

November 5 (5:00 PM) Last day for receipt of mail-out absentee
ballots

November 6 (6:30 AM to 7:30 PM) Election Day

The election alert supporting Troy LaPlante for Selma town council
was authorized and paid for solely by the Grass Roots North Carolina
Political Victory Fund.

And this will accomplish WHAT, exactly, Mr. Etheridge?

Why does Congress think that they have to convene hearings on every last little thing? Major League baseball, professional wrestling and steroid use, Iran-Contra to name just a few. But drought effects? Why bother? We already KNOW the effects, since we frickin' live here! All this proposed hearing will do is make press coverage for Etheridge, waste tax dollars on the hearings, and attempt to siphon off federal tax money for relief for the agricultural industry. I am so damn tired of the taxpayers being asked to bail out every last industry when times are tough. Droughts happen. Crops suffer. It has happened for thousands of years. Floods happen. Crops suffer. Aphids happen. Crops suffer. We pay farmers to NOT grow crops. We pay them when the crops they do attempt to grow don't meet expectations. Sorry, but that is the nature of the business in which they are employed.

From the WMPM news site:

Etheridge Calls For Hearing On Effects Of Drought In NC - US Representative Bob Etheridge has announced the U.S. House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday to examine the effects of the drought in North Carolina . Etheridge requested the hearing as part of his efforts to secure federal disaster assistance payments for farmers across the state. Governor Mike Easley is scheduled to testify at Etheridge’s invitation. ‘Without assistance, the drought threatens to affect not only farmers but all of North Carolina ’s rural economy. Congress must step in to ensure that farmers receive assistance so that they may continue to provide our nation’s families with a safe and abundant food supply,” said Etheridge.

Seen anyone else with this endorsement?

Even people in Iraq want me for Selma Town Council

Worth watching. Ronaldus Magnus from 1964

Not throwing the baby out with the bath water

I am a big time Ron Paul supporter, though I disagree with some of his stances on a couple of issues. Namely, those issues are whether to pull out of Iraq and on equal rights regardless of "sexual orientation". I agreed with Ron Paul in that we should not have gone into Iraq to begin with. However, now that we are there, whether we should have or not is immaterial.

Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate that is taking a stand for FREEDOM. He is the ONLY candidate for President that hammers that we need to return to Constitutional principles. He is the ONLY candidate who can help save this nation from self destruction, in my humble yet most accurate opinion.

The video gives it straight about our Constitution and Ron Paul

Do I no longer work for the world's largest media company?

Since this news story was online this morning, I figure you might like a little recreational diversion.

About the same time that Rupert Murdoch was telling shareholders that his beloved News Corp. had become the world's most valuable media conglomerate, the company's worth was in the midst of sinking by $1.53 billion.

The whack jobs are coming to Johnston County this weekend

This Saturday the 27th, Johnston County will be invaded by bats. Not the type that are mice with wings, but the sort that are affectionately referred to by some conservatives as "moonbats". I don't take direction from any conservative group or individual to form my opinions, but I am all for agreeing with an apt descriptor if it fits. And in this case, it does.

Every so often, you will see people protesting along Highway 70 in Smithfield near the Johnston County Airport. There is a big rally planned for this Saturday in downtown Smithfield as well as a protest at the gates of the airport. The wing nuts at "NC Stop Torture Now" sometimes stand outside the gates of the airport to protest against Aero Contractors, Inc. Aero Contractors is a business that provides essentially a taxi service for the U.S. government. They provide transportation for prisoners of war (or if you prefer, enemy combatants) to and from Guantanamo, Cuba for alleged CIA directed missions. I have written about this before in this blog.

The moonbat infection will start at 12:30 on Fourth St. (at the location of
the Smithfield Herald). From there they will march the 3 blocks west to the Town
Commons (yellow rectangle below). At 2:00 they begin their hissy fit at the commons stage area. From 3:30 to 5:00 they plan to protest at the gates of Aero Contractors at the Johnston Co airport which is about 10 minute drive west on US 70. (I can't take credit for this paragraph, I lifted it from a news bulletin.)

These moonbats claim that the flights that the CIA charters are for the purpose of transporting prisoners for the purpose of torturing them. Keep in mind that these torturous acts are alleged, not proven. People think that somehow protesting a taxi service is going to stop CIA activities. As a matter of fact, looking at the event sponsors, I see groups that are activists that protest and boycott companies like R.J. Reynolds because some illegal alien laborers have died in fields while planting or picking tobacco. R.J. Reynolds has nothing to do with the planting and harvesting of tobacco; they purchase the harvested crop and process it. The same concept baffled my mind when organizations started boycotts against Mount Olive because farmers from whom they bought cucumbers hired illegal aliens under working conditions not conducive to their personal favorable opinions.

Some event sponsors have put out allegedly theologically authoritative treatises on the idea of these CIA flights, but their position paper claiming to be a religious perspective relies on quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. instead of Biblical quotations. When I see more quotes from a man or an agenda than from the standard for the religion itself, I lend little credence to the document or its author.

Many of the rally sponsors are groups that are known to be theologically liberal groups that preach a social gospel rather than a Biblical standard, groups that are known communists and socialists such as Code Pink, impeachment advocates, Amnesty International, and the like. That alone would turn me off to their message.

I am not going to get into a debate over whether or not torture is a viable means of intelligence gathering or even ethical. I will say that I do not for one minute consider what many liberal whining protesters call torture to be actual torture. Our CIA does not exactly get medieval on prisoners and the detainees don't exactly look like they were just staying in a hostel in Slovakia (a la the movie "Hostel"). If it were the case, we would be hearing about it both loud and often. As it is, waterboarding, humiliation, and sleep deprivation are far from barbarous acts that maim and kill and not considered torture in any rational individual's consideration. Besides that, radical Islamists think nothing of beheading and actually torturing our soldiers, civilians, and contractors in the Middle East. Ergo, I have little sympathy that Abdul had to put ladies' underwear on his head or went without sleep for the last 48 hours.

To me, protesting a taxi service is like protesting against Ford Motor Company that people use their cars to drive drunk, or protesting Yellow Cab and Greyhound because rapists and murderers use their transportation services to flee a crime scene or jurisdiction.

I have had my Christian faith questioned by these same whack jobs, since I am not willing to come out and condemn these flights out of little old Johnston County Airport. I am all for Aero Contractors making a living off from providing transportation services, regardless of for whom. Hey, I wish I could get in on that lucrative business deal myself. I have no problem flying old Abdul around in a private jet. The pilots don't engage in alleged torture, they fly the plane, which is what they are being paid to do. If you want to stop torture and the CIA run operation, try protesting in Washington DC or CIA headquarters.

I am not going to stop eating cucumbers or buy Mount Olive pickles because some immigrants are working in harsh conditions in harvest fields. I am certainly not going to stop supporting private businesses prospering at our local airport for providing a shuttle service. Actually, I may very well bring my bullhorn and work as a counter protester in favor of common sense.

When a republican form of government fails its people

According to the Selma town charter, "The Mayor shall be the official head of the Town government and preside at meetings of the Council". According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of preside means "1: to exercise guidance, direction, or control2 a: to occupy the place of authority : act as president, chairman, or moderator b: to occupy a position similar to that of a president or chairman" It does not say DICTATE and abridge the rights and responsibilities of other members of the council. We do not live under a dictatorship.

The Herald gets it

An editorial in The Smithfield Herald actually gets it in dramatic fashion. I have said much the same thing regarding growth here in Selma. Here is a blurb from the editorial, which talks about growth proposals for Benson.

Jerry McLamb, the incumbent, would grow Benson through annexation. That's the town's prerogative, but growing through annexation is akin to getting rich by taking someone else's money. Mr. McLamb thinks shops and restaurants will come to a bigger Benson. He's might be right. But it's safe to assume that retailers already include folks near town in their decision-making. Forcing those folks to live in Benson — and pay Benson taxes — won't change the numbers.

Click on the column link for the rest of the nifty rant.

I really don't like baths

But every so often, Daddy makes me take one anyway. This one turned out better than the last one and I am much cleaner now. I am still a soggy doggy, but doing better.

Big surprise...finally some progress and the ACLU has a hard time understanding what the word "illegal" means

For the whole article, including an interview with Johnston County's own Sheriff Steve Bizzel, click here.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole on Tuesday announced a partnership that would give local authorities the power to enforce federal immigration laws.

The partnership between North Carolina sheriffs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made public at the N.C. Sheriffs' Association fall meeting at Carolina Beach, will give sheriff's offices around the state access to ICE resources. Exactly which resources has yet to be determined.

The ACLU claims that enforcing the law could actually hinder enforcing laws. Also that this could lead to "racial profiling". The last I saw, there were not a whole lot of Norwegian looking people sneaking across the border with Mexico, and most illegal immigrants do not speak the language fluently. That would be a fair place to start. If radical Muslims are the primary perps in blowing up or purposely crashing airplanes, then we should start with those who tend to be radical Muslims. If Hispanics are the primary offenders of illegal immigration, then Hispanics are the appropriate direction from which to start enforcing immigration laws. DUH!

An outsider's perspective on the Selma election and state of affairs

An interesting read from a friend of mine. The link is fixed now. Sorry about that.

Sometimes I read something so profoundly stupid, I have to share it

I ran across this column today on The Religion News Blog, which I check from time to time. The writer, Leonard Doyle, the foreign editor of Britain's "Independent" newspaper, has a profound misunderstanding of economics and even Christian doctrine. He has an obvious bent towards Socialism. He thinks that giving health care to every American citizen is in the best economic interest of every American. He seems to think that every time someone gets burned in a bad money deal that the rest of the citizenry should come to their rescue. NONE of that is in my best economic interest. Mr. Doyle also has no clue what Republican stand for. If he did, he would not attribute so much of what he says are conservative values to the GOP.

One question that I also wonder is one that he asked in his column. "Perhaps the greatest political riddle of the US is why so many Americans vote against their economic and social interests?" The very things he seems to think that we should do are the very things that are against our economic and social interests. To think otherwise is either so profoundly ignorant or just plain stupid that I am quite frankly perplexed at how someone like that could be a columnist...and that coming from a columnist.

Here is how this tripe starts in the column:

Why is it that millions of ordinary Americans vote for conservative policies that seem inimical to their lives? Why are the politicians who support healthcare reforms to give access to a doctor for the 47 million Americans without insurance branded as closet socialists or worse?

Why, in this upside-down world do so many blue-collar Americans vote Republican, and family farmers support a President whose Wall Street friends would gladly push them off the land?

Why do people shrug and say "tough", when they read that hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their homes, after falling victims to crooked mortgage salesmen? The most common response is that millions of people who otherwise could never have afforded a home are now enjoying the American Dream.

Perhaps the greatest political riddle of the US is why so many Americans vote against their economic and social interests?

If it were otherwise, then surely John Edwards, the telegenic Democratic candidate for President would lead the polls since he has dedicated his campaign to lifting tens of millions out of poverty. Instead it is Hillary Clinton, whose economic policies might as well have been drafted by the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, who looks a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination.

So what's the matter with America?

The answer may be contained in the writings of the Russian emigree and radical libertarian philosopher Ayn Rand.

The very principles so impugned by Doyle are what have made America into the greatest economic, social, and health care power in the world today. And by the way, yes, I do have a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" on my book shelf.

One of the most accurate political cartoons I have ever seen

A friend emailed this to me this morning. Very true.

And is the rail yard now coming to Selma, instead?

At least that is the rumor I have heard. If so, I don't have a problem with a rail yard in Selma. What I WOULD have a problem with is the possibility of taking land by eminent domain for a rail yard. A government has to be engaged in eminent domain; a railroad can not do that on their own. I have a hard time with the concept of a rail yard being a case for eminent domain. Let the railroad companies buy the land, but do not forcibly take it from land owners for the purpose. Anyway, the article on WMPM's news site mentioned eminent domain, and I have no idea how far that idea would have gotten in Clayton. I know that idea would not have gotten far without me being vocal about it, either in Clayton or here in Selma.

One of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever made was the Kelo vs. New London decision that allows governments to take land away from property owners and give it to developers.

Residents Think They Have Defeated Clayton Rail Yard - A group of Clayton residents think they have won a battle against the railroad over a rail yard they thought was about to be built in their own back yards. The NC Railroad Company had reportedly been looking at purchasing 30 acres of land between Guy Road and the Wake County line for the rail yard. Llewellyn Beaman alerted her neighbors and the community about the situation this summer when she found the rail company had contracted for land near her home. A grassroots committee called CARRE, Citizens Against Rail Road Expansion, was formed. In a letter to Beaman, the NC Railroad Company said they were no longer going to exercise purchase contracts or to acquire the property by eminent domain. Residents had been fearful the rail yard could have encompassed as much as 100 acres and included an intermodal facility and trucking operation.

Proposal for a Selma election forum

Here is an email I sent to most every candidate in the upcoming election here in Selma, as well as the local newspaper.

It appears that no community organization, media outlet, or group will be offering to host a candidates' forum. I will make an offer and make one available to us for both the Council and Mayoral candidates. You may or may not know, but I have been a talk show host on the internet for a while. I produce weekly internet radio shows, one hour each for live streaming and up to two hours each for recorded shows.

I am offering the use of my show as a forum for candidates to discuss issues. I can schedule a show that can either be pre-recorded or live call in. I personally prefer the live call in, since we can do that from any telephone you have access to. I already have shows scheduled on Saturday nights at 6 PM, for example. I can have up to five callers at any one time, so it is conceivable that we could have the four council candidates and a moderator (if we choose to have one). If we find a time that works, I can schedule up to one show per day, at any time, provided that the time slot is not already filled by other shows. So if we find a time and date that works well, I can set something up.

Here is how it would work. I would schedule a show to air with a 60 minute target time frame. If we go over, no problem, the show will continue to be recorded for up to two hours but only the first 60 minutes would go live on the internet the first airing. People can later listen to or download the entire show 24/7 on the internet.

Each person could call in on my listener line, 718-664-9756 about the time the show starts. A few minutes early is preferable. I play my show introduction and describe what it going to happen on that episode. If there is a moderator, I can turn things over to the moderator. A moderator could have prepared questions ahead of time.

This would allow for us to each get our message across, give 24/7 access to citizens, even burn CD copies of the show, and all of us could have fair, equal access. I do not have an email address for Tommy Holmes, or I would have included him in the email list.

To get an idea what a show comes out like, I have many archived shows on www.blogtalkradio.com/troylaplante I have interviewed Presidential candidates, political action committee founders, religious leaders, and the like.

Anyway, it is a thought and a public service I am willing to provide. As far as I know, there are no other municipalities doing online debate forums. Let me know if this is of interest to y'all.

Welcome aboard

I do not personally know Selma's newly announced fire chief. I hope he will do well. Of the four finalists, I only knew one of them. The one that I do know I had full confidence in, as did many other emergency management and municipal leaders in the area. I am still not keen on the method of selection or the use of a contract consultant to help select a fire chief. Personally I prefer the idea of using people you know, trust, and will be having interaction with on a local basis. Men who do the job already and have the qualifications necessary to take the decision are better suited, in my opinion, to do the job. This does not even take into account that a consultant that you pay will be more easily manipulated towards your desired result than others who already know the town, the department, the needs, and the interaction necessary.

None the less, the new fire chief has my full support and I hope that things will progress to the level necessary here in Selma. I look forward to meeting Chief McDaniel and working with him.

Here is the article from The Selma News online.

The town of Selma has a new fire chief. Phillip McDaniel of Selma, fire chief of Pine Level Volunteer Fire Department, was hired as Selma’s full-time fire chief Tuesday morning. He will officially start his new post on Oct. 22, according to Town Manager Stan Farmer.

Inactivity and a forum

I know it has been a week already since my last post. Sorry, but I have been a bit busy with some things, not to mention not really in the mood to write. There were a few topics I thought about writing on, but didn't really feel like it.

Anyway, here is one topic I feel like including in a post. WHY do we not have things like this here in Selma? Why are the local TV and radio stations, newspaper(s), civic groups, and the like not putting on a forum or debate for candidates for mayor and council? At least there was something in Benson for mayor.

From the WMPM news site:

Benson Mayoral Candidates Debate At Forum - Benson Mayor Jerry McLamb and his opponent, Commissioner William Massengill, debated at the town's election forum Monday night about topics ranging from growth to crime prevention.

There is plenty more of the story on the page today. It will likely go away within a day, so click fast.

I can always count on Ann Coulter to be bombastic, but accurate

This
was linked on The Drudge Report this morning:

If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president. It's kind of a pipe dream, it's a personal fantasy of mine, but I don't think it's going to happen. And it is a good way of making the point that women are voting so stupidly, at least single women.

It also makes the point, it is kind of embarrassing, the Democratic Party ought to be hanging its head in shame, that it has so much difficulty getting men to vote for it. I mean, you do see it’s the party of women and 'We’ll pay for health care and tuition and day care -- and here, what else can we give you, soccer moms?'

I have often pondered the need for the repeal of the 19th Amendment.

Sometimes stupid can be amusing

I have been having some work done at the house for a while now. Some things have needed to be done for a few years and now I am finally getting them taken care of. Today I saw something coming that I stood back and watched. My backyard shed was in need of serious attention. The siding was falling apart, the roof leaked, the door was rotting out, and some of the floor was rotting. All of that has been taken care of, so hopefully I will not need to touch that shed for maintenance for years to come.

A friend of mine has been doing the labor. He has done a lot of other work for me in the past. His hireling is a decent laborer, as well. Today, however, he did something incredibly stupid. I saw it coming but stood back and watched.

The worker was cutting vinyl siding into small sections. He was using a power saw to do it. He was putting the vinyl on the ground and cutting a few lengths at a time. What I saw was that he put the vinyl down on top of his orange extension cord. I debated whether to say anything and warn him or just stand back and watch. I haven't used my CPR training in a long time, so I figured I would let it happen. Sure enough, the saw stopped as the GFCI breaker tripped. This happens when a cord is cut. Ask me how I know this. OK, I will tell you. I have hedge trimmers that love to eat orange cords. Yes, cords, plural.

He figured he just overdrew the breaker. I picked up the cord, held it for his inspection, and pointed out the nice deep cut. He said that someone else must have cut it a long time ago, even though the nice bright copper wire was showing through. Instead of taping up the cord, he just bent it back together and kept on working.

I am still amazed at that one.

Scottie has never been so affectionate as he has been lately

The past seven weeks have been an adventure for all of us here at home. Muffin, Scottie, Daisy, and I have been bonding a lot more. Daisy still has her issues, but she comes close when strangers are in the house. I posted a few weeks ago about Muffin being lovey with me, giving me smoochies. I love Muffin smoochies. Scottie has been really affectionate lately, as well. He comes over to me and puts his paws on my leg, asking to be picked up. Sometimes he loves being held and petted for a while, sometimes just a minute or so. Tonight he was being so cuddly, like never before. I turned on the web cam and snapped a picture.

Scottie is a big, handsome boy. He was named Scottie because he was a butterscotch color when I got him. He also came to live with me just a few days after James "Scotty" Doohan (of "Star Trek" fame) died, so his full name is Montgomery Scott. Don't ask about the Scottie vs. Scotty spelling...wasn't the bubble head who came up with it.

He does not normally curl up in my arms like this. He usually likes to be a shoulder baby with me, but he just curled up this way and napped for a while. Since I started typing, he jumped down went somewhere else in the house then came back to be petted more. What a cool cat.

Ted Nugent lays it out perfectly. He has a way with words, and I couldn't agree more.

Meet me for FREE coffee and pastries this weekend in Selma!

This Saturday, September 29 from 9:30 AM until 12 noon, you can meet with me at Edelweiss Cafe and Bakery at 101 South Raiford Street in Uptown Selma. Feel free to ask questions, express concerns, share issues, or just swap stories. The coffee and pastries are my treat!

Right vote, wrong reason

Bob Etheridge cast the correct vote on a federal health care bill. He did it for the wrong reason. Besides the cost burden being based upon tobacco taxes and the subsequent effect on farmers, the bill is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and should have been voted down anyway. Unfortunately, Etheridge supports the concept of federally funded health care, just not this particular method of funding. Sorry, but I don't see it in the US Constitution that the federal government is authorized to fund or support such a program.

From WMPM's web site:

Congressman Says NC Farm Families Would Carry Burden Of Federal Health Care Bill - Congressman Bob Etheridge says North Carolina farm families shouldn’t carry the burden of funding a federal health care bill. Etheridge voted against the legislation this week, but it passed the full US House by a vote of 265 to 159. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program would be funded solely through a 61 cents tobacco tax increase. Although Etheridge said he supports funding the insurance program, he was against it being funded entirely by tobacco taxes. The legislation would cost North Carolina $540 million a year through the tax’s indirect economic impact on the state, yet North Carolina would only receive $316 million from the insurance program under the bill in 2008. “I wish I could support this bill to make sure that children receive the health care they need. However, as the bill stands, I must vote no today, and hope that we can come up with a better, more balanced plan in the future,” Etheridge said. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill.

This chart speaks volumes

Sweet victory. Truth will prevail, and it did today. Thank you, Jesus.

Selma narrows search for fire chief

From today's Smithfield Herald:

By Jordan Cooke, Staff Reporter

SELMA -- Four firefighters, including one local candidate, will take part in a series of exercises next week to determine which one of them will become Selma's first full-time, paid fire chief.

Town Manager Stan Farmer said Selma would pay a private consultant about $3,000 to conduct the daylong assessment of the four candidates. The consultant will bring in "subject matter experts" who will test the hopefuls' leadership skills and level of firefighting knowledge.

"These kinds of methods are becoming more and more common nowadays among employers," Farmer said. "In the 21st century, it's just not enough anymore to look at a resume and ask standard questions. You can see more about a potential employee through role playing than through a question-and-answer session."

In all, 15 people, including three or four from outside of North Carolina, applied for the job, which has been the subject of controversy. Many Selma firefighters oppose the hiring of a chief who would answer to the town manager, not the volunteers. And in June, nine firefighters found themselves in hot water for dumping their gear in the yard of Mayor Charles Hester in protest.

Farmer said firefighters would play no role in the hiring of a chief, but he said the decision to exclude them had nothing to do with tensions between Town Hall and the fire station.

"Actually, I was originally going to have two of them come in as assessors for the interview exercises," Farmer said. "But then I realized that since one of the candidates is an internal applicant, it wouldn't be professional or ethical to have co-workers assessing one of their colleagues."

Farmer said the four finalists are from North Carolina. He hopes to name a chief by late October.

One comment regarding the quote by Stan Farmer,

"These kinds of methods are becoming more and more common nowadays among employers. In the 21st century, it's just not enough anymore to look at a resume and ask standard questions. You can see more about a potential employee through role playing than through a question-and-answer session."

Well, Stan, this is NOTHING new. This has been the case in the field of emergency services for a century now. Most everyone I know who was hired as a grunt firefighter, promoted to a leadership position, or was interviewed for other emergency services positions has been through a skills battery. I have personally interviewed for many jobs in the fire and safety business in different capacities, both in civilian circles and for governmental organizations. Every one of them asked skills related questions, had a standard testing methodology, or had interview boards of experts in the field of work. Not that I have a real problem with paying $3000 for a consultant, but that fee could easily have been avoided by asking the right people for assistance in the decision taking process. I have a list of people we could have invited and probably not had to pay a dime. Oh, well.