• Slavery Reparations • Funds Misdirected a National Campaign To Economic Agency

History Goes Haywire C A R O L I N A “Going Broke by Degree”

Statewide Edition A Monthly Journal of News, Analysis, and Opinion from June 2005 • Vol. 14, No. 6 JOURNAL the John Locke Foundation www.CarolinaJournal.com www.JohnLocke.org North Carolina Isn’t the Only State With a ‘Leandro’

Constitutional challenges Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah has had litigation over the constitution- filed in 44 other states ality of its K-12 funding. However, over the last 40 or so years, over their school funding the lawsuits have taken different forms with varying success. By PAUL CHESSER Associate Editor Education lawsuit history RALEIGH n Kansas, the plaintiff was Montoy. The U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. In Connecticut, it was Sheff, and Board of Education decision in 1954 was IBrigham filed the complaint in Ver- intended to end schools’ segregation of mont. blacks and whites, but real progress The Leandro lawsuit, in which the toward integration, especially in the state Supreme Court ruled that North South, didn’t develop until the early Carolina has a constitutional obligation 1970s. Many schools remained naturally to adequately fund education in its segregated because blacks generally poorer counties, has had sibling cases in lived in neighborhoods apart from 44 other states. That is because almost whites. every state in the union has a constitu- According to a documentary article tional provision similar to North by Michael A. Rebell entitled “Educa- Carolina’s, which promises a “sound tional Adequacy, Democracy, and the and basic education” for all its resi- Courts,” education reformers in the late dents. 1960s began to test legal theories in vari- According to the Campaign for Fis- ous state and federal lawsuits. Rebell is cal Equity, an organization that advo- cates for adequate public education The U.S. Supreme Court issued the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. funding, every state except Delaware, Continued as “There’s a History,” Page 2 Light-Rail Transit Systems Run Deep In the Red, Trends Show

By BOB FLISS spiraling costs. when it got snubbed in President Bush’s This setback also came at a time Contributing Editor Nowhere is this more evident than budget recommendations, even while when TTA is also trying to grapple with RALEIGH in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, where Charlotte hit the jackpot with about $199 problems in its current cost structure. ven while North Carolina’s three the Triangle Transit Authority is the million. It also came out at the same The organization has been drawing largest metro areas try to boost lead agency for a regional light-rail sys- time that the Federal Transit Adminis- down its cash reserves to meet operat- E their “world class city” creden- tem that is supposed to cost about $630 tration had major questions about some ing expenses, and this trend has in- tials with new light-rail transit systems, million. of the ridership forecasting models used ridership trends suggest that such pres- TTA’s project got plenty of the by TTA and the other Triangle-area plan- tige projects will only aggravate already- wrong kind of attention early this year ning organizations. Continued as “Costs of Light,” Page 3

% NC Voters Who Are Conservatives The John Locke Foundation NONPROFIT ORG. 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 45% Contents U.S. POSTAGE 45% Raleigh, NC 27601 PAID 40% 39% State Government 4 RALEIGH NC 35% PERMIT NO. 1766 35% Washington Watch 6 30% Education 8 1998 25% 2002 Higher Education 12 20% 2004 Local Government 16 15%

10% Books & the Arts 20

5% Opinion 24 0% Parting Shot 28 Self-Identified Conservatives in JLF Polls C A R O L I N A C A R O L I N A North Carolina JOURNAL JOURNAL There’s a History Behind Education Lawsuits Continued From Page 1

Richard Wagner executive director of the Campaign for Editor Fiscal Equity, a nonprofit group that seeks education reform through in- Don Carrington Executive Editor creased, equalized spending for “disad- vantaged” public schools. CFE has liti- Paul Chesser, Michael Lowrey gated against New York State for years Donna Martinez, Jon Sanders over school funding adequacy, and the Associate Editors organization also closely tracks similar lawsuits in every other state in the coun- Chad Adams, Shannon Blosser, try. Andrew Cline, Roy Cordato, “Rooted in the traditional pattern Bob Fliss, David Hartgen, of local control of schooling in America,” Summer Hood, Lindalyn Kakadelis, Rebell wrote in his article, “most state George Leef, Marc Rotterman, systems required much of the funding Karen Palasek, R.E. Smith Jr., for public schools to be obtained from Jack Sommer, John Staddon, local property taxes, a method that in- Robb Leandro Judge Howard Manning George Stephens, Jeff Taylor, herently disadvantaged students who Michael Walden, Karen Welsh attended schools in areas that had low turned from a strategy of “equity” to Cases also drag out because both Contributing Editors property wealth.” “adequacy” under state constitutions. plaintiffs and defendants file challenges Jenna Ashley Robinson, Reformers in the early 1970s first The standards-based reform movement, under the decisions because they com- Paul Messino, Brian McGraw sought relief from the inequity through which blossomed in the mid-to-late plain that their legal opponents are fail- Editorial Interns the federal courts. A San Antonio case, 1980s, led many states to raise their re- ing to comply with standards set by the which claimed that Texas’ system for quirements for student promotion and courts. Many adequacy suits seem to financing education was discriminatory, graduation. It provided advocates for have no end. was found by the Supreme Court not to poorer schools a foundation upon which In Wyoming the Supreme Court said Published by have a legitimate legal basis in the fed- they could build cases that proved stu- that education costs, class size, and The John Locke Foundation eral constitution. Rebell quoted Justice dents in their districts were failing to teacher salaries should be reviewed ev- 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., who wrote in the receive an adequate education. ery five years, and inflation costs re- Raleigh, N.C. 27601 majority opinion, “[No] charge fairly “‘Adequate education’ was no viewed every two years. (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 could be made…that the system fails to longer a vague notion that could be www.JohnLocke.org provide each child with an opportunity assumed almost in passing to describe Costing out or costing ouch? to acquire the basic minimal skills nec- any state education system,” Rebell Jon Ham essary for the enjoyment of the rights of wrote. “The concept now had substan- In Arkansas, the state Supreme Vice President & Publisher speech and of full participation in the tive content…” Court ordered the state to conduct a John Hood political process.” Since 1989, according to statistics “costing out” study to determine how Chairman & President But the court majority expressed an compiled by the Campaign for Fiscal much money was needed to provide understanding of the plaintiffs’ plight, Equity, 19 of 29 lawsuits argued on edu- enough resources for a “general, suit- Bruce Babcock, Herb Berkowitz, Rebell wrote, noting that Powell said cational adequacy grounds were won able and efficient system of free public John Carrington, Sandra Fearrington, “this Court’s action today is not to be by the plaintiffs. North Carolina’s schools” as its constitution requires. The Jim Fulghum, William Graham, viewed as placing its judicial imprima- Leandro decision, reached in 2004 by the findings released in September 2003 Lee Kindberg, Robert Luddy, tur on the status quo.” state Supreme Court, was among the determined that in order to provide William Maready, J. Arthur Pope, “The court clearly hoped that both successful cases. In addition, CFE said adequate resources for its students, Ar- Assad Meymandi, Tula Robbins, scholars ‘and the legislatures in the vari- courts in several states, including South kansas would need to raise education David Stover, Jess Ward, ous states’ would come up with ‘ulti- Carolina and Idaho, “reverse(d) or spending by $848 million, a 33 percent Andy Wells mate solutions’ to these complex prob- distinguish(ed) earlier cases in which increase over its current spending. Board of Directors lems,” Rebell wrote, paraphrasing the defendants had prevailed.” Arkansas was one of only five states court. in which the studies were ordered by its In the ensuing years, education ad- Court decisions not the end courts. Similar studies with varying for- vocates and their lawyers adopted the mulas and bases have been conducted Carolina Journal is a monthly journal of news, analysis, and commentary on state “fiscal neutrality principle,” which held Today, even if a state Supreme Court in 32 states, 21 of them initiated by the and local government and public policy is- that each state “has a constitutional ob- has ruled its education financing sys- states themselves and the rest commis- sues in North Carolina. ligation to equalize the value of the tax- tem unconstitutional, the legal wran- sioned by outside groups. able wealth in each district, so that equal gling over plans and funding still con- The findings are usually stagger- ©2005 by The John Locke Foundation tax efforts will yield equal resources,” tinues. ing, often calling for hundreds of mil- Inc. All opinions expressed in bylined articles according to Rebell. They succeeded in In New Jersey, Abbott v. Burke was lions of dollars in spending increases. A are those of the authors and do not necessarily some states, including California, un- filed in 1981 and has since seen 10 court state-ordered study in North Dakota reflect the views of the editors of CJ or the staff der that argument, which led some leg- decisions related to the case. Typical of recommended a spending increase of and board of the John Locke Foundation. islatures to institute policies of redistri- many of the education funding law- up to $866 million, a 31 percent increase. Material published herein may be reprinted bution of resources from wealthy school suits, the various decisions reflect nego- That would represent an additional as long as appropriate credit is given. Sub- districts to poor ones. tiations between the state and the plain- $2,000 spent per pupil in the state. missions and letters are welcome and should But by the mid-1980s state supreme tiffs over implementation of programs A study conducted by an outside be directed to the editor. courts “tended to rule in the defendants’ and new laws, as well as the funding for group in Missouri determined that the (or states’) favor,” emphasizing more them. state needed to raise its education spend- CJ readers wanting more information the precedents set in the San Antonio As Judge Howard Manning has ing by $913 million, or by 15.7 percent. between monthly issues can call 919-828- Leandro 3876 and ask for Carolina Journal Weekly case, Rebell said. “Fiscal neutrality,” or done with the case in North The authors went so far as to call for a Report, delivered each weekend by e-mail, or equity, proved difficult to implement, Carolina, courts continue to hold hear- statewide property tax to raise addi- visit CarolinaJournal.com for news, links, and though the funding gap was re- ings long after their decisions so that tional revenues. and exclusive content updated each weekday. duced, other forces such as hiring deci- states are held accountable. Last May No costing study has been ordered Those interested in education, higher educa- sions and student makeup hindered the the Arkansas Supreme Court heard ar- in North Carolina — yet. So far, Gov. tion, or local government should also ask to effort to reach achievement equity. guments over whether the legislature Mike Easley and the General Assembly receive weekly e-letters covering these issues. In the late 1980s, however, lawyers had complied with its November 2002 are trying to spend just enough to keep and plaintiffs in education funding cases order. Manning satisfied. CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL North Carolina 3 Costs of Light-Rail Projects Running Away in ‘World-Class Cities’

Continued From Page 1 $7.86 in 2003, the last year studied by Hartgen. The system’s costs have risen creased over the last few years. While about twice as fast as its revenue from TTA, like all North Carolina transit agen- bus ticket sales. TTA spent $7.6 million cies, is heavily subsidized, several board on operations in 2003, versus $3.9 mil- members have asked publicly whether lion in 1997. But ticket revenue over this more fiscal discipline isn’t needed. period rose only from $648,000 to TTA is also trying to tinker with its $973,000. service mix to boost revenue. In April, Historically, TTA has always been TTA introduced evening buses direct to the most costly transit system in North Durham Bulls baseball games. New in- Carolina. Hartgen said that this is partly tercity express services are being con- because its market is so diffuse. templated and some unproductive Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill routes may be dropped. all have well-established city bus ser- vices, with TTA’s routes linking the com- $380,000 for c≠onsultants munities. While this made TTA the natu- ral agency to oversee light rail in the But as far as the federal grant is Research Triangle, it’s also a long-term concerned, it’s back to the grindstone, at problem that’s likely to get worse if the least until late summer, TTA spokes- light-rail system ever gets built. man Garold Smith said. TTA has hired “Basically, what you have are routes a consulting firm for nearly $380,000 to linking downtown to downtown. These help iron out kinks in various computer are less likely to attract a lot of riders models and whip the ridership projec- than service between the suburbs and tions into a shape that will be acceptable downtown,” Hartgen said. to the federal funders. By comparison, Charlotte’s light- “I think it’s important to note that rail system will mainly move suburban the federal people never questioned the commuters to downtown. This is at least need for the project,” Smith said. a logical model, Hartgen said, although TTA has already received about $85 he still thinks it will prove far too costly. million for the light-rail project over TTA’s cost structure is conspicu- several federal budgets. Smith said that ously high. The next-worst is Greens- it’s entirely possible that this year’s re- boro, which carried passengers at a per- quest, about $30 million, will be restored trip cost of $4.56 in 2003. Triangle Transit Authority service is heavily subsidized, as is Charlotte’s CATS service after the problems with the forecasts have been worked out. Charlotte’s dubious example mass transit. Expert expresses doubts There are a few flaws in this as- in North Carolina, $400 million for a But, as North Carolina’s largest sys- sumption, Hartgen said. First, the mod- light-rail system might be considered tem, Charlotte may provide the best David Hartgen, professor of trans- els tend to overlook the degree to which proportional to the size of the city’s yardstick against which to measure all portation at the University of North commuters will change their driving current transit program. others. Again, Charlotte repeats the dis- Carolina at Charlotte, said that TTA’s habits — leaving earlier for work, for Also, Charlotte’s light-rail system turbing trend of costs rising much faster management may be too optimistic. example — rather than give up their is designed to provide a link between than revenues. “Competition for these dollars has be- cars. the suburbs and a fairly well-developed CATS’s operating costs nearly come very intense and a few months Also, the models have to account downtown business and entertainment tripled from $22.9 million in 1997 to delay could put them back a year or for regional growth in population and district. $63.2 million in 2003. Meanwhile, fare more,” Hartgen said. business activity, which are largely out Even so, Charlotte is a typically revenues rose from $6.1 million to $8.9 “All the cities vying for transit dol- of the hands of planners, Hartgen said. sprawling New South city, and for that million over the same period. lars are required to make careful esti- Any accurate model also has to re- reason considered by many transit crit- CATS was at least able to achieve a mates of what traffic will be. Those num- flect any upcoming changes to the local ics such as Hartgen as a poor prospect substantial increase in ridership over bers are compared against costs, so that highway system. A forecast that assumes for light rail. the seven-year study period — 11.7 mil- the feds have some measure of the over- there will be no highway improvements lion trips in 1997 against 18.9 million in all cost-effectiveness of these invest- will tend to maximize potential new Different story elsewhere 2003. ments across the country,” Hartgen said. transit riders. But in the real world, high- While this additional patronage cer- One important number is the cost to way improvements would be going on By comparison, the cities of the Re- tainly makes good talking points for attract one new rider to the transit sys- even as the mass-transit system ex- search Triangle and Piedmont Triad are Charlotte’s new rail system, it hasn’t tem, Hartgen said. Anything above $25 panded, Hartgen said. even more spread out translated into a is going to be suspect — and Hartgen than Charlotte and stable cost structure. noted that Charlotte’s $400 million light- Costs continue to escalate have relatively small “Competition for these It cost CATS about rail system just barely made the cut, by central business dis- dollars has become $1.96 a trip to carry this criterion. Always, the feds are look- Public transportation historically tricts. very intense and a 1997’s passengers. By ing for projects that have some reason- has been heavily subsidized everywhere Yet, Raleigh- 2003, many more able expectation of persuading automo- in North Carolina. A particular cause Durham-Chapel Hill few months delay people were using bile commuters to switch to mass tran- for concern is that the gap between ticket is supposed to get could put them back a CATS, but at a cost of sit. Projects that promise only to get bus revenues and operating expenses grows light rail by 2008, and $3.35 a trip. riders to switch to light rail are unlikely wider each year, according to figures plans are on the table year or more.” Even TTA’s to get funded. compiled by Hartgen. for a light-rail system neighboring transit Hartgen explained that these statis- This has not deterred the Charlotte to connect Greensboro and Winston- systems aren’t generating enough busi- tical ridership models hinge on fore- Area Transit System, which started work Salem early in the next decade. ness to suggest that the Research Tri- casts of the degree to which traffic con- this year on a light-rail system estimated TTA also has the dubious distinc- angle desperately needs to move up to gestion will worsen in a community at $427 million. tion of being the most heavily subsi- light rail. Raleigh’s Capital Area Transit over time. The assumption here is that Considering that CATS’ annual dized system in North Carolina, accord- actually saw no growth in ridership or the worse congestion is, the more com- budget of about $60 million represents ing to one key measurement. ticket revenues from 1997 to 2003. Yet its muters will be motivated to switch to nearly half the mass-transit money spent TTA’s average cost per trip was per-trip costs rose from $2.02 to $3.13. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 4 North Carolina JOURNAL Department of Commerce issued checks to wrong organization More Than $2 Million Paid to Nonprofit was Unauthorized By PAUL CHESSER by the Legislature.” Associate Editor Why the Partnership in 2003 re- RALEIGH quested that Commerce issue checks to he state Department of Com- the commission remains in question. merce, apparently for several But under state statutes the Partner- T years, paid a private nonprofit ship, as a separate organization, had no organization for economic development power to authorize the change or to funds that by law should have been receive the payments in the first place. paid to a state-established commission. Until June 2003, Commerce’s fiscal Watson creates organizations department issued checks that, by stat- ute and under the biennial state budget In addition to the commission and laws, should have gone to the North- the Partnership, Watson has created eastern North Carolina Regional Eco- other affiliated organizations: North nomic Development Commission. In- Carolina’s Northeast Committee of 1000; stead the “pass-through” payments North Carolina’s Northeast Economic were made to North Carolina’s North- Ernie Pearson, Northeast Partnership’s Rep. John Rhodes, R-Mecklenburg, says Development Foundation; and the east Partnership, a nonprofit organiza- lawyer, says it’s not a public agency payments “raise red flags” North Carolina’s Northeast Partnership tion established by some of the same for Financing — which was created last board members as the commission, but some records requests from CJ, although proximately $1 million in Commerce November. not considered to be a public agency by in some cases negotiations to gain their money each year, it is subject to state In July 2003 he filed a request with its staff, board members, and lawyer. release have been lengthy. But because audits, and must submit financial infor- the secretary of state’s office changing Exactly how much money was paid the Partnership does not consider itself mation each year to the state, that it is the name from “Northeastern North to the Partnership could not be estab- a public agency, it is not known whether subject to the public records law. But Carolina Regional Economic Develop- lished, because Commerce’s retention those requests were completely fulfilled. even he seemed confused by the official ment Partnership” to “North Carolina’s policy for records provides that it keep In 1999 the Partnership sought from responsibilities of the Northeast organi- Northeast Economic Development Part- documents for only the previous three then-Attorney General Mike Easley a zations. nership.” years. But the Partnership was paid $1.33 legal opinion about whether the organi- “Although the Commission appar- Last August he changed the official million for fiscal 2002-03, and records zation is subject to the state’s public ently still exists,” Watkins wrote, “it is name again, to “North Carolina’s North- obtained by Carolina Journal show that records law. unclear what functions or duties, if any east Partnership.” the Partnership was paid $1.35 million The response, written by former it performs. The Commission was not Watson in 2003 also changed some in 2001-02. deputy attorney general Reginald authorized to remove itself from [Com- key provisions to the Partnership’s ar- The Partnership has been the sub- Watkins, determined that the Partner- merce] in 1994. ticles of incorporation. He greatly broad- ject of previous CJ stories in which its ship was a state agency and “fully sub- “There is nothing in [the statute] ened the official “purposes” of the orga- executive director, Rick Watson, may ject to the Public Records Act.” that grants the Commission the author- nization to include any activities out- have had a conflict of interest because of The commission was created to op- ity to divest itself of its statutory powers side of economic development. his personal investment in a fingerprint erate administratively under Commerce and duties in the areas of economic and He also removed the Department of technology company, and because of by the General Assembly in 1993, but tourism development. Nor can such au- Commerce as the recipient of all the attempts to gain equity in companies was to “exercise its statutory powers thority be implied as reasonably neces- Partnership’s assets should it be dis- that he tried to recruit to the state. and duties independently of [Com- sary as an incident to the accomplish- solved, leaving the decision with the Watson would not accept calls from merce].” But according to Watkins’s ment of the purposes for which the Com- board of directors. CJ, and the Partnership’s finance of- opinion, the commission’s meeting min- mission was created.” Watson also amended the articles ficer, Sarah Jackson, declined to answer utes of July 27, 1994 stated that as of to allow directors and officers of the questions about the two organizations. Aug. 1, 1994, it “would no longer be Similar agencies public Partnership to receive “reasonable com- Jack Runion, board chairman of both affiliated with the Department of Com- pensation for services rendered…” and the commission and the Partnership, merce, State of North Carolina, but Two other regional state commis- “reasonable expenses incurred in fur- could not be reached. Watson routinely would, as of that date, begin operating sions, created in likewise fashion at the therance of the [Partnership’s] busi- ignores requests for interviews by phone on it’s [sic] own.” same time as the Northeast Commis- ness…” and e-mail from CJ. In September 1994 Watson filed ar- sion in 1993, have operated under Com- The changes also protected current ticles of incorporation for the Partner- merce without declaring their indepen- and former directors, officers, employ- Partnership says it’s not public ship. “The Partnership’s articles of in- dence. The Western Regional Economic ees and agents of the Partnership from corporation and bylaws indicate that it Development Commission, doing busi- financial expenses incurred from “ac- The Partnership’s lawyer, Ernie assumed the duties and functions of the ness as AdvantageWest, has remained a tual or threatened litigation.” Pearson of Sanford Holshouser LLP in Commission associated with economic state agency for 11 years while also reg- Rep. John Rhodes, a Mecklenburg Raleigh, has told CJ in the past that the and tourism development,” Watkins istering as a nonprofit agency that can Republican who last year requested that organization is not a public agency and wrote, “and that members of the Com- raise private funds. A single board of former State Auditor Ralph Campbell is not subject to the public records law. mission automatically became members directors runs the organization. investigate the Northeast Partnership He said he does recognize that the Com- of the Board of Directors of the Partner- “We are able to do it all under that and Northeast Commission, said the mission is a public agency. ship by virtue of their appointment to one umbrella,” said AdvantageWest arrangement needed scrutiny and the “However, [the Commission] serves the Commission.” President Dale Carroll. payments from Commerce to the Part- as an administrative body and all re- The commission’s board of direc- The Southeastern Regional Eco- nership “raises many red flags.” cruitment activities have for years been tors consists of 18 members, with an nomic Development Commission, or He said the proliferation of state- carried out in that region by North equal number of appointees made by North Carolina’s Southeast, operates established and state–funded Carolina’s Northeast Partnership,” the governor, the speaker of the House, similarly. nonprofits, their legal status, and their Pearson told CJ in a March 18, 2005 and the president pro tem of the Senate. “If we made payments to the Part- relationship to public agencies confuses written response to a records request But the Partnership no longer shares the nership, it was because the Commission taxpayers. for documents related to the fingerprint same identical board members as the requested us to do so,” said Commerce “The relationships between these company. “Consequently, the Commis- commission, although Runion chairs spokeswoman Alice Garland in an e- entities are so convoluted, that when a sion does not have any files on the sub- both. The Partnership has an eight-mem- mail. question arises about propriety, it’s al- ject projects.” ber board, according to its website. “In August 2003, the Partnership most like chasing your own tail,” Rhodes Despite Pearson’s claim, the Part- Watkins said in the opinion that designated the Commission as the en- said. “They run you around until you nership in the past has complied with because the Partnership receives ap- tity to receive the funding appropriated get so frustrated that you give up.” CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A JOURNAL North Carolina 5 Morgan doled out pork from other slush funds Former Cospeaker Controlled Another Account of $1.5 Million

By DON CARRINGTON in Morgan’s office an application for Services notified Gaston County Man- Associate Publisher today we have a $1 million grant ager Jan Winters on Oct. 14 that his RALEIGH learned that the to the Division of county would receive $1 million for a n addition to the $2.4 million dis- additional $500K Aging and Adult senior center. cretionary fund parked at the De- was placed in a re- Services. According to Gaston County Com- I partment of Health and Human Ser- serve in DHHS’s According to mission Clerk Martha Jordan, Rep. vices that he and Speaker Jim Black budget, not in Wyatt, buying the Debbie Clary, who represents Cleve- were to divide, former Republican OSBM’s (Office of property and con- land and Gaston counties, arranged the House Cospeaker Richard Morgan con- State Budget and verting it to a se- grant. trolled $1.5 million in another account. Management). nior center and “The County Commission is review- Last fall, Morgan instructed the The Division of headquarters for ing alternatives, but has not yet decided Department of Health and Human Ser- Aging is ready to the county’s De- on a site,” Jordan said. vices to send $500,000 to his district of allocate the $1 mil- partment of Ag- Clary, a House Appropriations co- Moore County to set up a senior center. lion NR (nonrecur- ing will cost a to- chair at the time, supported the co- He later decided to double it. ring) funds to tal $1.4 million. speakership arrangement between Black On Oct. 14, 2004, DHHS Division of Moore County.” Asked what he and Morgan. Aging and Adult Services Director But the exact knew about Mor- Cansler, a former Republican House Karen Gottovi sent a memo to Moore source of funds gan’s role in the member, told CJ how the grants materi- County Manager Steve Wyatt inform- was still not clear. grant process, alized. He said he was the point of con- ing him of the money. On Dec. 17 Wyatt told Caro- tact for all legislative requests. He said “The Joint Conference Committee Faires, Morgan’s lina Journal, “It is that during the budget negotiation pro- Report on the Continuation, Expansion, chief of staff and my understand- cess, Rep. Clary told him that $1.5 mil- and Capital Budget authorizes $500,000 general counsel, State Rep. Richard Morgan, R-Moore ing that he lion had been added to the Division of for the development of a senior center in sent a request to worked out all the Aging and Adult Services budget for Moore County,” the memo stated. then-DHHS Deputy Secretary Lanier logistics.” distribution to senior centers in Moore But Gottovi’s statement about the Cansler telling him where the money Asked if the county had considered and Gaston counties. source of funds was incorrect. No spe- was to come from. Half of the $1 million other funding, he said, “There were at- When asked why he was taking cific line item mentioned the Moore was to come from a $1,831,000 appro- tempts to do private fund-raising drives, orders from legislators, he said, “Unless County funds, and which account the priation to the Division of Aging and but the efforts never took off.” the governor says don’t, we do as di- funds were to come from was not clear. Adult Services for Senior Center Out- The 2002 per-capita income in rected by the legislature. If the speaker On Dec. 16, 2004, DHHS budget reach and Development. The other half Moore County was $32,107, 16 percent says to do it, we do it.” analyst Pam Leaman notified Aleta Mills was to come from the $2.4 million re- higher than the state average, and the Asked if Gov. Mike Easley knew in Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom’s serve account at DHHS that then- fifth-highest county per-capita income about the requests, Cansler said, “I don’t office that Morgan wanted more money Cospeaker Black and Morgan had in the state. know. I didn’t tell him. The dollars were for the project. agreed to split. In addition to the Moore County disbursed as directed by the General ”In a conversation with Sabra Faires On Jan. 24, 2005 Moore County sent project, the Division of Aging and Adult Assembly leadership.” CJ Ballance Pled Guilty, But Kept Making Political Contributions

By DON CARRINGTON $4,000 to the Warren County Political the plea agreement Sept. 15, and Judge recover funds are not public record. Executive Editor Action Committee, and $2,000 to the Terrence Boyle approved it Nov. 9 when Cooper spokeswoman Noelle Talley RALEIGH Robert Holloman Senate Committee. Ballance appeared before him in court. said, “At this point we're monitoring ormer 1st District U.S. Rep. Frank Sen. Holloman, a Hertford County When he resigned from Congress the process through the U.S. Attorney’s Ballance made a total of $53,500 in Democrat, cooperated with Ballance in last June, Ballance had $72,000 in his Office. We still hope to have the funds F political contributions from his questionable financial transactions in- political campaign fund. When he re- that were seized by the U.S. Attorney federal campaign fund in a nine-week volving public funds, according to the signed Ballance said a neuromuscular returned to the State of North Caro- period surrounding the signing of a plea federal government’s case against disorder had affected his ability to carry lina.” agreement Aug. 30 that required him to Ballance. The indictment documented out his duties. On Sept. 2, 2004, a federal grand make $61,917 in restitution payments. $393,000 that Holloman’s church and jury indicted Ballance and his son, Dis- The agreement required Ballance to affiliated programs received through Many possible options trict Judge Garey Ballance. Frank plead guilty to conspiracy to commit Ballance. Ballance was charged with diverting mail fraud and money laundering. It Holloman has not been charged George Smaragdis, a spokesman for more than $100,000 in state funds meant also required him to make restitution to with any crimes. the Federal Election Commission, told for the Hyman foundation to his son, the State of North Carolina, and to for- In March 2005 Ballance sent $1,000 Carolina Journal that if a candidate is no daughter, mother, church, and law firm feit all assets of the John A. Hyman to the Warren Family Institute, an orga- longer running for office he may use the while he was a state senator. Memorial Youth Foundation. nization that also cooperated with him unspent campaign funds for any lawful Garey Ballance was charged with The political contributions went to in the movement of public funds. Ac- purpose. willful failure to file a federal income the 1st District Democrat Party, the cording to the federal charges, Ballance “Charitable, membership, and po- tax return for 2000. Neither has been Democratic Congressional Campaign secured a $75,000 state grant for the litical organizations are acceptable uses, sentenced. Committee, the Democratic National institute and directed the organization but Ballance cannot make personal use The day he was indicted, Joseph Committee, and the Warren County to forward $58,500 of it to the Hyman of the money. He can also return the Cheshire V, a lawyer for Frank Ballance, Political Action Committee. Foundation. money to contributors,” he said. Ac- said he expects Ballance to reach a plea He gave a total of $10,000 before CJ asked N. C. Democratic Party cording to his campaign reports, agreement with the federal government. Aug. 30 and continued after signing the spokesman Schorr Johnson why the Ballance did not return any campaign But, as noted above, Ballance had al- agreement. On Sept. 6 he gave $25,000 party accepted money from Ballance. contributions after he resigned. ready signed an agreement. As of April to the Democratic Congressional Cam- He said, “The contribution from his fed- CJ could not determine the status of 15, 2005, he still had $10,940 on hand in paign Committee. On Oct. 6, he gave eral campaign account was legally made Ballance’s restitution requirement. his campaign fund. $6,500 to the North Carolina Democratic and legally reported.” Gloria Dupree, spokeswoman for the A sentencing hearing for Frank Party. On Oct. 21 contributions included The U.S. Attorney’s Office signed U.S. Attorney’s Office, said efforts to Ballance is expected in June. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 6 Washington JOURNAL NC Delegation Watch N.C. Slavery Bill Attracts National Attention Butterfield blames ‘Big Oil’ Reps. Womble, Jones want corporations to search records 150 years ago for evidence Rep. G. K. Butterfield, 1st Dis- trict Democrat, in April blamed the By KAREN WELSH idea that’s lished a pat- nation’s large oil companies for high Contributing Editor far-fetched,” tern of prac- gas prices. RALEIGH Flaherty said. tice of pro- “The average family might as he eyes of the nation are watch- “They are tar- moting, sup- well just send a weekly check to ‘Big ing North Carolina, where state geting big porting, spon- Oil,’” Butterfield said in a press re- T Reps. Larry Womble, D-Forsyth, corporations soring and fi- lease. and Earl Jones, D-Guilford, are spon- because they nancing ra- “A 31 percent increase over the soring the first bill in any state that are typically cially bias en- last year sums up the Bush Admin- would require companies seeking gov- cowardly and tertainment, istration’s ‘pay more’ energy policy, ernment contracts to examine their ill-suited to education, not just for the average family, but records for evidence of participation in fight the legislation, for the average small business as or profiting from slavery. idea.” litigations well. ‘Big Oil’ is tipping consumers The bill, H1006, has already been Flaherty and terrorist upside down and shaking hard pushed through the House Government said this is al- Rep. Larry Womble Rep. Earl Jones organizations while the administration stands idly Committee with a unanimous vote. If ready hap- from 1792 to by.” passed into law, it will force corpora- pening to Bank of America, JPMorgan 1962, and continued certain practices The press release accompanied tions to file affidavits of any past invest- Chase & Co., Aetna Insurance, New up to 2002.” what Butterfield called an “analysis ments in or profits derived from sla- York LIfe, RJ Reynolds, Lehman Broth- Perryman’s brief says Democrats of the impact of higher gasoline very. The companies will be required to ers, and railroad firms. Other firms also have not disclosed their true history of prices showing that the average comply or face termination of their state targeted for lawsuits include AIG, Chase complete opposition to the abolition- driver in North Carolina is being hit contracts. Manhattan Bank, and various energy ists, the Reconstruction Act of 1867, the with an increase of $286 in the an- Womble, a longtime reparations ac- companies. Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, nual cost of driving since last year.” tivist, reportedly said the bill isn’t meant The N’COBRA website reveals no 14th and 15th Amendments to end sla- He called the increase a vehicle to punish anyone, instead it is simply qualms about collecting the money. very, make African American’s citizens, “Bush Tax.” intended to unearth slavery ties and Restitution is “payback for centuries of and give them the right to vote, the Civil “Unfortunately, the current Ad- document history. stolen labor, cultural degradation and Right Acts of 1866, 1875 and 1957. ministration continues to push an dehumanizations,” the website said. He also said the Democratic Party energy policy that will increase our Shakedown coming, center says “Indeed, Africans held as slaves have supported slavery, the Fugitive Slave foreign oil dependency by 85 per- been struggling for a restored sense of Laws of 1793 and 1854, the Missouri cent over the next twenty years,” But Peter Flaherty, president of the wholeness since being brought to this Compromise and Kansas-Nebraska Act Butterfield said. “Our nation’s fu- National Legal and Policy Center in Falls country as chattel.” to protect slavery, the Dred Scott deci- ture depends upon an energy plan Church, Va. and coauthor of a study, While Womble and Jones push the sion, Jim Crow laws, and Black Codes. which lessens oil dependence. “The Case Against Slave Reparations,” movement, it may be their own political Perryman said there wasn’t one law Bush’s plan would just make it said he knows better. He said the bill in party catching fire and burning in the from 1792 to 1962 when Democrats sup- worse.” North Carolina is an attempt to legiti- end, the NLPC study says. The national ported or helped blacks. “Had the Demo- mize a broader nationwide movement Democratic Party, was a “bona-fide crats attempted to pass these same types Price’s rights for business to shake down corporations. The ulti- party of slavery” that of laws in 1864 that mate goal of the legislation, he said, is to could end up paying they claim credit for During debate of a House reso- provide a massive payday for 35 million the largest portion of “If activists are going in 1964, the laws in lution called the Small Business Bill blacks across the nation. the tab, according to 1964 would not have of Rights, Rep. David Price, 4th Dis- Flaherty said the research provided the study. “If activists to defy common been necessary,” he trict Democrat, focused on the Bush in the 35-page NLPC study is an at- are going to defy com- sense and demand said. “Instead, in 1866 administration’s “zeroing out” of tempt to “sound the alarm,” on the po- mon sense and de- reparations, then the they passed Black subsidies for a small-business loan tential firestorm of events to come. He mand reparations, Codes, in 1875 they program. said history is being revised and heroes then the ripest target ripest target is the passed Jim Crow Price argued that the program vilified through the many attempts al- is the Democratic Democratic Party.” Laws, and in 1894 “has generated billions of dollars in ready made by those who are seeking a Party,” the study they passed the Re- jobs and growth for our economy” big payday for events that happened found. peal Act to repeal and should retained. 140 years ago. “It’s totally ridiculous to “For decades the Democratic Party various pieces of previously passed Civil Price said the president and pay them,” he said. “We are doing what voted, campaigned, lobbied, barn- Rights legislation that were designed to House Republican leadership elimi- we can to stop it.” stormed, editorialized, pontificated, and give African Americans equality.” nated federal subsidy funding for The in-depth NLPC report says fought vigorously to preserve and ex- Perryman’s lawsuit is asking for an the loan program last year, “opting those responsible are high-powered law- pand slavery in the United States. And apology and compensatory damages instead to pass costs along to small yers; politicians; ministers, including the for many decades after abolition, the that include a $25,000 education fund business owners with significant Revs. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Louis party led the fight to deny civil rights to for every African American 25 years increases in fees.” Farrakhan; and organizations, includ- African Americans...By the logic of repa- and younger, $25,000 for those ages 26- “It is ironic or perhaps hypo- ing the National Association for the ration advocates, the Democratic Party 35, $45,000 for blacks 46 to 55 years old, critical… to be passing a Small Busi- Advancement of Colored People and has much to answer for.” and $50,000 for those 56 years or older. ness Bill of Rights,” Price said, the National Coalition of Blacks for “My case against the Democrats is “when in fact our Republican Reparations in America. The NLPC Lawsuit against Democrats about a powerful political party that friends are gutting the very pro- study said their efforts must be taken promoted and practiced racism for 170 grams that support small busi- seriously. “A notion may be absurd,” The Rev. Wayne Perryman, author years, until it infected our entire nation nesses. the report says, “but if millions of people of the book, Unfounded Loyalty: An In- and affected an entire race,” Perryman “The [proposal] by President support it, and stand to profit from it, depth look into the Love Affair Between testified in court. “Millions of people Bush would provide the SBA with political momentum for it builds.” Blacks and Democrats, might have already were brought to this country against just over half the funds they had The NLPC study said that once a set the precedent when he recently filed their will, enslaved for over 200 years during the final year of the Clinton company finds it had connections to the a 180-page reparations lawsuit against and denied their constitutional rights administration. That’s like taking slave trade, activists will be waiting in the Democratic Party in the U.S. District by the legislative efforts of one political money right out of the pockets of the wings to swoop in and demand an Court in Seattle. party, the Democratic Party... African our small business owners.” CJ estimated $15 trillion to $97 trillion in The brief with his court appearance Americans were never compensated for potential reparations. “It seems like an claimed “the Democratic Party estab- their suffering.” CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A JOURNAL CJ Interview 7 Pat Michaels: Global Warming is Here to Stay, Get Over It

By CAROLINA JOURNAL STAFF rate of warming for the future, by the Michaels: I don’t know. I just said they CHARLOTTE way, it is going to be quite modest, are greener. My greener friends have atrick Michaels is a climatologist and you’ll get about 8 inches of sea level rise told me that they could not get what research professor of environmental in the next century. But to say that people they call traction on this issue unless Psciences at the University of Vir- will just sit there and slowly expose they threatened people with death, ginia. He is also a senior fellow at the Cato themselves to death by drowning is meaning that as our cities get hotter and Institute, a renowned Libertarian public known as the Stupid People Syndrome. hotter and hotter, again the stupid policy think tank. His latest book is Melt- people are just going to sit there and down: The Predictable Distortion of Martinez: [LAUGHS] OK. slowly fry and die. Global Warming by Scientists, Politi- Well my colleague Bob Davis and I cians and the Media. Donna Martinez, Michaels: Does the Stupid People Syn- tested that hypothesis for cities in North Carolina Journal associate editor, talked drome really operate? Let’s think about Carolina. The cities are warming up. with Michaels during his recent visit to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. There U.S. temperature hasn’t changed very Raleigh. were hardly any homes there in the much at all, by the way. And in this 1950s, and then people came down and region there is no warming at all — Martinez: You know the title of your new built these little things called flattops there is no net warming in North Caro- book uses this phrase “predictable distortion that are up against the dunes in Kitty lina. But if you take a look at our cities, of global warming.” Is global warming real? Hawk and Southern Shores. They they warm up because of the urban heat thought the wind was going to wash island effect. Michaels: Yes. Global warming is real. them — or blow them away in a hurri- The planet is warmer than it was 100 cane. Martinez: Buildings, etc. years ago. In the last half of the 20th That turned out not to be the prob- century quite a bit of that warming may Pat Michaels lem at all. The little homes were built Michaels: The bricks and the buildings have to do with human beings. But hav- underneath the dune line, they were and the pavement retain heat and then, ing said that, I’d like to say something to sues in Washington compete with each crawling with mosquitoes. Instead they in Washington it is especially notable your listeners that will rile some of them other for our money. Global warming found that if they built their homes up because of the wasted heat from all the up about global warming. competes with AIDS, it competes with on stilts that they could withstand what money changing hands and all the bod- cancer, and nobody ever got money by was really knocking things out, which ies rubbing together up there. It’s really Martinez: OK. going in front of a congressional com- was the storm surge from hurricanes. quite an event. But our cities are slowly mittee and saying, “Well, my issue might And so now that little flattop rents for warming up. So that allowed Robert Michaels: Get over it! be a little overblown.” It has to be the about maybe $500 a week during the Davis and I to test whether indeed more end of the world. And Senator McCain high season in late summer, and that and more people were dying from heat- Martinez: Why should we get over it? is especially adept at this, by the way. building that is up on stilts that can see related deaths. So we got the CDC data both the ocean on one side and the sound and we looked and we found between Michaels: Because our computer mod- Martinez: People want their projects to go at on the other, I saw one at $15,000 a week. the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, yeah, a lot els all share a common behavior, which the top of the funding list, not the bottom. That is called adaptation to a changing of people died from heat related causes is this. Once human warming starts in environment and progress. It happens. in the ‘60s. By the time we get to the the atmosphere it takes place at a con- Michaels: Well of course. That’s just People aren’t that stupid! 1990s, statistically speaking, we have stant rate. If you look at the human natural human behavior. So scientists engineered heat-related death out of the signature you can see it because cold air will go and say, “You know, Senator Martinez: We’re not in danger of having all population. Air-conditioning, medical is warming up a lot more than warm air. McCain, your children are going to grow this coast line property just being inundated technology, awareness, etc. That should Green House theory predicts that. So up to be midgets unless we fund global and washed away? not surprise you that people don’t want you know when that started, it was a warming.” to die. few decades ago. And indeed, the rate is And all the money comes forth, and Michaels: No. And When we were very constant, and the rate is very mod- indeed his children are not midgets, so the wonder about the doing this research I est. So we know the rate of warming for he can claim to have saved everyone United States is in our “By the time we get to told Bob, “Bob, this is the foreseeable future, and it works out from this terrible problem. And then the culture we take all the the 1990s, statistically stupid. This will never to about 8/10 Celsius per half century. media reports that XYZ famous scien- money we made in get published.” A tist went to Washington to say that the our life and throw it speaking, we have couple of months ago Martinez: To me as a lay person, a nonscien- world is going to come to an end unless in a sand dune on a engineered heat- he comes into my of- tist, that tells me that I really shouldn’t be all we do something about global warning. hurricane-prone related death out of fice and says, that concerned about this. And they never saw a train wreck or a beach. “Michaels! We just disaster story they didn’t like, so you And when the the population.” won the paper of the Michaels: That is correct. In fact, that is have this triangle which seems unbeat- hurricane comes and year award from the the same amount that it warmed over able of scientists exaggerating it, politi- washes away the home, the people of Association of American Geographers the course of the entire 20th century. cians taking credit for having saved us the United States build it back up for us. for climate science.” And so somebody Let’s think about the United States. In from certain death and gory footage on asked me, “Well what was so striking that period life expectancy doubled, corn television. How can you beat that? Martinez: That’s right. that you found in your paper?” “People yields quintupled and wealth got de- don’t want to die.” mocratized beyond the dreams of the Martinez: Obviously we are in North Caro- Michaels: Is that a great country or what? wildest 1900 Utopian. Global warming lina and we have a coast. And I tell you, as Martinez: Bingo! didn’t cause all that, but it didn’t stop it, I kind of read and hear some of these end-of- Martinez: And we are well aware of that and it actually had something to do the-world stories that relate to global warm- here in North Carolina — the whole beach Michaels: That’s striking? OK, that tells with making the corn grow better. ing, the big thing we hear is the sea level is nourishment program with the federal dol- you a profession — a profession that is rising, and basically the western and east- lars/state dollars is pretty incredible. surprised by a paper that says that Martinez: What is fascinating to me, that ern coast of this country are going to go people don’t want to die and they adapt based on what you have just told us, why away. We’re going to be under water. Michaels: Can we talk about death? to a changing environment is a profes- then do we consistently read and hear these sion that has clearly got a lot of skewed stories in the mainstream media that a ca- Michaels: Let’s talk about that. The as- Martinez: Sure. Yeah. views on their issues. And that’s the tastrophe is coming. sumption that rising sea level will cre- way global warming works — the pre- ate massive death and destruction — it Michaels: My greener friends… dictable distortion of global warming Michaels: That’s because of the way doesn’t rise all at once you know? It by scientist, politicians, and the media that science is done in our country. Is- rises gradually. Because we know the Martinez: You have green friends? buy it! CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 8 Education JOURNAL State School Briefs The Pursuit of Happiness, At Home Democrat wants charters Family celebrates son’s college graduation, success of homeschooling State Sen. Larry Shaw is joining Senate Republicans to push for an By HAL YOUNG increase in the number of charter Contributing Editor schools allowed in North Carolina. RALEIGH Shaw, a Fayetteville Democrat, his May, Mac and Gray Sullivan said he decided to cosponsor the bill of Goldsboro joined thousands because he thinks charter schools T of other parents in Raleigh to have been “a successful experiment” watch their eldest son, Micah, and the since they were introduced in the rest of the Class of 2005 receive their state nine years ago, the Fayetteville degrees from North Carolina State Uni- Observer reported. versity. Micah, a scholarship winner Shaw said charter schools are who graduated with honors in business “often stigmatized as being a Repub- and French, is obviously an outstand- lican issue.” But he doesn’t see it that ing student. His family, though, is re- way. Charters receive the same per- markable in other ways. For one thing, pupil expenditure from the state as he has four younger siblings; for an- public schools, as well as private do- other, Micah’s entire education until nations, but they receive no money college — and that of his brothers and for buildings or facilities. sister — was received from his mother, Shaw’s bill would allow 10 ad- at home. ditional charter schools to become As she starts her youngest child’s certified in the state each year, mak- first grade this year, Gray Sullivan is ing North Carolina eligible for more looking forward to another 12 years of than $6 million annually in federal the sacrifice and challenge that comes grants. The state caps the number of with teaching at home. Yet she expresses charter schools in the state at 100. no regret or doubt about the decision or “These are public schools,” Shaw the future. In fact, her enthusiasm is said. “What are we waiting for?” contagious, and Gray is a local author- ity on homeschooling. A growing body Academy turns teens around of research suggests that her commit- The Sullivans: (from left, front) Mac, Gray, and Rebekah; (from left, back) David, Micah, ment, and optimism, are neither rare Joel, and Daniel. Durham twins Jarrod and Jer- nor misplaced. emy Watson have come a long way Gray said. “I just decided to step out in issues beyond head counts and test in a few short months. Coming of age faith, take one year at a time, and recog- scores that appear in the academic press. In the fall, the 17-year-olds said, nize that you can’t pre-plan it all.” In fact, there is a steady undercur- they were staying out late and skip- Mac, Gray, and Micah are examples Dr. Brian Ray, a professor and edu- rent of data, even in the basic surveys, ping classes at Riverside High of the growing maturity of home educa- cational researcher in Oregon, has fol- that suggests that homeschoolers, taken School. Jarrod had repeated the sev- tion in North Carolina. Gray was a reg- lowed the growth of home education as a population, are well-pleased with enth and ninth grades, and Jeremy istered nurse who left her career 22 years and the relations of parents to their the challenging task they have shoul- was going through freshman-year ago to devote her time and attention to children’s learning for more than 20 dered. courses for the third time. her yet-unborn child. She first encoun- years. He notes that while much of the Ray’s 2001 study, Home Educated The Watsons now are about a tered the idea of homeschooling when a research, some of it dating to the 1970s, and Now Adults, looked at more than month away from receiving their friend shared the books of Raymond focuses on the surface issues of the General Equivalency Diplomas, The and Dorothy Moore, education research- movement’s demographics and the stu- Herald-Sun of Durham reported. ers who became pioneer leaders in the dents’ academic performance, there are Continued as “Homeschooling,” Page 9 Both credit North Carolina’s Tarheel fledgling homeschool movement of the Challenge Academy, a military-style early 1980s. Even before Micah was born, residency program in Sampson Gray found the Moores’ research and County sponsored by the National arguments convincing. Guard that gained national recogni- “I was already concerned about tion recently for an innovative pro- what I knew to be problems in the school gram that helps wayward teens systems, particularly peer dependency manage the stresses of life. and the lack of discipline in the class- Today’s Study Questions: After they graduate in June, the room,” she said. “How would my chil- Watsons and 90 other cadets will dren learn self-control in that environ- Do We Need Standardized Testing? have spent about five months at the ment if I sent them away from their Should Parents Have More Choice of Schools? academy. parents’ influence every day?” Do Good Teachers Get Paid Enough? While there, they honed reading Even so, Gray admits to doubts and Does North Carolina Have a Solid Curriculum? and math skills, exercised their way concerns about the task she had under- Are School Districts Equitably Funded? into better physical condition and taken, especially at first. While she logged countless community-service looked forward to sharing her love for hours. But their most practical les- science with her children, she was un- You can look up the answers to these and other ques- sons likely came out of life-coping certain about the earlier tasks. After com- tions in North Carolina education policy by visiting paring her son’s early progress with the skills class. NCEducationAlliance.org, the site of the North Carolina neighbors’ children, though, she real- The course teaches cadets at Education Alliance. Each day it brings you the latest ized that Micah wasn’t falling behind or TCA and 28 other challenge acad- news headlines, opinions, and research reports on one emies around the country how to missing out on any obvious advantages of the most critical issues facing our state and nation. traverse inevitable ups and downs, of nearby schoolchildren. from conflict resolution to money “In the back of my mind I was ner- management, group dynamics, and vous about homeschooling for high the dangers of substance abuse. CJ school, but I didn’t realize the opportu- nities which would come at that time,” June 2005 C A R O L I N A JOURNAL Education 9 Homeschooling: Keeping Commentary Education a Family Affair Forget Fads, Let’s Master the Basics

Continued From Page 8 the late 1990s, might have contributed ur nation has become a re- mastering basic content was much to increased opportunities for these high volving door for fads. Educa- less critical than knowing how to ap- 7,000 adults, from college students to school graduates. The Sullivan’s second O tional entrepreneurs are a ply this content. This makes no sense. octogenarians, who had been taught at son, David, plans to attend UNC-Chapel particularly trendy group, always on First, how can educators possibly home. Hill this fall. the lookout for “the next big thing.” make concrete determinations about Bypassing the traditional questions Dr. Lawrence Rudner of the Uni- Unfortunately, educational experi- how students apply content? Such of testing and grade results, Ray consid- versity of Maryland completed one of mentation is a high-stakes game, with assessments will be biased, varied, ered the homeschool graduates’ out- the largest demographic studies of children often on the losing end. and difficult to quantify at best. Even look on life, their subsequent aspira- homeschoolers to date, published in Consider “whole language,” a di- the organization’s website fails to tions and perspectives in the adult com- 1998. He found that home-educating sastrous reading program that infil- clearly articulate content goals, in- munity, and asked whether the unique parents and their students are both ac- trated North Carolina stead proffering lots of ver- experience of home education had been tive outside the home environment, cit- schools. The state spent mil- biage that means abso- a help or a hindrance to them. ing data that students average two to lions of dollars, and thou- lutely nothing. Overwhelmingly, they reported a five outside activities such as sports sands of children struggled Second, many stu- positive outcome to an educational pro- leagues, youth groups, and cultural pro- to read, before the General dents aren’t mastering ba- cess in which some students rarely set grams, on a weekly basis. Assembly finally legislated sic content, so they are foot in a classroom before college. Nearly a return to phonics. And unlikely to know how to 90 percent said their homeschooling Looking for even more then there was outcome- apply it. Our resources background had not interfered with their based education, another would be much better academic plans, even more said it was Some of that interaction occurs right educational fad that sought spent answering the ques- no hindrance to their career options, at home. The National Center for Edu- to redefine education dur- tions: Can students read? and 58.9 percent said they were “very cational Statistics, a research arm of the ing the 1990s. This intensely Lindalyn Can they do math? Train- happy” with life in general; less than 28 federal Department of Education, re- debated and controversial Kakadelis ing a child in the affective, percent of the general U.S. population ported in 1999 and also in a 2004 follow- idea shifted the emphasis subjective domain is claims this level of satisfaction. up, that homeschooling families tend to from concrete, factual subject matter fraught with problems. Consider that Perhaps most telling, 82 percent of have significantly more children than to hazy, ill-defined learner outcomes. a current fourth-grade standard in the homeschool graduates surveyed said the national average. While this is not a With its vague, subjective agenda, OBE our state is to describe an author’s they would provide the same type of new discovery, the broad sample in the spawned all kinds of questions, with mood and intent. Yet, according to education for their own children. NCES data, covering families of all edu- few ready answers. 2003 results from the National As- Seemingly destroying the perennial cational philosophies and not drawing So, what’s the latest educational sessment of Educational Progress, question of socialization, these gradu- particularly on a home-schooled popu- whim? The Center for 21st Century only 33 percent of North Carolina ates are active in their communities, lation, gives an added dimension to the Skills, recently announced by Gov. fourth-graders scored at or above pro- involved with politics, volunteer work, data. They noted that more than 60 per- Mike Easley, has all of the trappings of ficient levels for reading. How can and cultural life, at rates far ahead of the cent of home-educating families have an educational fad. Reminiscent of students possibly speculate on an general population. Nowhere does the three or more children at home. “school to work” programs viewing author’s emotional state if they have data reflect shy, withdrawn, or reclu- While there may be an argument K-12 schools as vocational prepara- difficulty reading? sive adults. that these families chose home educa- tory laboratories, this initiative will Even more concerning, the Na- “Certainly you can ask whether this tion precisely because the large num- train students to function in the 21st tional Institute of Literacy indicates is a representative sample,” Ray said in bers preclude the cost of private schools, century workplace. The program will that about 90 million American adults a recent phone interview. “That is a fair, it does not explain the accompanying be funded by both public and private lack the basic skills they need to func- indeed a necessary, question for any statistic that shows families continuing sources, with tion in society. social research. Yet I find it significant with home education for long periods. $750,000 coming About half of these that in 22 years of careful study and Ray’s 1997 study of more than 1,600 from Easley’s bud- The Center for 21st adults are unable to review of other researchers’ publica- homeschooling families found 89 per- get over the next two Century Skills, re- locate an intersec- tions, there are no — absolutely zero — cent of them planned to continue home years. As the first tion on a street map, studies which indicate that students education through grade 12. state in the nation to cently announced by or provide back- learning at home are suffering from Gray Sullivan says that although incorporate this cur- Gov. Mike Easley, has ground on a simple negative socialization and its results. the size and scope of home education riculum, North all of the trappings of form. Yes, our fu- Simply none.” seemed daunting at times, she found Carolina will lead ture workers might the support and encouragement she the way in teaching an educational fad. benefit from a bet- Community involvement needed from friends and faith. “I al- skills such as “criti- ter understanding ways found I had reasons to keep on cal thinking,” “information and com- of modern media, technology, or glo- Parents such as the Sullivans are with the commitment,” she said, and munication technology (ICT) literacy,” bal awareness. But if they have can’t showing the same interest in their larger sees now that her greatest problem start- “communication,” “collaboration,” find their prospective workplace on a community that appears in their chil- ing out was simply to relax. “God gives and “global awareness,” among oth- map, or fill out a job application once dren. Mac and Gray have served with you the insight you need into your chil- ers. The Center for 21st Century Skills they get there, the issue becomes ir- several state and local nonprofit organi- dren. My challenge was to relax, trust hopes to make these competencies part relevant. zations, are active in a local church, and my ‘intuition’ as this child’s mother, of the North Carolina Standard Course It’s no surprise that our workforce have started and managed several busi- and get past self-doubt.” of Study, with updated state assess- is reeling. But it’s not because work- nesses, large and small, over the years. And her growing family, instead of ments to follow. ers are “technologically illiterate.” It’s Mac was a vice president in the adding to a burden, became a source of This program is problematic for a lot more fundamental than that. state homeschooling organization, encouragement as they went along. “The two reasons. First, and not surpris- Many American students can’t read, North Carolinians for Home Education, more children you have, the longer you ingly, it shifts the focus away from and they can’t do math. Grasping at in the mid-1990s, working with legisla- teach them at home, the more confi- what students are learning to how they the latest fad won’t fix that. Training tive affairs and actively involved in the dence you develop. You learn to trust learn. At the State Board of Education children up isn’t rocket science; rather, controversies of the time with the Uni- God, trust your instincts.” The Sullivans in May, a presenter from 21st Century it involves a lot of hard work, good versity of North Carolina’s Board of expect to provide the same home-based Skills suggested that knowing and sense, and the time-honored tradition Governors. Discussions that led to a experience for their youngest daughter, spelling our state capitals was unim- of teaching the basics, and teaching change in UNC’s admissions policies start to finish, that culminated in their portant in today’s world. In his view, them well. Let’s get to it. CJ toward homeschoolers, taking place in son’s recent baccalaureate. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 10 Education JOURNAL School Reform Notes Guilford School Board Approves Raises The chairman of the state Board of Education called for greater inte- Increase would bring board members to equal pay with county commissioners gration among schools, their com- munities, and county services at a By SAM A. HIEB meeting of local officials from across Contributing Editor the state, and the president of North GREENSBORO Carolina’s community colleges ith all the controversy sur- warned that clashing school sched- rounding the Guilford ules were creating an imminent train W County Board of Education wreck. over the last year, with its controversial About 90 county commissioners, school choice program and transporta- county managers, and local school tion problems, one might think a pay board members gathered May 11 at raise would be the last thing on board an Education and Economic Summit members’ minds. After all, Superinten- held at the headquarters of the North dent Terry Grier requested that he not Carolina School Boards Association receive a pay raise following his evalu- in Raleigh, the Daily Dispatch re- ation last fall. The board granted that ported. The North Carolina Associa- request. tion of County Commissioners co- But the board on May 10 not only sponsored the event. gave Grier what amounts to a $29,000 The morning's talks included a raise, but granted itself a raise in pay lenburg, Wake, and Forsyth. (Grier’s review of “The State of the South: identical to county commissioners’ sal- $182,329 base pay also lags behind that 2004,” a report issued by a Chapel ary. The pay raises were justified, board of Mecklenburg and Forsyth, according Hill nonprofit group called Making members asserted, due to the impor- to the Greensboro News & Record. His a Difference in Communities in the tance of their work. Some of them think Superintendent Terry Grier raise will be derived from the board’s South. A slide show presented by re- it may be the most important work in purchase of half a year’s retirement for searcher Ferrel Guillory noted: the county. ence she regularly attends in Asheville. every year he remains under contract.) “Tomorrow’s workforce is increas- Board Chairman Alan Duncan, who Expenses are minimal, Routh said, be- Not every board member was in ingly Latino and African-American did not vote for the board’s pay raise, cause she stays in her mountain cabin agreement that a raise was due. — populations we do not educate called the superintendent’s job “the most and commutes to the conference, a rev- “We’re talking about a 100 percent well.” important in the county. He’s dealing elation that drew good-natured jeers raise here,” said board member Amos The presentation criticized high with our most precious things — our from other board members. Quick. “The board of education needs schools for failing to engage and in- children.” Kearns made the point that county to get more of the public trust before we spire many of their students, regard- Board member Dot Kearns, in sup- commissioners not only receive a higher do something like this. And I’m one of less of background, and said that port of the board pay raise, said, “The salary, but superior amenities. There is the poorest members on the board.” many poor children attend isolated, task before us is one of the most critical no office for school board members, no The board, with a 7-4 vote (with “resource poor” schools. in the nation. I think in our society we staff, no parking spaces. Duncan, Vice Chairman Anita Sharpe, Guillory’s list of proposed im- pay for what we value.” Routh, and Quick voting against), in- provements noted that income mat- Different people would interpret Adding up expenses creased its monthly salary from $500 ters more than race and said that no Kearns’ comments different ways. But per month to $1,225, with the chairman’s school should have a high concen- the board made its case. In fairness, Board member Darlene Garrett said salary increasing from $600 to $1,525. tration of poor students. anyone who had not had an increase in she put 30,000 miles on her car traveling The salary increase will ultimately Martin Lancaster, president of salary since the 1993 merger of county to board-related functions. While board have to be approved by the Guilford the North Carolina Community Col- and city schools would feel like they members are compensated for mileage County Commissioners. While the re- lege System, offered a one-note guide deserved at least a slight increase. between work sites, according to school cent history between county commis- to the challenges of the 21st century. In addition, Guilford is a large chief financial officer Sharon Ozment, sioners and the school board is a bit “There are three keys to North county with a wide variety of schools they are not compensated for mileage rocky, Democrats hold a 6-5 majority on Carolina’s economic future, in my dispersed throughout. If transporting between home and work sites. the commission, so odds are the increase opinion, and they are education, students is expensive, given the rising And while board members can be will be approved. education, and education,” he said. cost of fuel, then it would make sense reimbursed for travel expenses, travel is Many would agree that a salary in- Lancaster alerted the group to a that travel costs for board members has minimal, so many board members do crease to cover the cost of inflation over trend he found troubling: the decline similarly risen. not bother turning in expense accounts. a 12-year period is not unreasonable. in the number of men who pursue “A lot of us are out there traveling At any rate, Garrett pointed out the The Greensboro News & Record, which academic studies after high school. 650 square miles and doing as much as expenses that add up, including having normally doesn’t mind when the school In every aspect but gender, he said, we can do,” said board member Kris a fax line installed and extra cell phone board spends money, thought differ- his system’s enrollment mirrors Cooke, who along with Kearns, sur- minutes to take calls from board and ently. North Carolina demographics. vived a tough and contentious re-elec- staff members, concerned parents, and “It was unwise and unnecessary,” Another concern of Lancaster's tion campaign last fall. reporters. read the paper’s lead editorial. is the recent state law pushing back But board member Nancy Routh — Garrett pointed out that county com- “School board members may think the start and finish of public school “not one of the rich board members,” as missioners also have a major perk that is they should be paid more, and they may years, largely at the behest of tour- she put it — got the discussion off to an unavailable to school board members be right. But they decided to run for the ism concerns. The reason is that com- interesting start with her suggestion that — health insurance. office despite the meager salary. They munity college and high school se- travel expenses be converted into com- Duncan, a lawyer for the high-pow- should accept that and turn their atten- mesters will be out of sync starting pensation. ered law firm Smith Moore LLP, sup- tion to more important funding issues. this summer — a situation that will “I’m not one of the rich board mem- ported an incremental increase of $100 Raising their own pay won’t improve become problematic in early 2006, bers,” Routh said. “But I am concerned per year for seven years, starting in the education in Guilford County one bit.” when high schools are still finishing about compensation.” next election cycle. Indeed, Duncan and board mem- up the fall semester but community Routh recommended that expenses Cooke, who pointed out that she ber Deena Hayes confessed they didn’t colleges are ready to start the spring for travel to professional conferences be didn’t “have a cabin in the mountains,” know school board members were paid semester. “I’m telling you, it is a train counted as compensation for board recommended a graduated increase of anything when they ran for office. wreck waiting to happen — and it members, who then could pick up their $250 per year over the next two years. “I didn’t know there was compen- will not be obvious till January,” own travel expenses, except registra- Cooke also pointed out that Guil- sation,” Hayes said. “But I also didn’t Lancaster said. CJ tion for the conferences. ford’s compensation runs behind that know how much work this job in- She cited as an example a confer- of other large counties such as Meck- volved.” CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL Education 11 State has no official policy North Carolina Educators Consider Testing for Steroid Use

By DONNA MARTINEZ Schools began random drug testing edge what today’s savvy students real- Associate Editor more than five years ago. About half of ize: Steroids do enhance an athlete’s RALEIGH its high school students take part in performance. To blunt their appeal, hen former Major League optional activities such as sports, band, Dreibelbis recommends speakers em- Baseball star Jose Canseco and drama, which are covered by the phasize the disturbing short-term con- W alleged in his book, Juiced, program. The goal, according to the sequences that also materialize. Body- that big-name sluggers used steroids to system’s general counsel, Doug Punger, conscious teens, he said, need to under- crush the ball and catapult their careers is to test 33 percent of eligible students stand the damage steroids can do at the into the record books, Congress wasn’t during the school year. Computer soft- time they’re used, not just later in life. In the only group to take his charges seri- ware randomly selects teens from the males, for example, steroids can create ously. Canseco’s allegations, combined pool, which continually changes as kids fatty breast tissue, shrink testicles, and with previous news of steroid use at the move in and out of sports and clubs. impair sexual function. In females, fa- Olympic and college levels, have some that among North Carolina’s 9th- The test screens for alcohol and five cial hair can grow, breasts shrink, and North Carolina educators wondering if through 12th-graders, 6.4 percent of drugs: marijuana, amphetamines, co- the voice may deepen. Severe acne and steroids have infiltrated high school ath- males and 4 percent of females reported caine, barbiturates, and opiates. Results aggressive behavior can plague either letics and if they should be included in taking steroid pills or shots without a for the 2003-2004 year indicate that 97.1 sex. “These are the things that get young random drug-testing programs already doctor’s prescription once or more dur- percent tested negative, while 2.9 per- people’s attention,” Dreibelbis said. conducted by some districts. ing their lifetimes. Nationally, 6.8 per- cent (34 kids) tested positive. Punger In Ashe County, Athletic Director The state has no official policy on cent of males and 5.3 percent of females said that among the positive tests, the Marc Payne acknowledged it might be student drug testing, leaving that deci- reported that behavior. “current drug of choice” is marijuana. time for his school system to consider sion to local education agencies, accord- “We think those numbers are aw- Following Canseco’s congressional ap- adding steroids to its testing program, ing to Kymm Ballard, consultant, P.E. & fully high and that’s why we’ve become pearance, Punger and his colleagues yet he’s hopeful the negative publicity Athletics/Sports Medicine K-12 for the very interested in this,” said Dreibelbis. discussed adding steroids, but the esti- will reduce their use. For now, Payne is Department of Public Instruction. Nei- He’s been conducting workshops and, mated additional cost of $50 to $60 per focusing on curbing use of over-the- ther does the North Carolina High in April, served on a drug testing and test was deemed prohibitive. For now, counter supplements such as protein School Athletic Association, the organi- education panel for Haywood County educators are considering bringing in shakes and creatine. If he finds a student zation that governs interscholastic ath- school board members, administrators, speakers to discuss the issue with stu- is using one, Payne calls the parents and letics for 354 member schools. Mark and coaches. Officials there are mulling dents. counsels against it, instead stressing Dreibelbis, assistant executive director a drug-testing policy that would screen That’s an approach Dreibelbis wel- hard work and weightlifting to improve for NCHSAA, said his group has only high school athletes and students in- comes, but he cautioned that communi- performance. “There’s no genie in a anecdotal knowledge of which school volved in competitive extra-curricular cation must be candid and acknowl- bottle for an athlete,” he said. CJ districts conduct random drug tests. activities. He’s also not aware of any organization “It’s not an indication we have a that keeps track of which ones do, and problem that’s worse than anyone else. which ones don’t. It’s just something that is unfortunately For Dreibelbis, the impact of Can- out there [in society],” said Steve Will- seco’s allegations was swift. Since Can- iams, director of student services for seco testified before Congress in March, Haywood County Schools. Testing spe- districts around the state have contacted cifically for steroids has been discussed, Dreibelbis for information and guid- along with other drugs and alcohol. If ance about addressing steroid use. He the school board decides to move for- has plenty to offer them. The Youth Risk ward, the program probably would re- Behavior Surveillance for 2003, con- semble the one used in Forsyth County, ducted by the Centers for Disease Con- Williams said. trol and Prevention in Atlanta, revealed Winston-Salem/Forsyth County

FONTANA AD NRA AD GOES HERE GOES HERE June 2005 C A R O L I N A 12 Higher Education JOURNAL Course of the Month Controversy Engulfs N.C. Wesleyan Course Reel classroom instruction College’s only political science professor teaches the U.S. lied about Sept. 11

For this installment, CM salutes all professors who make the learn- By JON SANDERS ing easy by assigning what the Uni- Assistant Editor versity of North Carolina at Chapel RALEIGH Hill’s English lecturer and noted orth Carolina Wesleyan racial and sexual harasser Elyse College’s only tenured politi- “Still Employed Because I Picked N cal science professor teaches On the Right Kind of Person” that the U.S. government perpetrated Crystall dubbed “filmic texts.” the attacks of Sept. 11. The professor, The inspiration for this dedica- Jane Christensen, also believes the Ho- tion was a March 24 Duke Chronicle locaust to be the “greatest hoax of all.” article, “Films find new life in the To some on the Rocky Mount campus, classroom.” The article discusses criticism of Christensen is an attack on how several different classes at academic freedom. Others, however, Duke use a certain film to teach the fear for the school’s academic reputa- class. The film is Spike Lee’s Bam- tion. boozled. So are the students, but CM Christensen teaches “Political Sci- is certain that the film’s title is ence 495: 911 The Road to Tyranny,” merely a coincidence. which according to her syllabus “is ‘un- But CM’s dedication applies to scientific’ in that it relies much on eye- more than just Duke courses and the witness accounts and speculation ... “filmic texts” of Spike Lee. somewhat extensively on alternative As the Chronicle reported, news media accounts and a variety of “‘Bamboozled has become a class- films and videos in lieu of literature.” room standard here at Duke, where Reports about her course first cir- A screen capture of Prof. Christensen’s home page in early April. professors from a wide range of de- culated appreciatively on the Internet at partments including African and sites devoted to what is called the “911 Newbould went on to announce, professors we profess and not teach,” African A,merican Studies and cul- Truth Movement,” those who believe after noting that the institution “do[es] Christensen told the Telegram. Later she tural anthropology, frequently show that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were not require our faculty or students to said, “People don’t want the truth out. it in their classes.” part of a massive conspiracy in the U.S. accept, or reject, any particular aca- The government’s version is a lie. They The Chronicle stated that “Pro- government involving Israel, oil, and demic or political theory,” that the con- were involved and are covering up what fessor Charlotte Pierce-Baker of the the quest for world domination. On cerns raised over Christensen’s course happened. So what we do is look at dif- women’s studies department took March 31 one Web site listed in the syl- has prompted the college to have “a ferent theories and evidence that has her class to go see it at the theater.” labus as “recommended daily reading.” team of respected [p]olitical [s]cientists been discovered.” Pierce-Baker told the paper, “It was Alex Jones’ prisonplanet.com, ran an to evaluate, out of the glare of publicity, Christensen also told the Durham a class on black language and cul- article about the course entitled “Prison the academic appropriateness and in- Herald-Sun that criticism of her course ture in the United States, an English Planet/Infowars Web sites Staple Of 9/ tegrity of Professor Christensen’s ap- was “a war by the extreme right wing and linguistics class cross-listed un- 11 College Course” (“Infowars” refers proach to teaching.” motivated by the Zionists to quash aca- der cultural anthropology and Afri- to another Jones web site, Infowars.com, Christensen’s students did suffer demic freedom on campus.” She even can and African American studies.” which is listed in Christensen’s syllabus penalties for disagreement with the pro- changed her Web site to read that it was To prepare her class for viewing as required reading and called “one of fessor, according to Jessica Hause, a “under constant surveillance by politi- the film, the Chronicle reported, the best on the web!”). Jones’ article said former student of Christensen’s who cal extremists and neo-Nazis,” and un- Pierce-Baker… showed her class a Christensen “advised people who be- works in Washington, D.C., as a corpo- der the word “neo-Nazis” she linked to film. This one was “Marlon Riggs’s came downbeat over the sometimes dis- rate recruiter. Hause, who took the article written by this writer. Ethnic Notions, a groundbreaking heartening information, ‘Don’t stop Christensen’s class on Introduction to Other members of the “911 Truth 1986 documentary that explores vi- talking about it’ and/or ‘be like Alex, American Politics, said Christensen Movement,” have attempted to link sual representations of black people just keep telling everyone.’” “would kick students out of class who Christensen with Zionists. The Web site in relation to cultural attitudes.” From there the course and Christ- challenged her views” and “give lower OilEmpire.us writes that Christensen Cultural anthropology profes- ensen’s home page was criticized on grades to students who did not answer might be an “agent provocateur,” one sor John Jackson, the Chronicle Townhall.com and FrontPage Magazine questions with liberal tones.” of the “‘false flag’ operatives of the Is- wrote, “has used the film in every- (www.frontpage.com) by University of “I remember once or twice ques- raeli government” used to discredit the thing from an introductory cultural North Carolina-Wilmington professor tioning and disagreeing with her,” movement from within. That’s because anthropology class to a film class on Mike Adams, and in FrontPage and the Hause said, and “she kicked me out for Christensen is also a Holocaust denier, the documentary experience.” May 2005 CAROLINA JOURNAL as a “Course the rest of class to look things up in sta- who has written that “the Holocaust is The annual cost in tuition and of the Month” article by this writer. The tistical abstract.” Hause said tests were the greatest hoax of all.” fees at Duke University is $30,720. controversy then was reported by nu- “graded very subjectively” in Christ- “I work with and recruit Social Sci- The rental price at Blockbuster is merous publications, including the ensen’s class. ence Ph.D.’s for a living. Her work is be- about $4.50. That is, one can go to Rocky Mount Telegram, the Charlotte “I literally had to be tutored on how yond anything I have ever seen,” Hause the local video store and get a Observer, the Durham Herald-Sun, to write an answer with her ultra-lib- said. “Sadly, there are some amazing “Duke-level” education at 0.015 per- WRAL, WPTF, and Fox News. eral slant to pass my exam,” she said. professors who have walked the halls cent of the cost — plus Blockbuster Given the national attention, N.C. Hause has taken her concerns to of that college, ones who have made no longer charges late fees. Wesleyan President Ian D. C. Newbould Newbould as well as her fellow NCWC such difference in the lives of their stu- For students who find watching released a statement on the college’s alumni. dents. I loved my time at Wesleyan and films too stressful, or if their class is Web site affirming N.C. Wesleyan’s An April 27 article in The Rocky the school is as much a friend to me as not properly prepared for watching commitment to “freedom of expression Mount Telegram quoted several students many who have walked through it.” a film by watching another film, the and freedom of inquiry.” Newbould as supporting Christensen. Justin Coo- Nevertheless, Hause said, she “can- same issue of the Duke Chronicle of- said Christensen “presents alternative per agreed with Newbould’s implica- not promote or in clear conscious sup- fered a solution: sign up for the class views that many find repugnant,” but tion that criticism of her course and Web port any organization that would allow “Intro to Massage Therapy” and “our students are intelligent and site was really an attack on academic her to teach such one-sided propaganda “take turns giving classmates full thoughtful. They can, and often do, dis- freedom. “When is it right to attack aca- and allow such Anti-American and un- body massages.” CJ agree with Professor Christensen, with- demic freedom?” he asked. substantiated information to be hosted out academic penalty.” “I am a professor, not a teacher. As on their site by their paid faculty.” CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL Higher Education 13

Johnston, New Hanover counties Commentary

Voters Decide Bond Issues Crying Wolf on Higher Education By SHANNON BLOSSER County have approved a bond referen- Contributing Writer dum for school construction. A 2001 n a column May 1 in The Oklaho- Keep in mind that most college CHAPEL HILL bond referendum included $5 million in man, University of Oklahoma students are not from poor homes oters in two North Carolina new construction funding for Johnston I President David Boren sent up a and can easily afford to pay some- counties voted on bond refer- Community College. loud cry of “Wolf!” over the prospect what more for their college educa- V endums May 10 that would In New Hanover County, voters re- that Oklahoma may do what quite a tion. Boren fails to ponder the ethics support building initiatives for commu- jected a $27 million bond referendum for few other states are doing — shifting of taxing all citizens so that the chil- nity colleges. While funding for Cape Fear Community College — 60 some of the burden of paying for the dren of wealthy families can enjoy Johnston Community College was ap- percent of the votes cast going against state university system from the tax- subsidized degrees from places such proved, voters in New Hanover County the bond. About the same percentage of payers to students and other parties as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. voted against a bond package for Cape voters, however, approved a $123 mil- who are willing to donate money. Looking at this question from the Fear Community College. lion bond package for New Hanover Boren finds this “alarming” because it standpoint of efficiency, there is much Each bond package was conducted County Schools. “threatens to close the to be said in favor of the as a separate referendum held in con- About 10 percent of the county’s door of opportunity.” policy of reducing state junction with a referendum in each registered voters participated in New There is no wolf. In- support for higher edu- county regarding public school build- Hanover County. deed, Oklahomans cation. ings. Johnston County and New The vote came during controversy should look at the idea Richard Vedder, a Hanover County voters approved bond over Cape Fear’s aims to build a multi- of shifting the cost of the professor of economics packages for renovations to elementary, story building at its downtown state’s university system at Ohio University who middle and high schools. Wilmington campus rather than move the same way they has written and spoken In Johnston County, voter support its programs to its 140-acre north cam- would look at a little for OCPA, points out in for the bond package for the commu- pus. The college had also backed away lamb. It’s something his recent book Going nity college exceeded that of public from earlier attempts to buy several pleasant, not something Broke by Degree that schools bond by 18 votes. Of the 5,687 properties downtown. Property owners frightful. American higher educa- votes cast in the community college worried that the school’s price and sup- Boren correctly tion suffers from very bond referendum, 78 percent (4,418 vot- port of condemnation efforts would points out that some George C. Leef low productivity. In ers) voted for the bond. Seventy-seven force them into bankruptcy. School offi- states (he mentions contrast to almost every percent (4,400 voters) approved the cials cited contamination issues for los- Colorado and Virginia, other industry, per unit public schools bond. ing interest in the properties. and there are others) have consciously (pupil) costs in education continue Voters casting ballots in Johnston The May referendum was the first reduced the level of state appropria- rising. It keeps costing more and tak- County represented only 7 percent of one in New Hanover County for Cape tions for higher education. The uni- ing longer to educate students to any the county’s registered voters. Fear Community College since 1997. versities have increased tuition and desired level of proficiency. The May vote marks the fourth time That year, voters approved a $38 mil- have been beating the bushes for Why is that? Mainly because col- in 10 years that voters in Johnston lion bond for the college. CJ added private funding as a result. leges and universities don’t have to When he suggests that reducing pass the test of the market. Students governmental subsidies for higher and institutions are subsidized to a education will close the door of op- considerable extent, so the schools Title IX Standards Opposed portunity, however, Boren ignores can get away with a lot of needless readily available facts that show in- spending and frivolous course offer- creases in the numbers of students ings. These days, parents and tax- By SHANNON BLOSSER policy and all court cases to date.” enrolled in state two- and four-year payers spend gigantic sums in order Contributing Writer Lopiano claims that the survey re- institutions in Colorado and Virginia. to produce college graduates, many CHAPEL HILL quirement would allow schools to fo- Increasing enrollment despite the re- of whom have lower basic ability lev- consortium of female college cus differing amounts of attention on duction in government appropriations els than did high school graduates of administrators has begun a male and female athletes, because male in Colorado and Virginia is not con- 50 years ago. Agrass-roots effort to overturn a athletes are typically recruited to a sistent with Boren’s worry about the The advantage of putting the recent Title IX clarification that makes school. loss of opportunity for people. burden of paying for higher educa- it easier for colleges and universities to Although Lopiano’s Women’s What Boren overlooks is the great tion on willing parties is that they can comply with Title IX regulations regard- Sports Foundation and the National As- capacity of people and institutions to more easily say “no” and look for ing athletics. sociation of Collegiate Women’s Athlet- adapt to change. When students for other options than politicians can. The National Association of Colle- ics Administrators are fighting against whom a college education would be a When people are spending their own giate Women’s Athletics Administrators the clarification, other sports organiza- good investment find that its cost has money, they tend to weigh costs and has sent an email to its members asking tions are heralding the decision. risen, do they (and their parents, benefits carefully. That, in turn, causes them to contact their congressmen and The executive director of the Col- school counselors, and others who care institutions to be more mindful of other political leaders to get the Depart- lege Sports Council, Eric Pearson, wrote about their future) simply give up? Of costs and benefits and more account- ment of Education’s Office of Civil on his organization’s Web site, course not. Even students from very able for results. Rights decision overturned. The collegesportscouncil.org, that the “clari- poor families can find ways to deal In short, the trend that Boren la- Women’s Sports Foundation is also join- fication now gives schools a viable, com- with an increase in cost. ments is a trend away from a socialist ing in the effort. mon-sense alternative to the gender There are many, many scholar- model, where government taxes ev- “Why are we asking you to do quota that has wreaked havoc on col- ships available to students with lim- eryone to provide goods and services, this?” wrote Donna Lopiano, executive lege athletics.” ited means. Another option is to enter and toward a market model, where director of the Women’s Sports Foun- The clarification addresses the into a human-capital contract with providers of goods and services have dation, on the foundation’s Web site, “fully and effectively” prong for com- lenders, who cover some or all of the to compete to win the favor of con- womenssportsfoundation.org. pliance with Title IX. It would allow cost of education in return for a prom- sumers. “On March 17, without any notice school administrators to survey the in- ise to pay a percentage of earnings for It’s a healthy trend. Don’t worry or public input, the Department of Edu- terests of their populations. a number of years after graduation. about it. CJ cation (DOE), issues a new guiding The OCR would presume compli- One company in this business is My principle that would significantly ance would exist if survey results show Rich Uncle (www.mru.com). It has weaken Title IX in the area of athletics an insufficient level of interest to sup- been arranging human-capital con- Leef is the executive director of the Pope and represents a significant policy port an additional varsity team for tracts since 2000. Center for Higher Education Policy. change at odds with previous DOE women. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 14 Higher Education JOURNAL

Bats in the Belltower UNC Officials Begin Search All the News That Won’t Be For Molly Broad’s Successor By SHANNON BLOSSER Accused of Being Fit to Print Contributing Writer CHAPEL HILL town hall meeting May 5 at the he student newspaper at UNC- Yes, everything you could al- University of North Carolina Greensboro, the Carolinian, has ways want sexually is on the Internet. Chapel Hill provided a short for years had a bizarre sexual As far as the acts themselves. Real A T glimpse into the thinking of a search orientation. Carolina Journal readers intimacy is another matter, but it’s committee commissioned to find a new may recall past columns referring to considered impolite to discuss such president for the UNC system and those Carolinian columns on such things as a thing anyway. associated with it. noticing the guys next to you at the Speaking of intimacy, the Caro- During the hour meeting, several urinal, visiting the “sex shop,” argu- linian doesn’t want you to think it’s spoke about their desires for a new presi- ing the merits of “sex toys,” “attend- something you can achieve with just dent — a strong leader that knew North ing workshops on kink and anal sex,” one person. That’s why it features an Carolina was the most prominent of the wondering whether guys can actu- op-ed called “Polyamory works.” wishes — and what they would like out ally lose their virginity since “there’s Polyamory is a euphemism for hav- of the committee. At the end of the meet- nothing to pop,” hailing campus lec- ing multiple sexual partners, of ing, only one thing was a guarantee — tures by someone styling herself the course. Written by a “Jady Adewar,” the committee would be very deliberate “Queen of Anal Sex,” and advocating this op-ed makes the point that in the coming weeks and months in “Dominant-Submissive Relation- “polyamory” is “something that you selecting the successor to President Erskine Bowles has expressed interest in the ships,” which might sound like “sla- are within,” it isn’t a choice. Molly Broad, who announced her re- UNC president position. very” but “work[s] just as well, if not “Polyamory is about the need and tirement last month effective at the end better” than monogamous marriage. the devotion you have to love oth- of the 2005-06 school year. with education itself and educational This past academic year, the Caro- ers,” Adewar writes. “A woman can UNC Board of Governors Chair- policy, but they should not just be edu- linian was put on hiatus for several have 10 children and love them all man Brad Wilson, who is also chairing cation bureaucrats.” months after a blistering audit found equally, but she can only love one the 13-member search committee, said Bob Kennel, executive director of “a lack of documented operating pro- man? Love isn’t limited: it is the basis the committee would move deliberately the Council of University of North Caro- cedures and internal controls” in its of this lifestyle.” slowly over the summer months. Mem- lina Alumni Association Presidents, bookkeeping. When it returned at the It’s cute how Adewar conflates bers will speak with a consultant and spoke of the need for a president who end of March, it featured a new sex two entirely different kinds of love, other individuals and will then publish recognizes the need to get bipartisan columnist, who offered readers such agape and eros. Still, no doubt UNCG a job description and receive resumes support in the legislature. wisdom as, “When I think of having is even now preparing a Polyamorists for the position. “The [p]resident must understand an orgasm for the specific goal of Student Center, to be furnished with “We will pace the North Carolina reducing stress or for any other prob- mattresses instead of couches, out of ourselves throughout [l]egislative [p]rocess lems, I usually think of masturbation love, of course. the summer,” Wilson They desired a strong and be involved on a first, but it’s absolutely fine to include So who is this Adewar person? said. “...We don’t have bi-partisan basis,” a partner if you wish” and “In addi- Well, on her website she writes about a deadline. We’ll be leader and someone Kennel and Shelby tion to sexual orgasms, my friends her being in the “BDSM lifestyle for there when we’re that knew North Caro- Strother, the associa- and I always speak of two other very almost a year now” (what about there and we’ll recog- tion’s president, important orgasms … mental orgasms “polyamory”?), about which she de- nize it when we get lina… in the mold of wrote in a letter to and mouth orgasms (both known as clares: “The beauty of this lifestyle is there.” former UNC President committee members. MO’s).” there are no Rights or Wrongs. Every Until then, com- William Friday. “This is particularly The end of the semester brings person is different, and we all share mittee members will important as the state another hiatus to the print edition of separate beliefs and have different take under advise- funding percentage of the Carolinian. So what did its editors tastes. If I told you that a person ment comments made by faculty, staff, the UNC budget continues to erode even choose to run as its last words to could not live a happy, normal life and community members during the as research and entrepreneurial funds students for the semester? without eating cheese every night, town hall meeting May 5. The meeting increase. An understanding of the uni- How about “The Erogenous you would hardly accept such a silly was the third of four scheduled by the versity/government/industry eco- Zone: Recommended reading for a opinion. If something works for one committee across the state, with the fi- nomic dynamic is mandatory,” they sexy summer,” which is “to bring person, it doesn’t mean that it is au- nal meeting held in Greenville on May wrote. your attention to great online sex re- tomatically ‘the norm’.” 31. At the onset of the meeting, Wilson sources,” including “some porn sites” Adewar also lists her interests, Those who spoke said they desired informed committee members that they — such as one that “features short among them being “Spanking,” a strong leader and someone who knew would not consider recommendations clips of every kind of sex you could “Knife Play,” “Group Sex” (poly- North Carolina. Several said that they for specific people for candidates. ever imagine. You can find straight, amory?), something called “Fantasy would like to see a new president re- Chapel Hill resident Alden Dunham, bisexual and lesbian videos right next Rape,” and something called “(Fan- semble former President William Fri- however, in his remarks told committee to the more interest-driven ones like tasy) Incest.” So it’s no wonder the day. members that he would prefer to see fetishes and BDSM. The best thing Carolinian published her. For the most part, those who spoke former Gov. Jim Hunt named the next about this site, other than its great Just in case you’re worried, discussed qualities for the new presi- president. variety, is that you can check back Adewar states categorically that, “I dent that would best help the constitu- “[Hunt] is the most admired educa- every day and there will be some- do NOT commit or approve of in- ency that they represented. In a letter to tional leader in the country,” Dunham thing new to titillate you.” These cest, rape, murder, or anything else committee members, UNC-Chapel Hill said. “readings” are important because violent and illegal that appear on Faculty Chairwoman Judith Wegner He also told the committee not to “Whatever you are into sexually can this website. They are works of fic- wrote that the new leader should have consider candidates who have made it be found on the Internet. I for one tion. Only that, nothing more.” an “appreciation for the social impor- known to the public they want the job. think that’s a beautiful thing. Every- Glad we got that cleared up! It’s tance of higher education.” Former Clinton administration one should take advantage of the not sick to fantasize about rape and “Candidates should have a vision Chief of Staff and two-time U.S. Senate online sexual resources that are out incest and murder — that’s about the social compact between higher candidate Erskine Bowles has said he is there since there is something for ev- “polyamory,” and it works! Like a education and the public who supports interested in the position. He has re- eryone.” mother’s love! CJ it,” Wegner wrote. “Ideally they should ceived the support of some Republicans have had some meaningful experience in the state Senate. CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL Higher Education 15 A columnist’s spin Bias in Academe and Krugman’s Fallacious ‘Academic Question’

By GEORGE LEEF the favor by los- that trait. I hap- witnessed the slow roasting of Harvard Associate Editor ing respect for pen to know President Larry Summers for having RALEIGH the Republican some nonleftist suggested that the relatively small per- aul Krugman is a columnist who Party.” Issues in would-be acade- centages of women in top faculty posi- never passes up an opportunity I don’t have micians who are tions might be due to the aptitudes and P to throw jabs at those Americans any brief for the Higher passionately in- preferences of many women. Summers whom he dislikes, a set that comprises Republican terested in ratio- was merely offering a tentative expla- anyone who doesn’t accept his big-gov- Party, but Krug- nal inquiry. I also nation, one subject to rational investiga- ernment philosophy. All the jabbing man’s argument Education know some non- tion, but for having done so, he has been would be fine if Krugman limited him- is absurd. leftist professors pilloried. Is the posse that’s out to get self to serious arguments, but serious who rely entirely Summers composed of Republican arguments might be too boring for his Faulty logic upon rational theocrats? No. It’s composed of leftist New York Times editors, so he often re- inquiry. Krugman autocrats who would rather hang the sorts to cheap shots and fallacious rea- Let’s begin by noting how he slides dismisses all of them with his indict- man for having said something they soning. from the group of people in question, ment that Republicans are theocrats. dislike than engage in debate. Krugman’s April 5, 2005 column namely would-be professors who are That’s mighty sloppy thinking on Krug- Krugman puffs out his column with “An Academic Question” is a case in not of a leftist political persuasion to a man’s part, more in line with his de- an attack against Republican politicians, point. Responding to the recent study group he believes he can easily tar — spised “revelation” than with investi- whom he accuses of wanting to impose by Stanley Rothman, Robert Lichter, and Republicans. Leaping easily from gation. a “Lysenkoist solution that would have Neil Nevitte — which found statistical Shays’s “party of theocracy” notion to How about this parallel politics determine courses’ content.” It’s evidence that the high percentages of his own “disrespect for science” attack, argument? It’s a well-known adage that amusing that a leftist like Krugman, professors with leftist political inclina- Krugman manages to imply that all of “those who can’t do, teach.” Most teach- who loves to have politics determine tions cannot plausibly be explained as a the nonleftists who were turned away ers are Democrats. So it therefore fol- just about everything from our retire- random occurrence, but indicates dis- from university employment were lows that Democrats are just a great big ment planning to the amount of water crimination against would-be faculty turned away for good reason. They must bunch of incompetents. Take that, Krug- per flush, is aghast at the idea that poli- members who do not not have been inter- man! tics should play any role in directing hold such political be- ested in research, but It’s a bad argument, of course, and university curricula. liefs — Krugman con- The most evidence- are satisfied with rev- bad for exactly the same reason that But he’s right — it would be a bad tends that a better ex- averse bastions in elation as a means of Krugman’s is bad. idea. Fortunately, hardly anyone really planation is self-selec- finding truth. Since wants Congress or state legislatures to tion. higher education are scholarship demands Who’s averse to evidence? decide what courses will be taught, what Quoting Rep. notoriously leftist research and univer- ideas will be covered, or what books Chris Shays, a Con- sities want only schol- Moreover, it doesn’t dawn on will be assigned. Krugman can rest easy necticut Republican, departments such as ars, it’s easy to see Krugman that the most evidence-averse that his nightmare of economists being that the Republican women’s studies. why faculties have bastions to be found in the universe of commanded to “give the macroeco- Party has become the very few Republi- higher education are notoriously leftist nomic theories of Friedrich Hayek as “party of theocracy,” cans. departments such as women’s studies. If much respect as those of John Maynard Krugman offers up this bit of analysis: Logically, that won’t do at all. Even a professor or student wanted to land in Keynes” won’t happen. today’s Republican Party — increasingly if it were true, rather than a mere bit of hot water there, just let her question the But then, there are a lot of econo- dominated by people who believe truth political hyperbole, that Republicans conventional wisdom that the famous mists who voluntarily give Hayek’s should be determined by revelation, not generally want truth to be revealed to “wage gap” is explained by anything macroeconomic theories much more research — doesn’t respect science, or them rather than sought through schol- other than discrimination against respect than those of Keynes. I guess scholarship in general. It shouldn’t be arly inquiry, it does not follow that all women in the labor market. that Krugman would dismiss them all surprising that scholars have returned nonleftist would-be academicians share Over the last few months, we’ve with his “revelation” canard. CJ

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See what one Raleigh paper called “Matt Drudge with Class” June 2005 C A R O L I N A 16 Local Government JOURNAL Town and Country ‘Smart Growth’ and the Ideal City Theater district proposed A visit to former East German cities reveals ruins and oppressive housing A plan envisioning as many as 23 theaters throughout northeastern By RANDAL O’TOOLE from production areas are obvious,” says had two bedrooms because government North Carolina could include a Thoreau Institute the book, “and it is also an answer to planners decreed “that the ideal family Currituck County “theater district” Bandon, Ore. congestion in the central city.” consisted of four family members and that could generate thousands of merican suburbs are “a chaotic that the number of flat rooms should be jobs, local and regional officials say. and depressing agglomeration East German urban planning one less than the number of family mem- The plan is inspired by country A of buildings covering enormous bers.” They also noted that the govern- singer Dolly Parton’s popular Ten- stretches of land.” The cost of providing Soviet-block countries were build- ment discouraged car ownership by nessee entertainment complex, the services to such “monotonous stretches ing such new cities even as the Univer- placing most of the parking on the out- Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports. of individual low-rise houses” is too sity of Moscow planners were writing skirts of the city “at a relatively large Rick Watson, president of North high. As a result, “the search for a future their book. In 1970, East Germany de- distance from the residential houses.” Carolina’s Northeast Partnership, a kind of residential building leads logi- veloped a standard building plan known What the Swedish researchers failed regional economic development cally to” high-density, mixed-use hous- as the WBS 70 (WBS stands for Wohn- to note in their 1998 presentation, but group, said details of the first phase ing. ungsbausystem, literally, “house build- faithfully recorded in their full paper, of 10 to 15 theaters are expected to This sounds like typical writings of ing system”). WBS 70 was applied to was that Halle-Neustadt was “sustain- be announced in June or July, with New Urbanist or smart-growth plan- nearly 650,000 apartments in East Berlin able” only during the socialist period. plans for another four to eight to be ners. In fact, these words were written and other East German cities. “The WBS When Germany reunified, many disclosed later. nearly 40 years ago by University of 70 was the uniform basis of the acceler- residents moved out, and enough of Parton’s brother Randy, who has Moscow planners in the book The Ideal ated housing construction until the end those who stayed bought cars so that performed in Dollywood since 1987, Communist City. The principles in their of the GDR,” says a paper titled “Archi- auto ownership “reached nearly the has been the catalyst for the local book formed a blueprint for residential tecture as Ideology.” level of western Germany.” Naturally, plans. Currituck and Halifax coun- construction all across Russia and east- According to Page 23 of this paper, this created major congestion and park- ties are the leading candidates for the ern Europe. With a couple of minor the WBS 70 offered a family of four a ing problems: The Swedes feared that first theater district, which would changes, they are also a blueprint for generous 700 square feet in its three- proposed construction of new parking include four theaters, hotels, restau- “smart growth” in the United States. room apartments, plus another 75 square garages would undermine the “plan- rants, and other venues. Mixed-use developments, says the feet of private balcony. ning concept of concentrating the park- More theaters could be built else- book, allow people easy access to “pub- The WBS 70 was one of the major ing places on the city’s outskirts.” where throughout northeastern lic functions and services” such as day designs used in Halle-Neustadt, a bed- On April 27, I had the opportunity North Carolina. The large complex care, restaurants, parks, and laundry room community built between 1964 to join Wendell Cox on a tour of Halle- being considered for Halifax or facilities. This, in turn, would minimize and 1990 for about 100,000 people on Neustadt and other formerly East Ger- Currituck would cover about 130 the need for private spaces, and the the outskirts of the manufacturing city man cities. The first thing we noticed is acres and cost about $129 million, fi- authors suggest that apartments for a of Halle. As shown on a vintage post- that the “parking problem” is gone, as nanced primarily by private invest- family of four need be no larger than card, Halle-Neustadt consists of rows of are most of the green spaces, which ment. One theater would cost about about 600 square feet. Before the late apartment buildings surrounded by have been turned into parking lots. The $12 million, Watson said. 1960s, such apartments were built in pleasant-looking green spaces, with a city center also enjoys a modern new five- to six-story brick buildings, but the central commercial area and road corri- shopping mall supported by a multi- Town’s first property tax authors looked forward to new, rein- dor featuring large, articulated buses. story parking garage. forced-concrete building techniques that The new city was also connected to Halle The apartment buildings them- Pleasant Garden’s first property would allow 15- to 17-story apartment by an extensive streetcar system and a selves ranged from reconstructed to to- tax was unveiled May 10, a move buildings. subway, and the city met the “Ideal tally abandoned. According to various billed as a way to bring the fledgling Like the New Urbanists, the Soviet Communist City” density of about web sites on the city, Halle-Neustadt’s town out of the red and stash away planners saw several advantages to such 70,000 people per square mile. money for later, the News-Record of high-density housing. First, it would be The Stockholm planners’ paper Greensboro reports. more equitable, since everyone from noted that almost all the apartments Continued as “Not so Smart,” Page 17 Under the budget brought to the factory managers to lowly janitors Town Council by a budget commit- would live in the same buildings. While tee, property owners would be New Urbanists are less concerned about charged 5.5 cents per $100 of assessed housing everyone in nearly identical value. At that rate, the owner of a apartments, they do promote the idea of $100,000 home would spend $55 each mixed-income communities so that the year. The tax would be levied on top wealthy can rub shoulders with lower- of Guilford County and fire district income people. taxes. Second, the Soviets believed apart- Attention City & County Officials Mayor Eddy Patterson said pres- ments would promote a sense of com- sures, especially from a growing munity and collective values. Single- And others with an interest in local government issues Greensboro to the north, meant the family homes were too “autonomous,” town needed to charge a tax and save they said, while the apartment “becomes Here are some handy ways to track the latest news and research on local issues. for a later date. But a majority of the the primary element in a collective sys- Updated daily, www.LocalInnovation.org. from the Center for Local Innovation tem of housing.” Similarly, many New council’s members said they would covers such subjects as local taxes and budgets, land-use regulation, privatization, Urbanists claim that their designs will lobby for a lower tax rate that would transportation, and annexation. Also, the John Locke Foundation is creating produce a greater sense of community. merely pay the town’s bills and not regional pages within www.JohnLocke.org. The first one, “JLF-Charlotte,” is stockpile a surplus. Third, high-density housing allows regularly updated with original articles and links. Other pages about the Triangle, Since it was incorporated in 1997, easy access to public transportation. the Triad, and other parts of North Carolina are coming soon — so stay tuned! Pleasant Garden has operated on a With their high-density apartments, as shoestring budget with only one full- many as 12,000 people could live within time clerk. It built up $2.3 million in 400-yard walking distances of public savings when it got a share of sales- transit stations. For reference, that’s tax revenue, but that money was cut about 70,000 people per square mile, off recently by Guilford County. This slightly greater than the density of Man- year, the town will spend $126,000 of hattan. its savings to stay afloat. CJ “The economic advantages of [pub- lic transit] for getting commuters to and C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL Local Government 17

Communism and housing Commentary Not So ‘Smart Growth’ Conventional Wisdom? No Such Thing Continued From Page 16 if it were true, saying so marks one as a kook and eliminates all credibility. But I he laws of supply and demand well. All are experiencing attendance population peaked at 94,000 in 1990 but don’t think it is true; we have enough are fairly simple. If you have and monetary problems. Common since has fallen to 60,000. After reunifi- socialists and central planners in our Tdemands, free markets re- sense would dictate that we ask why. cation, the apartments were privatized own midst that we don’t have to look for spond, and if supplies are too abun- The Brookings Institution, one of and are now owned by various housing them elsewhere. dant, demand drives prices down. the nation’s oldest and most experi- companies. These companies have suc- And yet when I look at the publica- Now, if you’re in the convention/civic enced think tanks, recently issued a cessfully lobbied the federal govern- tion date of “The Ideal Communist City,” center business, a strange polariza- report, written by Heywood Sand- ment to fund the demolition of unneeded I get a very creepy feeling. Though writ- tion occurs, when demand goes down, ers, covering national findings about buildings, and more than two dozen ten in the mid-1960s, the book was first the supply and expansion of centers convention centers that was less than high-rises in Halle-Neustadt are sched- released in English by a New York so- increases. Many communities in North flattering. uled for destruction. cialist publisher in 1971. Carolina are in the midst of just such a Among those findings: The mar- Cox and I found two or three basic The earliest mention of smart- conundrum. ket for conventions is de- styles of building. First was a six-story growth concepts I can find in the plan- Most studies com- clining nationally and apartment structure that probably rep- ning literature came out just two years missioned by the munici- will likely not recover as resented the pre-mass-produced build- later in the book, Compact City: A Plan for palities promise new jobs attendance at the 200 ings described with such fanfare in The a Livable Urban Environment. Like The and lots of local economic largest trade-shows is Ideal Communist City. These buildings Ideal Communist City, Compact City ad- benefits with an updated still at the 1993 level; had no elevators, so it is not surprising vocated scientific or “total-system plan- convention/civic center. public spending on con- that many of the top floor apartments ning.” Like The Ideal Communist City, The problem here is that vention centers has appear unoccupied. but unlike New Urbanists, Compact City none of these promises doubled to $2.4 billion The second building type was 11 advocated high-rise housing. Like the made in other areas of the annually increasing stories tall and probably represented New Urbanists, it quoted Jane Jacobs’ nation has come true in square footage by more the previously mentioned WBS 70 . Some book, The Life and Death of Great Ameri- the past 15 years. Chad Adams than 50 percent since of these were in good condition, obvi- can Cities in support of mixed-use and In 1993, the Raleigh 1990; and due to in- ously reflecting investments made by transit-oriented developments. convention center held 21 creased competition, in- the new private landlords. But many The similarities between the Ideal conventions and hosted 10 trade creased spending by cities and deep others were clearly abandoned and Communist City and smart growth are shows. Rolling totals for attendance at discounts for tradeshow groups, ready for demolition. far more numerous than their differ- those events was more than 70,000 many convention centers still oper- After reunification, many of Halle’s ences. Both seek to use planning to cre- (many were counted multiple times). ate at a financial loss. inefficient factories went out of busi- ate a sense of community and promote Since that time, the numbers of shows, So, how do you define success ness. The city has partly compensated collective rather than individual trans- conventions and attendance have when you know this will never make by doubling the size of its university. portation. dwindled. Proponents, including money and will forever be subsi- Halle-Neustadt’s central corridor still Beyond the superficial difference KPMG and SAG (the consultants hired dized? has frequent streetcar service to this that the Soviets preferred high rises and for the Raleigh feasibility study), have First he will tell you that more university. smart growth prefers mid-rises, the main said that the real answer is to have a often than not, people tend to share a From a distance, the subway station difference is that the communists tried much bigger convention center with room when they travel to conven- still appears attractive. A closer look to put everyone in identical small apart- an attached hotel. The cost to taxpay- tions, they don’t stay for three days, reveals many of the windows are bro- ments while smart growth allows people ers will be about $212 million paid out but often only one or two, and be- ken, the inside is covered with graffiti, to have as big a house or apartment as of the 3 percent hotel and 1 percent cause of many factors, they don’t and the restaurant and other facilities they can afford, but just tries to get them prepared-food tax. Similar claims have spend nearly that much money per are abandoned. to build houses on small lots. been made in Wilmington and Char- day. There is “no instance where pro- Where did all the people go? Many Though smart-growth advocates lotte. Even Elizabeth City and Ashe- jections have even come close to real found jobs in western Germany; since publicly claim they want to reduce con- ville are talking about it. Is it worth it? attendance recently,” he said. The reunification, east Germany has lost gestion, most smart-growth plans ad- One would think that being worth difference is that he looks at results more than 1.25 million people. But many mit they seek to increase congestion to it would be part of the process. But and not projections. of those who stayed got away from the encourage people to use transit. Though when staff and elected officials use Greensboro has a wonderful and slabs by moving to suburbs of new du- they publicly claim to worry about af- consultants who rarely say it isn’t, successful convention center, the plexes and single-family homes. Cox fordable housing, smart-growth plans even simple questions like, “Is this the Koury Center, which makes money and I did not have to search very far to drive up land and housing costs with proper role of government?” get lost without taxpayer subsidy. Folks in find such suburbs, mostly added onto the hidden agenda of encouraging and ridiculed. Greensboro don’t have to worry about existing villages. But well away from people to live in multifamily housing or Many of the same promises given whether it succeeds or fails, and only any village, in the middle of farmlands, at least on tiny lots. were used to sell locals on the devel- the owners have to worry about pro- we found several big-box stores, includ- Before visiting Europe, I spent a few opment of the Myrtle Beach Conven- jections, not taxpayers. ing a home improvement center, a fur- days in Madison, Wis. After returning, I tion Center. The city had used public Residents would be wise to re- niture store, and a hypermart. spent a few days in Hamilton, Ontario. backing to finance the convention cen- view what’s being promised and ask There will always be a small market Though neither region is growing par- ter with a hotel that they thought for sound, independent data to sup- for high-density housing, whether in ticularly fast, in both places I heard poli- would cover the losses. In fact, they port it. In North Carolina, firms like Radiant-City high rises or New-Urban ticians talk about the dangers of uncon- issued $65 million in bonds to cover KPMG and SAG, which make rosy mid rises. The problems arise when plan- trolled growth and how the firm hand the construction and startup costs in projections, are long gone by the time ners ignore the market and try to im- of government planning was needed to 2001. The city has defaulted on the those projections don’t come to frui- pose their ideology on people through prevent chaos and sprawl. Part of their bonds and had to refinance $47.7 mil- tion. Ultimately, is this a boondoggle prescriptive zoning codes, regulations, plans, of course, called for packing much lion to cover the hotel’s losses. Fore- that you as a taxpayer are willing to and subsidies. more of that growth into urban infill casts were continually missed, losses support forever? CJ than the market would build. were $1.7 million the first year, twice A communist plot? Planners call this giving people as much as predicted. more “choices”; what they mean is forc- And this isn’t an isolated case. Adams is vice chairman of the Lee County I have always resisted the notion ing people to accept lifestyles that they Projections in Atlanta, St. Louis, Bos- Board of Commissioners and director of that smart growth and sustainability would not choose for themselves. How ton, Omaha, San Antonio, Charleston, the Center for Local Innovation. Visit are some kind of international plot to different is this from the philosophy of and elsewhere have been wrong as www.LocalInnovation.org for more. take away American sovereignty. Even the Ideal Communist City? CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 18 Local Government JOURNAL

Local Innovation Bulletin Board From Cherokee to Currituck Greensboro, Guilford County Going One Way Slowly Contend With Shortage of Land rban planners in Denver, as that service at the most efficient price, Correction: A story in “From Cherokee to Court of Appeals upheld the ruling. well as other major cities, are says the Atlantic Institute for Market Currituck” in April’s CJ should have said North Carolina’s public-nuisance U implementing a controver- Studies. red-light cameras were in Greensboro and law is codified as N.C. Gen. Stat. § 19-1. sial measure designed to slow traffic One way of providing services High Point. Under the law, “… in order to establish and reduce accidents: converting one- more efficiently and at lower cost a nuisance, plaintiff must show that way streets into two-way streets. would be to make them “contest- By MICHAEL LOWREY defendant leased or used his property The plan runs counter to the con- able” — that is, to open up the bid- Associate Editor for the purpose of the illegal possession sensus of traffic engineers and expe- ding on services contracts to all in- RALEIGH and sale of drugs,” Judge Rick Elmore rience, says transportation engineer terested providers, whether public, reensboro and Guilford County said for the Court of Appeals (emphasis Michael Cunneen and economist private, or a combination of the two officials are examining how to in decision). Randal O’Toole of the Center for the (unlike “privatization,” which trans- address a significant problem The court held that three confirmed American Dream. In fact, two-way fers the ownership of public assets G in attracting new businesses to their incidents involving drugs between 2000 streets increase traffic congestion, in- into private hands). community: a lack of suitable land for and 2004 were not enough to constitute crease accidents and make pedestri- Contestability would allow mu- large new industrial sites. a nuisance. ans less safe. nicipalities to compare the costs of “We have a critical shortage” of land The appeals court was also not per- In Denver, two one-way streets producing services in-house and of for industry, Dan Lynch, senior vice suaded by the city’s alternative argu- have already been converted: Grant producing them in other ways. president for the Greensboro Economic ment that the duplex constituted a nui- and Logan, which used to carry about Armed with such information, mu- Development Partnership, said to The sance because of numerous breaches of 7,000 cars per day now carry 600 and nicipal governments would perform News & Record of Greensboro. the peace there. The court noted that of 11,600 cars, respectively, per day, an- better and provide better value for The issue has two the 24 police trips only gering nearby residents. taxpayers as consumers. components. Busi- three cases meet the In Lubbock, Texas several one- nesses are increas- Businesses are in- legal definition of a way streets were converted to two- Firefighter deaths ingly considering creasingly considering breach of the peace. way in 1996. As a result, traffic on only sites with utili- The court held that those streets dropped by 12 percent, From 1979 to 2002, there was a 52 ties and road access only sites with utilities these incidents spread but accidents increased by 25 per- percent decrease in annual firefighter already available and road access over a two-and-a-half cent. In 1993, Indianapolis converted fatalities at structure fires. One might upon which they can year period were not a major one-way thoroughfare into a infer that the decline was a result of build almost immedi- upon which they can enough for the duplex two-way street; accidents increased efficacious Occupational Safety and ately. build immediately. to be declared a pub- by 33 percent. Pedestrians have to Health Administration regulations Continued de- lic nuisance. worry about crossing lanes of traffic that protected firefighters from oc- mand for new houses The case is State coming in opposite directions, add- cupational dangers. But during that means that many of the available large ex rel. City of Salisbury v. Campbell. ing to their risk as well. same time, the number of structure parcels of land are being subdivided The Court of Appeals ruling is available On the other hand, converting fires also decreased by 50 percent. into smaller lots for homes. Creating online at www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/ two-way streets to one-way streets Today, firefighters are just as new residential areas is quicker and public/coa/opinions/2005/040904- reduces congestion and decreases ac- likely to die at a structure fire as comes at a lower risk to developers than 1.htm cidents. One study indicates that traf- before OSHA issued its regulations hoping for new industrial plants. fic speeds increase on one-way streets for fire brigades. What is worse, the “I remember in November being County, city study horse center by 37 percent, but with a 38 percent regulations may be leading to the told that Dell basically wanted to break decrease in accidents. decline of volunteer fire departments ground in January, and I was there shak- Gaston County and Cherryville In several Oregon cities, convert- and may be a contributing factor in ing my head saying, ‘How are you go- have formed a committee to review the ing two-way streets to one-way streets firefighter fatalities, writes Marshall ing to do that?’” developer Roy Carroll feasibility of a proposed equestrian cen- led to 23 percent more traffic but 10 Stocker of the Cayuga Heights Fire said to the newspaper. ter, The Charlotte Observer reports. The percent fewer accidents, meaning the Department in Regulation. “I was ready for the old textile phi- move comes after the federal govern- accident rate per million vehicle miles Self-contained breathing devices losophy of ‘We’re going to build a plant ment decided not to contribute to the declined by 27 percent. and fire-retardant clothing adds at in two years.’” project. Despite overwhelming evidence least 60 pounds of weight to fire- City and county officials would like In 2003, the Gaston County Com- against converting one-way streets, fighters, which contribute to physi- to work with Carroll to have land avail- mission voted to establish the Piedmont city officials in Charlotte, Raleigh, cal stress and exhaustion, which of- able when they extend water lines in the Equestrian Park and Conference Center Austin, Tampa, Seattle, and other cit- ten precedes cardiac arrest. eastern part of the county. Authority to oversee a planned eques- ies are considering such plans, which Firefighters regularly train to trian center. The towns of Waco and can cost millions of dollars to imple- work under zero-visibility conditions Public nuisance defined Cherryville were also involved in the ment. by using their breathing devices, but project. It was projected to cost $11 mil- fighting fire under those conditions Local officials often use the state lion, with $8 million projected to come Contestability of services exposes them to disorientation cre- law forbidding public nuisances to com- from a federal grant. The center ulti- ated by denser smoke. Mandated bat drug houses and sexually oriented mately didn’t qualify for the money. Municipalities provide a range protective gear also contributes to businesses. A recent N.C. Court of Ap- Ordinarily that might be the end of of expensive services, often without firefighters being more aggressive. It peals ruling examines the minimum re- the matter. The legislation creating the knowing whether they are receiving also inhibits firefighters from using quirements in such cases. authority, however, requires that a third full value for the public money they their ears as thermometers to sense In March 2003, Salisbury brought a of Gaston County’s hotel occupancy tax spend. Yet, at a time when municipal when it is time to leave the building. nuisance abatement action against the revenues, currently about $120,000 a governments are struggling to make OSHA regulations have put owners of a rental duplex. The city year, go toward the project until it ends. ends meet and to provide acceptable greater time demands on volunteer claimed that the building constituted a The county does not have a seat on the levels of services, the status quo in firefighters, who make up 73 percent public nuisance because of frequent drug authority’s board and can’t unilaterally services provision is no longer an of all firefighters, because of more trafficking and breaches of the peace. declare the project over. option. Municipal governments need rigorous training requirements and Police visited the duplex 24 times be- The committee has promised to is- to ascertain whether the cost of a ser- fund-raising (in order to buy required tween November 1998 and January 2004. sue at least an interim report by mid- vice is justified, and seek to provide equipment), Stocker said. CJ A Superior Court judge did not June so the county can budget for the agree and denied the city’s request. The upcoming fiscal year. CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL Local Government 19 Court of Appeals Decides Eminent Domain Cases

By MICHAEL LOWREY Caswell County’s argument cen- Transportation made improvements at The N.C. Supreme Court, however, Associate Editor tered largely on N.C. Gen. Stat. § 153A- the intersection of Garrett and Chapel created an exception in a 1962 case called RALEIGH 15(b): “Notwithstanding the provisions Hill roads in Durham County. The road- Kirkman v. Highway Comm’n. In it, the n early May, North Carolina’s sec- of [N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160A-240.1], or any work required that taking part but not high court held that admitting evidence ond highest court issued rulings in other general law or local act conferring all of a gas-station property owned by of lost profits is appropriate “when the I two cases involving government the power to acquire real property, be- M. M. Fowler, Inc. Access to the service taking renders the remaining land unfit attempts to acquire property via emi- fore any… city… which is located wholly station was reduced from two to one or less valuable for any use to which it is nent domain. The Court of Appeals rul- or primarily outside another county ac- entrances by the widening. The state adapted, that fact is a proper item to be ings highlight both the power of emi- quires any real property located in the offered $166,850, which the company considered in determining whether the nent domain and the nuisances of state other county by exchange, purchase or thought was inadequate. taking has diminished the value of the law regarding both compensation and lease, it must have the approval of the At trial, M. M. Fowler sought to land itself.” The case involved a motel interlocal agreements when it is used. county board of commissioners of the introduce evidence that the taking of and restaurant that lost business be- The first case involved a dispute county where the land is located.” land had reduced its profits by $90,000. cause highway access was eliminated. between two counties and two towns Specifically, it argued that the emi- The NCDOT objected, claiming that state “We conclude that Kirkman creates over the construction of a new water nent-domain action would effectively law precluded its consideration. The a limited exception in cases where ac- supply system. In September 2001, Do- give Roxboro and Person County, the evidence was admitted and the jury cess to property that is being taken minion Energy expressed interest in major players in the deal, control over awarded M. M. Fowler $450,000. through eminent domain is restricted or building a natural-gas-fired electrical land in Caswell County without Caswell Upon appeal, the NCDOT again denied,” wrote Judge Sanford Steelman plant in Person County. Water supply County’s consent. argued that the evidence about loss of for the Court of Appeals in upholding in the county is handled by the town of The Court of Appeals rejected the profits should not have been admitted the award to M. M. Fowler. Roxboro. While existing water sources argument. “Given the numerous and at trial. “In such instances, evidence of lost are adequate to meet current needs, they material benefits afforded Yanceyville The Court of Appeals, however, profits is admissible to show diminu- could not have handled the proposed under the terms of the agreement, we sided with M. M. Fowler. The court tion in the value of the remaining prop- power plant. must disagree,” wrote Judge Ann Marie noted that the general rule in determin- erty where the taking renders the prop- Person County and Roxboro soon Calabria for the court. She noted that the ing damages in highway condemnation erty less fit for any use to which it has identified the Dan River in neighboring town would acquire a second water cases is the “difference between the fair been adapted, as well as to show the fair Caswell County as the most likely source source and pumping station in the ar- market value of the entire tract immedi- market value of the property after the for additional water. Though Dominion rangement as well as the capacity for ately prior to said taking and the fair taking.” opted not to build the power plant, Rox- future growth. State law also gives lo- market value of the remainder immedi- The case is Department of Transp. v. boro and Person County decided to con- calities broad authority to enter into ately after said taking.” M.M. Fowler, Inc., and is available online tinue with the Dan River project as they interlocal agreements. Loss of profits should ordinarily at www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/ had already spent $500,000 on it. In The case is Caswell Cty. v. Town of not be considered. coa/opinions/2005/040073-1.htm. CJ March 2003, they entered into an Yanceyville. The Court of Appeals’ deci- interlocal agreement with the Caswell sion can be found on the Internet at County town of Yanceyville to extract www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/ water from the Dan River for the benefit coa/opinions/2005/040472-1.htm. of the three localities. The John Locke Foundation Blog Caswell County had, however, con- Determining property values sistently opposed the project. When Yanceyville began condemnation pro- A different panel of the Court of ceedings against a landowner pursuant Appeals also issued a ruling in a differ- to the agreement, Caswell County sued ent eminent-domain case May 3. The www.NCSPIN.com to determine the legality of the interlocal case involved the proper way to deter- agreement and whether the town had mine compensation when only part of a the authority to use eminent domain to property is taken by eminent domain. North Carolina’s most-watched political talk show acquire the property. In 1999, the N.C Department of appears on television stations across the state

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Now NC SPIN — featuring Carolina Journal’s John Hood, host Tom Campbell, and commentators from across the political spectrum — is now rebroadcast weekly on many fine radio stations across North Carolina:

Asheville WZNN AM 1350 Sundays 9:30am Durham WDNC AM 620 Sundays 8am Gastonia/Charlotte WZRH AM 960 Saturdays 1pm Your Home on the Web for North Carolina Public Policy Goldsboro WGBR AM 1150 Sundays 4pm Greenville WNCT AM 1070 Wednesdays 6:30pm Creating your own personal Key Account at www.JohnLocke.org is a great Kings Mountain WKMT AM 1220 Saturdays 8:30am starting place for tracking the critical public policy issues facing North Carolina. Laurinburg WLLC AM 1300 Sundays 10am Monroe/Charlotte WXNC AM 1060 Sunday 7:30am Each day, your Key Account searches a comprehensive database of JLF Outer Banks WYND FM 97.1 Sundays 8am reports, briefing papers, news articles, press releases, and events notices to Raleigh WDNZ AM 570 Sundays 7am, 9am display timely information about the issues of your choice. It’s an excellent tool Rocky Mount WEED AM 1390 Mondays 9:30am for those drafting legislation, researching policy issues, preparing news stories, Salisbury WSTP AM 1490 Saturdays 11am planning political or lobbying campaigns, or seeking information with which to Smithfield WMPM AM 1270 Sundays 5pm be an informed voter and citizen. Wilmington WAAV AM 980 Saturdays 12:30 pm

Visit www.JohnLocke.org and create your personalized Key Account today! More stations are joining the network soon. Visit www.NCSPIN.com for updates. June 2005 C A R O L I N A 20 The Learning Curve JOURNAL

From the Liberty Library Book review

• South Park Conservatives: The Going Broke by Degree: Unproductive Colleges Revolt against Liberal Media Bias is a behind-the-scenes look at how con- servatives who “don’t consider • Richard Vedder: Going Broke by De- that a college degree is said to be a themselves conservative” are over- gree: Why College Costs Too Much; Ameri- “requirement” for such entry-level jobs throwing the liberal media and po- can Enterprise Institute; 2004; 232 pp; as bank teller and purchasing agent. As litical correctness. From the bloggers $25 more and more jobs are foreclosed to who demolished Dan Rather, to the those without college degrees, it’s in- Swift Boat veterans who sank John By GEORGE C. LEEF evitable that the average earnings dif- Kerry, to the gleeful antipolitical cor- Guest Contributor ference between the groups will widen, rectness of such comedic send-ups RALEIGH but the reason is credential inflation, as “South Park” and “Team t is incontestably true — the cost of not that having gone to college makes America,” the American media going to college has been steadily an individual more productive. landscape has suffered an earth- I climbing for decades. Tuition, man- quake, writes author Brian C. datory student fees (which compel stu- How to get more from colleges Anderson. Conservatives who have dents to pay for a lot of nonacademic fretted about liberal media bias and folderol), books, and campus expenses Going Broke by Degree advances a losing the culture war should take have been escalating much faster than number of sensible ideas for raising the heart, he says, because a new gen- the rate of inflation. It’s also true that the productivity of colleges and universi- eration of “South Park Conserva- rising cost hasn’t prevented many stu- ties without spending more money. Here tives” is changing everything. Learn dents from enrolling. The percentage of are a few: more at www.regnery. com. students who enroll in some postsec- • Tenure. Vedder doesn’t want to ondary institution has risen right along abolish tenure, but he recognizes that it • Fox News military analyst with the escalating cost. Increasing gov- can lower productivity by encouraging Col. David Hunt, a 29-year U.S. ernmental financial support, more gen- professorial laziness and, more impor- Army veteran, has helped take out erous scholarships, and the fact that tantly, making it hard for schools to an active terrorist camp, trained the there is more private wealth than ever as it applies to other human endeavors. redirect resources as demand for educa- FBI and Special Forces in counter- to help pay for higher education have In fact, Vedder’s research leads him to tion increases in some fields and de- terrorism tactics, and served as se- enabled colleges and universities to sell believe that there is a negative relation- creases in others. He suggests making curity adviser to six different Olym- more of their product despite its escalat- ship between state higher-education tenure an option for faculty members. It pic Games. But in They Just Don't Get ing price tag. spending and state economic growth. should be a priced benefit for faculty It: How Washington Is Still Compro- Turning a blind eye to the record- The more money a state pours into its members. If they want it, they will have mising Your Safety — and What You high rate of college enrollment, many higher-education system, the slower its to accept less in cash or other benefits. Can Do About It, he’s angry because politicians have declaimed a “crisis” in economy tends to grow. • Vouchers. Competition would be even after the terrorist attacks on college affordability and say that gov- Now, that’s a highly contrarian po- stimulated if, instead of providing funds Americans around the world, poli- ernment needs to do more. Federal poli- sition to take, and Vedder himself was directly to state colleges and universi- ticians and the bureaucrats in mili- ticians demand an increase in Pell surprised at the conclusion his research ties, government gave vouchers to stu- tary and intelligence still aren’t get- Grants, and here in North Carolina, the pointed to. After double-checking his dents and allowing them to use them at ting the job done. Hunt writes that UNC Board of Governors opposes any analysis, however, he was certain that any school in the system. America still is not equipped to win increase in tuition this year because stu- he was right. But what could explain • Affirmative action. Vedder would the War on Terror, and the terrorist dents “need a breather.” such a result? The basic economic con- eliminate race-based admission pro- threat is far worse than feared, as cept of opportunity cost, that’s what. grams, which mismatch students and shown by the 50 pages of documents Universities not very productive To increase higher-education appro- schools, leading to retention problems. in his book, including a manual priations, a state must either spend less • Contracting out. Colleges do a lot taken from the terrorists themselves. Instead of simply bemoaning the on other governmental functions or raise of things that aren’t necessary to their From Crown Forum, at www. rising cost of college, Ohio University taxes. Either way, Vedder says, resources educational mission, such as housing, randomhouse.com/crown. economics professor Richard Vedder are drawn away from more productive food service, golf courses, and confer- prefers to ask why it has risen so much. uses when states spend heavily on ence centers. Such activities should be • The political environmental- His recent book Going Broke by Degree higher education. Or to put it in terms contracted out or entirely privatized. ism of the past 35 years was born takes a sharp-eyed and highly critical Granholm might understand, a jet needs Even if the traditional, nonprofit out of necessity, write Brent look at higher education in America jet fuel, but if you overload the plane higher-education sector begins to in- Haglund and Thomas Still in Hands- and concludes that its productivity is with it, the plane flies less well. crease its productivity, Vedder sees On Environmentalism. Businesses, very low. Professors don’t teach much. All right, skeptics may say, what market developments that are going to they say, did not protect the air, wa- Personnel costs continue increasing as about the fact that, on average, people alter the face of postsecondary educa- ter, and land. Haglund and Still be- more faculty and administrators are with college degrees have higher earn- tion in the United States. One big devel- lieve that the regulatory actions of hired. Schools build apace, such as new ings than do people without them? opment is the emergence of a for-profit the 1960s and 1970s were necessary student unions with every conceivable Vedder replies that college degrees don’t sector that provides functional educa- to help cure careless society. But they amenity, and they engage in a host of necessarily cause people to become more tion without all the frills of the typical also argue that over the years, the activities having nothing to do with edu- productive (although they may), and campus. While for-profits still cost more cure became a disease itself. What cating students for life and work. Sooner that many employers now use the BA as than most state-subsidized colleges and began as a check on environmental or later, Vedder believes, some college a screening device. Employers presume universities, the force of competition is abuses grew into a control system balloons will have to deflate. that students who have gone to college bringing down the former’s costs and that created a gulf between people The book throws down the gauntlet will probably be somewhat more train- the gap is narrowing. The allocation of and the world their daily lives are to higher-education spokesmen who able and reliable than those who haven’t; resources between the for-profits and part of. Writing for those who won- would have us believe that pushing stu- since there is a huge pool of college non-profits is striking. For-profit Uni- der how to get past the environmen- dents through college is a great “invest- graduates these days, employers often versity of Phoenix spends 66 cents of tal nanny state they describe the ment.” Gov. Jim Hunt used to call the feel that they can screen out those with each dollar of revenue on instructional concept of “civic environmental- UNC system “the engine of our only a high school diploma and still costs and services, whereas state uni- ism,” which is based on values such economy” and Michigan’s Gov. Jenni- have plenty of applicants to fill their versities usually spend about 34 cents of as local control, personal responsi- fer Granholm opines that higher educa- personnel needs. each dollar on instruction. bility, government accountability, tion is like “jet fuel for the economy.” This situation leads to what Profes- Another key development Vedder and economic opportunity. More at Going Broke by Degree reminds readers, sor David Labaree calls, in his book How sees is the growth of professional certi- www.encounterbooks.com. CJ however, that the law of diminishing to Succeed in School Without Really Learn- fication programs, such as one now finds returns applies to higher education just ing, credential inflation. We now find in the computer software industry. CJ C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL The Learning Curve 21 Book Review Exporting America: Dobbs Exposes His Ignorance of Economics

• Lou Dobbs: Exporting America; importance than national that Adam Smith Warner Business Books; 2004; 196 pp.; flags.” would agree with $19.95. He puts matters in per- him. Such agreement spective: “I don’t think help- would be unlikely, By DONALD J. BOUDREAUX ing consumers save a few given that Smith de- Guest Contributor cents on trinkets and T-shirts clared the following WASHINGTON is worth the loss of Ameri- in The Wealth of Na- t looks like a book. It’s priced like a can jobs.” tions: “Nothing, book. It’s sold in bookstores and But mostly he fulmi- however, can be I carried by libraries. But it’s not re- nates: “But the simple truth more absurd than ally a book. Exporting America is merely is that our multinationals this whole doctrine an extended, furious yelp by CNN’s and our elected officials who of the balance of Lou Dobbs. It has no index and no bib- support them without res- trade…” liography. Nor does it have a single ervation are callously and Friends of free citation to any of the alleged facts that shamelessly selling out the trade will find no ar- he throws at his readers — a fact that American worker.” guments or data in would be worse if he threw many facts this book to chal- at his readers. Truth is, this “book” is Where’s the beef? lenge their presump- short on facts, and long on invective. U.S. Department of Commerce photo tions or theories. No coherent theory un- The U.S. Presidential Expert Council convenes. Opponents of free The ‘greedy Corporate America’ derlies Dobbs’s concerns and trade will find no ar- accusations. He’s as naive on matters of a $500 billion capital-account surplus guments or data to support their pre- Dobbs spits his vituperation at two trade as one can possibly be. In Dobbs’s — which means that foreigners are in- sumptions or theories. All that anyone groups. The first is “Corporate America” view, when Americans buy a foreign vesting at least this amount in Ameri- will find is ranting and raving, as unin- (the capitalization is his ) — rich, greedy, product or services, other Americans can assets. formed as it is self-righteous and as heartless bigwigs who fire workers in are harmed because expenditures hysterical as it is mistaken. CJ America and replace them with low- abroad mean less demand for American An unbalanced Dobbs on trade paid workers in the Third World. This output and, hence, less demand for strategy is driven by the bigwigs’ need American workers. The result is unem- Dobbs’s obsession with what he mis- Donald J. Boudreaux is chairman of the to maximize short-run profits. The sec- ployment and lower wages. This down- takenly identifies as “balanced trade” is Economics Department at George Mason ond group is free-trade advocates — ward spiral in American prosperity especially annoying because he declares University. ideological, heartless eggheads and poli- won’t stop until most American work- ticians whose “blind faith” in free trade ers are paid wages equal to the paltry and the market provides intellectual wages paid in third-world countries — cover for the greedy bigwigs to con- unless, of course, Congress steps in. tinue to “export jobs.” Dobbs never stops to ask “Why are Dobbs loathes this alliance, for it foreigners so eager to earn U.S. dollars North Carolina’s leading public policy institute is means that our “blind” adherence to by importing goods and services to free trade might go on long enough to Americans?” Nor does he ask why pri- rid America of her middle class. Sound- vate investment in the United States has ing very much like the leftist Thomas been so much higher over the past few Now Hiring Frank who argues centuries — continu- that the many middle- ing to this very day — class Americans who He writes like a caged than it is in Third The John Locke Foundation is currently expanding its research staff of vote for cutting taxes, madman who...cannot World countries. policy analysts covering state and local issues in North Carolina. reducing regulation, In a marvelous if and increasing their rattle his bars loudly unintended testament freedom to trade have enough to convince to the success of free- JLF policy analysts write research reports, briefing papers, and opinion been duped, Dobbs people the demons he trade ideas, Dobbs columns as well as give testimony before legislative committees, attend just knows that “out- nevertheless rejects meetings of various state and local government boards, provide data and sees are real. sourcing” of Ameri- the label “protection- research support to innovative leaders in the public and private sectors, can jobs is destructive, ist.” (This rejection is dangerous, and wicked. He is beside dishonest, for a protectionist is exactly and offer analysis to the print and broadcast news media. himself with rage at outsourcing, and what he is.) He describes himself as a astonished that more Americans don’t “balanced trader.” Applicants for policy analyst must bring either academic or practical share his rage. By “balanced trade,” Dobbs means experience in at least one of the following issue areas: He writes like a caged madman who, trading relationships in which the try as he might, cannot rattle his bars United States runs neither a trade sur- loudly enough to convince people that plus nor a trade deficit—runs no such • K-12 Education Policy • Health & Human Services the demons he sees are real. He accuses: surplus or deficit with the rest of the • City/County Government • State & Local Regulation “We should be worrying about the pros- world or even with any individual coun- pect of more jobs and more businesses try. Even I, who wasn’t expecting much being wiped out by cheap foreign labor, real analysis from Dobbs, was surprised JLF is an equal opportunity employer and provides competitive salary, and even more worried about those who that he is completely unaware of what benefits, and the chance to advance truth and freedom in North Carolina. blindly advocate free trade for its own “trade deficit” means and that there’s sake — well, actually for the sake of an inherent balance in trade accounts. Please send a resume and writing samples to Kory Swanson, Executive powerful U.S. multinational corpora- Any trade deficit (more precisely, any tions.” current-account deficit) is exactly bal- Vice President, John Locke Foundation, 200 W. Morgan St., Suite 200, He uncovers ominous develop- anced by a capital-account surplus. That Raleigh, NC 27601, [email protected]. ments: “And corporate logos in many is, if the United States runs a $500 billion cases have more powerful symbolic current-account deficit this year, it runs June 2005 C A R O L I N A 22 The Learning Curve JOURNAL

Short Takes on Culture Book Review The Woman and the Dynamo: Dunder-headed ‘The Office’ Modern Libertarian Movement • “The Office” ex-baseball star with whom she 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, NBC bonds in a mutual drowning of frus- • Stephen Cox: The Woman and the Dy- tual sin of omission. trations — and her four young namo: Isabel Paterson and the Idea of Charting the course of her life from By STEVE BLOCK daughters, whose romances and America; Transaction Publishers; 2004; the wilds of Canada to the hubris of Editorial Intern dreamy career aspirations manage 409 pp.; $39.95. intellectual cocktail parties in New York RALEIGH to tip their mother into such a state City, Cox weaves an intricate picture of ffice politics is one of the of imbalance that she is incapable of By JUDE BLANCHETTE this iconoclast’s life. For those who came great comedic themes in actually finishing her deadly con- Guest Contributor to Paterson through The God of the Ma- American sitcoms and mov- coction of alcohol and depression. O IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON, NY chine, Cox’s book reminds us that Pater- ies. In fact, it has been so prevalent The film could have been a mor- t is a curious footnote in the history son was firmly established as an impor- and works its way into almost every alizing, depressing disaster. But of the libertarian movement that tant libertarian intellectual even before show that one has to wonder whether writer/director Mike Binder, who three of its leading acolytes voted its publication. Her columns covered there is anything left to say about it. also plays the lecherous older boy- I for FDR. The irreverent H. L. Mencken war, peace, trade, and socialism from Somehow NBC didn’t get the friend of daughter No. 2, gives it just voted as much against Herbert Hoover the stance of a libertarian individualist memo that people have had their fill the right balance of humor and as he did for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ayn fighting the tide of collectivism. of workplace humor, since the net- drama, as do the actors, who resist Rand had yet to ground herself in Ob- Cox, a professor of literature at the work premiered the sitcom “The Of- the temptation to overplay their parts jectivism (although I’m sure she would University of California, San Diego, fice” earlier this year. or ham up the humor. have said she already had), and like understands that what Paterson wrote The show, based on a British The end product is a serious many she bought into Roosevelt’s rheto- was equally as important as when she sitcom of the same name, centers on look at loss and redemption that, ric of fiscal discipline. But Isabel Pater- wrote it. If alive and writing today, Pate- Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), regional while not as philosophically deep as son knew better, or at least she should rson would be an important and coura- manager of Dunder-Mifflin Paper Binder intended, nonetheless is have. geous thinker. She is all the more so Supply Company, and the office that thoughtful and funny. Born on an island in the middle of given the fact that she was virtually he manages. Lake Huron, the frontier of untamed alone in her politics — doubly so, con- The company is looking to Going in to ‘Sin City’ Canada left an indelible mark on Pater- sidering her gender — during the era downsize and his branch is in the son. After working for a series of news- of the New Deal and WWII. She proudly crosshairs. So as rumors fly about • Sin City papers on the American West Coast, she proclaimed her belief in “…the Rights who in the office is going to get the ax, Dimension Cinema migrated east, to New York City, where of Man, personal liberty and private the show, using reality-show cut- Directed by Frank Miller, Robert she eventually found her way to the property” during a time when the liter- aways to “little interviews,” takes Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino Herald Tribune and ultimately to nation- ary world was infatuated with the “new viewers through what are supposed 123 min, Rated R wide fame. While ostensibly a book re- man” of the Soviet Union. This, along to be funny situations — but the show view column, her weekly “Turns With a with her strong position against entry falls flat. By TRAVIS FISHER Bookworm” provided a regular forum into WWII and her dislike of militant The problem is that there are al- Editorial Intern for her views on just about everything, anticommunism won her enemies on all most no fresh characters, and it seems RALEIGH from a libertarian perspective. Signed sides. Like Mencken, she traveled in a that we laughed at the same situa- Sin City is artistically shot and I.M.P. (her initials), “Turns” became one world hostile to her ideas, and her un- tions a long time ago. the cinematography is passionately of the most influential literary columns yielding belief in liberty and limited true to its “graphic novel” nature. It in America. government marginalized her to many. Surprising ‘Upside’ looks like a comic book, and like Her name survives today, however, Much of the material for the book some graphic comic books, it does primarily because of The God of the Ma- was drawn from Paterson’s personal • The Upside of Anger not cut corners on violence. Most of chine, her magnum opus written in 1943. correspondence, and that consequently New Line Cinema the violence is essential to the plot, For the aspiring libertarian, it has al- gives it a strongly partisan feel — with Directed by Mike Binder but some of it is over the top. So most become required reading. Written Cox firmly ensconced in Paterson’s cor- 118 min, Rated R leave the children and faint of heart during the dark epoch of World War II, ner. Some of Cox’s conclusions seem a behind. it, along with Rand’s The Fountainhead bit strained. For example, he asserts that By ANDREW CLINE The story is a collection of narra- and Rose Wilder Lane’s Discovery of Free- Paterson was the guiding force behind Contributing Editor tives by a handful of characters, my dom: Man’s Struggle Against Authority, Rand’s political development. He writes, MANCHESTER, N.H. favorite of which is Marv, played by was one of the three books published in “If there was a crucial, external influ- In the midst of the dreadful post- Mickey Rourke, who is a no-non- 1943 that helped ignite the modern lib- ence on Rand’s political development, Easter, pre-Memorial Day movie sense brute on a mission. He was ertarian movement. The book is a mag- Paterson was that influence.” His evi- slump, passing up the low-budget framed for the murder of a girl he isterial attempt to chart the course of dence to support this statement is weak teen-market schlock for the subtle and fell in love with and he won’t stop human energy, both free and un-free. In — an inscription in Paterson’s copy of surprising The Upside of Anger is a until he gets revenge. Marv takes Paterson’s writing, we see great pas- The Fountainhead that reads, “You have good call. the audience on an action-packed sion, wit, and verve. been the one encounter in my life that It is a gently told story of Terry ride, unfolding the mystery and re- To her, Plato’s Republic was a “pa- can never be repeated.” This is certainly Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen), an aging lentlessly punishing everyone in- per scheme,” while “Most of the harm a touching sentiment, but hardly enough mother of four daughters who at- volved in the conspiracy. in the world is done by good people, evidence to support the contention tempts to fight off emotional devasta- Rourke’s performance is the best and not by accident, lapse, or omis- That small point aside, The Woman tion after her husband fails to come I have seen from him. Typically a sion.” Her belief in human freedom was and the Dynamo is a valuable addition to home just as his Swedish secretary second-tier actor, I cannot imagine as strong as her distaste for socialism, the history of the libertarian movement. suddenly quits and returns to Eu- anyone else playing Marv. Rourke is interventionism, and the welfare state, While it is not the final word on Pater- rope. convincing, real, and someone the and it is no wonder she converted so son, it should serve as a springboard for Her weapon of choice: one giant audience genuinely befriends dur- many to the cause of liberty. further research into a woman and her vodka and hatred cocktail. ing the movie. He generates just the Yet, for the significance Paterson writings, which are still highly relevant The obvious result of this behav- right combination of action and hu- and her book have had on the develop- after half a century. CJ ior would eventually ensue were it mor to make this movie worth see- ment of antistatist ideas in the 20th cen- not for Joan’s neighbor Denny Davies ing, if you can handle the excessive tury, there has been comparatively little (Kevin Costner) — a quirky, lonely violence. CJ written of her. Stephen Cox’s new biog- Jude Blanchette is a research fellow at The raphy of Paterson corrects this intellec- Foundation for Economic Education. C A R O L I N A June 2005 JOURNAL The Learning Curve 23 Book Review September Symphony and Lament: Kilar Interprets the Tragedy

¥ Wojciech Kilar’s September Symphony of the terrorists and their vicious, exact- sion of the first, but brighter in aspect. and Lament; Antoni Wit and the Warsaw ing worldview that tolerates no dissent? Its phrase is the falling two-note motif Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, The third movement, Largo, returns with each note doubled — O beautiful… Henryk Wojnarowski and the Warsaw to the atmosphere at the conclusion of the opening phrase of America, the Beau- Philharmonic Choir; CD Accord the first. Cellos introduce a theme com- tiful. prising two-note clusters, similar to the The fourth movement, Moderato, By JON SANDERS symphony's opening but fluctuating starts on an industrious melodic line Assistant Editor rather than falling. After the first full played by cellos. After a repeat, a piano RALEIGH statement of this theme, violas enter and joins to mark time and the other strings hat can an artist possibly do take it into their register while the cel- join in succession, swelling the theme when faced with a tragedy los play accompaniment. This process until brass join and try to take it to a W like Sept. 11? That was the continues upward through the strings, statement of triumph and conclusion. It question facing composer Wojciech each iteration richer and more entranc- is too soon; the strings revisit the Kilar after witnessing the towers fall. ing than the previous. A pivotal point symphony's mournful opening. Sud- The music on this CD Accord disc rep- is reached, and the movement seems denly the monotonous staccato of the resents his answer to the question: the headed to a dark place, but instead finds Allegro assaults the symphony on September Symphony and the Lament Orchestra under the baton of Antoni Wit light. The brass enter with a hymnic re- strings and timpani; the orchestra joins for a cappella chorus. performs the September Symphony. frain similar to the theme of the strings, it and fights it from within with har- A Polish composer, Kilar calls him- The sound quality is excellent, as is the with flutes occasionally adding com- monic plurality, and eventually it suc- self “indiscriminately pro-American,” a performance of the choir and the orches- mentary. The cellos return with their ceeds in assimilating it into a proud trait that “started with Mickey Mouse tra. The symphony was recorded live on theme, but it is shortened, as if the or- proclamation of the movement’s open- and cowboys and finished with Sept. 11, 2003, but the recording is not chestra wishes to speed its evolution. A ing theme. Faulkner and American composers.” He hampered by coughing or other ambi- critical point is reached, and again dark- The triumph is final, reaching to a is especially fond of “Johnny Cage,” to ent noise. ness and despair seem to be the desti- victorious declaration in the brass of the whom he says “music after the 1950s The opening Lament is based on nation, but instead light and peace are symphony’s opening, six-note motif. A owes a lot.” 15th century Polish verses about a re- achieved. A Coplandesque coda fol- silence follows, then remembrance. The Kilar is famous in his native Poland cently disembodied soul who is sad be- lows, and over this gentle expanse a symphony closes on a wistful note, as one of the “Vintage 33” composers cause she is not certain where to go. The celesta sounds a four-note phrase, simi- seemingly peaceful, but its final chord (he and fellow Polish composers concluding lines translate into “Come lar to that of the trumpet at the conclu- leaves a question lingering. CJ Henryk Górecki and Krzysztof Pender- my dear little soul! / Let me show you ecki were all born in 1933). The Vintage the way to paradise, / To the heavenly 33 had more than the birth year in com- kingdom of the skies.” mon — each initially made waves as The September Symphony, Kilar’s avant-garde composers, then indepen- first symphony outside of his student dently rejected that direction of compos- compositions, is a traditional-feeling ing and began pursuing more Roman- four-movement work. The first move- tic musical paths. ment, marked Largo, opens with a fall- Kilar has composed music to com- ing, six-note motif, itself given in three memorate tragedy before; for example, groups of two notes, played on the Since 1991, Carolina Journal has provided thousands of readers each month his Ode to Bela Bartok in Memoriam was brass. The motif is heard twice, and then with in-depth reporting, informed analysis, and incisive commentary about the inspired by and dedicated to Hungar- strings answer in a haunting, organ-like most pressing state and local issues in North Carolina. Now Carolina Journal ians after the Soviets crushed Hungary passage. The atmosphere depicted has taken its trademark blend of news, analysis, and commentary to the in 1956. His Koscielec 1909 commemo- seems blighted. The motif on brass re- airwaves with Carolina Journal Radio. rates the death of the Polish composer turns, and the strings reply more som- Miecszyslaw Karlowicz beneath an ava- berly. The woodwinds enter cautiously A weekly, one-hour newsmagazine, Carolina Journal Radio is hosted by John lanche in Maly Koscielec in 1909. His Re- on a slowly rising theme, but a horren- Hood and features a diverse mix of guests and topics. The program is currently quiem Father Kolbe remembers the Pol- dous crash seems to dash their hopes. broadcast on 18 commercial stations Ð from the mountains to the coast. The ish priest, Father Maximilian Kolbe, Strings murmur over the events, and Carolina Journal Radio Network includes these fine affiliates: who as a prisoner in Auschwitz under then there is silence. A lone clarinet the Nazis volunteered to die in the place mourns, joined by an oboe. The strings Albemarle/Concord WSPC AM 1010 Saturdays 11am of a condemned prisoner because the play a solemn hymn. At its closing, a Asheville WZNN AM 1350 Saturdays 1pm other man had a family. trumpet plays a soft, four-note tribute. Boone/Lenoir/Hickory WXIT AM 1200 Sundays 12pm Kilar is most famous internationally The second movement, Allegro, Burlington WBAG AM 1150 Saturdays 9 am for his film music — he has written the opens very energetically with staccato Chapel Hill WCHL AM 1360 Saturdays 5pm scores to well over 100 Polish films; his strings striking the same note repeat- Requiem Father Kolbe is based on music edly with a few bursts of a higher pitch. Elizabeth City WGAI AM 560 Saturdays 6am he wrote for a film about Kolbe entitled Despite the energy, this is very static Fayetteville WFNC AM 640 Saturdays 1pm A Life for a Life. After the fall of commu- music, and it sounds ominous — it Gastonia/Charlotte WZRH AM 960 Saturdays 1pm nism in Poland in 1989, Kilar wrote a seems to threaten the symphony with Goldsboro WGBR AM 1150 Saturdays 12pm handful of scores for American films. oppressive monotony. The frenetic pace Greenville/Washington WDLX AM 930 Saturdays 10am Those include The Ninth Gate in 1999, continues throughout the movement; Hendersonville WHKP AM 1450 Sundays 5pm The Portrait of a Lady in 1996, Death and the original theme gives way to growl- Jacksonville WJNC AM 1240 Sundays 7pm the Maiden in 1994, and most notably ing brass and then swirling woodwinds, Lumberton WFNC FM 102.3 Saturdays 1pm Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. Kilar says all repetitive in their own ways, before Newport/New Bern WTKF FM 107.3 Sundays 7pm he has stopped composing film music, it returns to conclude as monotonously Salisbury WSTP AM 1490 Saturdays 11am but last year he did compose the theme as it began. In a way this movement’s Southern Pines WEEB AM 990 Wed. 8am to The Pianist. vigorous, demanding conformity seems Whiteville WTXY AM 1540 Tuesdays 10am On this disc, the Warsaw Philhar- reminiscent of the forced “Soviet apo- Wilmington WAAV AM 980 Saturdays 1pm monic Choir under the baton of Henryk theosis” at the end of Shostakovich's Wojnarowski performs the Lament, and Fifth Symphony. Would it be too much For more information, visit www.CarolinaJournal.com/CJRadio the Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony to wonder if this is not Kilar's portrait June 2005 C A R O L I N A 24 Opinion JOURNAL

Commentary

Do-It-Yourself School Split

hile proponents of a Char- that it is possible for students to ex- lotte-Mecklenburg Schools cel in the smallest imaginable school W split felt disrespected after system — in homes. You already they were largely ignored in a House have the right to break what binds Education Committee meeting at the you to the whims of school boards General Assembly recently, they are and education bureaucrats, by teach- not stuck in the system they disap- ing your own children. And if you prove of. believe that the schools are failing to Supporters of a bill that would properly educate your kids, then it break up the state’s larg- is your duty to pull them out of the est school system think system and do it your- CMS is unwieldy and in- self, if you can’t find or effective, and they want afford another accept- school leaders who will be able alternative. more responsive to their Homeschooling is needs. Many of them no longer out of the drove three hours to Ra- mainstream. You prob- Editorials leigh for the hour-long ably already know a committee hearing, but family doing it. Most of they thought the breakup those children are well- HOW TO STIFF COMPANIES idea didn’t receive suffi- Paul Chesser adjusted and perform cient consideration from great academically. The real reason behind slavery disclosure laws, lawsuits state lawmakers. Think you can’t do elcome to victimology for Disclosure laws set the stage for In dramatic contrast, recently an- it? Sure, there is fear of the unknown, profit. The newest done-’em- lawsuits and reparations. Chicago’s dis- other group of North Carolina parents but that exists when you send your W wrong idea touring the na- closure law says it without subtlety. The achieved a remarkable political vic- kids to public school, too. You are tion is now visiting North Carolina in city’s law states that its justification is to tory in almost lightning-quick fash- your children’s most important the form of a bill introduced by Rep. get “information as a preliminary for ion. Weeks ago, as part of his budget teacher in the first place. And in case Larry Womble, D-Forsyth, and Rep. Earl discovery in an upcoming lawsuit.” recommendations, Gov. Mike Easley you didn’t know, there are hundreds Jones, D-Guilford. Their bill, H1006, The real danger does not lie in law- had proposed moving the state’s De- of support groups and curricula would require companies doing busi- suits themselves, for it’s doubtful that partment of Non-Public Education available to help you do the job. ness with the state to examine their activists file the litigation with the ex- from the Department of Admini- But homeschooling causes hard- records for evidence of participation in pectation of winning in court. Their stration’s oversight to the Department ship, right — both financial and psy- slavery — back when great-great-grand- case is too ridiculous to have any legal of Public Instruction’s. DNPE watches chological? Yes, you will take a finan- mas and dinosaurs roamed the earth. merit, and they know it. Rather, their over the state’s homeschoolers and cial hit if one spouse has to drop out No trifling matter, the House State aim is to encourage settlements, or to other private education institutions. of the workforce, but what is the Government Committee, of which squeeze money, from large corporations. The General Assembly began to worse hardship: the educational Womble is a chairman, approved the One corporation already has caved consider the idea at about the same shortcomings and potential way- measure April 13 and sent it to the Com- in to the pressure. The Chicago-based time homeschoolers learned about the wardness of your kids, or the mon- mittee on Rules, Calendar, and Opera- JPMorgan Chase & Co. created a $5 proposal, which led to an overload of etary sacrifice? Our family has often tions of the House. million college scholarship fund for objections on the voicemails and e- struggled through, but the rewards A few cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, blacks in Louisiana. In compliance with mails of legislators. Homeschoolers we have seen in the development of and Los Angeles, have already approved Chicago’s new law, JPMorgan disclosed and private school advocates in no our four children have been strato- the slavery disclosure requirement. If that two of its predecessor banks al- way want to be under the authority spheric. And my wife and I were not North Carolina approves the bill, it lowed slaves to be used as collateral on of the state’s public education bureau- exceptional students ourselves. Nei- would become the first state to do so. loans in Louisiana. The banks in ques- cracy. ther of us graduated from college. Under the bill, businesses would have tion ceased to exist as independent com- Easley’s representatives, who re- You would never know that talking to submit affidavits at the signing of panies long ago. ceived their own share of complaints to our kids. government contracts stating that the According to the National Legal and about the proposed move, met with Need to move to afford it? Well, companies had researched their records Policy Center, in Washington, D.C., one homeschool and private school lead- what’s wrong with that? People for any indications of profits from sla- lawsuit filed in 2002 sought an unspeci- ers shortly afterward to hear their move all the time to find affordable very. The companies would have to dis- fied amount of money from 19 corpora- concerns. Later, the governor’s staff living standards and jobs that suffi- close the names of slaves and slave- tions representing some of the nation’s released a statement that said mov- ciently provide. Find the right mix holders if evidence was found. largest banking, insurance, tobacco, and ing DNPE under DPI is no longer part that will allow you to provide for Advocates of the measure say their railroad companies. Although a federal of their budget recommendations. your needs while properly caring for purpose is not to punish corporations, judge dismissed the lawsuit in January Amazing, huh? your children. but only to set the record straight. Right. 2004, he did it “without prejudice,” And therein lies the answer for Forget the politicians — don’t let What the measure would really do is set which means activists can file new suits. many, if not most, parents of CMS stu- them dictate to you how you will the record straight on a path toward On March 29, a class-action lawsuit was dents. You don’t need legislative au- raise and educate your children. further racial unrest and a round of filed against many of the same compa- thority to secede from your local Don’t leave this vital parental re- lawsuits against companies that might nies. In addition, the Reparations Coor- schools. You don’t need to establish sponsibility to chance. Seek a com- have done business more than 140 years dinating Committee is considering su- another separate bureaucracy to over- munity, a job, a spiritual support ago. ing even more insurance companies and see the education of your children. group and whatever else you need Is this the sort of corporate climate another bank. Energy companies also You don’t need to entrust your kids to help you become the most influ- that North Carolina wants to cultivate? are possible targets for such lawsuits.. to the lottery of learning that comes ential person in your child’s life. A crime itself, North Carolina already Legislators should kill Womble’s with any publicly funded system. Government can’t control that un- bribes companies with hundreds of mil- and Jones’ bill, sooner better than later. No, you already have another, less you let it. lions of taxpayers’ dollars to come here. The farther it goes, the greater the dan- better option. A total of 28,746 fami- Besides, at least lawmakers lis- Does it want the added distinction of ger becomes that through unseemly lies in North Carolina have proven ten to homeschoolers. CJ being the only state that stiffs compa- means an absurd idea might actually nies before doing business with them? gain some perception of credibility. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A JOURNAL Opinion 25 SOME LIKE IT HOT Commentary The time has come for acceptance of on-demand driving Annexation Isn’t the Right Tool ne of the first policy papers port was much more economical. published by the John Locke The auto changed all that by doing O Foundation, back in 1991, con- two things simultaneously: 1) it make Among my friends, I am known help pay property taxes, and thus cluded that North Carolina should use roads cost-effective compared with as notoriously unskilled and unlucky support city services, if they work, new approaches such as toll roads, pub- trains and boats, at least in some cases; when it comes to mechanical contriv- shop, or recreate at taxable businesses lic-private partnerships, and congestion and 2) it ameliorated the collection prob- ances. in the city. Taxes on commercial prop- pricing to expand the state’s highway lem by enabling motorists to pay a user The one and only time I bought a erty are partially shouldered by system in a cost-effective manner. fee, via gasoline taxes, that bore at least brand-new car, the lemon died on the workers and consumers, whether As it turned out, state lawmakers a rough relationship to miles traveled. way home from the dealership. It sent they realize it or not. In a rough eventually embraced the notion of toll- During the first few decades of the out a replacement car, which also sense, then, non-residents implicitly road partnerships, and in fact the auto age, tolls remained costly to col- died. More recently, I bought a pay taxes roughly in proportion to projects currently under consideration lect, both in manpower and congestion. lawnmower, used it precisely thrice, how much time and money they by the state are strikingly similar to sev- So it didn’t necessarily make sense for and then had several different things spend in town. eral we listed as potential opportunities all limited-access highways to charge go wrong to keep it from starting. Obviously, city residents pay back in the early 1990s. Meanwhile, users directly. But now it does, since And back in college, I ran over myself more tax because they get hit at work, there’s been movement on the conges- electronic toll collection allows roads to with my own car. at the store, and at home. tion-pricing front—specifically, plans to pay for themselves without slowing Yes, you do want to But then again, they re- add what are called “high-occupancy traffic or forcing most drivers to fish for hear that story. And no, ceive a higher level of ser- toll”, or HOT, lanes to congested Inter- change. Furthermore, electronic means I’m not going to tell you. vice (police and fire, street state 40 between Raleigh and Durham. allows for market-based congestion But even I – chairman access to their homes, etc.) The idea of paying for new highway pricing to allow some drivers, if they of Incompetent Handy- The biggest problem, it capacity by charging users is hardly wish, to pay a higher price for roadway men of America, Local seems to me, involves ser- new. In fact, toll roads have been around access when it is more valuable, much 24601 – know better than vices such as parks and for thousands of years, and in modern as utilities charge electric customers to try to turn a flathead recreation, community form they constituted much of the road- more during periods of peak demand. screw with a Phillips centers, or performing- way capacity in America and Europe When this option first became avail- screwdriver. I think that is arts venues. If these ser- during the 18th and 19th centuries. But able, some politicians and activist an appropriate analogy for vices, conducted on non- tollways have always had a collection groups railed against the notion of what the state’s misguided taxable land, are provided problem. It was too costly to staff the they called “Lexus lanes.” Why should policy of “solving” prob- John Hood at little or no cost to the roads enough to collect the fares and wealthier people be able to access a spe- lem of local finance by al- user, the potential does keep nonpayers from using them. Also, cial lane that the rest of us can’t? Well, lowing cities to annex whomever they exist for nonresidents to impose ser- government subsidies to railroads as a Governing cover story explains, want, whenever they want. vice costs on the community with- helped doom many toll roads to these concerns are starting to ease, par- There aren’t very many states in out contributing sufficient taxes to oblivion. ticularly as mass-transit boosters see the union more committed to invol- cover them. Actually, road transportation was market-based tolls as a way to discour- untary annexation than North Caro- Here’s where the Phillip screw- never a major commercial artery or age driving and to alleviate congestion lina is. It’s not as if the policy enjoys driver comes in, though. Rather than large-scale conveyance anywhere until for everyone on the highway, regardless broad public support – there have coerce neighborhoods into the city’s the invention of the automobile (it was of whether they use HOT lanes. it also been local fights about the issue re- tax base, which forces many people valuable to the military, however, which turns out that people across the eco- cently in communities from Asheville to pay taxes for services they will is why government provision of roads nomic spectrum use the lanes. to Fayetteville to Wilmington, and never use, cities should charge ap- made some sense early on). Sea trans- Progress is a beautiful thing. CJ it’s obvious that public sentiment is propriate user fees. In the first place, against municipal land-grabbing. The governments were not instituted commitment comes from public offi- among mankind to host concerts or cials, elected and appointed, local and run sports leagues. If they are going HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH in Raleigh. They are firmly convinced to be in those businesses, the benefi- that annexation keeps cities “healthy” ciaries should, as much as possible, People should be free to manage risk in the marketplace and “balanced.” offset the cost. If you think about it, plenty of residents don’t use these Annexation reformers rally ealth care reform is one of the der. services, either, yet get forced to pay most complicated and poorly Many workers prefer to have their for them through property taxation. Activists rallied in the state capi- understood issues facing health plans cover chiropractic, podia- Many advocates of forced an- H tal the other day in favor of several nexation won’t pick the right tool for policymakers at all levels of govern- try, dentistry, drug treatment, or men- bills to reform annexation, including ment. tal illness. But they are also insulated this job, because getting rid of cross- one requiring a referendum. These The price of health insurance is ris- from perceiving the true cost – unless subsidies isn’t their goal. They see members of Stop NC Annexation ing rapidly, for example. In the private their plan gets too expensive and goes annexation as a means of income re- (www.stopncannexation.com/) pro- sector, a major factor is the tax treatment poof. It would be far better to deregu- distribution, or social engineering, or tested at the same time that their lob- of health insurance, which creates arti- late the insurance market so that firms at least a handy way to score some bying nemesis, the NC League of Mu- ficial reasons for people to buy cover- or individuals could purchase whatever cash. nicipalities (www.nclm.org/), met in age from their employers and to use in- level of health coverage best meets their But for those fair-minded people Raleigh to press their case on annex- surance to cover routine expenses rather needs and their budget. who just want to make rational tax ation and other issues. than just catastrophic events. Insurance arrangements are con- policy, take my advice and reach for Municipal officials pose a legiti- A striking feature of rising insur- tracts that allow parties to manage their that flathead screwdriver marked mate question: if people who live out- ance premiums is that the inflation is risks. People should be free to negoti- “user fee.” side the city limits consume services highest in the small-group market, lead- ate such arrangements in the market- And if you feel like returning the paid for by property taxes, aren’t they ing many small and medium-sized em- place, rather than suffering the unin- favor sometime, please refer me to a getting an unfair subsidy? Their an- ployers to drop their health plans alto- tended consequences of having politi- good lawnmower mechanic. swer – “yes, that’s why we need an- gether. cians “help” them into the ranks of the nexation!”—is unsatisfactory, how- What many nonprofessionals don’t uninsured. ever. realize is that these plans are required Action to reduce insurance man- John Hood is president of the John For one thing, nonresidents do by state governments to bear costs that dates is just one policy, but it is no pana- Locke Foundation. large employers rarely have to shoul- cea. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 26 Opinion JOURNAL

Editorial Briefs

Women opting out of work

A large percentage of highly qualified women choose to take time off from their careers, and in doing so, pay a huge price in terms of future job opportunities and financial rewards, says Laura D’Andrea Tyson, dean of the London Business School in Business Week. The opt-out hypothesis could explain why, according to a recent U.S. survey, one in three women with a master’s degree in business admin- istration is not working full-time, versus one in 20 men with the same degree. According to the sur- vey, summarized in the Harvard Business Review, 37 percent of the women surveyed, and 43 percent of those with children, voluntarily left work at some point in their careers, with the average break lasting about two years. Of the women who took time off from work, 93 percent wanted to return to their careers; unfor- tunately, only 74 percent were able to do so. Forty percent returned to full-time positions and 24 percent took part-time positions. Overall, women who took time out from careers lost an average of 18 percent of their earning power; in business careers, the average loss was 28 percent even though the average break lasted little more than a year. Such reductions in earnings potential are a primary reason the earnings gap between men Memories of U-Boats Surface at Beach Time and women of comparable education levels in- creases during childbearing and rearing years, By MARC ROTTERMAN driven by his desire to sink ships.” Tyson said. Contributing Editor “Twelve hundred miles from their base, Hardegen The survey results also indicate that women RALEIGH briefed his officers. He expected his U-boat to repeat value jobs with reduced hours and flexible work ay is here and before too long sun-starved the well-known successes of U-boats 23 years earlier, arrangements. Women are less likely to opt out of beachcombers will head to the beautiful especially U-117 off North Carolina. But the watches work if their employers offer flexible career paths, M shores of North Carolina, sit and gaze at the on deck had to be vigilant, for the Americans would allowing them to increase or decrease their profes- horizon, and watch the shrimp boats glide by. But that surely remember their shipping losses in 1918.” sional responsibilities at different career paths. serene view was not the case 63 years ago, in 1942. What was known? Mike Gannon writes: “It’s an What transpired then was a tale of tragedy and odd thing to say that the United Stales Navy was very Whistle-blowing for profit courage. Many people died protecting their friends, well prepared in the abstract for a German invasion,” families, and countrymen. Some were in Gannon said, “but when the attack actually Since Enron, corporate whistle-blowers are uniform, but many were not. And it hap- came, the Navy failed to execute. seen as protectors of consumers and investors pened on our coast. Of the about 378,000 The devastating facts are these: During against corrupt executives. However, Forbes Maga- German prisoners of war that reached the first six months of 1942 more than 400 zine argues that many people become whistle- American shores, the first from U-boats vessels were known to been sunk by U-boat blowers because of greed. sunk off the coast of North Carolina came in attacks off the North Carolina coast. Those Moreover, fraudulent whistle-blowing is prof- 1942. Operation Drumbeat — The German numbers are still being revised today. itable. Plan (Information below was supplied by The first months of 1942 must have been Congress changed the law in 2002 to require The Islander and interviews with Joseph horrifying to the helpless eastern North that whistle-blowers get 30 percent of any money Schwarzer, executive director of the Grave- Carolinians who watched the fires glow on recouped by the government because of their yard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras.). Marc the horizon and heard the explosions. actions. This gives people a powerful incentive to Commander in Chief Admiral Karl Rotterman It is not an exaggeration to say these craft fraudulent charges. Since the change in law, Donitz of the U-boatwaffe, stationed in Nazi- people probably saw and lived through whistle-blower cases have boomed, recovering occupied France, absolutely believed that Germany more first-hand war experiences that any other part $7.9 billion from offending companies — and could win the war depending completely on the abil- of the United States. Bodies washed up on the beaches paying out $1.3 billion to the insiders. ity of his U-boat fleet. With that conviction, he wanted and thunderous explosions shook their homes. They In most instances, the penalty paid was sev- to wage aggressive warfare on ships traveling lived in fear knowing that the Nazis were just off the eral times the losses caused by the fraudulent America’s East Coast, and he organized operation coast. action. Drumbeat. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill It started in January 75 miles east of Cape Hatters Federal officials also have a profit motive — later said that if Hitler had listened to Donitz — at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the 18th Two torpedoes hit the they bring in $13 for each dollar spent prosecuting England may have been lost. tanker Allan Jackson. Thirty crew members were lost. a case, and some of those funds get funneled back Michael Gannon, author of Operation Drumbeat That was the beginning of the attacks and sinkings in the pursuit of new cases. wrote: “At the beginning of the war Admiral Donitz that went on for months. The Navy emphasized enor- For example, take the case of Douglas Durand. estimated that he would have to sink 700,000 gross mous secrecy because there were no U.S. counter- He worked for TAP Pharmaceutical Products and registered tons of shipping per month in order to blows. There were no U-boat sinkings in those early eventually built a whistle-blower case against the starve the British into submission. …That (shipping months. No sinkings came until U-85 was sunk off company with federal officials. In July 2004, a and supply) chain could be broken at any point, and in Nags Head later in the spring. federal jury convicted all the defendants. How- the first six months of 1942, the point where it was The war off the coast was hardly reported and ever, by that time TAP had already paid out $885 broken was along the American coast.” when it was the propaganda machines told a story million to settle the case. Durand himself received “They had been given a mission by a man they far from the reality of events. That spring in 1942 left $126 million, even though his testimony had been admired greatly. Donitz had developed these men into many lives changes forever. Hitler and the Nazis were picked apart during cross-examination. CJ teams of ship killers, and they went at it with a pas- no longer a newsreel story from across the sea. They sion. I think Reinhard Hardegen was particularly were real — and they were here. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A JOURNAL Opinion 27 N.C. Officials Exempt Their Laws From Constitution

To the editor, policy, so long as there is a “desirable” end to be 2. Alter the present indexing of initial benefits to wo separate acts of the General Assembly, both achieved. Continuing the similarities: Both proposals wages to an indexing to wages at the lowest wage of them fundamental in intended result, show are for the “education of the children,” both are ad- levels progressing to indexing to prices at the highest T the mindset and intent of that elected body. vanced as good for the economy, and both have the level. The lottery bill sanctions what has been an unlawful support of either the sitting governor or the prior 3. Tax Social Security benefits based on total in- activity in this state for more than 100 years, and is an governor. come progressing to 100 percent at some high level, act in defiance both of public policy and existing It should be required reading for every citizen of say $100,000. criminal law (Ch.14, Gaming). The second bill, like- North Carolina and every aspiring citizen to read the 4. Establish a compulsory savings fund consisting wise gives approval to previously unlawful activity preamble to the Constitution of the state. It takes less of a single equity trust fund within Social Security to and seeks to reward it. This is the bill that would make than two minutes and is instructive as to why govern- which each person contributes 1 percent of his salary, it lawful for illegal aliens to have in-state status, tax- ment was ordained among us in the first place. matched by the employer (or the individual if self- subsidized education. The basic underlying premise When government acts contrary to the purposes employed). Each individual has an account within the of both acts is, that it not only is OK for government to for which it was established, this should send a signal fund, but no control over it. On retirement at regular give its imprimatur of approval to illegal conduct, but back to those from whom its power has been derived. Social Security age, the balance is converted to a that it is desirable and good to do so. The lottery bill is Read the Constitution of North Carolina. Find, if you nontaxable annuity of the individual’s choice. all but enacted, the other act has broad support among can, the power to erect a gambling monopoly, and to 5. The entire program would be subject to review prominent politicians and the organized press. favor by statute one set of persons over another on the at five-year intervals to adjust the parameters of 1 In North Carolina, the adoption of a lottery would basis of the illegal status of their parents. Both dis- through 4 above to maintain the solvency of the basic require an enactment that would exempt government crimination and monopolies are mentioned as being safety net feature of Social Security (1 through 3) and itself from prosecution of acts otherwise prohibited to prohibited. Special emoluments (special favors) to to adjust the payroll tax downward in case of out- its citizens and other entities. The creation of a gam- specific persons are likewise prohibited. standing success of the compulsory savings fund (4), bling monopoly is dependant upon retaining anti- In this day and time, however, if the law, public and/or alter the distribution between the safety net lottery statutes as to everyone except government policy or the Constitution contain impediments to a and compulsory savings contributions. itself. Sure enough, HB 1023 contains those exemp- desired result, the Sovereign can simply exempt itself This plan has the following advantages: tions while it rewrites the present gambling statutes to there from. Those in charge have no apparent hesita- 1. There is no increase in taxes. (There are addi- assure the monopoly (See Sec. 3). Government would tion to do so. tional taxes for high-wage earners and high-income then carry out the unlawful activity under its exemp- There is a section in our Constitution which pro- beneficiaries, but see 4. below.) tion, erecting a soon-to-be-corrupt corporation to ex- vides that: “…from time to time it is necessary to 2. There is no transition cost, nor is any borrowing ecute the scheme. Power to control this corruptible repair to fundamental principles.” This admonition necessary. corporation is granted to the top power brokers in the seems to be forgotten by lawmakers. When did we last 3. The safety-net feature of Social Security is modi- House, Senate, and governor’s office. No need to repair to fundamentals? fied in favor of lower life-income individuals, and is wonder why. Bernard A. Harrell made solvent far into the future. The adoption of a scheme whereby the children of Raleigh 4. The compulsory savings feature meets the crite- illegal aliens are given a favored status equivalent to ria of giving all participants an “ownership” and bonafide residents, must also retain prohibitions To the editor, preferentially favors the high-wage earner, compen- against U.S. citizens who are nonresidents getting the The Carolina Journal and most other media have sating for his losses in the safety-net feature. favored status. In other words, illegal aliens would be entered the “save Social Security” fray, as have many 5. The plan is pretty much politically neutral and given a status prohibited to residents of neighboring politicians. There have been few concrete plans of- should have a good chance of approval. states. An unlawful discrimination? Probably. fered, with most participants being satisfied with 6. There would be minimum cost to Social Secu- There is a subliminal message encoded in the single-issue salvos. Bush, for instance, is stuck on rity in adopting and administering this change. thrust of both these acts: It is all right for the Sovereign “private accounts.” Here is my plan: 7. The need for increased national savings is an- (government) to sanction and engage in activity that 1. Remove the present $90,000 wage limit subject swered to some extent. has previously been considered as prohibited by stat- to payroll tax. Keep the present payroll tax percent- Robert A. Hawkins ute and as being contrary to the pronounced public ages. New Bern, N.C. Drilling in Alaskan Refuge: The Right Policy for the Wrong Reason

By DR. ROY C. CORDATO What cartels hate more than anything are new sup- ment agency in the United States became the Depart- Contributing Editor plies entering “their” market from sources outside the ment of Interior. By enforcing restrictions on Alaskan RALEIGH cartel. What every cartel needs to survive is supply and off-shore drilling, coal mining in the Southwest, pening the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge restrictions, and these can come only from govern- and nuclear power-plant construction, coal and nuclear for oil exploration is a good thing, but it is ment. Usually, supply-restricting laws are imple- being substitutes for oil, U.S. policies have allowed O being pushed for the wrong reason. As an mented to protect a domestic cartel. Examples in this OPEC to thrive. This is taking place with the backing economist, I have no idea whether we should be less or country include the former Civil Aeronautics Board, of the environmental movement — which is OPEC’s more dependent on “foreign oil,” and except for all- enforcing the airline cartel; the Federal Communica- best friend and most effective lobbyist in Congress. knowing central planners, neither does anyone else. tions Commission, enforcing the broadcast cartel; and The real reason to allow drilling in the refuge, off Actually, there is no reason to care about what tobacco quotas, establishing and enforcing a tobacco the coast of North Carolina, or wherever, is to break percentage of our oil comes from where. The proper grower’s cartel. the back of OPEC. The policy of tacit collusion be- mix of foreign and domestic oil is revealed by the Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, except for a tween the Arab oil-producing states, the American market decisions of freely trading consumers and brief period in the 1980s, our energy policies have environmental movement, Congress and the Depart- producers, and in a free society that is the way it acted as a supply-restricting cartel enforcement mecha- ment of Interior must be ended immediately, releas- should be. There is no particular reason to suspect that nism for OPEC. In the 1970s OPEC’s market power ing American consumers from the monopoly strangle- new oil from Alaska, or anywhere else, will have an came from President Richard Nixon’s price controls hold that this unholy alliance has created. effect on our level of dependence. This oil will enter on crude oil and gasoline. Because of the controls, At the end of the day we may be buying the same the world market and be sold alongside oil from all domestic exploration and production were stopped proportion of our oil from foreign producers as we are other sources. Greater independence from foreign oil most of the decade. In the 1980s, after President Ronald today. The point is that there will be the possibility to might or might not result. Reagan abolished the Nixon controls, the bottom fell go elsewhere, to fire our suppliers, whoever they are. The reason that we should open the refuge and out for OPEC as domestic exploration soared and the This is what’s important, not how much we’re buying other areas to oil drilling is to give the Organization of world went from oil shortage to oil glut. from whom at any particular time. Our goal should Petroleum Exporting Countries some competition. But starting in the 1990s, OPEC’s cartel enforce- not be energy independence but energy freedom. CJ June 2005 C A R O L I N A 28 Parting Shot JOURNAL Governor Crushed by Loss of Gatorade to Va. (CJ Parody)

By CHAUNCEY GREEN A unique fea- •All North Beverage Analyst ture of the Carolina public RALEIGH governor’s package school sports teams ecent news that North Carolina lost a Gatorade was based on would drink only manufacturing plant to Virginia was a Easley’s concern for Gatorade at official R blow to Gov. Mike Easley’s economic devel- the environment. events; opment team. “Gatorade’s decision to locate in Vir- “Gatorade bottles • A Sports Drink ginia to serve its growing East Coast market is proof account for a signifi- Museum would be that our economic development strategies are not cant amount of built in Tarboro. paying off. We just lost 250 jobs,” Easley said. roadside litter in • Gatorade Sources close to the governor told Carolina Journal North Carolina. We would become the that he really put his heart, soul, and stomach into the need to do some- official state drink. project. thing about that,” State Senate boss “The man was really upset. He was drinking four Easley wrote in a Marc Basnight was quarts of Gatorade a day as a symbolic commitment to memo to Commerce critical of the Easley the project. Now that the company has stiffed us for officials. team. Virginia, he doesn’t plan to touch the stuff again. The governor’s “If they would Never,” a top aide said. “He made us drink it too. I am proposal would Easley’s plan would have reimbursed consumers for recycled just let Speaker Jim relieved it is over.” have the state reim- Black and me handle The governor’s policy is to not reveal to the public burse Gatorade con- these deals, we would how much the state offered to recruit a company until sumers 25 cents per recycled Gatorade bottle at a win everyone of them,” he told a group of angry the company announces it is actually coming to North network of state-run recycling facilities. Tarboro businessmen gathered outside his office. Carolina. When the company chooses another loca- One man, who refused to identify himself to CJ, tion, the governor’s office routinely unveils just a Details of the proposed deal told Basnight he had already optioned land near the portion of the incentive package. site being considered by Gatorade. He told Basnight “We don’t mind giving away the store when we The governor’s package included: not to count on future political contributions. “You win the project, but when we lose one it’s embarrass- • A 25-cent recycling credit on Gatorade bottles; just can’t deliver like you used to,” he shouted. ing for citizens to see how desperate we were for one • $5 million Golden Leaf Foundation grants every Specifics on the total of Basnight’s incentive pack- more announcement,” Easley economic advisor Dan year until tobacco is outlawed; age were not reported, but sources told CJ that one Gerlach said. CJ obtained a copy of the incentives from • Free community college tuition for all illegal component was for the state to buy the site and give it an anonymous source. aliens hired by Gatorade; to Gatorade for 50 cents. CJ

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