Home > Uncategorized > Speaker Tillis: NC Constitution still important document

Speaker Tillis: NC Constitution still important document

Post on February 17, 2012 by 15 Comments »

Given the actions of Speaker Tillis as recounted by my colleague Rob Schofield below in expelling peaceful members of the public from silently assembling outside his General Assembly offices yesterday, my thoughts went to our North Carolina Constitution.  And yes, it’s clearly there in Article I – the Declaration of Rights:

Sec. 12. Right of assembly and petition.
The people have a right to assemble together to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to the General Assembly for redress of grievances…

The Speaker might want to take a look at this important document (a copy resides on the General Assembly website) before he next instructs the public to leave the public areas of the General Assembly.

No related posts.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments (Closed):15

  1. Frances Jenkins
    February 17, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    I think NC Policy Watch worked really hard to make a story and they have had a hard time. Dishonesty, Dishonesty, come on Rob and Chris I did not think you would go to this level.Anything for money and power even for a nonprofit. You need to have your status as a nonprofit removed.

  2. jlp75
    February 17, 2012 at 8:36 pm

    I am not sure what you fail to understand here Frances. A group of people who agreed with the Republicans were allowed to assemble on the second floor and a group of critics were show the door. Whether Speaker Tillis likes it or not he represents us all regardless if we agree with him or not. According to the constitution we all have the right to assemble and have our concerns heard by our representatives. You cannot in good faith represent people if you shut them out and not listen to their concerns.

    As for revoking their non-profit status, you have no idea what you are talking about. You are not even making sense. If calling out the opposition party is grounds to revoke a non-profit, then Civitas and John Locke would have lost theirs a long time ago. Civitas and John Locke advocate for the conservative view point while NC Policy Watch advocates for progressives. In this case progressives were barred from the legislative process and Rob and Chris called Speaker Tillis out on it. I don’t see a problem here. Actually, unlike Civitas/Locke, Policy Watch also calls out Democrats when warranted.

    Here is an idea, if you don’t like what they have to say, don’t read it. I think a lot of people would be happy if you found some where else to spout out your nonsense. I am sure the folks at Civitas would welcome you with open arms.

  3. Frances Jenkins
    February 18, 2012 at 4:22 am

    Oh, I am sure you would like me to not post. You(Progressive Pulse,Policy Watch) cannot tolerate any kind of diversity. You talk the talk but you do not walk the walk. You are hiding under the heading of Progressive but you are the arm of the Democrat Party. You are using a nonprofit status to advocate only for the Democrats. This is not correct. I oppose strongest your lack of desire to improve education because a poor education results in a greater class of poor. You attack Republicans for lack of funding but you never address quality. Nearly 70% of students who enter the community college but have remediation. This is about students and you make it political.

  4. Frances Jenkins
    February 18, 2012 at 4:24 am

    Sorry, must have remediation.

  5. jlp75
    February 18, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    For the record Frances, I have no affiliation with Policy Watch and do not speak for them. I am merely a concerned citizen that does not care for the way the people’s business is currently being conducted in our state. I will not sit idlely by while people like you pass off your opinion as fact. I will not allow you to insinuate that a progressive think tank is in some way breaking the law when they are advocating for progressive policies. It would be kind of hard for them to support Republicans at this juncture when they are actively trying to paint progressives as some sort of communist sympathizers. I only want what is best for our state and nation as I am sure you do as well. We all just have different ideas and perspectives on how to achieve this.

    If you would turn off Fox News and do some research you would find that their are many nonprofit think tanks on the left and the right. Guess what. The ones on the right back Republicans. I’m sure that is OK with you though. I am finding that hypocrisy is a common trait in conservatives.

  6. Frances Jenkins
    February 18, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Really like Easley,Perdue Edwards and Black. I think you have a short memory. More charges are on the way.

  7. jlp75
    February 19, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Have I condoned the behavior of these individuals? No. Has Policy Watch? No. Corruption is corruption and should be disavowed whenever it occurs on either side of the aisle. Policy watch has called out corruption on the left in the past. I do not see anyone on the right calling out corruption from the right. That is the difference. When your people do corrupt things like the incident mentioned in this story, you all high five and come up with twisted logic to justify it. Clean up your own party before you worry about the other one. Just more hypocrisy, no surprise.

  8. Frank Burns
    February 19, 2012 at 7:15 am

    There is another organization that I think should also have its non profit status examined. It’s called Democracy NC. I calls itself non partisan but is clearly partisan towards the Democrats. How can an organization call itself non partisan when every single board member is a partisan Democrat?

  9. jlp75
    February 19, 2012 at 11:22 am

    What law are they breaking? Civitas and John Locke are all partisan Republicans, I don’t see you asking for their nonprofit to be revoked?

  10. James
    February 20, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Glad to see Frank has found a new home. I banned him from BlueNC for advocating illegal actions by the General Assembly.

    Frank, meet Francis. Francis, Frank is exactly what you would look like if you had a different set of chromosomes. All I ask is that you two avoid any further breeding. We have enough lazy thinkers in this world, and your offspring would truly be the death of rationality.

  11. Adam Searing
    February 20, 2012 at 11:23 am

    If Frank/Francis ever bothered to do any real research you could see the entire history of our criticism of Jim Black (and plenty of other Democrats) for ignoring the plight of ordinary North Carolinians. One example: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2007/02/19/the-non-moneyed-lobbyist%E2%80%99s-lament/

    I never see any of the conservative policy organizations in this state ever criticize Republicans – no matter what.

  12. david esmay
    February 20, 2012 at 11:47 am

    jlp75, you cannot ask the GOP Flat Earth Society to think or do research before they open their mouths.

  13. Frances Jenkins
    February 20, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    James you are a mean person. I did not know liberals could be this unkind. You are going to have health problems if you do not get all that anger and hate out of your head. Hate of your fellow man is not a good thing. Stop thinking you are so smart and stop having such disdain for those less mentally brillant as you. The poor, the downtrodden, is this who you are helping or is this about James?

  14. Frances Jenkins
    February 20, 2012 at 6:17 pm

    David,

    You are so smart. Thank you for sharing about the earth not being flat, is that correct?

  15. James
    February 20, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    I don’t hate you, Frances. I don’t even know you. What I hate is laziness and willful ignorance. It’s clear you are not stupid, so I can only conclude that you are stricken by one of these unfortunate qualities.

    We all have our blind spots, I know I certainly do. But reveling in those blind spots … wearing them as badges of honor … is antithetical to the concept of personal responsibility for the greater good.

    If the impacts of your approaches to public policy were limited to your own little life, I wouldn’t care a whit about your ideas. But that’s not the case. The impacts of your approaches to public policy are demonstrably destructive to the greater good.

    And for what? So someone somewhere can make another buck … or so you can save another buck in taxes? Is that the meaning of life in your book?

    That’s really sad, Frances.