Category: Opinion

Editors Note – We will compile Mr. Bobbitt’s letter, and all of your suggestions in comments and send to the Vance County Board of Commissioners for this retreat.  We have confirmed that they will definitely receive this during the retreat, however their agenda is already full and will not have time to answer them during the retreat session.  They may or may not provide any response, but your voices and suggestions will be read and are welcomed and encouraged.  Mr. …

Last year, the Republicans passed deep and unnecessary education cuts — over my veto — that are harming our childrens future. The cuts — from pre-k all the way through higher education — have led to larger class sizes, the loss of thousands of teacher and teacher assistant positions, and big tuition hikes. Educators from across the state, including public school teachers, have been standing up and telling the truth about the harm that the Republicans cuts are doing to …

The Vance County Board of Adjustments held their inaugural meeting on December 20, 2011.  The purpose of this public meeting was a hearing of four requests for a zoning ordinance variances or conditional use permits.  BOA Case # 20111220-1 Luther Scott (owner) Cornerstone General Contracting (applicant) – variance BOA Case # 20111220-2 Charles Thompson (owner and applicant) – Conditional Use Permit. BOA Case # 20111220-3 Larry Greenway (owner), James L Fields (applicant) – Conditional User Permit BOA Case # 20111220-4 …

December 19, 2011, Special Called Meeting of the Water District Board.  For those who did not attend this meeting of the Water District Board aka Board of Commissioners you missed one of the best examples of an all powerful elected representative democracy in action.  The meeting started with the Board of Commissioners sitting as the Water District Board.  This is a handy way for elected officials to assure themselves that any decision by one board is automatically approved by the …

I want to wish all North Carolinians Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. The past year has been filled with many highs and lows.  I rang in 2011 with our troops in Afghanistan. North Carolina is the most military friendly state in the nation, and as the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and a member of a military family myself, I am committed to ensuring our servicemembers and their families have the resources and …

It’s been a busy week in Washington.  Below is a summary of what I’ve been up to since I left NC last Monday. HELP COMMITTEE On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the importance of ensuring that children are free from abuse and neglect.  As Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I delivered opening remarks on the issue.  To truly ensure our children are safe, both children and adults …

This week, I joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Taxpayers Right to Know Act, a bill to increase accountability and efficiency in government by requiring every federal agency to provide an annual report card for each of its programs detailing how taxpayer dollars are being spent.  The American people deserve to know where their hard-earned money goes when they send it to Washington. With all the waste and abuse that occurs at the federal level, it is …

Regarding the Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting held on December 5, 2011 Reorganization of Board Commissioner Garrison was elected Chairman and Commissioner Hester was elected Vice-Chairman.  Chairman Garrison listed his seven goals for the Board.  The first goal is jobs, jobs, and more jobs for our area.  (I have heard this refrain before and do not recall who said it.  If you the reader know the origin of that refrain, please share.)  The other six goals include supporting schools, …

While Friday’s announcement that the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.6% is more encouraging than reports we have seen in recent months, we are still very far away from the kind of job growth needed to get our country back on track.  Instead of focusing on expensive short-term stimulus policies that have not worked, we need to give job creators the certainty and predictability they need to thrive, grow and hire; and that starts with reforming our tax code and …

The session would have allowed the consideration of a new gaming deal with the Cherokee Nation in western North Carolina.  However the 30-page document approved by the governor and tribal leaders was not completed before adjournment. Since the end of regular session, legislators have been called into special sessions for nearly four work weeks.  Each day of session costs the state an estimated $50,000, so we have already reached nearly $1 million, just in administrative costs, for these largely unproductive …

On Tuesday, I returned from a short trip to Afghanistan where I was fulfilling my role as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to meet with officials on the ground and learn first hand about the progress being made there.  I had the opportunity to meet with senior Afghan and U.S. officials who  provided us with updates on the security situation in the region. While I was in Afghanistan, I received word about the inability of the …

Our national debt hit $15 trillion for the first time in American history this week.  This alarming number reinforces the pressing need to pass legislation that will rein in government spending and create an environment that allows our country’s economy to grow.  As the November 23 deadline of the deficit-cutting Congressional supercommittee approaches, I am hopeful that Democrats will work with Republicans to find common sense solutions to reduce our nation’s deficits. There are items that both parties can agree …

Last Friday, in Veterans Day ceremonies across the country, Americans paused to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave veterans. As Thanksgiving approaches, we continue to be grateful for their service and tireless commitment to protecting our nation. We owe these men and women a debt of gratitude, and I am pleased that last week, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass two meaningful pieces of legislation for our veterans. The first is a bill to help get veterans …

The General Assembly returned to Raleigh this week for a one-day session to reconsider the redistricting plans written earlier this year. A computing problem resulting from the splitting of hundreds of voting precincts into two and sometimes three districts left as many as 480,000 voters unassigned to districts for the state House of Representatives, the state Senate and Congress. Plans for Wake County judicial districts and Greene County were also affected. While the legislators in charge of redistricting attempted to …

Note to readers, the agenda I was working with was provided by the County Manager on Thursday afternoon.  The County Manager subsequently amended the agenda before the start of Monday’s meeting adding several major new and unplanned topics. Brownfields Grant Application Jordan McMillen, Planning & Development Manager, started this topic summarizing his memo requesting engagement of a third party to submit the grant applications to the EPA.  Mr. Jordan explained that Mid-Atlantic Associates (a private company) needs the Boards approval …

It was a pleasure to be in North Carolina last week traveling across the state, visiting with North Carolinians and discussing their concerns and the issues they would like to see us address in Washington, but it was back to business as usual in Congress this week.  Despite the urgency of the issues we are working on in Congress, there was little progress made on behalf of the American people this week. Even though it is clear that the first …

North Carolina is grappling with a series of budgetary problems this term. The latest to receive media attention is the expected shortfall in funding for Medicaid programs that serve our state’s most vulnerable populations: the poor, the elderly and the disabled. Early projections are that we will face a $139 million shortfall. N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler called the savings needed to maintain the projected budget “unreasonable and unattainable.” Click here  to read News & …

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) today urged his congressional colleagues to support President Barack Obama’s efforts to help further relieve student loan costs for millions of college graduates nationwide.  Butterfield said that the president’s proposal, which seeks to cap student loan payments at 10 percent of discretionary income, forgive outstanding debt after 20 years of payment and offer student borrower new opportunities to consolidate their student loans, would help North Carolinians who are experiencing record increases in …

The Senate was in recess this week, and I returned to North Carolina where I traveled across the state visiting with students at five high schools, touring local businesses and meeting with the hard-working men and women of our state, and listening to the concerns and advice of North Carolinians all along the way.  I also had the opportunity to tour non-profit community wellness facilities, including one devoted to serving homeless veterans, and presented a Congressional Medal to Moriah Glady, …

In the past week, three major decisions by the new leadership in the North Carolina General assembly came back to haunt the people of North Carolina. We learned over the past week that: Teacher layoffs are likely going to get worse next year; At least a part of the legislatures intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship is likely unconstitutional; and The General Assemblys budgeting failures created a $139 million hole in Medicaid. “I have a different vision for North Carolina than …