Republican Legislator G.L. Pridgen Featured in Drudge Report Story - Rush Limbaugh

The top story on the Drudge Report today featured comment from Robeson Republican Legislator G.L. Pridgen.  The story was also picked up by Rush Limbaugh and other news sources around the nation.

A Hoke County child's lunch box in Pridgen's District that Hoke County shares with Robeson was searched by school inspectors checking that the mother packed a nutritious lunch as even lunches from home must be inspected.  The mother says she has to watch the child eat vegetables so she saves the vegetables for eating at home when she can make sure the child eats them.  Otherwise she knows the child we throw it away - so she packs the other nutritious items she knows her child will eat.

So the mother packed a Turkey & Cheese sandwich along with a banana, apple juice and potato chips for lunch.  A state inspector ordered a lunch tray for the child as it didn't meet federal requirements under the Obama Administration guidelines. The child was not permitted to eat her lunch from home as she was told something was wrong with it.

The mother questioned why the child hadn't touched her lunchbox when she came home.  What did the child eat?

The child just ate three chicken nuggets that day.  She wouldn't eat anything else on the tray.  It seems to meet Federal Guidelines, the child doesn't have to eat the food - it just has to be in front of them.  State inspectors put a tray in front of the child that met their guidelines even if it was items the child would not eat.

The mother called Representative Pridgen who is helping bring attention to the bizarre situation as the mother knows what she can get the child to eat.  Yet the Government seems to know better than mom.  So instead of eating turkey, cheese, banana and apple juice - the child eats three chicken nuggets instead, because it is sitting beside food the government says needs to be on the tray.

But to the Government it doesn't matter if they eat it - as long as it is provided. It doesn't matter that mom makes her eat vegetables at home when she can make sure the child eats them under supervision.  Pridgen was shocked to learn that inspecting home lunches is a Federal practice.

See Civitas Story linked from the Drudge Report here: http://www.nccivitas.org/2012/state-inspectors-searching-childrens-lunch-boxes-this-isnt-china-is-it/

See the Rush Limbaugh Transcript here:  http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/02/14/federal_agents_inspect_your_child_s_lunch

Republican Womens Club Officers

The Robeson County Republican Women’s Club recently elected new officers for 2012. They are President Hila Wilkerson, front left; Vice President Brenda Pope; chaplain Linda Metzger; secretary Wendy Pridgen, back row left; immediate past President Cheryl Ermini; and Treasurer Renee Rossi.

The Republican Women's Club is vital to the success of the Republican Party in Robeson County.  The Robeson County Republican Party relies heavily on their leadership as they continue to grow and do important work in our county. 

The Party congratulates the new slate of officers as we enter a new election cycle.  The work of the Republican Women's Club is an indispensable part of the success of Robeson County.

Civitas Institute on NCAE & SB 727

The Below is from the John W. Pope Civitas Institute:
NCAE: A Giant Chasm Between Rhetoric and Reality
Last week the North Carolina General Assembly successfully overrode Gov. Perdue’s veto of SB 727- No Dues Checkoff for School Employees. The legislation ends the practice of the state collecting dues check off payments for members of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).

The reaction from NCAE members was swift. On the day the legislation was approved, NCAE President Sheri Strickland issued a statement, “The Association believes the passage of this legislation – an override of Governor Perdue’s veto — to be a retaliatory action against NCAE for standing up for public school students and educators. The message from the legislature is clear – if you stand against cuts to public education, we will teach you a lesson.”

NCAE has constructed this theme of Republican retribution for NCAE’s criticism of the majority party’s education policies. That explanation ignores relevant facts:

•Dues check off was ended because the practice aided the radical policies of groups like the National Education Association (the parent group of NCAE) not the interests of children.

•NCAE portrays itself as having members from both political parties and as supportive of both Republican and Democratic candidates. A look at NCAE’s contributions to political campaigns, however, reveals 99 percent of NCAE political contributions went to Democrats.

•If NCAE is truly concerned about teacher salaries and securing more classroom funding, why has NCAE executive compensation increased 24 percent from 2006-2009 while, over the same time period, the salary of the average teacher in North Carolina only increased 12 percent?

For More Click Here to go Directly to Civitas including info on where NCAE dues really go!

Robeson County GOP Meetings 2012

There will be a County GOP meeting 6:00pm Tuesday,  January 10th at Village Station on Roberts Ave.

The goal of this meeting is to outline organizational plans for the 2012 election cycle and get updates from our operatives on current campaign developments.  Another goal is to develop meeting plans which we hope to schedule the 2nd Tuesday of each month based on current feedback.

County Redistricting goes to DOJ - New Local candidate Ad!

County Redistricting now goes to the Dept. of Justice.  It is unclear the exact impact the lines will have on elections as the methodology used to determine the lines is always ambiguous at best.    The Party is currently reviewing map lines in order to determine the consequences of county-wide re-districtng for both school board races & county commissioner districts.

In other local news- Robeson County resident Dr. John Whitley has released one of the first political ads of the season: See Below -

GOP Town Hall



NC House Speaker Thom Tillis held a Town Hall meeting in Lumberton recently.  Speaker Tillis has been holding meetings throughout the State to discuss actions in the NC Legislature these past sessions and to gain feedback.  It is the first time a House Speaker of either Party has visited Lumberton to hold such meetings in recent years.

GOP Chairman Phillip Stephens (left), NC House Speaker Thom Tillis (Center), GOP Chief Political Operative Lee Grantham (Right).



Why Robeson Can't Recruit Business?

Maybe now we know why Robeson has trouble recruiting industry.  According a published report today by the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation, two Legislators with the Robeson County delegation are not business friendly.

The rankings of the non-partisan organization score Legislators based on voting records of key business issues.  A score of 70 or above is considered business friendly.

Robeson's two Democratic Legislators, Charles Graham (with a score of 33.9) and Garland Pierce (with a score of 32.7) were not considered friendly toward business.

Democratic State Senator Michael Walters, however, scored the second highest in the State at 77.1.

Republican Representative G.L. Pridgen scored the highest in business-friendly Legislators among the Robeson delegation with a score of 86.9.  It took 100 years since the Civil War to elect a Republican Legislator from Robeson, so this is a sign of improvement toward attracting business to the area.

The message is clear.  If Robeson wishes to appear business-friendly, it needs to elect more representatives like Democrat Michael Walter or Republican G.L. Pridgen.