Definitely agree get out the vote and run up the score. What the Republicans might do is try to override Gov Stein's vetoes The best thing Democrats can do is take some photos of roads needing repair and post them everywhere, Thomas there is little they can do regarding elections as mail in voting is underway, BUT they can enact the rule changes their friends on the NCBOE have proposed. But Trump's decisions are already baked into voters' minds
Say what you will about Phil Berger's leadership, a move like this would have been on no one's bingo card a few years ago. He rarely lost his cool so publicly (or allowed his caucus to do so) back then.
And PS: The Hurricanes have a new streaming service now that they operate via Amazon Prime, and one of the features at present is fewer ads. When there's TV time that's baked into the schemed of the game that they haven't sold you just see "Commercial break in progress". But because the streaming service isn't actually regional, you ALSO get subjected to political ads for candidates not in your district. So during the Canes-Flyers game last night I got to see my very first Don Davis ad. And I can see now why Berger figured his district would be the easiest to flip with a map because that guy really should just change his party affiliation and join the GOP officially. I knew that every time there was headline about "X House Dems Join All Republicans to Pass [insert heinous MAGA legislation here]" that Davis would be at the top of the list. But I'd never actually heard him speak to a policy position himself until last night. When he waxed nostalgic with a still of a football stadium somewhere in the background about how "playing football here helped him find a purpose and feel safe." and how he "wanted all athletes to compete in a safe space" as a graphic touting NC's transgender sport ban floated over the football field.
Of all the shit he COULD have addressed in that ad, he decided punching down on the group he figured was the easiest to marginalize was what he wanted to spend his ad money on. Not inflation, not healthcare, not holding government to account, not the pointless war in Iran or the stupid trade wars with ... everyone. No, Don Davis decided to spend his ad money attacking the smallest subset of the smallest of minorities. What a fucking profile in courage. Somebody should point out to Don that if he had a dollar for every transwoman competing in the NCAA he couldn't afford a gallon of diesel.
And the thing is he *could* still win the 1st district. But if he's back in 2028 and does NOT draw a primary challenger it'll be the gravest instance of political malpractice in a long time.
This really just boils down to the snake-oil salesman offering to sell you some different snake-oil to remedy the illness caused by the original snake-oil.
These snake-oil salesmen need to be run out of town on a rail with some tar and feathers.
They're not coming back to Realign to try to "make things right". They're coming back to Raleigh to "save their own asses". And while cutting the gas tax (which used to be one of the highest in the country) *might* temporarily drop prices at the pump, eventually the bill is gonna come due. And it will take the form of either raising the gas tax (possibly higher than the present rate) OR we'll see a LOT more toll booths where there were none before OR I-40 through Haywood county will remain down in the river -- because the biggest thing the gas tax pays for is highway and bridge maintenance, and DOT's budget will be down there in the river with it. Regardless of which turns out to be the case, you can believe when the time comes to pay the political bill, they'll run from it lie a scalded cat. They're betting that there won't be any political capital expended until after January when the new NCGA is seated. So it's not just up to the Dems in the legislature to bring this up NOW, they need that in their messaging until January 1 when the bill comes due.
The move has the same flop sweat smell as Trump running the Strategic Petroleum Reserve do to a level that's functionally nothing, because the salt caves where they store all this oil will collapse if they draw down any more of it. Ask Gemini "How is the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve physically stored?" it's fascinating. And really clever... until they've floated all the oil out of the caves. The problem is that the salt that doesn't react with crude and remolds itself to repair cracks under pressure very much DOES react with the fresh water they pump into the cavern to raise the oil level to the point where it can be extracted. So when I say functionally zero, I mean there's still oil down there, but you're not gonna be able to take it out. This is why he's been goin to the EU hat in hand to get them to release some of their reserves onto the world market.
And I'm glad you brought up state employees -- DOT or otherwise. The last raise the NCGA gave them was in August of 2023 (retroactive to July 1). That raise was 4%. SINCE then there was a 0% raise in 2024, 2025 and the latest budget allowed for a 3% raise in September of 2026 (again retroactive to the beginning of the FY on July1). so over the last 3 fiscal years their salaries have gone up 3%. Premiums for the State Health Plan have as much as tripled in that same period*. But that's *nothing* compared to the 9.94% combined inflation since September of 2023. In terms of real purchasing power, a dollar today is worth about 91¢ from 36 months ago. And nobody's getting that back. It's gone. Those employees are effectively making LESS than they were in 2023.
*They did have the good grace to make the premium increase progressive, based on salary so the lowest paid employees took the smallest damage, but nobody got out without being scalped.
Definitely agree get out the vote and run up the score. What the Republicans might do is try to override Gov Stein's vetoes The best thing Democrats can do is take some photos of roads needing repair and post them everywhere, Thomas there is little they can do regarding elections as mail in voting is underway, BUT they can enact the rule changes their friends on the NCBOE have proposed. But Trump's decisions are already baked into voters' minds
Say what you will about Phil Berger's leadership, a move like this would have been on no one's bingo card a few years ago. He rarely lost his cool so publicly (or allowed his caucus to do so) back then.
And PS: The Hurricanes have a new streaming service now that they operate via Amazon Prime, and one of the features at present is fewer ads. When there's TV time that's baked into the schemed of the game that they haven't sold you just see "Commercial break in progress". But because the streaming service isn't actually regional, you ALSO get subjected to political ads for candidates not in your district. So during the Canes-Flyers game last night I got to see my very first Don Davis ad. And I can see now why Berger figured his district would be the easiest to flip with a map because that guy really should just change his party affiliation and join the GOP officially. I knew that every time there was headline about "X House Dems Join All Republicans to Pass [insert heinous MAGA legislation here]" that Davis would be at the top of the list. But I'd never actually heard him speak to a policy position himself until last night. When he waxed nostalgic with a still of a football stadium somewhere in the background about how "playing football here helped him find a purpose and feel safe." and how he "wanted all athletes to compete in a safe space" as a graphic touting NC's transgender sport ban floated over the football field.
Of all the shit he COULD have addressed in that ad, he decided punching down on the group he figured was the easiest to marginalize was what he wanted to spend his ad money on. Not inflation, not healthcare, not holding government to account, not the pointless war in Iran or the stupid trade wars with ... everyone. No, Don Davis decided to spend his ad money attacking the smallest subset of the smallest of minorities. What a fucking profile in courage. Somebody should point out to Don that if he had a dollar for every transwoman competing in the NCAA he couldn't afford a gallon of diesel.
And the thing is he *could* still win the 1st district. But if he's back in 2028 and does NOT draw a primary challenger it'll be the gravest instance of political malpractice in a long time.
This really just boils down to the snake-oil salesman offering to sell you some different snake-oil to remedy the illness caused by the original snake-oil.
These snake-oil salesmen need to be run out of town on a rail with some tar and feathers.
They're not coming back to Realign to try to "make things right". They're coming back to Raleigh to "save their own asses". And while cutting the gas tax (which used to be one of the highest in the country) *might* temporarily drop prices at the pump, eventually the bill is gonna come due. And it will take the form of either raising the gas tax (possibly higher than the present rate) OR we'll see a LOT more toll booths where there were none before OR I-40 through Haywood county will remain down in the river -- because the biggest thing the gas tax pays for is highway and bridge maintenance, and DOT's budget will be down there in the river with it. Regardless of which turns out to be the case, you can believe when the time comes to pay the political bill, they'll run from it lie a scalded cat. They're betting that there won't be any political capital expended until after January when the new NCGA is seated. So it's not just up to the Dems in the legislature to bring this up NOW, they need that in their messaging until January 1 when the bill comes due.
The move has the same flop sweat smell as Trump running the Strategic Petroleum Reserve do to a level that's functionally nothing, because the salt caves where they store all this oil will collapse if they draw down any more of it. Ask Gemini "How is the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve physically stored?" it's fascinating. And really clever... until they've floated all the oil out of the caves. The problem is that the salt that doesn't react with crude and remolds itself to repair cracks under pressure very much DOES react with the fresh water they pump into the cavern to raise the oil level to the point where it can be extracted. So when I say functionally zero, I mean there's still oil down there, but you're not gonna be able to take it out. This is why he's been goin to the EU hat in hand to get them to release some of their reserves onto the world market.
And I'm glad you brought up state employees -- DOT or otherwise. The last raise the NCGA gave them was in August of 2023 (retroactive to July 1). That raise was 4%. SINCE then there was a 0% raise in 2024, 2025 and the latest budget allowed for a 3% raise in September of 2026 (again retroactive to the beginning of the FY on July1). so over the last 3 fiscal years their salaries have gone up 3%. Premiums for the State Health Plan have as much as tripled in that same period*. But that's *nothing* compared to the 9.94% combined inflation since September of 2023. In terms of real purchasing power, a dollar today is worth about 91¢ from 36 months ago. And nobody's getting that back. It's gone. Those employees are effectively making LESS than they were in 2023.
*They did have the good grace to make the premium increase progressive, based on salary so the lowest paid employees took the smallest damage, but nobody got out without being scalped.
Would anyone know what the latest projections are for the post election makeup of the legislature?
Panic indeed. Wow.
Yep! They’re up to no good and voting is our best weapon against them!!