N.C. Democrats Wary Of Obama Tax Deal
As President Barack Obama worked Tuesday to sell the tax deal he reached late Monday with Republicans, Democrats across North Carolina offered somewhat tepid reviews of the plan.
The White House is pitching the deal as a "framework," allowing it some wiggle room as it moves through Congress. It includes a menu of tax extensions, tax cuts and tax credits, a package that some observers think could run more than $700 billion over two years.
"There’re some things in it I like, and some things in it I don’t like," said U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, who is studying the deal. "It’s always a balancing act. It’s even more of a balancing act in this political environment."
As soon as the deal was announced, some liberals grumbled that the president had caved into Republican demands. Activists crashed two White House phone lines in logging their opposition Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, said in a statement that Republicans were holding the middle class "hostage."
"It appears Republicans will only support extending unemployment insurance for jobless Americans and extending lower rates for middle class taxpayers if the wealthiest people in the country are given generous, unaffordable breaks on both income and estate taxes," Price said. "In short, Republicans are holding middle class taxpayers , the unemployed, and the country’s fiscal future hostage to the well-off, their peculiar brand of class warfare."
The deal includes a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits, tax cuts for the middle class, a 2 percentage point cut in payroll taxes and an extension of several tax credits – all of which some Democrats said would help the middle class.
It all comes as Americans increasingly say they’re worried about the national debt.
"It doesn’t make any hard choices," Watt acknowledged. "At some point we’re going to have to bite the bullet, but we’re not going to do it yet."
Obama told reporters in a White House news conference Tuesday that though he vehemently opposed extending tax cuts to the wealthy, he made the deal with Republicans to prevent what he considered long-term impacts to jobless Americans.
"This is a situation where tens of millions of people would be directly damaged and immediately damaged," Obama said.
Across North Carolina, 232,285 residents could lose unemployment benefits in the coming year without the extension, according to a White House estimate released last week.
More than 16,000 of those residents live in Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx joined a White House conference call with reporters Tuesday to sell Obama’s deal.
"Fighting a battle over these issues any longer would only have worked to the disadvantage of the American people," Foxx said.
He acknowledged having qualms about extending tax cuts for the wealthy, but he said the tax credits for business expenses and for research and development will help Charlotte companies.
"(Obama) is also working to put the pieces in place to create jobs over the long term, and that is ultimately what all of us want," Foxx said. "What I’m most interested in is focusing on the fact that we’re going to be able to see businesses buy equipment and buy products that will help them grow, and the ripple effect is job growth, and that’s what we’re all interested in."
Many of Obama’s strongest supporters in the North Carolina delegation remained quiet Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Brad Miller’s spokeswoman said he is still thinking about the details of the plan. So is Price, of Chapel Hill. But moderate Democrats were more open to the deal.
U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, is happy to see lawmakers and the president work together for both unemployment benefits and tax cuts, said his spokesman, Christopher Schuler. "We’re happy with the framework they’ve reached."
U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton also liked the deal.
"Ensuring no tax increases for any Americans, extending unemployment benefits for those out of work, and providing workers with a payroll tax holiday is a strong way to finish the 111th Congress," McIntyre said in a statement. "Congress should pass this agreement, and keep working in a bi-partisan manner to get our economy moving again."
Watt said he expects to spend a lot of time studying the policy impacts before deciding how to vote.
"I don’t know how I will vote ultimately, because it’s just too early," Watt said. "I try not to be reactionary."
NC: 12th Congressional District Seat Tricky Piece Of Redistricting Puzzle
With the newfound power of redistricting in their hands, North Carolina Republicans will likely seek to draw districts that give them a chance to win more congressional seats in future elections. Despite winning statewide congressional voting by a 55-45 percent margin, Democrats hold just a 7-6 edge in congressional seats. With the power to shape district maps at their disposal, Republicans should easily be able to reverse that margin, at minimum.
Nevertheless, redistricting has been a contentious process in the past, with a myriad of lawsuits resulting from the the Voting Rights Act (VRA).
While the intent of the law is to ensure that racial minorities have fair representation in Congress, along the way, it sometimes mitigates partisan gerrymandering. In practice, it prevents a bloc of minority voters concentrated in a geographic area from having their voting power diluted or spread across multiple congressional districts. Section 5 of the VRA means the General Assembly must “preclear” their redistricting plans with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The two districts in North Carolina subject to section 5 of the VRA are the 12th and 1st districts; the DOJ will have final say in deciding how these districts will be drawn.
These requirements first took place after the 1990 U.S. Census, which was followed by two African-American congressmen winning election in 1992, the first time in more than 90 years that an African-American represented North Carolina in Congress. The 12th district has been represented by Mel Watt since 1992; he’s won the seat capturing around 70 percent of the vote each time.
The original district, as drawn in 1992, was 64 percent African-American and spanned almost the entire length of the state, south to north. Parts of the district were very narrow, running along Interstate 85 to connect urban parts of the district around Charlotte to Durham, which is more than 150 miles away.
The Supreme Court in Shaw v. Hunt ruled the district unconstitutional in 1996, finding that the oddly-shaped district was drawn up for explicitly racial purposes in violation of the 14th Amendment. The lines of the district were tweaked to exclude parts of Durham in 1998.
In 2009, a U.S. Supreme Court case, Bartlett v. Strickland — involving North Carolina General Assembly districts — eliminated the consideration of “crossover voters” who vote with Minorities to elect a candidate of their choice in districts like the 12th.
The case is important because it establishes ground rules that will apply nationwide during the redrawing of Voting districts following the 2010 census. It could result in a reduction of Minority districts by encouraging district drafters to pack traditional Minority districts with more than 50 percent Minority voters, rather than aiming for widespread distribution across several Voting districts.
The decision comes in a case challenging the creation of North Carolina’s House District 18. State officials tasked with redrawing North Carolina’s voting map found themselves caught between two competing laws.
The VRA mandates that new districts may not be drawn in such a way as to dilute the existing political clout of minority voters in minority voting districts. But North Carolina has a law requiring that counties not be split up within voting districts.
State officials discovered that if they adhered to the “whole county provision” of state law, the Minority voting age population in District 18 would be reduced from 39 percent to 35 percent.
Concerned that the reduction would amount to Illegal minority vote dilution, the officials concluded that they were required to ignore the state’s whole county provision to avoid violating the federal voting rights law.
One of the affected counties filed suit, claiming the state law’s whole county provision should be upheld. The North Carolina Supreme Court agreed.
According to David T. Canon, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this ruling will make re-crafting the 12th district easier for Republicans. Canon says that after the Bartlett v. Strickland ruling, “The only thing that matters is the percentage of minority voters in the district.”
Republicans will be able to use redistricting techniques such as “packing” and “cracking” but would risk disapproval from the DOJ.
“Cracking” means dividing a district and moving its parts into several other districts in order to reduce the power of the minority voters, while “packing” would heavily concentrate Minority voters into one district. Canon thinks in order to meet DOJ approval, the 12th district, “would likely need to have somewhere between 45 and 55 percent minority voters.”
Once the 12th and 1st districts have been approved by the DOJ, Republicans can piece together the remaining districts in an effort to capture seats in 2012 currently held by Democrats.">with a myriad of lawsuits resulting from the the Voting Rights Act (VRA).
While the intent of the law is to ensure that racial minorities have fair representation in Congress, along the way, it sometimes mitigates partisan gerrymandering. In practice, it prevents a bloc of minority voters concentrated in a geographic area from having their voting power diluted or spread across multiple congressional districts. Section 5 of the VRA means the General Assembly must “preclear” their redistricting plans with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The two districts in North Carolina subject to section 5 of the VRA are the 12th and 1st districts; the DOJ will have final say in deciding how these districts will be drawn.
These requirements first took place after the 1990 U.S. Census, which was followed by two African-American congressmen winning election in 1992, the first time in more than 90 years that an African-American represented North Carolina in Congress. The 12th district has been represented by Mel Watt since 1992; he’s won the seat capturing around 70 percent of the vote each time.
The original district, as drawn in 1992, was 64 percent African-American and spanned almost the entire length of the state, south to north. Parts of the district were very narrow, running along Interstate 85 to connect urban parts of the district around Charlotte to Durham, which is more than 150 miles away.
The Supreme Court in Shaw v. Hunt ruled the district unconstitutional in 1996, finding that the oddly-shaped district was drawn up for explicitly racial purposes in violation of the 14th Amendment. The lines of the district were tweaked to exclude parts of Durham in 1998.
In 2009, a U.S. Supreme Court case, Bartlett v. Strickland — involving North Carolina General Assembly districts — eliminated the consideration of “crossover voters” who vote with minorities to elect a candidate of their choice in districts like the 12th.
The case is important because it establishes ground rules that will apply nationwide during the redrawing of voting districts following the 2010 census. It could result in a reduction of minority districts by encouraging district drafters to pack traditional minority districts with more than 50 percent minority voters, rather than aiming for widespread distribution across several voting districts.
The decision comes in a case challenging the creation of North Carolina’s House District 18. State officials tasked with redrawing North Carolina’s voting map found themselves caught between two competing laws.
The VRA mandates that new districts may not be drawn in such a way as to dilute the existing political clout of minority voters in minority voting districts. But North Carolina has a law requiring that counties not be split up within voting districts.
State officials discovered that if they adhered to the “whole county provision” of state law, the minority voting age population in District 18 would be reduced from 39 percent to 35 percent.
Concerned that the reduction would amount to illegal minority vote dilution, the officials concluded that they were required to ignore the state’s whole county provision to avoid violating the federal voting rights law.
One of the affected counties filed suit, claiming the state law’s whole county provision should be upheld. The North Carolina Supreme Court agreed.
According to David T. Canon, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this ruling will make re-crafting the 12th district easier for Republicans. Canon says that after the Bartlett v. Strickland ruling, “The only thing that matters is the percentage of minority voters in the district.”
Republicans will be able to use redistricting techniques such as “packing” and “cracking” but would risk disapproval from the DOJ. “Cracking” means dividing a district and moving its parts into several other districts in order to reduce the power of the minority voters, while “packing” would heavily concentrate minority voters into one district.
Canon thinks in order to meet DOJ approval, the 12th district, “would likely need to have somewhere between 45 and 55 percent minority voters.”
Once the 12th and 1st districts have been approved by the DOJ, Republicans can piece together the remaining districts in an effort to capture seats in 2012 currently held by Democrats.
Mel Watt Most Liberal NC Rep, Most Gerrymandered District (12th)
So Mel Watt is North Carolina's most Liberal Congressional Rep.
Really?
I guess "Liberal" is the new buzz word for sorry, ineffective Democrats seeking to raise Campaign funds.
Isn't Mel Watt's 12th District the MOST gerrymandered Congressional District in the state? He's been in there WAY too long.
Mel ONLY caters to Wall Street and his Fraternity/ Sorority friends that's it!
Where do you think Self-Serving, Sneaky, Empty-hearted Mayors like Anthony Foxx spawned from? Politicians like Mel Watt.
Mel is an Incumbent who keeps the rest of his constituents (mainly African-Americans) within North Carolina's 12th District poor so they can never challenge him.
Thus he's basically useless.
Due to North Carolina's Racist history, there was definitely a time when Gerrymandered districts were necessary.
However Politicians like Mel Watt are now abusing the true intended purpose of Gerrymandering for their own personal gain.
They advocate and push Straight Ticket Voting from their poorest Constituents which allows them to remain in Public Office NOT to help, but to become personally Wealthy.
In fact Mel Watt is so crooked he introduced a watered down amendment in 2009 which would have granted Wall Street execs more power to be corrupt and play games with Taxpayer money.
Even Alan Grayson slammed Mel Watt's bill.
Too many Black Youth are dropping out of High School and NOT attending College because of Mel Watt's Selfishness and Greed.
Does Mel care? Don't count on it!
North Carolina, especially Charlotte deserves better.
We need fresh blood in Congress.
Time to go Mel! Bye-bye.
View Larger Map
Sources: Americanindependent.com, C-Span, McClatchy Newspapers, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment