Fitzsimon File

Ronald Reagan’s name has been so mentioned frequently in Republican campaigns in North Carolina, you’d think he was on the ballot in the May 2 primary. Candidates trying to prove how conservative they are often claim to be Reagan Republicans. 

Senate candidate David Blust is the latest candidate to use Reagan to define himself. Blust is running in the primary against incumbent Republican Senator John Garwood, who gained notoriety last session for deciding not to use a parliamentary maneuver to cast his vote against the lottery when he was recovering from an illness at home. The lottery would have failed if Garwood had chosen to make sure his voted was counted.

But the lottery is not the biggest in the race according to Blust. He says illegal immigration is the top issue and that elected officials haven’t done anything about it. He wants to get rid of undocumented workers, tighten driver license laws and make English the official language.

That’s where he and other immigrant bashing conservatives might want to rethink the use of President Reagan as their hero. Here’s what Reagan said about immigration when running for reelection in 1984.

“… it is true our borders are out of control, it is also true that this has been a situation on our borders back through a number of Administrations…..I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here, even though some time back they may have entered illegally.”

No word yet on Blust’s position on amnesty or Reagan’s advocacy of it, but we’d all be better off if all candidates stopped demonizing immigrants for political gain and started talking about realistic solutions to the challenges that immigration presents.

It’s not just candidates making life hard for immigrants, the state is doing its part. Recent news from the State Controller is that undocumented workers may not be able to claim lottery prizes they win. 

The state is happy to take immigrants money, but letting them claim a prize is a different matter.  Several media outlets reported the story last week, but reaction to it was relatively muted. Guess denying immigrants money they are entitled too is not really big news.

Reportedly, some legislators are grumbling about the budget request from UNC for almost three hundred million dollars in new funding for enrollment increases and faculty salary increases and even more for new buildings on the 16 campuses.

The Fitzsimon File has one suggestion for coming up with the money. Repeal the provision passed last year that allows booster clubs to pay in-state tuition rates for out of state athletes. That change will cost $32 million when totally implemented, money that could to improve the university system instead of reimbursing booster clubs.

Surprising news from Lieutenant Governor Perdue this week. The Jacksonville Daily news reports that Perdue declined to endorse an increase in the state minimum wage at a recent appearance in Onslow County. She proposed an earned income tax credit and affordable child care as alternatives, both good ideas, but not replacements for a hike in the minimum wage.

Legislation raising the state minimum wage to $6.00 an hour has passed the House and will be before the Senate when the General Assembly convenes May 9. Polls show wide support in the state for raising the wage and the North Carolina Democratic Women have formally endorsed it.

Folks at the N.C. Justice Center point out that 63 percent of people who earn below $6.00 an hour are women. Conventional wisdom is that candidates in a Democratic primary generally battle to capture the majority of the progressive base in the party.  This won’t help Perdue in that effort.

One of Perdue’s likely opponents in the 2008 primary, State Treasurer Richard Moore, has made raising the wage a key part of his policy platform. Reports are that another potential opponent, Attorney General Roy Cooper, also supports raise the wage, making Perdue’s position even harder to understand.

Plus raising the wage is simply the right thing to do. If that matters.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 28th, 2006 at 1:59 pm and is filed under Fitzsimon File. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.