It’s no secret that UNC Chapel Hill law school professor Gene Nichol and many Republican legislators don’t much like each other. Civitas has written frequently on Gene Nichol’s questionable activities (see here) as the former head of the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity.
The latest chapter of this ongoing saga concerns the UNC Chapel Hill Law School. The tensions derive from a variety of reasons. Republican-appointed members to the Board of Governors voted to end the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, a center Nichol headed. Nichol has responded by skewering Republican politicians in the local paper, saying they kowtow only to the rich and ignore the poor. Other Republican legislators believe the UNC law school faculty is too liberal and something should be done to change it.
All the tension got very real earlier this year when the North Carolina State Senate included a provision calling for a 30 percent reduction in the UNC Chapel Hill Law School budget; a provision equivalent to budget reduction of $4 million dollars. It’s a big number certainly intended to send a message. The final State budget however included only $500,000 budget reduction for the law school, no doubt thanks to the work of UNC lobbyists and law school advocates
Most people think that when you read that a department of agency budget is reduced, it’s reflected in real numbers. That’s not the case here. It’s hard to know if the budget for the UNC Law School was actually reduced. Page 7 of a Committee on Budget and Finance document, prepared for the September UNC Board of Governors meeting, references, the budget reduction:
UNC-CH School of Law The legislature reduced the state funding to UNC-CH’s School of Law by $500,000 (4% reduction). The funds were reduced from UNC-Chapel Hill, Academic Affairs.
It should be noted that all funding for academic programs at UNC Chapel Hill flows through the Office of Academic Affairs. As such according to the budget narrative, the state appropriated $500,000 less in funds that it sent to the UNC CH Office of Academic Affairs. Are those changes reflected in the law school budget? We don’t know. As any university administrator knows, moving money around is an art and it is quite easy to hide or circumvent budget changes
This question could be easily answered if we could obtain a comprehensive and timely budget document for UNC schools and departments. Don’t hold your breath however. Such documents have been difficult to access for years. If they were easy, I doubt we’d be having this conversation.
My guess is there are legislators interested in finding out if the UNC Law School actually had a budget reduction. Until then it looks like all the barking between Nichol and Republican politicians has produced little bite out of the law school budget — and even less willingness to do anything about it.
There is no smoking gun in what NC Civitas calls the “questionable activities” of Gene Nichol. It’s been a complete hyper-partisan smear campaign.
The lawsuits are piling up high on Donald J. Trumps violations of the Emoluments Clause, the Hatch Act and his blatant use of Tax Payer money for ‘political purposes.’ He literally is CAMPAIGNING on the Tax Payers dime which is illegal. Not to mention that the Secret Service has already run out of money for the fiscal year, further draining the Tax Payers wallets.
An Academic would point out corruption when it exists, and not just target people for partisan political gain like NC Civitas does to Gene Nichol or Rev. William Barber.
Once again, NC Civitas proves itself to be a Marketing organization for the GOP posing as Academics.
SHAMEFUL.
The word is “kowtow” not “cow tow”. This is hardly the first glaring error in articles, and mistakes like this lessen credibility. Civitas could really use a good editor.
Once again Scott shows his lack of knowledge.The Secret Service has a cap on their pay.They can’t make anymore than Congress.CNN twisted this because they knew people like Scott would not check and would put it out everywhere.I saw a member of the SS in an interview and he said this has gone on for years and they aren’t costing anymore now than they always have.
This is how bad we have treated the poor. SUMMARY In his January 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed, “This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” In the 50 years since that time, U.S. taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. Adjusted for inflation, this spending (which does not include Social Security or Medicare) is three times the cost of all U.S. military wars since the American Revolution. Yet progress against poverty, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau, has been minimal, and in terms of President Johnson’s main goal of reducing the “causes” rather than the mere “consequences” of poverty, the War on Poverty has failed completely. In fact, a significant portion of the population is now less capable of self-sufficiency than it was when the War on Poverty began.
If you had half a clue instead of just feisty rhetoric, you would know that 85 cents of every dollar spent to fight poverty actually went into the pockets of people other than the poor.
Perfect example is Trump and Kushner family use of Public Housing Money to enrich themselves.
I don’t follow CNN Larry, but you seem to be a big fan of the Fake News Network that helped create the Fake President Trump. In fact Trump was a regular on Larry King for many years. Try and catch up son.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/21/secret-service-costs-protecting-trump-unpaid-agents-randolph-alles
Scott,I will take the word of a Secert Service agent over a Trummp hating writer of one of the most left wing rags in the country.Trump being on King doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what we are talking about.The agents are not paid over time,period.Try to catch up boy.
This is Scott’s source.No wonder he is a left wing loon.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/26/guardian-admits-rogue-reporter-fabricated-interviews/
Scott,prove that 85 cents of every dollar of money for the poor was stolen.You are thinking of the Clinton Foundation that stole the money that was for Haiti.Catch up,boy.Since welfare went up 45% under Ostupid I think it went to the poor.If any money was stolen the Gimmedats were running these freebie programs so I think we know who stole it.
Oh Larry, you post an article not related to the subject mentioned. For details on how Central Planning distributes $ to cronies, look no further than NC Civitas. Trump’s use of Fake News to prop himself up is very widely known.
And yet again, you lower yourself to name calling and Ad Hominem attacks!
WHY would anyone take anything you say seriously?
Scott,name calling has been your specialty.Here is a clue for you since you are clueless.https://www.conservativereview.com/articles/no-president-trump-isnt-bankrupting-the-secret-service
Scott,where is your proof of 85% of the money for the poor was stolen?Typical of you to make crazy statements then can’t back them up.
Scott,do you deny being left wing?You posted the lie about the secret service and I proved it wrong so don’t say I posted an article that wasn’t in response.You also posted an article from the guardian which is in severe loss of readers because of lying.
This was the first name calling.
Scott says,
I wonder how Larry is going to explain the Republican control of the White House, US House and US Senate when the Debt Ceiling is raised next month.
No doubt it will be Obama’s fault. Ridiculous nonsense from delusional partisan idiots.
Sorry Larry, there is no debate with you. EVERY single Journalistic source always has retractions and errors. Your article on the Guardian was meaningless.
Again, I NEVER said ‘85% of money was stolen.’ I said it went into the pockets of people other than the poor (think offices, salaries, travel costs, budgets, crony subsidies AND companies that get Government Contracts always GOUGE the Tax Payer – did you ever hear of NO BID contracts?).
You have a severe tendency to cherry-pick what you argue. My comments include so many subjects / topics that you skip over.
I support neither the Republican nor Democratic Party. I was a chief critic of the Obama administration, though unlike you, I never called the man the names you have. And Birtherism is RACIST, so support for Trump is RACIST.
You are clearly a “delusional partisan idiot.” How can we confirm that? Obama completely bad / Trump completely angelic. LOL. Get some Mental Health counseling before you hurt yourself.
And with all your babbling about Obama and Debt, still no reply from you to Trump raising the Debt ceiling and adding lots of Money to the National Debt.
Unbelievable how you cherry-pick. Very unstable mind.
Scott,if you had any mind you would know that these storms have left Trump with no choice but to go along with Congress on raising the debt ceiling.If Ostupid and the Democrats had not spent the debt from 10.6 Trillion to almost 20 trillion then we would not be in this mess.If he didn’t go along with raising the limit simple minded people like you and the corrupt press would kill him over it.You call me a delusional partisian idiot and then you say I am the name caller.You are a joke when you say I cherry pick.I have produced article after article to prove you are clueless and all you have come up with besides name calling is that ignorant article from the highly partisan Guardian,who I showed are liars with another article that proved that.
https://me.me/i/fb-com-capitalists-records-set-on-obamas-watch-1-u-s-sovereign-debt-4479290
I can see clearly that I have been arguing with a handicapped person.
Your delusional partisanship is aided by the diseases of ‘acceptance of the prevailing ideology,’ ‘extreme nationalism,’ and ‘pseudohistory.’ The Wealthy have succeeded in erasing facts and brain washing you.
Barack Obama was Reaganesque in his governance. Reagan (praised by Conservatives) ballooned the National Debt Larry. The Debt Clock appeared in NYC during Reagan’s reign.
Obama was extremely conservative, asking only that the Bush Tax Cuts be ended and Tax Rates for the wealthy return to 39.5%. Very, Very, Very, Very conservative! Yet you paint him as the Left. LOL. The Left calls for a return to the Tax Rates under Eisenhower 91%.
ALL Governments Lie Larry. Take off your Party and blinders son.
Scott,you call a Communist like Ostupid a conservative.Raising taxes to 39.6% and spending more than all Presidents combined, makes it obvious you have no clue what a conservative is.You said CNN helped create Trump that is delusional even for you.CNN has trashed him 24/7 every since he started to run.What you said about Civitas hosting Tillis is unbelievable.That is a major lie or serious misinformation.Talk about me hurting myself,I think somebody needs to call your mother and tell her not to let you have a knife or fork.
Scott,glad you brought up the debt clock.Go look at what the debt was before and after Ostupid.Maybe you can get your mom to explain it to you,boy.
36.9 is conservative
91% is progressive
Obama was very conservative
SMH
I paid 39.6% and another 10%’to the state plus as a business owner I paid twice as much as most people into S.S.and Medicare.Then there was property tax,sales tax,and many more taxes that business has to pay.If you think this is fair why don’t you pay it for a while.
Scott,get a clue 91% is robbery.
Obama was conservative in his proposals and policies. I think I made that point CLEAR, yet you continue to sidestep and evade it.
I apologize for use of the word ‘son’ but also note that you are the epitome of a name caller – ‘ostupid, gimmedats, communists, demon rats, goose steppers, liar (chimed in by Jane)…..and many more. And you support a President who MADE himself in Politics by NAME CALLING!
I tried to give you an answer but I guess Civitas did not like the answer.
Scott,show me where I said demon rats or goose steppers.Calling the community organizer Ostupid is not the same as you calling me an idiot.I don’t object to you calling me stupid if you can prove it but just because I disagree with you certainly makes me smart,not stupid.Communists have no problem being called Communist,so what is your problem?
Larry, anyone who can’t see that 39.6% is conservative when compared the the historical Tax Rate of 91% under Eisenhower, 78% under Kennedy, 70% when Reagan took over…..is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.
I cannot continue to chat with you. My mother taught me to be kind to the mentally impaired.
Good,I hear your mommy calling you.She said your criminal buddies have some businesses and cars to burn.
Mother died in 1996 Larry.
Sorry about that.Mine died 1992.Mine believed in free speech without attacking people and burning their businesses.I guess maybe you are the old angry white man.
Kennedy and Reagan both cut taxes and both times the economy took off.Just like it has done with Trump saying he will do the same thing.Watch what happens when the tax cut comes unless all the Democrats and McCain and his Rinos shoot it down.
Despite the conservative myth that tax cuts somehow increase revenue, the government went deeper into debt and Reagan had to raise taxes just a year after he enacted his tax cut. Despite ten more tax hikes on everything from gasoline to corporate income, Reagan was never able to get the deficit under control.
Here is what really happened as Reagan got us out of the malaise of Jimmy Carter.President Ronald Reagan’s record includes sweeping economic reforms and deep across-the-board tax cuts, market deregulation, and sound monetary policies to contain inflation. His policies resulted in the largest peacetime economic boom in American history and nearly 35 million more jobs. As the Joint Economic Committee reported in April 2000:
This is what happened to the debt under Reagan and what caused it.https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2017/05/04/reagans-tax-cuts-didnt-blow-out-the-deficit-and-the-debt-that-was-volcker-and-interest-rates/
When Reagan left office the debt was 1.86 Trillion.When the ACORN community organizer left office is was almost 20 Trillion and you compare the two.
Reagan tripled the National Debt and Larry is boasting about that. To be sure, Obama was President while the National Debt doubled (it also doubled under the watch of George W. Bush). An important point Larry ignores is that Republicans controlled the purse strings of the country (US House of Representatives) since 2010 (6 years of Obama’s term).
The US House makes the budget Larry. The Presidents job is to either sign it or send it back. You need a little education in the US Constitution sir.
I’m curious to know why Larry calls Barack Obama a community organizer when his resume that he earned through hard work and sweat also includes:
Columbia University Grad
Harvard Law School Grad
Editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review
State Senator from Illinois
US Senator from Illinois
Civil Rights Attorney and Professor
Constitutional Law Attorney and Professor
Author (of several books)
Grammy Award winner (2x)
Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2009
President of the United States
Devoted Husband and Father who is a Protestant Christian
Can you explain why you call him a community organizer?
Jack,because going to school is not a job.By the way all his grades were sealed and the corrupt press never tried to,get any of his records.Nobel peace prize winner.What a joke that was.He is the only President in history to never have a year of 3% growth.Welfare was up 45%.He never had a private economy job.Added over 7 trillion to the debt.Thats why I call him a community organizer because he worked for ACORN who was caught doing vote fraud.
His college records are not sealed. They, like Trumps Tax Returns can only be released with his permission.
Everything you state are baseless lies
The ‘press’ has no right to Obama’s college records nor the Trump tax returns. Calling them corrupt for that fact shows gross ignorance on your part. You should be ashamed to peddle such lies!
And being an author and attorney are private sector jobs.
Acorn did not ‘do’ vote fraud, it was voter registration fraud committed by employees who faked registrations to get paid for work they did not do!
Scott,they would have voted if they had not gotten caught.Crooked either way.
You said you were done chatting and you call me a liar.You are as good a liar as I have every heard of.
Larry is a serial Liar and he was exposed here:
1) lied about Obama college records being sealed
2) lied about Obama not working in private sector (author and attorney)
Larry cannot differentiate a lie from the truth. His mind is unstable. He also cannot see that Reagan was president when the National Debt tripled.
Larry cannot understand that just like a few people in the US Army commit horrific crimes, that does not make the US Army evil. But when a few people working for Acorn forge documents to meet quotas and get paid, the entire organization is evil.
Being exposed, he reverts to the only place he knows; calling those who exposed him criminals.
It’s no wonder he does not respect the Education men like Barack Obama had to EARN.
Jack,compare Reagans debt of 1.86 trillion to Ostupid’s 19 plus trillion.There is no comparison.Ostupid more than likely only got into these schools because of affirmative action.We will never know because nobody can get to see his records.Jack can’t see that Reagan had the best economy in the history of the country.He wants people like Al Sharpton,Maxine Watters,Nancy Pelosi,and other senile losers running the country.There is a reason the Gimmedats have lost every election since Trump.Most of the people are sick of paying for illegals and violent Muslims that Ostupid and the Gimmedats brought into the country to vote because they know they have lost most white votes.
Scott,says Trump’s taxes can only be released by him.The how did Rachael Madcow get them?Shows you are lying again.
The US HOUSE makes the budget Larry, not the President. Republicans controlled the US HOUSE for 6 years while Obama was President. You need remedial study of the US Constitution.
Only Obama can release Obama’s College Records. Only Trump can release Trump’s Tax Returns.
Congress has a 12% approval rating so it’s clear you support ‘senile losers’ also!
Each time you post, you prove your stupidity. Over and over again. And each time, your inability to reconcile your idiocy to Fact forces you into ad hominem attacks. It’s what the ignorant do!