Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina: Will it Make a Difference?

by Nicholas Patti

April 1, 2023, Raleigh, NC—The big news this past week is that former President Donald Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York City related to his hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. I consider the criminal case against him in New York City to be entirely garbage, although I will not spend more time discussing this issue. Instead, I will turn my focus to North Carolina, where Medicaid expansion was passed in an historic achievement for the governor, the legislature, and the working poor in this State. However, how much of a difference will this passage really make for the people of North Carolina, in terms of sheer numbers—how many people will now become eligible, how many people are on or off the rolls after all is said and done, for example? The numbers look promising, but not as dramatic as previously reported.

Last year, quoting newspaper sources in Raleigh, NC, on this blog, I estimated that roughly 500,000 people would benefit from Medicaid expansion in North Carolina (“The Mid-terms, Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina, and Other Issues,” Raleigh, NC, 10/17/2022, nickpattifeatures.com). Now, in 2023, at the time of passage by the NC State legislature, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) says the measure would insure roughly 600,000 additional people, according to Heidi Perez-Moreno and Kyle Ingram, reporting for the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 3/24/2023, print edition, p. 1A). That number is significant for the State of North Carolina.

There is a caveat, however. At this time, some hundreds of thousands of people stand to lose their Medicaid coverage in North Carolina. This unfortunate development comes from the end of a COVID-era policy in which the federal government temporarily increased funding for Medicaid. This funding and policy restriction ended March 31^st of this year. As a result, North Carolina will resume re-certifying people for Medicaid on an annual basis. The North Carolina DHHS expects around 300,000 people to lose their health care coverage or see a substantial reduction in benefits during the next year, according to Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, writing for the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 3/17/2023, digital edition).

Subtract 300,000 from 600,000. The number you end up with is 300,000 additional people gaining Medicaid coverage in North Carolina, taking into account both Medicaid expansion and the renewal of re-certifying people for the program, including new denials. 300,000 or so additional people receiving Medicaid benefits than in 2022 is significant. This number is less significant than 600,000 people, however. It represents only one-half the previously-projected impact of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. All told, the new legislation, Medicaid expansion, still would make a difference. Without it, a total of 900,000 people would lack benefits, instead of a net gain of 300,000. There would be a net loss of 300,000, with another 600,000 remaining ineligible. Medicaid expansion still makes a difference in 2023, but with the new federal policy changes and funding cuts, Medicaid expansion will not result in a watershed of new, uninsured people gaining Medicaid health coverage for the first time. That said, 300,000 additional people receiving Medicaid benefits over the next year at a time of federal budget cuts, post-pandemic, is nothing to shake a stick at. I should note that Medicaid expansion in North Carolina comes with its own, additional federal funding to cover the difference, representing federal funding that North Carolina had previously been turning down, before Medicaid expansion.

If you are one of the additional 300,000 people who should receive Medicaid health benefits in North Carolina over the next year, consider yourself lucky. The North Carolina legislature and NC Governor Roy Cooper have your back. You are lucky that you do not count yourself one of the 900,000 people who would otherwise lose their benefits over the next year, or who would remain simply ineligible for the benefit, in the first place. Now, you should have health benefits. You will have access to Medicaid.

North Carolina State Capitol Building, Raleigh, NC, by JillLang, c. 2019, http://www.istockphoto.com

There is one more caveat to Medicaid expansion taking effect in North Carolina, however. NC legislators stipulated that it will not take effect until the 2023 state budget passes. This budget is due for this State in June of this year. Writing for the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 3/28/2023, digital edition), Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan makes an educated guess that, unlike in previous years, this year’s budget will pass without too much trouble, because Republicans in the legislature are very close to a veto-proof majority, and because the budget contains Medicaid expansion, which has long been a priority for Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat.

Let us hope the 2023 budget passes without delays, and that Medicaid expansion in North Carolina becomes law, and takes effect.

It should be noted that Medicaid expansion has long been a policy priority of the Governor, Roy Cooper. Its passage represents a victory for him, politically, in particular. “With this bill, more uninsured North Carolinians can avoid financial ruin from unpaid medical bills,” Governor Cooper is quoted as saying in the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 3/28/2023, digital edition). “More rural hospitals will be able to stay open, with their jobs.”

Governor cooper continued: “Businesses won’t lose as many good workers to illness or to care for a sick family member,” he is quoted as saying. “…People will have access to more doctors, nurses and mental health professionals because there will be more people who can pay them. It’s clear that this legislation I’m signing today will have a positive effect for all working families, even if they don’t directly get Medicaid” (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 3/28/2023, digital edition).

75391-rac-ncae-convention255b1255d — Governor Roy Cooper, campaign file photo

After years of trying, lawmakers in North Carolina passed Medicaid expansion, finally. Republican legislative leaders in NC deserve credit, also, including NC House Speaker Tim Moore and NC Senate leader Phil Berger. The one who really deserves the most praise for seeing this legislation through, however, is Governor Roy Cooper, Democrat. This issue has been one of his policy priorities for several years.

Kudos, once again, to North Carolina elected officials for finally finishing this job. The working poor of North Carolina will thank them.

Now, make sure to pass the budget, so this Medicaid expansion can take effect.

—Nicholas Patti

Raleigh, NC

USA

Additional sources:

This blog: post, 10/17/2022.

News and Observer, Raleigh, NC: 3/28/2023, digital edition; 3/24-25/2023, print edition, pp. 1A, 7A, 10A; 3/23/2023, digital edition; 3/17/2023, digital edition; 3/16/2023, print edition, p. 3A; 3/12/2023, print edition, pp. 1A, 3A-7A, 18A.

The Mid-terms, Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina, and Other Issues

October 17, 2022, Raleigh, NC—Now in mid-October, 2022, the mid-term elections are fast approaching, here in the United States. Control of Congress in Washington, DC is up for grabs, and here in North Carolina, the questions are who will be the next Senator to represent the State, and who will control the NC State legislature? Will the rest of Governor Roy Cooper’s (Dem.) agenda be passed, most notably, Medicaid expansion, or will the voters hand over the State legislature, once again, to the incumbent party in control, the Republicans, and thus put the ka-bash on any hopes of further progressive politics passing into the next term?

Last I checked in on this blog, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina looked likely. Despite the Democratic Governor’s repeated calls to enact it, however, the Republican legislative leaders have failed to do so. Although it looked promising one year ago, agreement proved elusive, and no action has been taken. Instead, enactment of the progressive change that would expand access to healthcare in North Carolina to the working poor has failed. The effort became caught up in a bureaucratic pitfall called the Certificate of Need (CON) law in North Carolina, which governs how much healthcare providers are legally allowed to provide. When reforming the CON laws failed, so did Medicaid expansion.

Now, it’s the election. If voters care enough about insurance for the working poor, or about 500,000 people across North Carolina, then they will vote Democratic for the State legislature. Otherwise, our current stalemate will continue, most likely, and Medicaid expansion will not happen, not anytime in the near future. Now, it is up to the voters to decide.

For this reason alone, I would argue, people in North Carolina should vote by party affiliation, and award the Democratic Party control of the NC State legislature. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8^th. By Wednesday, November 9^th, we should all know who controls the State legislature here in Raleigh, North Carolina. As it currently stands, the outcome of that vote will determine the fate of what remains of Gov. Cooper’s agenda, and whether Medicaid coverage is offered to the working poor in North Carolina, or whether they will continue to be denied coverage, and thereby denied access to quality healthcare.

Another big race at stake in the election this year is for the next Senator of the State of North Carolina. Will it be the Democrat, Cheri Beasley, or the Republican, Ted Budd? Recent polls show the race is neck-and-neck, with Ted Budd holding a slight advantage, as the two candidates approach the finish line in this race (News and Observer, 10/9/2022, p. 18A). This race is one of the closely-watched races in this country that will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. Since Roe vs. Wade was overturned recently by the U.S. Supreme Court, it is worth noting, also, that Beasley is pro-choice, and Budd is pro-life.

I endorse the Democrat, Cheri Beasley. I hope she wins this close race here in North Carolina, and I hope the Democratic Party retains control of the U.S. Senate, and in fact, both chambers of Congress in Washington, DC. Again, the vote is Tuesday, November 8^th. We should know the honest results, statewide and nationally, soon thereafter.

I should take one step back from partisan politics, at this time, however. The war in Ukraine drags on. Thankfully, although the U.S. has been providing weapons for Ukraine, the U.S. itself is not directly involved in the war against Russia. That is good. I still believe, however, this is a war of Russian imperialism and Russian aggression against the sovereign nation of Ukraine, and I stand by the Ukrainian people’s right to defend themselves and their country. It is a question, for me, of the principle of the self-determination of peoples. Ukraine has the moral high-ground on this one, to my way of looking at it, no questions asked. I think President Joe Biden is handling the situation well.

That said, I continue to call for peace in the Ukraine, concerning all sides. This war in Ukraine between Russia and the Ukraine has proved devastating and tragic so far to the Ukrainian people. I call on all parties involved to engage in peace talks and end this war, immediately. Unfortunately, that prospect seems unlikely, at this time, but that is what I think should happen.

One promising note in the United States has been the overwhelming, if not quite unanimous, bi-partisan support for Ukraine in this war. It is good to see the two parties in Washington working together, when necessary.

Also, it is good to see the two parties coming together for the clean-up and recovery effort in Florida, which was hit so hard recently by Hurricane Ian. President Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Republican) should be given credit for their bi-partisan support for the recovery effort in Florida.

Although it is crucial to vote in the mid-term election this November, only a few weeks away, it is good to remember that the two parties can work together when it comes to a national priority, such as the war in Ukraine, or a national emergency, such as for the recovery effort from Hurricane Ian, especially in Florida.

—Nicholas Patti

Raleigh, NC

USA

Additional sources:

This blog: post, 2/22/2022; post, 12/5/2021.

News and Observer, Raleigh, NC: 10/9/2022, pp. 18A, 1, 4A-7A, 12A; 10/4/2022, p. 8A; 9/25/2022, p. 18A; 9/18/2022, p. 13B; 10/10/2022, p. 8A; 10/12/2022, p. 6B.

New York Times, 10/14/2022, pp. 1, A6.

WRAL news, Raleigh, NC, television; ABC news, national, evening, television; National Public Radio (NPR), news, radio.

graphic credit:

North Carolina stamp: © Gagarych | Dreamstime.com

Victories in Government in Washington and North Carolina this November

December 5, 2021, Raleigh, NC—Sometimes government gets things done, despite itself, and despite the ongoing, internecine partisan bickering that marks most of the life of government in America.

This November represented such a moment for America, and for the State of North Carolina, in particular. This November marked such a moment, a time when government took care of the people’s business, a time when rare bipartisanship prevailed in North Carolina with the adoption of a new state budget after three years of partisan wrangling. This real result bodes well for the political future of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. In Washington, the story was not so much about bipartisanship, but about Democratic Party unity, following a poor showing this year for the Democrats in this year’s national election. This legislative result should bode well for President Biden’s next big legislative priority, the social spending bill, up for consideration this December, and it should bode well for the Democrats’ hopefully improved chances at putting forth a better showing in next year’s more significant mid-term national elections. Nationally and in the statehouse in North Carolina, the Democrats got things done. In North Carolina, the Republican leaders of the State legislature can claim credit, too.

Two years ago, in 2019, I wrote a post on this blog in which I excoriated Governor Cooper and the Republican leaders of the North Carolina State legislature for not agreeing to a budget to cover that year, 2019 (“North Carolina Still Without Budget, But I-77 Express Lanes in Charlotte Open,” nickpattifeatures.com, 11/18/2019). Two more years passed, and finally, this past November, North Carolina political leaders agreed on and passed a budget. Writing in the News & Observer, of Raleigh, NC, Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan noted that it had been three years since the State had passed a budget. “In the end,” Vaughan wrote, “the spending plan had passed because after three years with no budget compromise, lawmakers of both parties and their constituents had run out of patience for any more delay, especially after the long-running coronavirus pandemic” (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 11/26-27/2021, p. 1A). She credited, also, the Democrats on the committee in 2021 who pushed for adoption and compromise, even though the budget failed to meet long-standing Democratic Party demands in North Carolina. Finally, on November 18, 2021, Governor Cooper signed the state budget into law (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 11/19-20/2021, p. 2A).

If it took that long to pass the budget, what caused the delay? What was so important that lawmakers could not agree for so long? Two issues stood out and caused disagreement. One: Medicaid expansion to cover the working poor. Two: teacher pay. On Medicaid expansion, we are talking about an estimated, roughly 634,000 people in North Carolina who have failed to gain Medicaid eligibility since 2019, according to Elizabeth Thompson, writing in the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 7/11/2019, on-line). Under Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, the federal government gives states the option to expand Medicaid coverage to the working poor, or people who fall in what is called the “coverage gap.” That is the group of people whose income is too high for Medicaid guidelines, but too little to receive federal subsidies to help with the cost of private insurance. Without state-level Medicaid expansion, these hundreds of thousands of people in North Carolina would continue to rely exclusively on hospital emergency rooms only for all of their medical care. They generally do not have a primary care doctor, either (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 7/11/2019, on-line). Anyone can see how this situation is unacceptable for working people, or anyone, but it remains the reality. This issue was a top sticking point for Governor Roy Cooper, since the Republican leadership of the NC House would not allow Medicaid expansion to provide coverage for these people. In the final budget that was adopted in November, 2021, NC Democrats still failed to obtain Medicaid expansion. Governor Roy Cooper has said he agrees with many parts of the new state budget, but would fight on in the future for those parts not included. “I will sign this budget, because on balance the good outweighs the bad,” Governor Cooper was quoted as saying in the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 11/26/2021, p. 14A). “While I believe that it is a budget of some missed opportunities and misguided policy, it is also a budget that we desperately need at this unique time in the history of our state.” Furthermore, Gov. Cooper said that the budget included many things that he deemed “critical to our state’s progress as we are emerging from this pandemic” (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 11/26-27/2021, p. 14A; 11/18/2021, p. 1A).

Although Medicaid expansion was not included in the 2021 budget, the North Carolina legislature will form a committee to study the issue for the future. With one estimate at $1.2 billion in federal funding to cover Medicaid expansion in 2022, if President Biden’s social spending bill passes, this committee could lead to adoption of Medicaid expansion in the future (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/1/2021, p. 5A). Currently, North Carolina is one of only 12 states, mostly in the Southeast, which have not expanded Medicaid. North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger has already changed his mind, now supporting Medicaid expansion. Previously, he was concerned about the cost of the expansion. Now, he was quoted as saying, “I just don’t think the fiscal concerns I’ve had in the past about the cost of expansion are things to be worried about” (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/1/2021, p. 5A). Although the state failed to adopt Medicaid expansion at this time, there is hope that it will in the near future.

On teacher pay raises, the two sides compromised, and agreed on a number. This number ended up at 5% pay raises over two years, plus bonuses, and more for teachers in rural counties. Most state workers will also see a raise of 5% over two years, as well (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/1/2021, p. 6A).

The 2021 NC budget represented a compromise, but a good compromise. What is more, the Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper came together and took care of the people’s business, which on the state level, begins with the adoption of a state budget.

Raleigh, NC © Paul Brady | Dreamstime.com

All of this bodes well for Governor Roy Cooper’s political future. The Governor is in his second and final term, thanks to term limits. His future could include becoming the leader of the Democratic Governors Association, according to Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan of the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 11/26-27/2021, p. 14A). Currently, Gov. Cooper serves as the vice chair of that organization.

Equally important, I would argue, is how Gov. Cooper looks, following his performance leading the purple state, North Carolina, through three years without a budget, and finally reaching agreement with the Republican leadership in the legislature this year. Actually, I think that the Governor looks pretty good. Previously, he looked awful, for not being able to reach any agreement or compromise, and for leading the State without finishing the most basic of business, adopting a State budget. This is primary on the state level throughout the United States, for any single, individual state. This is the single most important piece of the people’s business that each state in the Union must attend to. Failure to do so is failing on the most basic responsibility of the people’s business on the state level. The Governor looked pretty bad on this score, until, that is, he reached a compromise with NC Republicans, and found a budget that he and North Carolina Democrats could live with.

What is even more important, I would argue, is why it took so long for Governor Cooper to attain responsible state government, with a current budget. That reason is he was fighting for the working poor of his State, North Carolina, to achieve coverage and access to health care, as newly allowed and encouraged by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The pressure is even greater from the federal level now, with the federal government promising to fund most of the expenses for the states (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/1/2021, p. 5A). It really is an outrage that we still do not have health insurance coverage or adequate health care for the working poor of North Carolina. We still need Medicaid expansion to provide that care and access. According to a study in 2019, we are talking about an estimated 600,000-plus people in North Carolina alone who lack that coverage and access to adequate health care (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 7/11/2019, on-line). This is truly a noble fight. It is about basic access to health care, especially during the pandemic and during the recovery from the pandemic. I think Governor Roy Cooper is and was justified in taking on this fight, both for himself and for the State of North Carolina. Three years without a state budget is a steep price to pay to stand up for your values. I recommended compromise two years ago, in 2019, in an earlier post on this blog (“North Carolina Still Without Budget, But I-77 Express Lanes in Charlotte Open,” nickpattifeatures.com, 11/18/2019). With the government of North Carolina finally having reached compromise and having achieved a state budget this past November, this fight for basic health care for the working poor looks much better. Governor Roy Cooper did everything in his power to fight this good fight, and although he failed to win on this score, he made significant progress toward this goal in North Carolina, and he still took care of the State’s core business, the budget, in retrospect, as well. More work needs to be done. Hopefully, this new committee, combined with a more welcoming view on the issue from at least one leading state Republican, State Senate leader Phil Berger, can lead to the ultimate adoption of Medicaid expansion. Then we can fill in that crack in the foundation with concrete, properly, and prevent hundreds of thousands of working people in North Carolina from falling through that crack, regarding basic access to adequate health care and regarding finally obtaining health insurance for themselves, where they currently still lack access, even under Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act. I think this current situation remains unconscionable. Governor Roy Cooper was right to prioritize this fight, and to continue that fight into the future.

Governor Cooper looks good, as of this past November, and he has now a political future. I wish him the best, for the remainder of his current term, and in whatever endeavor he pursues, after that.

In reaching this agreement on adopting a state budget in North Carolina, elected officials of both parties, Democrat and Republican, finally took care of the people’s business in North Carolina. Although they had been mostly squabbling over this and other issues over the past three years, this past November, they came together, reached an agreement, a compromise, and fulfilled their core responsibility in State government. This November marked a rare moment of bipartisanship in North Carolina, and it was desperately needed.

Now, both parties are returning to their former, usual, partisan ways. Just this past Thursday, December 2^nd, Governor Cooper vetoed a Republican-backed bill regarding election integrity or voting rights and ballot access, depending on your perspective (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/3/2021, p. 2A). Aside from your opinion on this issue, my point is that the two parties disagreed once again on this key issue in North Carolina, and thus, basically, returned to partisan squabbling, once again. One outlook for the near future in North Carolina is that the entire NC General Assembly is up for re-election in 2022. That is 170 seats. Up in the air is the possibility that Republicans may or may not need any Democratic votes to override any of Gov. Cooper’s future vetoes, depending on whether NC Republicans win back a supermajority, or not. That is up for grabs in next year’s 2022 elections, according to Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan of the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC, 11/26-27/2021, p. 14A). I support the Democrats in 2022 in North Carolina, and I hope both parties can find it inside themselves in the State to adopt, finally, Medicaid expansion for the working poor.

In Washington, DC, the story was not so much about bipartisanship as it was about Democratic Party unity. Here, however, continued party unity into December, this month, is anybody’s guess. Similar to the bipartisanship in North Carolina, the Democratic Party unity we witnessed in November may well turn out to have been a fleeting phenomenon.

In Washington, DC, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law. This law passed along strict party lines. Prior to the national elections on November 2^nd, Democrats were divided, internally, with the progressives and the moderates at odds over the bill. After the election, in which they underperformed, Democrats found the unity to pass President Biden’s infrastructure bill. Next comes President Biden’s even larger social spending package, up for consideration this December. Although Democrats in Washington found unity to pass the infrastructure bill in November, the jury is out whether they can do the same on the social spending bill in December. For the sake of accomplishing President Joe Biden’s agenda, and for the sake of putting forth a better showing for voters ahead of next year’s mid-term elections, I hope the Democrats pass President Joe Biden’s social spending package. The Democrats’ fate next year in the mid-terms may hang in the balance (New York Times, 11/6/2021, p. A1; 11/4/2021, p.A15; “Democratic Voters See Many Losers in Party Schism, and One Winner: Trump,” New York Times, 10/3/2021).

For their part, Republicans were opposed to President Joe Biden’s and the Democrats’ national agenda, marked as it is by large amounts of new federal spending. US Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, put it this way, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal on CNN, “They [the Democrats] are in the midst of an absolutely unprecedented, very damaging spending spree on a scale that we have never seen,” he said. “And they want us to come along and authorize the borrowing to help pay for it when we are totally opposed to what they’re doing” (Wall Street Journal, 9/27/2021, p. A1).

The Democrats’ victory in Washington in passing President Biden’s infrastructure bill in November followed party lines, and was adopted over the protest of the Republican Party. More Democratic Party unity will be required to overcome Republican opposition to President Joe Biden’s social spending bill this December.

Democrats have already won in the US House. On November 19, the House passed the $2 trillion social spending bill, sending it over for consideration to the Senate. “The House on Friday narrowly passed the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, approving $2 trillion in spending over the next decade to battle climate change, expand health care and reweave the nation’s social safety net, over the unanimous opposition of Republicans,” wrote Emily Cochran and Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times (“House Narrowly Passes Biden’s Social Safety Net and Climate Bill,” 11/19/2021).

It is imperative for Democrats to pass this bill in the Senate, and for President Joe Biden to sign it into law, if they are to position themselves for not a loss, but a victory in next year’s mid-term national elections. In the above quote, Cochran and Weisman describe this $2 trillion social spending bill as “the centerpiece” of his agenda. With the poor showing in this year’s national elections, Democrats need to show the voters of the United States that they can deliver, when they control the Congress and the Presidency, as they do now. Otherwise, the Democrats will be seen as a do-nothing party, a party of squabbling factions who cannot achieve their agenda. Republicans would gain from this next year, even more than they already did in this year’s election.

National Mall and US Capitol in Washington, DC © Victoria Shmakova Ananchenko | Dreamstime.com

Already, progressive Democrats are breaking from the President and moderate Democrats. President Biden seems unable to pass through Congress, over the unified Republican opposition, any more serious Democratic priorities. These initiatives include proposed legislation on voting rights reform, federally, criminal justice reform, defending abortion rights, increasing the federal minimum wage to $15./hour, and repairing a “broken” immigration system, according to the New York Times (“Democrats Struggle to Energize Their Base as Frustrations Mount,” 11/27/2021). Democrats are seen as falling short of some campaign promises, and “leaving their base unsatisfied and unmotivated before next year’s midterm elections,” according to the New York Times (11/27/2021).

With the Democratic base already uninspired about Democratic victories, it becomes even more imperative that Democrats, nationally, deliver on those legislative priorities that they can, in fact, deliver on. Democrats must pass the “centerpiece” of President Biden’s agenda, the social spending bill, especially if they cannot enact any of these deeper social reforms, nationally. The base is already failing to follow the Democratic Party lead. The voters beyond the Democratic base may question, also, whether the Democratic Party can achieve really anything when they have the opportunity, such as now, to do so. All of these reasons point to the political imperative for the Democrats to pass President’s Biden’s agenda, as much as politically possible, in order to prepare better for next year’s, 2022 mid-term national elections.

In November, 2021, however, we witnessed a moment of Democratic Party unity in Washington, DC. They came together and passed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which included economic and infrastructure investments, and an effort to respond to global warming (New York Times, 11/6/2021, p. A1). Time will tell if the Democrats can continue that party unity into December.

November, 2021, represented a moment of Democratic Party unity in Washington, and a moment of bipartisan achievement in the State of North Carolina. Elected officials were able to accomplish new legislation and take care of the people’s business in Washington and North Carolina this past November. Republicans in Washington would beg to differ. I understand that. The jury is out, however, on whether the Democrats in Washington can continue to deliver, and thus put forward a good face for voters next year, or not. In North Carolina, while I commend both political parties, Democrats and Republicans, for their bipartisan achievement this past November, I doubt sincerely whether that spirit of bipartisanship will continue. In North Carolina, although significant Democratic priorities will probably remain blocked, thanks largely to partisan differences, there remains some hope that one such priority, Medicaid expansion, can be achieved, after the current process of deeper reflection in committee runs its course.

Government in America continues, at this time, largely as it had, previously. We see some accomplishment, and the continued fulfillment of the basic responsibility of government, but we see, also, ongoing partisan divides, and the ongoing inability to reach any deeper level of agreement, at this time. Deeper change remains elusive, but the continuation of the current political and social context appears self-evident.

The only exception I see to this conclusion is the most recent shift in the US Supreme Court on abortion. Roe v. Wade seems as though it may be, once again, in flux. Even then, this potentially significant political shift represents the continuation of an ongoing divide and social struggle in the United States.

Perhaps, after all, in the United States today, there is nothing new under the sun. Except, that is, when something new manages to emerge.

—Nicholas Patti

Raleigh, NC

USA

North Carolina Still Without Budget, But I-77 Express Lanes in Charlotte Open

Here is my warning to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the Legislature’s leadership: when you finish your work and fail to finish the basic business of state government in the United States of America, which is to adopt a budget for the state, voters feel vengeful. Specifically, they start to feel that “throw the bums out” may be necessary. This feeling impacts the leaders of both chambers of the state legislature and the governor, but it impacts the executive branch leadership, the governor, the most. After all, the buck stops here—at the governor’s desk, first and foremost. Just hear the sound of this: I hope that when the Legislature reconvenes in January, I hope they can adopt, with the governor’s consent, a spending plan for the current fiscal year. I know, I know, it is truly sad.

I commend the Democratic Governor, Roy Cooper, for taking all of his principled stands. Expanding Medicaid to cover the working poor, still possible under the Obamacare law, is a truly noble ideal. So, also, are granting teacher pay raises that amount to a significant percentage and annual increases. Nonetheless, the NC State Legislature was unwilling to grant either of these. They offered absolutely nothing on Medicaid expansion, and a notable compromise on teacher pay raises that could have saved face, if agreed-upon. No such compromise was available from the Governor’s office, however. Hence, we are left, this year, with nothing. No compromises, and ultimately, no NC State budget this year. We are left with, essentially, only paralysis. Total dysfunction in the halls of Raleigh. It is too bad.

On the bright side, one past hold-up in North Carolina state politics has been resolved. The I-77 express lanes/toll lanes leading from Charlotte to the North have opened. Former Governor Pat McCrory was right, on his radio show, that this highway project helped to cost him the election for Governor. Now, under the next Governor’s watch, the I-77 lanes are open. This marks the completion of the project, one that promises to address and relieve some of the perennial congestion plaguing this road. It was wholly unpopular, but it has finished, and it is, finally, open. Therefore, despite popular opinion, the highway has been improved, and the notorious congestion will have been addressed, and hopefully, somewhat substantially relieved. State government has enacted a solution to address the problem of congestion on this important expressway. State leadership did something, and finished it.

Charlotte Skyline Sketch — Charlotte, NC, by chimpyk

The I-77 political open sore will no longer hurt the Governor. The failure to reach any agreement with state legislative leaders can hurt the Governor, however. I encourage compromise, and enacting a state budget for North Carolina. Standing up for noble ideas is all well and good, after all, but doing the state’s business is, I think, more important. I do not send out a call to “throw the bums out;” rather, I call on our good state leadership to come to their senses, to compromise, and to adopt a state budget.

You can do better than what you have done.

—Nicholas Patti

Charlotte, NC

Letter to Editor, on the 9th District

Letter to Editor, New York Times (12/10/2018, unpublished):

In response to “Winner Says He Backs Revote, if Inquiry Finds Fraud” (New York Times, December 8, 2018, p. A11):

December 10, 2018—Although the investigation of election fraud should continue by the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement regarding the 9^th District for the U.S. House, in and around Charlotte, NC, the Board should publish its results soon after their evidentiary hearing on or before December 21. They should certify the election results, also, at that time.

A quick glance at the numbers: Republican Mark Harris won by 905 votes in the general, yet he only received 420 absentee votes from Bladen County, as opposed to 258 such votes in the County in question by his Democratic opponent, Dan McCready, according to The Charlotte Observer (12/6/2018, p. 1A.) Similarly, in the primary, Mr. Harris won by 828 votes, overall, and only received 437 absentee votes in the County, according to The New York Times (12/8/2010, p. A11) and The Charlotte Observer (12/6/2018, p. 1A).

These numbers do not undermine the election of Mr. Harris. However, those responsible for the fraud should be criminally prosecuted.

—Nicholas Patti, Charlotte, NC

Mid-term Post-election Recap

November 10, 2018—After all the divisive, rancorous rhetoric of the campaign, the mid-term election delivered a win for all involved—and some notable losses.

Our illustrious leader, President Donald Trump, scored big, for example, by holding the Senate. Impeachment is now officially off-the-table, due, in large part, to his vigorous campaigning for Republican Senate candidates. This means that when President Trump travels to Moscow for a love-summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and declares, “there was no collusion,” no one can correct him. Trump has support among a significant voting bloc of the American public, and his brand was triumphant. He is vindicated in the Senate.

The night was not a total wash-out for the Democrats, either, however. In a significant rebuke to President Trump, Democrats retook the U.S. House of Representatives. Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi is due to retake the speaker’s gavel, and Republicans everywhere are chagrined, to say the least. Democrats everywhere are heartened by their return to power in the U.S. House, as expected during the campaign. If their previously-hyped “blue wave”did not deliver a total Democratic takeover of the U.S. Congress this election, it was strong enough, at least, to account for one chamber of power, the House. They and their voters sent a clear rebuke to President Trump, and they won a significant victory. That victory includes subpoena power, just in case President Trump steps too far out-of-line.

U.S. Congress, Washington, DC
© Alisonh29 | www. stockfreeimages.com

So, the mid-terms delivered mixed results. There was a win for both parties, and a loss. Does this spell bipartisanship? Or, paralysis, due to a woefully divided government? Only time will tell.

In the American political grain, after all, 2020 starts in 2019. Only time will tell.

Washington Monument, Washington, DC
© Pgangler | www. stockfreeimages.com

In North Carolina, a similar dynamic could be seen at work. In every closely-contested race for the U.S. House in North Carolina, counting three, Republicans won. North Carolina is sending back a Congressional delegation that remains 10-3, Republican-led, unchanged in-full from before the election. In this way, the State of North Carolina bucked the national trend. Whereas nationally, Democrats re-took the House, in North Carolina, the delegation did not change, and Republicans held on to every single House seat, including all three of the toss-up districts. This outcome represents a clear victory for Republicans in North Carolina. These headline races were watched closely across the State, and Republicans won all three close contests to keep every single U.S. House seat, previously held before the election.

In another victory for the Republican party in North Carolina, the voter ID amendment passed. Now, the State is no longer finished with the requirement to show photo ID to vote; it is now a part of the State Constitution as an amendment. Also, the income tax limit amendment passed, another victory for NC Republicans, as well as the crime victims’ amendment and the hunting and fishing amendment. NC Republicans were behind all of these amendments, and they won; Republicans will now change the statutes in State law, to follow.

The last two amendments failed, but the Republican party was split on those two amendments. Republican governors, including recent, former Gov. Pat McCrory, opposed these last two amendments, as did former Democratic governors, as well. Those two were the amendments on judicial appointments, and the make-up of the State elections board. Those two amendments would have diluted the power of the office of Governor, and shifted it to the legislature. Those failed.

The State congressional delegation and the four amendments that passed, notably, the photo ID amendment, represented victories for the Republican party in North Carolina. In these areas, Republicans won in North Carolina.

In other areas of government and the election results in North Carolina, Republicans lost, and Democrats won. Democrats won by taking enough seats in the State legislature to remove the Republican supermajority there. This means NC State Republicans can no longer readily over-ride vetoes by the Democratic Governor, Roy Cooper. Democrats won these seats in the State legislature by taking urban and suburban districts in Mecklenburg County, and other urban areas of the State. Removing the Republican supermajority was a major electoral goal for NC Democrats, and the Democrats achieved this goal in North Carolina.

Another significant area of victory for Democrats in North Carolina was right here at home in Mecklenburg County, comprising the city of Charlotte, and suburbs. There was a “blue wave” in Mecklenburg County. Democrats won all seats on the County Commission, defeating three Republicans in previously Republican districts, and the at-large, Republican candidate. The Republican, minority opposition on the County Commission is now gone; the body is now entirely Democrat.

In addition, NC Democrats swept the state delegation from the Mecklenburg County area, leaving only one, or maybe, two Republicans standing. The suburbs had been reliably Republican, but the voting shifted in this election toward the Democrats. Repeated across urban areas in North Carolina, this spelled the end of the Republican supermajority in Raleigh.

The victory here for Democrats was in Mecklenburg County itself, and in urban areas across the State, reflected in the outcome of the Democratic gains in the State legislature. Republicans did hold on to their majority in the legislature, but they lost their supermajority. Removing the supermajority was the Democrats’ goal. They achieved this, and swept across Mecklenburg County.

NC Democrats could take home a victory on these counts. Therefore, both parties in North Carolina, similar to the national trend, won some, and lost some. The politics of the United States is divided, and resulted in divided government, as a result. North Carolina is known as a purple state, and similar to national politics, both parties could take away victories, and chalk up some substantial losses.

A divided body politic in the United States led to a more divided government, with trends going this way and that, in the recent election. Similarly, in North Carolina, true to its “purple state” identity, both parties could cite victories, and defeats at the ballot box. The main irony in this comparison is that North Carolina bucked the national trend in the election for the U.S. House, showing North Carolina as a red state, in this regard. Republicans won in contests for the U.S. House in North Carolina, bucking the national trend toward Democrats, yet Democrats in the State still made significant gains in the State legislature. Hence, North Carolina is still a “purple state,” with a unique identity in the broader body politic of the United States, itself. Both national parties will continue to concentrate efforts, therefore, in this State, since either party could still win here, in future elections.

North Carolina State Capitol Building,
Raleigh, NC, by JillLang, http://www.istockphoto.com

One little victory for President Donald Trump in North Carolina is that both U.S. House candidates that he rallied for, in a recent campaign rally this election season, held in Charlotte, NC, both won. In a year in which the President just lost control of the House in Washington, it is notable and comforting to him, perhaps, that the two House Republican candidates he personally campaigned for here, both won.

Perhaps, President Trump and national Republicans will cherish this silver lining here in Charlotte, when it comes to their losses nationally in these mid-terms for the U.S. House. Perhaps, these national Republicans, and the President, will appreciate the two Republican U.S. House Representatives from the Charlotte region, both of whom President Trump personally campaigned for, here in Charlotte, when they hold the party convention here in 2020.

It’s all peace-and-love, and all kumbaya for the Republicans here in Charlotte and nationally, but do not let anyone ask the actual U.S. House Representative for the district that actually covers the city of Charlotte. Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, a newly re-elected Democratic incumbent in a no-contest district, the 12th, may disagree. She just cruised to re-election, and she actually represents the city of Charlotte, itself. Not even President Trump dared campaign against her in the 12th. In true Charlotte style, however, and consistent with the state of North Carolina, the two nearby districts (which include South Charlotte, also) both went red. Charlotte will host the 2020 Republican convention, and can champion notable, Republican wins for the House. Democratic Rep Alma Adams, however, will remain silent. Also, she will remain in office.

I feel thankful that we had this recent mid-term election. It is a very good thing that we have periodic checks on power in this country via regular, national elections. It helps to re-align our elected leaders with the will of the people on a regular, frequent basis. Especially with this president, President Trump, we need to check on his level of support among the people in this country. He tends to veer off into never-never-land in his rhetoric, especially during the campaigns, and we need to check if he is actually representing any of the American people, still. It turns out, he is. President Trump and his party, the Republican Party, still command broad, popular support, or they would not have held on to the Senate. Meanwhile, the American people expressed growing opposition to the President and his party. Hence, the Democrats returned to the majority in the House, which is the chamber of Congress more closely aligned to the people, by direct population numbers, and less-so on geographic coverage and equal, geographic representation.

Opposition to the President is growing in the United States of America, but he still retains broad support. In the true spirit of American democracy, we are already looking forward to the next national election, 2020, for the Presidency, itself. Let us just hope there is enough peace, in the interim, to allow for good governance, and not simply paralysis.

—Nicholas Patti, Charlotte, NC

My sources for this article are The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC: in print and on-line, Nov. 6, 7, and 8, 2018).