Monday, August 30, 2010

Who Is Funding Jonathan Jordan?

Jonathan Jordan is the Ashe County lawyer running against Cullie Tarleton in the 93rd NC House District. He's a former staffer at the John Locke Foundation, the extreme right-wing umbrella org. funded by the Pope family to promote bad ideas like using state tax dollars to provide tax credits for home schooling, while calling for the complete abolishing of corporate taxes. They beat the drum for off-shore oil drilling. The John Locke Foundation is consistently hostile to alternative energy research like wind and solar and are part of the brigade that denies global climate change.

Anonymous manipulators have been push-polling for Mr. Jordan, smearing Cullie Tarleton with all sorts of baseless accusations. And now they've started with TV ads, paid for by a group calling itself "Real Jobs NC," which is, in fact, a group of right-wing high-rollers led by one Fred Eshelman, a Wilmington pharmaceutical executive, and including ... Art Pope. Natch!

Art Pope has been at work for some time trying to remake North Carolina in his own image. Now he's joined by Eshelman.

Greg Flynn has been following the money.

Jonathan Jordan is a made man who apparently thinks that Fred Eshelman and Art Pope can buy him a seat in the NC House by smearing the man who's already in that seat and who has served Ashe and Watauga counties well. That's offensive, on the face of it. As is the fact that Jordan's campaign is "stealth" all the way. There's no "Jonathan Jordan for NC House" website with issue positions, and if you go looking for where he stands, you'll be looking in vain.

There's just those anonymous phone calls smearing Cullie Tarleton and that TV spot paid for by Messrs. Eshelman and Pope to give us any insight into Mr. Jordan's character.


Anonymous said...

How is this any different from how outside money bought the seat for
Tarleton when he outspent Wilson three to one?hytis

Anonymous said...

What difference does it make since Obama gets his backing from God knows where?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous I and II, you have to remember that the Democrats consider corruption and shady campaign money THEIR territory.

They don't want competition.

Mike D. said...

I would have happily supported the sales tax, if our politicians were demonstrating fiscal responsibility all across the country. But until they start, I will not offer to give them one additional penny.

Voting for the 1/4 cent tax increase is like caving in to your coke-head cousin who just needs 25 dollars more, even though he already owes you a thousand.

It is now time to say "No more money until you learn how to manage it wisely!"

"But come on, just a little bit more? Please? We really need it!"

Absolutely not! Get off the drugs, pay down what you owe, show responsibility, and then we'll talk.

You guys are in for a rude awakening in November. All the people you love to ridicule and take for granted, the ones you expect to stay at home and let you and your elitist friends decide their lives for them... they are all coming to the polls in November.

No Compromise said...

I'M glad the sales-tax increase got shot down with such a wide majority, if for no other reason we don't have to hear JW gloating about how powerless the tea "baggers" are.

Anonymous said...

My initial plan was to vote for the sales tax increase, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I admire the work of the people who opposed it, whether I agree with them on certain issues or not. They worked hard and won. We as citizens had the opportunity to vote and the voters made the decision. That is democracy.

Mike D, I completely agree with you regarding the November elections. These voters who opposed the tax increase are coming back to the polls in November and I can see a house cleaning in Watauga County.

brushfire said...

I am so disappointed in the people of Watauga county. What a group of short-sighted, narrow-minded provincial idiots my neighbors seem to be. We could have had a great resource for our kids, and the children of the visitors who are a large part of the economy of this county. There will never be a better time to take advantage of low prices and put local people to work than right now. But you are so selfish and greedy for a pathetic quarter penny on the dollar that our kids will lose a priceless opportunity. What good is all your stinking money if you live in a dung heap of a town where the children have no escape from the meth labs and poverty around them? You all need to learn the difference between spending and investing. How much money did you all blow on those wretched signs all over the county. How much did you spend on your stupid Uncle Sam hats for the stupid teaparty rallies? More than the tax would have cost you in a year. Fie on all you pathetic stingy losers.

Anonymous said...

they are all coming to the polls in November.* Mike

No doubt about that! But after the election, the world ends and the Tea Baggers go to a Republican tax free Paradise with Sara Palin as the chief accountant for Jesus........

No Compromise said...

Brushfire, why don't you move to some place like, say, Massachusetts, where you can pay all the tax you want?

Mike D. said...

Hi Max. :-)

Anonymous said...

Brushfire, there is a better way than to call us who voted against it idiots and stupid.

Mike D. said...

"What a group of short-sighted, narrow-minded provincial idiots my neighbors seem to be." - Brushfire

"But you are so selfish and greedy" - Brushfire

"all your stinking money" - Brushfire

"you live in a dung heap of a town" - Brushfire

"How much money did you all blow on those wretched signs" - Brushfire

"your stupid Uncle Sam hats for the stupid teaparty rallies" - Brushfire

"you pathetic stingy losers" - Brushfire

This is a great example of the dictatorial inclinations of the far left. 'Vox populi' be damned. You ignorant hillbillies have no business voting! You are idiots, and your voice should not be heard, your opinion should not be counted, because we know what is best for you. So accept it, get used to it, and keep your redneck mouths shut!

I particularly enjoyed your use of the word "provincial".

Provincial - "lacking urban sophistication or broad-mindedness"

I love it. You want to say "redneck idiot", or "hillbilly idiot", or "country bumpkin idiot", but your "urban sophistication" leads you to fancy vocabulary alternatives to elucidate your abstruse bigotry.

Your anger does not change reality, and our system, much to your apparent chagrin, has been designed to prevent you from gaining the dictatorial power you seem to crave. It may be too late, at this point, but the only way you are going to make it through this election with control of the country is by recognizing the intelligence of those you consider inferior to you.

We are not.

No politics said...

atiesemiA recreation center for our young people and a community center in the eastern part of our county should not be political issues since everyone would benefit. Our young people would know the people of the county care enough about them to provide a safe place for their recreational activities. The eastern part of the county would benefit just like the western part by having a place to gather for community events. What is a quarter cent tax in the scheme of things? It was estimated to amount to only $25.00 a year for most families.

Anonymous said...

Brushfire sounds a lot like Jim Deal.

Anonymous said...

First of all, we did not vote on a recreational complex. We voted on a tax increase. There was nothing that insured the moneys from this would go towards recreation. The went to the general fund. There was nothing to do away with the tax after the supposed complex was built.

The people, in their wisdom, decided to not create a tax increase in the current terrible Obama economy that was not designed to lower the counties debt.

Brushfire, do you find it preferable if I call you a base loon rather than the alternative. If you cannot determine this alternative, simply ask and I will post it for you.

Matt Robinson said...

Congratulations to those members of the Republican Party (and “Boone Tea Party”) who got organized, spent lots of money, and turned out the votes to defeat the proposed sales tax increase meant to help fund recreation centers in Watauga County. The arguments on both sides are well-known, and whether or not I agree with them is irrelevant at this point. The point is, your side was better organized, better funded, and turned out more voters. We now all have to live with the decision of the voters, which is life in a democracy.

I do however respectfully request that you now commit to actually demand that our public officials abide by the principles that motivated your opposition to the tax increase. I ask that you help elect people to local, state, and federal government positions that will actually balance budgets, spend responsibly, and pay down our debts, all motivated by thinking about future consequences of policy decisions. And I ask that you hold our leaders accountable when they fail to do this.

But I ask that you do this not only when it comes to things that help us—like building new schools or recreation facilities for our children—but also for all issues addressed by government. I request that you be consistent and demand that governments stop wastefully spending on ALL policies that fail to effectively address real social problems, that add to government debt, and that are not accountable to the people because they are funded through emergency appropriations paid for by loans and huge deficits.

Examples that come to mind include “national defense” (e.g., the stated FY 2011 budget of the Pentagon is $708 billion, a sizable portion of which is wasteful even according to the Pentagon!); war (e.g., the war on Iraq has already cost us $1 trillion, all of which has been added to the national deficit; according to President Bush's 2009 budget, 44% of our taxes that year were used to pay for current and past wars!); prisons (e.g., at least 20% of inmates do not need to be in prison because they are low- and medium-level drug offenders; this costs us about $15 billion every year); drug policy (e.g., the stated FY 2011 budget for the drug war is $15.5 billion yet research clearly shows it fails to meet literally any of its stated goals); and capital punishment (e.g., every execution in the state of North Carolina costs $2.16 million more than a non-death penalty murder case with a sentence of life imprisonment).

And please don't say these issues are different because they are about "national defense" or because they keep us safe, because they are not, and because they do not!

In conclusion, I congratulate you on your efforts to help defeat the proposed sales tax increase, which will amount to short-term savings to citizens of ONE PENNY for every $4 they spend on non-grocery items. Now, can we agree to get down to stopping the wasteful and irresponsible government spending that really is bankrupting us as a people, much of which was outlined above? In other words, can you put your money where your mouth is?

Anonymous said...

I agree, the recreation center was not the issue, it was the taz increase. Now, it is best to move beyond and accept the citizens voted and they rejected the tax increase.

I guess I am one of those stupid idiots that brushfire commented on. I used a little of my redneck intelligence before voting no on the tax increase and did not have any help of those pushing for the no vote.

Mike D. said...


I have a great word for you, when you are feeling aristocratic.


Biker Bard said...

Johnathan Jordan secret funding stream is as big as his belly

Anonymous said...

One more point:

The damage has been done. The massive debt still has to be paid for.

anon said...

MR - how pious of you to impart your arrogant so called "wisdom" on us. There is no question that the Pentagon knows how to waste money, but it is interesting how you only mention the Pentagon and not the only "social programs" that you say are so called "important." How about that waste? How about the all that universities waste with far more than necessary "administrative staff." Funny how you only like to mention your pet grievances, but leave out all the other.

With regard to what you ask, I think I am intelligent enough to determine who to vote for and why, and what to hold them accountable for. Maybe you should take some of your own pious advice and do the same - and look at more than just your pet grievances.

Anonymous said...


Oh really? Does that include the democrats? How about Obama? His spending for the past 2 years has been 4 times that of Bush, whose spending was beyond belief.

I am interested to see just how YOU are going to do what you're preaching.

Also Anonymous said...

To Anonymous:
Is there really such a thing as "redneck intelligence?" LOL!

No Compromise said...

"Is there really such a thing as "redneck intelligence?"
It's called common sense.

Mike D. said...


Respectfully, I disagree with your comments about Matt Robinson's post. Ok, so he is politically liberal. I think we all get that. But at least he recognizes the meaning of the election results. He gets it.

Brushfire lashed out in anger, but Matt did not. He listened.

Sure, Matt has his own manner of response, but that is to be expected. Our politicians are so far removed from listening to the electorate that they are having a really difficult time learning the skill that seems, to the rest of us, to be the most basic aspect of their job.

anon said...

Mike D - I simply see MR's post as condescending, and that is exactly how he intended it. While he loves to harp on taking down Hussein in Iraq as his pet grievance, he also neglects to mention the fiscal irresponsibility of the current administration and the wasteful stimulus package...after package...after package.

You're right, Matt does not lash out in anger; instead he prefers to talk down to others like they are 8 years old. If he wants to present a cogent argument, then he might learn some humility.

Biker Bard said...

Last week's tax vote was a direct hit on our children. The tax would have given our children something to do after school and on weekends. With crime rising due to poor discipline in schools, we need another facility where kids can go misbehave. Sure the tax increase was not directly tied to the recreation center, and I could care less, as long as it was built. Worry about money later and our children today.

Anonymous said...

Here is an example of how a county's rec. center "benefited" the young people. For years it was said that my home county needed a rec. center so that the young people would have something to do. Finally that rec. center was built. Almost immediately it became a hangout for gangs, until, sure enough, a young person was murdered there.

Matt Robinson said...

My post/letter is not meant to insult or talk down. It is a REQUEST that the people who say they voted against the sales tax increase due to concerns over deficits actually put their money where their mouth is and stop voting for things that increase deficits.

I merely listed some examples I am familiar with that add tremendously to deficits.