Roy Carroll's John Hammer insult to George Hartzman in Today's Rhino Times; Berger Walker Aftermath

"Hartzman claims to be a financial advisor, so perhaps the Finance Department should hire Hartzman to consult on the city’s investments.  He once spoke against a loan the city took out at an interest rate of 0.01 percent because it was a variable and not a fixed rate.  And that rate is not a typo, the city borrowed money at one-hundredth of one percent and Hartzman found fault with that."

http://www.rhinotimes.com/ben-holder-dominates-city-council-from-afar.html

Also in today's Rhino Times

 is a big advertisement for giving Roy Carroll a taxpayer owned street, 
meaning John Hammer is using a "news" paper that endorses city council candidates
to convince said councilpersons who have received campaign cash from Roy Carroll
to give Roy what looks like more than $1 million in taxpayer owned real estate.

For the record, John may be a little angry with me lately for pointing out his bosses financial contributions to Phil Berger during a Walker press conference, after which Mark carved out a pretty big credibility issue for Hammer by pointing out some of John's slanted "reporting", and I put some posts lately that were pretty critical of Mr. Hammer and the Rhino, which can be found in the links at the end of this post.

Messrs. Hammer and Carroll missed the election by a pretty big margin, and are most likely depressed and upset with the outcome, as they more than heavily backed Berger Jr. over Walker, after disparaging Walker with some false information provided by the Berger camp.

I don't recall seeing a Walker ad in last week's Rhino.

I also was a bit instrumental at removing Roy Carroll's Robbie Perkins from being mayor.

As I believe John is relatively financially illiterate, especially given his recent personal experiences with numbers, I feel obligated to provide an explanation.

I suppose I was pretty sure about what I was saying, as I produced the video below about it.

The variable rate for the loan adjusts weekly.

The higher long term rates rise, the more it costs to lock in the debt at a later time.

I believe the city was trying to keep their short term interest costs low with the variable rate, to stay under a debt cap, so the city could borrow even more money than they otherwise could have.

The video is after the jump;

Updated, Updated, Updated; Walker Bergers Statistical Analysis; Mark Walker should win on Tuesday

Early voting ended Saturday.

More than 2,300 vote early in Rockingham and Guilford 

...963 people — 131 in High Point and 832 in Greensboro — cast ballots at Guilford County

...Another 600 votes came in via absentee ballot.

1694 of the 2,300 votes were from Mark Walker’s Guilford County,
about 73% of the reported total both counties.

Only 27% came from Rockingham County in early voting,
not counting the other counties in play.

In Rockingham County, voters cast 839 ballots during early voting. 

That includes 154 absentee ballots...

Mark Walker’s home county, in which Sheriff BJ Barnes endorsed Walker
leads the 6th Congressional District with 43% of all registered voters. 

In Guilford County, after the News and Record endorsed Matheny;

Phil Berger, Jr........6,115 votes.....28.57 %
Mark Walker..........5,909...............27.61 %
Zack Matheny.........3,458...............16.16 %
Bruce VonCannon...2,198...............10.27 %
Jeff Phillips.............1,996................9.33 %
Don Webb..................970................4.53 %


Walker should pick up solid majorities of Matheny, VonCannon, Phillips and Webb's votes, as VonCannon and Webb support Walker, Phillips is CG4C and Matheny is from Greensboro and attacked repetitively by Berger Sr funded Keep Conservatives United.
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Alamance County, whose Sheriff endorsed Walker,  represents 14% of the probable vote.

The top four primary vote recipients in Alamance County;

Phil Berger, Jr............. 1,890.........30.86 % - Berger, who attacked VonCannon and Matheny
Mark Walker............... 1,860.........30.37 % - Who was endorsed by VonCannon
Bruce VonCannon....... 880............14.37 %

Zack Matheny............. 808............13.19 %

Walker should win Alamance County.
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Rockingham County, where the Sheriff didn't make an endorsement, 
and who supposedly doesn't like or talk to Phil Berger, Jr.
who is the District Attorney who bugged courtrooms in his home county,
will probably tally more than 12% of expected votes.


But Phil Berger Jr. only won 52.26% of Rockingham County's primary votes. (2,766)

Walker won 26.37% of the rest. (1,396)

Now that most voters understand Berger Jr. isn't Sr., Berger may lose is home county, considering as much as 15% of the electorate thought they were voting for Berger Sr., and now feel misled.

The rest of the district includes Surry County 9%, Stokes 6%, Person 5%, Durham 5%, Caswell 3%, Orange 3% and Granville 1% of probable votes that will be cast Tuesday.

Only Republicans and Unaffiliated's who voted R can vote in the runoff.

As many of the voters who thought they were voting for Phil Berger Sr. 
now understand that they actually voted for Phil Berger Jr., 
the idea that a massive amount of Nepotism is involved should depress Berger votes.

Nepotism is favoritism granted in politics or business to relatives.

Nepotism is a common accusation in politics 

when the relative of a powerful figure ascends to similar power 

seemingly without appropriate qualifications.

Critics cite studies that demonstrate decreased morale and commitment
from non-related employees,

and a generally negative attitude towards superior positions
filled through nepotism. 

..."there is no ladder to climb when the top rung is reserved for people with a certain name."

Some businesses forbid nepotism as an ethical matter, 

considering it too troublesome and disruptive.

Wiki

I believe most of the few who saw the debate on Friday night
picked Walker as the clear winner.

Time Warner cable has repeated the debate to Phil Berger's disadvantage.

What more than a few insiders/reporters/those in the know have related similar thoughts
is along the lines of what John Blust spoke of in his Walker endorsement, 

which is that many are not for Berger Jr., but won't say so publicly.

Some top officials in off the record conversations in Rockingham County

have expressed the opinion that Berger Jr. does not have the temperament for the job.

There is what seems like a clearly bad relationship between Berger
and Rockingham County's Sheriff, who has declined to endorse to Berger's disadvantage.

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On July 17, 2012, the last election with a GOP Primary runoff in congressional races, 
only 220,635 voters participated statewide (3.58% total turnout).

A GOP Congressman won his 2012 runoff race with 10,635 total votes, 
reflecting a 75% drop off in Republicans participating in the 2nd round runoff

Another GOP Congressman won his 2012 runoff race with a total of 17,427 votes,
reflecting a 76% drop off in Republicans participating in the 2nd round runoff.

Sources; John Davis

and NCFEF’s Almanac of NC Politics 2014 Primary Edition

There is no GOP Congressman in this race, 
other than Coble's endorsement, which has been somewhat offset by John Blust's
and other candidates from the primary, of which none that I know of have endorsed Berger.

On May 6, 2014, if 44,136 total votes determined the 6th District GOP primary race,
and historical 2nd round drop-off ranges of 75% to 80%, 
yet the early voting looks like it has been markedly higher, 
the July 15 runoff turnout may be 14,000 - 18,000 total votes.

If 16,000 total votes are cast, 8,001 wins.
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If the following percentages are played out from the primary final results; 

Phil Berger, Jr......15,127.... x 20% = 3,025 votes
Mark Walker........11,123... x 30% = 3,336 votes, which may be low
Bruce VonCannon. 5,055.....x 20% x 70% = 708 Walker = 303 Berger
Zack Matheny........5,043....x 20% x 60% = 605 Walker = 403 Berger
Jeff Phillips............3,494......x 30% x 80% = 839 Walker = 210 Berger
Don Webb..............1,899......x 20% x 60% = 228 Walker = 152 Berger
Mike Causey.........1,427......x 20% x 50% = 143 Walker = 143 Berger
Kenn Kopf..............510.........x 20% x 50% = 51 Walker = 51 Berger
Charlie Sutherland..458........x 20% x 50% = 46 Walker = 46 Berger

http://enr.ncsbe.gov/ElectionResults/?election_dt=05/06/2014

= Walker = 5,956 votes from primary voters

Berger = 4,333 votes from primary voters
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I think the Coble endorsement and Phil Berger Sr. name 
are offset by the nepotism charges, 
lack of signs in yards of residents as opposed to commercial real estate properties,
of those who may profit from Jr's ascendance, or are looking to, or already have from Sr.,
the Sheriff endorsements and the Rockingham Sheriff's non-endorsement.

Then there is a backlash from the intensely outside funded negative campaign 
tied to Berger Sr. and his cronies who have business before the state,
which Berger Jr. denied until he didn't.

If as many voters despise Phil Berger Jr. in Rockingham County as I've heard,
which includes more than a few attorneys, elected officials and those who know him
that I have spoken to, and considering Walker's actual, real life grassroots campaign
instead of the money thrown by Berger Sr. and his cronies for Berger Jr., 
and especially considering the outreach to the district via religious connections by Walker,
Mark Walker should win on Tuesday.

Background on Social Security Linkfest for North Carolina US Congressional and Senatorial Interviews and Races

If there’s trillions of dollars difference

between publicly outstanding debt investors can buy and sell

and non-marketable intragovernmental debt

who is it owed to

who has to pay how much more back and when

and why would those who know or should and don’t

let the country borrow trillions from itself

and why are most Americans unaware?

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew reminds Congress Social Security and myRA are Ponzi schemes

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/treasury-secretary-jacob-lew-reminds.html

"...the last (and only previous) time ...the US unemployment rate dropped from 10% to 6.6%, [was from June 1983 to December 1986]

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-last-and-only-previous-time-us.html

If there was more than $11 Trillion in Federal Debt

and there’s less than $7 trillion held by the public

where’s the rest?

The Nation's Debt to the Penny and Who Held it in 2009;

Current Debt Held by the Public Intragovernmental Holdings

04/03/09 $6,868,532,515,279.65 $4,278,034,317,017.68

Total Public Debt Outstanding

$11,146,566,832,297.33

Counterfeit Money, Counterfeit Policy

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/02/counterfeit-money-counterfeit-policy.html

"Fascism in the 21st century"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/fascism-in-21st-century.html

I disagree with Bernie Sanders on this

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/i-disagree-with-bernie-sanders-on-this.html

Some in our country think that Social Security is a trust fund

in other words there's a pile of money being accumulated…

because you put money in the government saves it for you

and then when you retire you get it out…

That's just simply not true

The money, payroll taxes going into Social Security, are spent

They're spent on benefits and they're spent on government programs

There is no trust

We're on the ultimate pay-as-you-go system…

The only thing Social Security has is a pile of IOUs

from one part of government to the next…

therefore when you have more retirees living longer for greater benefits

with fewer people paying in

the system inevitably will go into the red

George W Bush

President Barack Obama's myRA savings plan appears to be a Ponzi scheme; George Bush, Ron Paul, Paul Krugman etc...

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/02/president-barack-obamas-myra-savings.html

"The economy is a Ponzi scheme."

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-economy-is-ponzi-scheme.html

If Bernard Madoff

distributed money received from new investors to older investors

until there wasn’t enough money to continue

does Social Security operate under the same structure

with mandatory participation?

How to Game Obamacare

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-game-obamacare.html

"America's fiscal crisis is not that our debt ceiling isn't quite high enough — it's that we have too much debt."

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/10/americas-fiscal-crisis-is-not-that-our.html

"The more high-sounding the legislation, the more destructive its consequences."

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-more-high-sounding-legislation-more.html

"We must increase our debt limit so that we can pay our bills."

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/10/we-must-increase-our-debt-limit-so-that.html

'Creative' accounting hurts future generations"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/10/creative-accounting-hurts-future.html

If Social Security taxes were increased in 1983

to ease the burden of a smaller generation

tasked with providing benefits to a larger number of longer living elders

why would elected leaders borrow and spend the surplus?

Shutdown; We have been stealing from our children by borrowing and printing for a more pleasant present

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/10/shutdown-we-have-been-stealing-from-our.html

John Mauldin on Social Security and Ponzi: Have America's Parents stolen thier children's inheritance?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/04/john-mauldin-on-social-security-and.html

Ron Paul and George Walker Bush on Social Security

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/04/ron-paul-and-george-walker-bush-on.html

On Paul Ryan's VP Speech

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/08/on-paul-ryans-vp-speech.html

Robert J. Samuelson: "The social and economic reasons for Generation Squeezed"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/08/robert-j-samuelson-social-and-economic.html

Questions for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that will probably be not asked during his congressional testimony

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/07/questions-for-federal-reserve-chairman.html

A profound truth on actual tax rates, by Michael Kinsley

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2012/02/profound-truth-on-actual-tax-rates-by.html

Would you rather live in the ascendancy of a civilization, or in its decline?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2011/02/would-you-rather-live-in-ascendancy-of.html

"U.S. Debt Is Child Abuse"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/10/debt-is-child-abuse.html

James K. Galbraith Statement to the Commission on Deficit Reduction

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/09/james-k-galbraith-statement-to.html

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard on Spanish, British, American and almost everyone else's Social Security programs

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/09/ambrose-evans-pritchard-on-spanish.html

Was it justifiable for the baby boom and their elders, to promise themselves tens of trillions of unfunded benefits, like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, for future generations to pay for?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/was-it-justifiable-for-baby-boom-and.html

If Social Security taxes were increased in 1983 to ease the burden of a smaller generation tasked with providing benefits to a larger number of longer living elders, why would elected leaders borrow and spend the surplus?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/if-social-security-taxes-were-increased.html

Are we collectively bankrupt?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/are-we-collectively-bankrupt.html

Social Security Will Pay Out More Than Taxes Recieved In 2010

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/social-security-will-pay-out-more-than.html

If the Social Security Trust Fund was spent, was it stolen?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/07/if-social-security-trust-fund-was-spent.html

Social Security II

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/07/social-security-ii.html

On the Graduating Class of 2010

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-graduating-class-of-2010.html

Have our nation’s elders betrayed their children?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/03/have-our-nations-elders-betrayed-their.html

How could fiscal 2009’s reported Federal Deficit be only $1.42 trillion if Total Debt increased by more than $1.88 trillion?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-could-fiscal-2009s-reported-federal.html

Is the United States of America a Kleptocracy?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-united-states-of-america-kleptocracy.html

On Social Security’s Trust Fund: 7 Deficits in 12 Months.

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2009/09/on-social-securitys-trust-fund-7_09.html

If relatively older generations of Americans vote more than their children and/or grandchildren, how much debt should be authorized by who, to be paid for by whom, for how long?

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2009/08/if-relatively-older-generations-of.html

George Hartzman will be declaring endorsements for US House of Representative primary races in NC Districts 6 and 12

Purple = District 12........ Beige = District 6

US House of Representatives District 6 Seats to Fill: 1

Democrats;

Davis Bruce
Jamestown NC

Fjeld Laura
Hillsborough NC 27278
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Republicans;

Berger Phil, Jr.
Eden NC 27289

Causey Mike
Greensboro NC 27401

Kopf Kenn
Jamestown NC 27282 2/18/2014

Matheny Zack
Greensboro NC 27408

Phillips Jeff
Jamestown NC 27282

Sutherland Charles
Mayodan NC 27027

VonCannon Bruce
Greensboro NC 27406

Walker Mark
Greensboro NC 27410

Webb Don
High Point NC 27262

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/NC/6

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US House of Representatives Unexpired 2012-14 Term Dist 12 Seats to Fill: 1

Democrats;

Adams Alma
Greensboro NC 27406

Battle George
Charlotte NC 28269

Brandon, Jr Marcus
Greensboro NC 27406

Graham Malcolm
Charlotte NC 28269

Mitchell James (Smuggie)
Charlotte NC 28269

Osborne Curtis C
Charlotte NC 28256
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Republicans;

Coakley Vince
Charlotte NC 28269 2/24/2014

Threatt Leon
Matthews NC 28105

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/NC/12

http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/elections_wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/elect1467.pdf

The Rhino's John Hammer Trolling Congressional Candidates for Advertising Revenue; Bruce VonCannon Edition

"...if we had daily tracking numbers for that race, I think Bruce VonCannon would be moving up fast in the outside lane.  Whether he can sustain the pace is the question.  But with television and radio advertising, VonCannon has gone from the least-well-known candidate to the best-well-known candidate.  Really, nobody outside of Greensboro knows who Zack Matheny is.  Phil Berger Jr. was elected district attorney of Rockingham County, but most of the voters in the 6th District don’t live in Rockingham County.  Rev. Mark Walker is well known at Lawndale Baptist Church, but the 6th District is 10 counties.

It would appear that VonCannon has the right idea. 

The only way to reach the voters is through advertising. 

Although he does need to do some print advertising."

http://www.rhinotimes.com/rhino-shorts-1-23-14.html