Rural residents raise hell at Moral Monday protest

<a href="http://www.journalnow.com/gallery/news/article_d0043a1c-24bc-11e3-b21d-0019bb30f31a.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scores of Moral Monday protesters</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> came to tiny Yadkinville, N.C., last night to fight the repressive anti-worker policies approved by Gov. Pat McCrory and his legislative allies this year. The rally was the 19th such event held since late April. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested at weekly protests held in the state capital earlier this year.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMII6jxxdfgUd43AuSVoyjmUr-YXW4JE8Moo4hO7T09Mk9MQiR0TboVvTUjTcbljS7EFdaFnxRweW_065IPZ_qHOXPqqkTVCiBK_LPffdgTJZOltLZy5ofriJHxx3cbYoKq3vRFV12svq/s1600/9.24moralmonday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMII6jxxdfgUd43AuSVoyjmUr-YXW4JE8Moo4hO7T09Mk9MQiR0TboVvTUjTcbljS7EFdaFnxRweW_065IPZ_qHOXPqqkTVCiBK_LPffdgTJZOltLZy5ofriJHxx3cbYoKq3vRFV12svq/s320/9.24moralmonday2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laid-off worker Philip Diehl addresses crowd at rally.</td></tr></tbody></table>Jobs and education were again at the top of the agenda for demonstrators. Several said the event gave those living in rural North Carolina the chance to have their voices heard in Raleigh. They oppose decisions to cut unemployment benefits and public education and the failure to expand Medicaid coverage for 600,000 residents.<br /><br />Philip Diehl, who was laid off his job with Freightliner Trucks, said workers are hurting while McCrory doles out fat salaries to his staff. Protesters are just trying to make a difference, he told the <a href="http://www.journalnow.com/gallery/news/article_d0043a1c-24bc-11e3-b21d-0019bb30f31a.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" rel="nofollow">Winston-Salem Journal</a>: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">You are fed up with the way things are going. You are trying to peacefully change things.</blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christopher Petree, president of the Yakin County Association of Educators, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisPetree" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">tweeted that the governor and the Legislature are motivating</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> the public to action:<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shout out to the @NCLeg and @PatMcCroryNC for bringing out the activist in me. You all know how to rally the masses!</span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The event closed with a candlelight vigil to remember all state residents who have been damaged by the extreme policies approved by lawmakers this year.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week after week, North Carolina residents are pushing back on an agenda crafted by </span><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/2013/02/heres-billionaire-trying-to-destroy.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">state budget director Art Pope</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a multimillionaire who helped underwrite the campaigns of Gov. McCrory and his cronies in the Legislature. It is largely modeled on the pro-corporate, anti-worker platform of the </span><a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">American Legislative Exchange Council</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> And more demonstrations are expected. In addition to the ongoing Moral Monday events, North Carolina teachers are </span><a href="http://triangle.news14.com/content/news/699770/nc-teachers-consider-walkout-to-protest-poor-working-conditions" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">currently mulling whether to hold a statewide walkout Nov. 4</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to protest policy changes and poor working conditions in the classroom.<br /><br />Stay tuned.<br /><br /></span>

ALEC art pope Gov. McCrory Moral Monday North Carolina Rural residents raise hell at Moral Monday protest

Scores of Moral Monday protesters came to tiny Yadkinville, N.C., last night to fight the repressive anti-worker policies approved by Gov. ...

Read more »