Jeff L. Thigpen Register of Deeds

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Bill Richardson....Scandal..draft dodger!

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson dodges the draft in 1966.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Quote of the Week: From Sojourners Magazine

With friends like these...

"We want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them. The wackos get their information form [sic] the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet, and telephone trees."

- Michael Scanlon, former aide to Sen. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), strategizing on how to get conservative Christians to protect existing gambling interests by getting them to oppose competition from riverboat gambling. Scanlon plead guilty this week to conspiring to bribe a congressman and other public officials.

Source: Christianity Today

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 21, 2005

Doctors and Lawyers get REJECTED in Washington!

More than $14 million was spent by groups of lawyers, doctors, and insurers to encourage the support or opposition of ballot initiatives 330 and 336, which came before Washington state voters on November 8.

Regional insurance companies and the trial lawyers ballot initiatives were soundly rejected. Malpractice reform is a tough issue, but there is hope...

Friday, November 18, 2005

NC Electronic Recording Council meeting

Attended the NC E-Recording Council meeting yesterday in Raleigh. Presentations related to Electronic Mortgage Transactions by Todd Hougaard, President of BeesPath, Inc. In addition, Attorney Richard Bowlin with Electronic Document Logistics (EDL) gave an Electronic Recording perspective.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall along with Register of Deeds, Land Title, Banking, and Surveryors are a part of the Council among others. There will be lots of statutory, technical, and best practices coordination needed over the long term.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Wouldn't YOU like to win this?

MVP Sports Apparel has donated a great Carolina Panther's Jacket to be raffled at our User Appreciation Day on December 16th! The proceeds will be given to Breaking and Entering Christmas sponsored by Murphy in the Morning.

Take a look at the JACKET! Tickets can be picked up for $1 at our office in Greensboro or give us a call at 641-3239!

Information on the Good Deeds Team can be found at www.guilforddeeds.com and click on Good Deeds Team!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Register of Deeds School: What is Marriage?

Sent my supervisory staff to the Register of Deeds School over the past two days in Chapel Hill. The School gives employees of Deed's office an overview of general statutes, etc., related to our work.

Today I discovered something missing from the NC General Statutes....a definition of marriage.

NC law can tell you WHO can get married (man and woman) and no same gender marriage (Defense of Marriage Act); NC law can tell you the AGE a person has to be and what restrictions for minors; Neither can ALREADY BE MARRIED; and (I like this!) no closer than 1st cousins...meaning 1st cousins can get married.

Anyway, for the sake of marriage licenses, a sufficient marriage is created by: the consent of a male and female person who may lawfully marry, presently to take each other as husband and wife, freely, seriously and plainly expressed by each in the presence of the other AND....1. In the presence of a minister (ordained or authorized by a church) or a magistrate, who then declares the persons are husband and wife; or 2. in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by an religious denomination or federally-or-state recognized Indian Nation or Tribe.

But, again, what is MARRIAGE? In the above paragraph, you'd think a clear definition of marriage would get defined in there. But look a little closer. For example, what if you are a "minister" "ordained" at a "church" like the Universal Life Church. And Motto: "ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS ASK!" What constitutes a "religious denomination" that is acceptable or not? Would that really be a marriage?

Just a couple of things to think about....

UNC-G MPA Grad School "Urban Politics" course

Spent several hours last night talking with UNC-G grad students.

Many issues from ROD, to City of Greensboro, Guilford County, Regionalism; Jails and Drug Treatment, to Rawanda, to Economic Development, to Organizational Development, Race, Class, Housing, etc, etc, etc.

Professor Jan Tulloss, great instructor, and great class!

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Jail Food or School Food?

WFMY is doing a report on jail food and school food.

I've eaten both. The verdict: JAIL FOOD IS BETTER!

The Statistic Greensboro Does not want to talk about...

I don't even want to...I mean, not that I have to. Honestly, no, REALLY. URGHH!

Look, you'll just have to find out for yourself!

Education? no. Roads? no. Economic Development? no....

Just received my December 2005 issue of Men's Health. They do rankings on cities around various issues and such.

Well, hmmn, Greensboro was the lowest ranked city in this particular ranking (101/101). Let's just call it...."The Deflation Ranking". I wanted to laugh, but I remembered my time as a Commissioner. While analyzing our budget related to employee health care costs, I discovered we were spending LOTS of money in this area related to health costs.

Read the December Men's Health Magazine. There should be a special Advisory Committee to look in to this issue because it's not just a Greensboro problem (101) ; Charlotte ranked 88; Durham 89; Raleigh 90.

I kinda didn't want to say anything, but it is a taxpayer issue....you know. We could save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Really...

I'd suggest former Sen. Bob Dole to lead the effort.... nuff said.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Register of Deeds Selection Committee for New Computer System

The Selection Committee for a New Computer Software System narrowed the field to four vendors this week.

They are as follows with notable NC County:

Aptitude Solutions--Johnston County, NC
Business Information Systems (BIS)--Forsyth County, NC
Hart Intercivic- Mecklenburg County NC
Manatron- Carteret County NC

There will be vendor demonstrations during the first week of December (5-9) and the public will be invited to attend.

The Committee, comprising over staff, interdepartmental representation, and users have done a fantastic job!

Real Property Section of Greensboro Bar Association

Spoke to members of the Greensboro Bar Association last night. There were about 25 attorneys attending. We had a great discussion and I appreciate the insights they have on the Deeds office. We reviewed the 100 Day Report and I gave an update on the RFP process for a new computer process.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Good Deeds Team Strikes Again!

The Good Deeds Team raised $500 for Breaking and Entering Christmas, a charity through WKZL 107.5 FM. The Good Deeds Team has adopted the B&E Christmas, a project promoted by Murphy in the Morning, through the month of December.

The Good Deeds Team will be selling coffee and biscuits on the morning of December 2nd in the Guilford County Courthouse. On December 16th, we'll be raffling a Carolina Panther leather jacket value: $250 and other prizes given away as well.

More information will be posted in the coming weeks at www.guilforddeeds.com and click on Good Deeds Team!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Election After Thoughts!

Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson

New Council at Large (Anderson; Gatten; Johnson)

Gatten-- the Comeback Kid! (Campaign Mgr. Jeff Kerrigan's another Winner!)

Mayor Holliday, how well do you work with women?

Councilman Barber

Arnold gets Rejected!

Democrats Find God in Virginia!

A Wife's Scorn is not Enough in NJ!

Vernon Robinson develops "MOTHER OF ALL HONEY DEW LISTS!"

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

An Emotional Apology: Wayne Wood, Former Unit Leader Nazi Party

Cameron Kent breaks a major story tonight on WXII.....

Wayne Wood, former Nazi, was a part of the caravan that went to Morningside Homes. He went to the car where another Nazi was pulling out guns.

"As he got the trunk open I grabbed a shotgun and my thought was not to shoot anyone but to make them stop shooting".

Wood had a shotgun and he claims he intentionally fired into the air. In 1979 footage Wood was smiling with a cigarette in his mouth. But said, "I always smiled when I was scared. It was my self defense mechanism." He said he was firing for the sake of his own life. Wood said he acted out of survival. He said he saw a man who was lifting his hands as if to pray (Dr. Michael Nathan) and then he dropped.

Wood said he thought to himself, "Oh my God no, please no. I think at that point I realized people were dead. It all just went wrong for everybody and I can only thank God that I survived. "

After two trials, and found not guilty, but he said it didn't make it right:

"What I did was very stupid to went in the first place and I was wrong. I can't justify what I did except I was scared to death and I reacted out of that fear-out of fear for my life. But what happened was wrong and it should have never have happened."

After Nov. 3rd, he later became a born-again Christian and left his hate behind. He said he had not talked for 26 years (out of fear and attempts on his life), but he is coming forward now because he wants to apologize to the wife of Dr. Marty Nathan. He said he is near death and said he does not want to live the rest of his life with the weight of what happened. He then looked directly into the camera....

"Because I'm going to look in this camera and say to that woman (Dr. Marty Nathan) please forgive me. I didn't know it was going to happen and I'm telling you the truth because God has laid it upon my heart. I don't want to die with this truth inside of me. Its eating me up."

"I have no reason to come here and lie. None..."

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I believe this is a major step forward in the cause of truth and reconciliation for Greensboro in relationship to November 3, 1979. We should offer a prayer for Wayne Wood and his courage to come forward after 26 years. His testimony tonight is an example of one seeking a common humanity and we should respond with compassion in support of his effort.

A note from my good friend....John E.

(I'm sharing a private note from a friend.)

Dear Jeff,

President Bush promised to be a "uniter, not a divider." Apparently that was just talk. Under his watch our nation has become bitterly divided, and now, faced with the opportunity to name a Supreme Court nominee who reflects mainstream America, President Bush is making yet another divisive choice, nominating Judge Samuel Alito to the highest court in the land. Alito is a far-from-moderate judge in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia. His record is troubling: he has tried to sharply restrict a woman's right to choose and to eliminate protection for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. He has regularly worked to cut back on protections for the victims of discrimination based on race and sex. Just imagine how he might restrict other essential freedoms if he is allowed to sit on the Supreme Court.

My friend Harry Reid urged President Bush to nominate a moderate, fair-minded candidate to replace Sandra Day O'Connor and specifically warned that nominating Alito would be very troubling. But President Bush did not listen. He chose to please those in his party who seek to sacrifice our rights rather than to do what's right for the country. He's been doing that for five years now, and yesterday's announcement was just more of the same.

That's why I am opposing Alito's nomination. Our nation has gone dangerously off course, and it is now abundantly clear that change will not come from the top down. We must build it from the grassroots up. That's why I have poured my efforts into my Raising the States program to help elect the state and local leaders today who will shape our country tomorrow.

(You don't need to hear the rest of the text....friend to friend stuff). He just asked me for some money, like good friends do. :)

Sincerely, your friend.
John Edwards.

FOX NEWS: THE WALMART CAMPAIGN!

Fox news brings a psycholgist in to talk about Wal Mart's response to a $2 million documentary on its business practices. Reagan and Clinton advisors have been hired. Three essentials to the Wal Mart campaign

1) Poll the public
2) Discredit opposition
3) Appeal to the personal

Sound familiar?