FRANKLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
101 WEST NASH STREET
P.O. BOX 909
LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA 27549
(919) 496-1469
www.FranklinNCGOP.com




Doug Berger Whines about His Criminal Bill|
Online Comments: 'Whacky Legislation'

October 27, 2007 The Franklin Times

Member Opinions:
By: thejackal on 10/27/07
Oh, boo hoo hoo, everyone's picking on me for looking out for the criminals.

By: FranklinNCGOP.com on 10/27/07
And how many days are left before the November elections?

By: JSmith on 10/27/07
Voters deserve better than what's representing us in the state senate.

By: Backwoodsjohnny1 on 10/27/07
Untrue, hurtful and partisan?
Hey Doug Berger, quit crying like a baby! The Franklin Times Blogisphere has shown the whole world what a lowdown shyster you are. You are nothing but a sneaky, lowdown ambulance chasing prostitute of the NAACP,
(National Association for the Advancement of Crooked People).
If you're gonna cry like a baby, don't do it here. Go home and cry to your momma. She oughta take a belt to your ample behind for being the biggest fool in Franklin County.
 

By: FranklinNCGOP.com on 10/27/07
No one twisted Berger's arm to sponsor this legislation (except maybe for the criminals), so he needs to quit whining.

What does Berger expect us to do? Just sit back and ignore these criminals while they commit heinous crimes against us?

God forbid Berger's legislation ever passes, because why would the police bother arresting these criminals knowing that their records will be erased?

There you have it. Berger needs more votes for next year, so he's coddling to the criminals.

By: Backwoodsjohnny1 on 10/27/07
Oh hey Doug before you go, I would like propose an amendment to your felon entitlement bill.
I propose removing the following expungment process from your bill SB677.
1. Felon can not apply until 2 years after the sentence has been served.
2. Felon must have a high school diploma or GED, or be enrolled or attending a course for either.
3. Felon must have 7 affidavits from prominent members of the community who verify the felon has been fulfilling the duties as an upstanding citizen.
4. Felon must pay 100 dollars to Clerk of Court or if they can not afford it will be paid by the tax-payer.
5. Record can only be expunged after all above requirements are fulfilled and then petitioned before a judge and then it actually has to be granted by the judge.

And I propse replacing that process with mine.
I will call this the victims rights amendment to SB677
1. Felon cannot apply for 10 years.
2. Felon must have a high school diploma or GED PERIOD!
3. Felon must have 7 affidavits from victim's family members who can verify the felon has been fulfilling the duties as an upstanding citizen.
4. Felon must pay for all property and punitive damages including pain and suffering, drug rehab expenses, plus court costs, and attorney's fees. The taxpayer shall never foot the bill for any such fees. All expenses shall be for paid by the felon in order to qualify for said expungment.
5. Records can only be expunged after all above requirements are fulfilled, then seven members the of family of victim may petition a judge on felon's behalf.
6. Those who committed any felonious sex crime or committed any felony abusing the elderly are automatically disqualified from expungment.
I am asking that Doug Berger tell us all right here in the Franklin Times blogisphere whether or not he would agree to such a compromise. Doug, I want a straight YES or NO answer. I would also like to inform you that I will also assume that any answer besides a YES or NO is in fact a NO!
 

By: Mack on 10/27/07

Doug, Please? This is whacky legislation at its worst! Our business leaders and employers deserve to know who they are hiring to fill trustworthy and/or leadership positions within their company, not to mention behind cash registers.
Come' on man! At the very least our school leaders need to know who is working in our schools. I'm not just talking about teachers either, it takes a lot of people to run a school district...and all of them don't need a 'degree' to work there. I'm sorry Senator, but "Child Predator" or not, these people still chose to commit a Felony and certain 'leaders' need to know about that!
Simply put Senator, our kids are more important than your desire to help these young Felons, or as you prefer to say, 'YOUNG OFFENDERS'.
God forbid: What was members of our House of Representatives thinking when they voted to pass this bill?

By: Cholloway on 10/27/07
Backwoods, you have got to stop “cream-puffing” Senator Burger and on election day simply close that curtain and consider the other canidate.

By: rockyranger on 10/27/07
Untrue and hurtful partisan attacks? Quit your whining Doug and face the music. Plenty of the people who blogged on to The Franklin Times web page indicated they were Democrats and soundly criticized your bill as bad legislation. And a lot more are shaking their heads at the criticism your proposed bill has brought to the Franklin County Democratic Party. When are you going to do something constructive for the people you are supposed to be representing in this county? Your letter to the editor was a red herring. Can't win the argument, then change the argument. And as for your complaints about how this will impact next year's election, give me a break. This proposed legislation is part of your voting record. You may want to run from it in the court of public opinion, but if voters are smart, you won't be able to hide from it.

By: Backwoodsjohnny1 on 10/27/07
Cholloway, for your information I am attempting to protect my child from Doug Bergers criminal lobby.
I will protect my child any way I see fit, and you can do nothing to stop me.
If that means exposing Doug's dirty dog tactics, and holding him and his band of pimps and perverts up to public scorn, so be it.
It's called freedom of speech. Love it, cherish it, defend it. Your very life may depend on it.

By: mwilburt on 10/27/07
Sen. Berger -
House Bill 898 "passed by an overwhelming" bi-partisan vote? Really?
Of the entire NC House, 120 members, nine Republicans voted for the House version H-898. EIGHT Democrats voted against it.
Hardly seems to be "overwhelming" bi-partisan support, Sen. Berger.

To clarify - If a person 16 or 17 years old committed a sex offense with a minor and was convicted and released from jail before Jan. 1, 1996, or if a 16 or 17 year old used a computer to solicit sex with a minor prior to Nov. 30, 2005, they were not required to register as a sex offender in North Carolina.
With no requirement to register, they may be eligible to have their class H & I felony sexual offenses erased.

Then that person, now 27 or 28 years old (or younger considering the eff. dates of the law) who may have continued their disgusting sexual deviancies with minors, but had mastered their craft sufficiently to not get caught, they would be able to apply for a job and honestly answer that they had no felonies on their record.

Your Bill 677 and house bill 898 are bad law.
And as far as the election being a year away....you brought the issue up last month, senator, when you tried to persuade Dr. L'Homme into supporting this dangerous legislation.

What you are hearing are citizens outraged that their state senator would not only sponsor such legislation, but would try to convince our school leadership to buy-in.

It's bad law. It needs to be stopped now.

By: Backwoodsjohnny1 on 10/28/07
I have noticed that there are a few out there in cyberland that do not understand me, or why some call me the pitbull of Franklin County politics. For those who would like to get to know me better, log on to my website at Backwoodsjohnny.com and read my commentary, Ten Reasons Why Doug Berger is my Enemy.

By: TheCritic on 10/28/07
Well...I figured I would chime in here too. I have sat back quietly and read and watched how this has all played out over the past few weeks. Hmmm..."Non Violent Felonies only". I can only assume, because I am not quite certain, that selling drugs would NOT be a violent crime in itself. So would it be safe to say that a convicted drug dealer would qualify? I have lost count of how many good folks and good families have been torn apart because of illegal drug addiction. I would like to see any and all convicted drug dealers and traffickers sentenced to the max allowed under the law. To think of clearing the criminal record for ANY drug dealer regardless of age at the time of offence is insane. I was held accountable for my actions when I was old enough to walk and talk. Age is not an excuse for criminal involvement. Youthful offenders should be held accountable as well. No second chances for drug dealers and kids that break into our homes daily. There was a time when we as Franklin County folks could leave our homes on Sunday morning to attend Church and leave our doors standing open. Those days are gone for good I know. But still, why should we have to worry about hidden criminal convictions from our neighbor or their children? In my humble opinion this whole proposed bill is a step in the wrong direction. It sends the wrong message to the young thugs in our community. I have no problem at all seeing a convicted felon making $7.00/hour for the rest of his or her life. We are all a product of the decisions we made in our past. Apparently some folks will not be held to this standard...just the law abiding folks like us.