Archive for May 2006
Qaddafi Revisited
Under Muammar Qaddafi, Libya bombed a West German discotheque and blew up a Pan Am jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland and killed 270 people. In March, the United States included Libya on the list of nations that are state sponsors of terrorism. Now, suddenly, all that has changed. The Bush Administration has taken Libya off the…
Read MoreQuote of the Day
This is from Charles Sanders, chairman of the North Carolina Lottery Commission – and one of the most honest and capable people in North Carolina. He was talking about indicted former commissioner Kevin Geddings, but could have been talking about a lot of people in politics today: “I don’t understand how people like that get…
Read MoreA Few Statistics from the News and Observer’s School Bond Poll
The News and Observer and WRAL-TV polled to find out if the taxpayers would support a $625 million school bond (with no tax increase), a $998 million bond (with a tax increase) or a $1.15 billion bond (with an even bigger tax increase). 1. Voters opposed the $1.15 billion bond (with the biggest tax increase)…
Read MoreEthics In Its Mildest Form
Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives – both Democrats and Republicans – showed this week that they just don’t get it. They have no idea how little confidence the public has in them now. The representatives passed a new ethics law, but did everything they could to protect themselves against any real change…
Read MoreEthics Reform – House Style – Chapter 1
I’ve not often had a kind word to say about Senate Democratic Majority Leader Tony Rand. I do today. It seems hard to believe but House Speaker Jim Black has made Rand, the man who removed the crosses and Bibles from the Senate Chapel, look like a paragon of public virtue when it comes to…
Read MoreEthics Reform – House Style – Chapter 2
Here’s the State House version of Ethics Reform: Members can take secretly ‘gifts’ of up to $500 from people seeking favorable legislation. They can take bigger gifts if they report them. Hard to believe? Democrat Representative Verla Insko, who voted against the secret gifts said “she didn’t like the thought of being able to keep…
Read MoreStrange Logic II
I asked a retired friend, who occasionally serves as a substitute teacher, why the School Board was determined to push for a tax increase when three independent polls show it losing overwhelmingly. He told me an interesting story about the dress code in the Wake County Schools. He said students ignore the dress code and…
Read MoreThe Taxes Just Keep on Coming
Wake County Manager David Cooke wants to increase property taxes three cents. The way the politicians describe this type of tax increase, they say it’s “only” a $45 increase on a $150,000 home. Let’s look a little closer. On top of Mr. Cooke’s three-cent tax hike, the Wake County Board of Education wants a 3.9…
Read MoreThe Still-Shrinking President
President Bush’s immigration speech showed just how far he has fallen. And it happened when – in my opinion – he actually is trying to do the right thing. (There, that’s my nod to bipartisanship this week.) On gay rights, Bush is the monkey to the right-wing organ grinders. Even though Laura disagrees – publicly!…
Read MoreStrange Logic
WRAL-TV and The News and Observer have taken a poll on the Wake County School Bonds. They found voters: Favored a $625 million bond with no tax increase 64% to 28% Opposed a $998 million bond with a tax increase 59% to 27% Opposed a $1.15 billion bond with a bigger tax increase 57% to…
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