Rooting for Failure
2013-08-28 - by
Do Republicans want America – and North Carolina – to fail? That’s the only explanation that makes sense.
If they starve public schools, they can say public schools don’t work – and abandon them. If they derail Obamacare, they can say it’s a train wreck. If they kneecap cities, they can say cities aren’t run well. If they shut down the federal government, they can say the federal government can’t do anything right. And if you don’t like it, they won’t let you vote.
Exhibit A: The City of Raleigh. Senator Josh Stein said the other night that the Republican legislature doesn’t want Raleigh to succeed because Raleigh, like most cities, elects Democrats to run things. So the legislature ripped up the Dix lease. They don’t want the Wake schools to do well, so they tried to take over the school board – again.
(By the way, Josh was speaking at a reception for City Councilor Randy Stagner hosted by Rep. Grier Martin. A three-star lineup.)
For a decade in the 90s, Raleigh suffered through Republican mayors. Downtown was a dump. Everything was petty, partisan and political. Just like this legislature.
Then came Mayors Charles Meeker and Nancy McFarlane, Democratic and Independent City Councilors and Democratic county commissioners. Today, downtown is thriving and attracting jobs and smart, entrepreneurial young people. And we have an incredible greenway system.
Contrast the quality state government in Raleigh with municipal government in Raleigh. For one thing, nobody in Raleigh is giving $87,000-a-year jobs to inexperienced 24-year-old campaign aides.
(Note: This is the third day in a row I have mentioned this. Did I mention that Governor McCrory and the legislature didn’t give teachers raises?)
Rooting for Failure
2013-08-28/
Do Republicans want America – and North Carolina – to fail? That’s the only explanation that makes sense.
If they starve public schools, they can say public schools don’t work – and abandon them. If they derail Obamacare, they can say it’s a train wreck. If they kneecap cities, they can say cities aren’t run well. If they shut down the federal government, they can say the federal government can’t do anything right. And if you don’t like it, they won’t let you vote.
Exhibit A: The City of Raleigh. Senator Josh Stein said the other night that the Republican legislature doesn’t want Raleigh to succeed because Raleigh, like most cities, elects Democrats to run things. So the legislature ripped up the Dix lease. They don’t want the Wake schools to do well, so they tried to take over the school board – again.
(By the way, Josh was speaking at a reception for City Councilor Randy Stagner hosted by Rep. Grier Martin. A three-star lineup.)
For a decade in the 90s, Raleigh suffered through Republican mayors. Downtown was a dump. Everything was petty, partisan and political. Just like this legislature.
Then came Mayors Charles Meeker and Nancy McFarlane, Democratic and Independent City Councilors and Democratic county commissioners. Today, downtown is thriving and attracting jobs and smart, entrepreneurial young people. And we have an incredible greenway system.
Contrast the quality state government in Raleigh with municipal government in Raleigh. For one thing, nobody in Raleigh is giving $87,000-a-year jobs to inexperienced 24-year-old campaign aides.
(Note: This is the third day in a row I have mentioned this. Did I mention that Governor McCrory and the legislature didn’t give teachers raises?)