Category Archives: Politics: North Carolina

We Did NOT Elect Republicans to Act Like Democrats!

Posted on January 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yo!  North Carolina Republicans [and, frankly, Republicans everywhere] we did NOT elect you to run around thinking that you can just treat people any ol’ way ya want.

Be consistent with the concepts of Liberty.

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Posted in Government, Immigration, Liberty, Politics: North Carolina, Republicans Can Be Leftists Too

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North Carolina Rail

Posted on January 24, 2011 | 1 comment

North Carolina is interested in building out it’s light rail infrastructure.  And, in those places that make sense, it should.

For example, if there is a destination that has significant traffic, it might make sense to install some form of rail service to alleviate traffic or even draw revenue.

The problem with such plans?  Trains have to run on tracks.  And tracks are both expensive to build and impossible to move.  They are where they are and nothing can be done concerning the “ad hoc” needs of commuters.

So rail planning HAS to rely on data, good data, well thought out data aboiut the goals and ability to meet ’em.

Most, including the News And Observer, don’t do their due diligence.

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Posted in Lobby/PAC, Politics: North Carolina, Rocket Surgery, Transportation

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The John Tedesco Affair

Posted on January 22, 2011 | 3 comments

We’ve gotten a bunch of attention lately.  None of it very good.

Wake County has had its name drug through the mud, both here in the county, elsewhere about the state and then nationally on the Colbert Show.

For this week, we’ve become a laughing-stock.

At the center of it all seems to be one individual; John Tedesco.

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Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina, Republicans Can Be Leftists Too

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ID Please

Posted on January 22, 2011 | 3 comments

I posted earlier about an effort to require ID to purchase prescription drugs.  Apparently the abuse of prescription drugs is enough of a concern for liberal lawmakers to require proof of identity.

See, in North Carolina you don’t have to prove identity to vote.  You only have to appear and recite your address.  The polling volunteer can’t so much as ask you how long you’ve lived there or how many people live at the residence.

They just nod, smile and give ya a ballot.

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Posted in Government, Politics: North Carolina

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What The Message of Dr. Martin Luther King DOESN’T Mean

Posted on January 17, 2011 | 3 comments

He was a leader.

He was an innovator.

He stood up when many wouldn’t.  He preached love while others practiced hate.

He took the worst of us, saw the best in them and made us ALL believe that not only should we do better, but that we all would do better.

Martin’s message meant and means many things, but it doesn’t mean that we can use race as a means to implement policy.

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Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina, Race

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Unemployment in North Carolina: Up

Posted on January 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Troubling news in the Tar Heel State.

RALEIGH — Unemployment rates increased in 99 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in November, according to statistics released today by the state’s Employment Security Commission. The rate remained the same in Davie
County.

Not so good.  I continue to hope for the best here in North Carolina, but we continue to struggle.  I’m not sure why.  Even though we are a Democrat dominated State, and have been for well over 100 years, even the Democarst have been relatively pro-business here in North Carolina.

I suspect that the reason we continue to see jobs drift away is that we have been so heavily dependent on furniture and textile mills.  And, as we all know, that work has been moving over seas for some time now.

I’ll have to do some research to see how long it took other cities [see Pittsburgh] to recover as they saw their jobs vanish.  In any event, let’s hope that 2011 does better than 2010:

Over the year, the unemployment rates dropped in 81 counties, remained the same in one county, and increased in 18.

So, year over year, Carolina has dropped its unemployment, but only by 0.7%.

 

 

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Posted in Economics, Economy, Politics: North Carolina

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When Government Embraces Technology

Posted on January 3, 2011 | 2 comments

I haven’t run the numbers yet, so I don’t know if this makes sense or not, but I like the innovation of the whole thing.

See, typically when a government agency is faced with a problem, they work hard, REALLY hard, at fixing the problem.  Not eliminating it.

For example, the county works hard at repairing roads, not making roads that don’t need repair.  The post office works hard at delivering mail netter, not at reducing the need to deliver mail.

And to be fair, there ARE some instances where government embraces technology.  Take the DMV for example.  You can now renew your registration and license online as oppossed to going to the office and doing it in person.

Awesome.

Which is why programs like innovating the water utility makes me so happy.

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Posted in Politics: North Carolina, Technology

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On The Fence

Posted on December 30, 2010 | 2 comments

So, I came across a story last night and right away I reacted “More big government nanny state-ism!”

But then I stopped, after all, I can’t say that in response to EVERYthing!  A lot of things yes, but not every. single. thing.

So, take a look and lemme know what you think.

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Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina

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Wake County Superintendent

Posted on December 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

So, Wake County Public Schools has been without a superintendent for some time now.  When the new board began implementing policies that did not jive with the old boss; he resigned.

Fair enough.  The super and the board should get along.

And now we have our new guy.  Even though I’m disappointed the board didn’t disband the district and decide to give every child a waiver, there are things to like about the new superintendent.

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Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina

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Health Care the Right Way

Posted on December 25, 2010 | 1 comment

Compensation.  What one offers another in trade for goods or services.  Most often today, it’s money.  That is, I pay the service station money in exchange for gasoline.  Or, I pay the tavern in cash in exchange for beer.

Occasionally, the compensation may be something besides money.  Then it becomes a sort of barter.  One party trades a good or service in exchange for another; wheat for milk.  Dental work for electrical work.  Whatever.

Another example is health care.  Rather than our employer compensating us in cash, they instead compensate us in insurance.*

Imagine, if you will, if our employer compensated us in groceries rather than cash–just like health insurance.  What would our world look like?

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Posted in Economics, Health Care, Politics: National, Politics: North Carolina

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