Let’s applaud Gov. Roy Cooper for recognizing that North Carolina’s public infrastructure is inadequate. In his budget proposals to the legislature Cooper includes more than $1 billion for the coming two years for capital improvements. But the main thrust of his recommendations come in a proposed $4.7 billion bond referendum package of infrastructure improvements. While I wholeheartedly endorse the governor’s proposals, I take issue with his allocations for the proceeds.
Friday, April 09, 2021
The controversy surrounding the new voting law in the state of Georgia raises important issues regarding the governance of our country and the role of corporations.
Thursday, April 08, 2021
North Carolina is poised to make great gains as we recover from the pandemic. We are becoming a major hub for life sciences companies. Real estate sales and construction (especially in urban areas) are booming, unemployment rates are declining, and most economic sectors are recovering.
Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Voter suppression, meet your match: corporate responsibility.
Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a new two-year state budget a couple of weeks back and, as is almost invariably the case, pundits and politicians on the right quickly issued statements of criticism and condemnation.
It’s spring, and for many Americans that means it’s time to drag out the mower and trimmer, invest in various seeds, feeds, pesticides, etc., and quite possibly put the water bill on steroids with daily sprinkler operation. According to the American Time Use Survey, the average American spends 70 hours — nearly two full work weeks — on lawn maintenance every year.
It’s hard not to play along when children come up with cute untruths.
It’s hard not to play along when children come up with cute untruths.
As a black conservative Republican, Mark Robinson isn’t North Carolina’s traditional lieutenant governor. But he’s squarely in the tradition of lieutenant governors bedeviling governors.
Migrant farmworkers largely comprised of Spanish-speaking people in eastern North Carolina are gearing up for the upcoming harvest season. Latinx members of our community contribute to the farming industry that our region relies on. Given their important role, it is important that we reach these communities with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Throughout the history of the world, there have been many great announcements heralding great achievements and discoveries that would forever alter the course of human history.
Thanks to the fiscally responsible policies of the North Carolina General Assembly, state government has some $5 billion in unspent funds and unanticipated revenues in its General Fund. And thanks to the fiscally irresponsible policies of Congress and the Biden administration, North Carolina will receive another $5.2 billion in “COVID-19 recovery” funds that will be borrowed from Chinese investors and other holders of federal treasuries.
Be there anyone among us who leads or has led such a pure and exemplary life that he or she should be honored with their name on a building at our flagship university?
We often hear teachers and administrators talk about how their students come to their schools with such diverse backgrounds, competencies, and experiences. This is true at all grade levels, but often particularly so in kindergarten, as we recognize that some students have had extensive experiences in social settings or are already reading while others may have only had limited formal education or access to text.
Following high-profile national anthem protests, lawmakers passed a local ordinance requiring citizens to “stand solemnly and deport themselves with dignity” while the anthem is played.
Say what you will about former President Donald Trump, but there was a cynical, P.T. Barnum-like genius to his brief and catastrophic run at the apex of American politics. The man obviously has no deeply held beliefs or political philosophy beyond a commitment to self-promotion and personal enrichment, but like so many other skilled con men throughout history, he could sell stuff — most notably lies and half-truths designed to manipulate audiences.
For 150 years, North Carolina has been a battleground over black citizens’ voting rights. Get ready for another battle.
Every argument has three parts: definitions, premises, and logical reasoning. When conservatives and progressives disagree about a specific issue, each side often leaps to the conclusion that the other side is being illogical (or dishonest, or stupid).
Many believe the south is a Republican stronghold and that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper won election in 2020 due to voters who had moved to the state from more progressive regions. But Southern Democrats have influenced North Carolina for generations.
Who runs the university?
On April 7, 2017, less than four years ago, a majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate joined a majority of Republicans to sign a letter supporting the filibuster. The letter, to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Charles Schumer, began: “We are writing to urge you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices and traditions as they pertain to the right of members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate.”
Congressmen rank at the very bottom of people considered trustworthy and ethical, tied with car salesmen at 8 percent. The 2019 Gallup poll revealed similar results with previous surveys. We recognize too many Congressional officials tell us one thing here at home, then go to Washington only to vote along party lines.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas summed up our border crisis in a statement he released March 16: “We are on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years.”