Archive for June 2007
Pirates of the Pamlico?
Here’s another unusual footnote from eastern North Carolina. After ten years – and $1.2 million of taxpayers’ money – government officials still haven’t proved a shipwreck buried in the mud in Beaufort Inlet belonged to Blackbeard the pirate. The problem, they say, is lack of money. Now, how much would it be worth to prove…
Read MoreMental Health?
Here’s a really outrageous story. The head of the northeastern North Carolina Regional Mental Health Agency’s salary is: $319,000 a year (Charlotte Observer, 06-03-07). Plus a $1000 a month car allowance. Of course, the Governor only makes a fraction of that – as does the head of the much bigger Mecklenburg County Mental Health Agency…
Read MoreJim Black Out of the Frying Pan…
It looked for a while like disgraced ex-speaker Jim Black might have stolen a march on Hanging Judge Jim Dever. But Dever taught Black and his lawyers a lesson in the law and politics. Black’s lawyers asked Dever to recuse himself from sentencing. The N&O said they “argued that Dever, a Republican and former Raleigh…
Read MoreNetroots Help or Hurt?
Are the “netroots” the Democrats’ Moral Majority? The Internet-powered antiwar left gives the Democrats grassroots energy, just like religious fundamentalists have for the Republicans since 1980. But the netroots can be dictatorial and extreme, like the Religious Right. Here’s how powerful they are: Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid both were afraid to buck them on…
Read MorePolitics and Immigration
There are three sides in the debate on immigration. The liberals. The conservatives. And what I will call Wall Street. The crux of the difference between liberals and conservatives is assimilation. Liberals believe immigration is humanitarian and immigrants will assimilate like the Irish, Italians, and Germans assimilated. Millions of new immigrants won’t reject our culture,…
Read MoreThe Myth of Al Gore
A cry rises from the Democratic masses: “Run, Al, Run!” No, don’t, Al. Don’t run. The only place you can go from here is down. The minute you get in the presidential race, you lose about half the support you have now. Because they’re for Hillary, Obama or Edwards. The attack machines will start up…
Read MoreAn Odd Tale
The New York Times (06-02-07) reports the Internet has boomeranged on the pornography industry. It was initially a boost. But no more. With the World Wide Web awash in cheap, free, amateur pornography and x-rated DVDs traditional old-line pornographers’ profits are nose-diving. In an antiseptic financial analysis the Times reports when it comes to pornography…
Read MorePolitical Immolation and Immigration
President Bush was already giving whoever has the distinction of being the most unpopular president in history a run for his money. Now, as if the war in Iraq isn’t a big enough challenge, he’s leading the campaign to legalize 12 million illegal immigrants, which polls show 70% of Americans oppose. More to the point,…
Read MoreRepublican Family Values
If Fred Thompson gets into the Republican presidential race, there will be four major candidates: Thompson, McCain, Giuliani and Romney. If my math is correct, the four have – between them – a total of eight marriages. In fact, as James Carville points out, the only one of them who had just one wife is…
Read MoreTax That Fellow Under the Tree
With apologies to Keith Olberman of MSNBC, here are my nominations for the worse, worser and worsest people in Wake County. All of them for saying in The News & Observer that they don’t want to pay taxes for schools. Worse: Carridene Narron, 83, of Raleigh, a retired title examiner at the state Division of…
Read More