Posts by Carter Wrenn
John Edwards to Democrats: You Need Backbone
John Edwards is telling Democrats they need backbone. Mr. Edwards is also running for President on the courageous platform of eliminating poverty. He says he can do it – or a lot of it – for $20 billion. Lyndon Johnston couldn’t eliminate poverty with the whole Great Society program. The trillions we’ve spent on welfare…
Read MoreUp! Up! Up!
The State Senate’s budget increases government spending a whopping 9.4%. But it turns out the Senators are the ones holding the line. The Governor wants to increase spending even more: 9.6%. And the House topped him: 9.7%. The Governor and the Senate want to spend 90.5% of the state’s $2.4 billion surplus – and return…
Read MoreA Touch of Hypocrisy?
Four big waste management corporations – three from out of state – want to put waste dumps of the Mount Everest variety in eastern North Carolina. Then they want to haul garbage here from other states. Each of the dumps is near the coast. One is in the middle of a flood plain. It seems…
Read MorePandemic of New Taxes Breaks Out in Raleigh
Last week there was an outbreak of new taxes in Wake County. Both the Raleigh City Council and the County Commissioners voted to hike taxes the same day. Lead by Mayor Meeker the City Council voted to increase property taxes 9%. On top of that if the School Bond – which the Mayor supports –…
Read More‘Cooling Off’
A few days ago the state threatened to fire the company – computer giant ACS – it gave the biggest state contract (installing a new Medicaid claims system) to a year ago. That‘s a $171 million contract and, right now, after working on it a year ACS is a year behind schedule. When the company…
Read More$50 Million in Gifts to Congress
The News and Observer reports (06-13-06) that congressmen and their staffs have taken $50 million in gifts from private organizations. How? By accepting free trips to everywhere from Jakarta to Cancun. How many trips? 23,000 over the last five years. North Carolina congressmen and their staffs took a million dollars in ‘gifts’. For 470 trips.…
Read MoreRaising Property Taxes
The News and Observer reports when the City Council met last week to consider the new budget and a property tax increase plenty of folks showed up “with their hands out” wanting city funds for their organizations (News and Observer, 06-07-06). Legal Aid needs $35,000 more this year, the Symphony Orchestra wants $100,000 and the…
Read MoreA Little Help from his Friends?
The Charlotte Observer (6-11-06) reports Governor Easley brought a piece of North Carolina ocean front paradise on Bogue Sound at the entrance of a 75-slip marina near Emerald Isle. And he got a deal. According to the Observer, Easley bought the lot “last year for $549,880.” Which was just 3 percent above its assessed tax…
Read MorePolitical Dexterity
Not long ago when Democrat leaders in the State House were testifying before the State Board of Elections they said optometrists giving blank checks (with the amount filled in but the recipient’s name blank) to Speaker Jim Black – for him to distribute to candidates – was fine. There was not one thing wrong with…
Read MoreThe State Senate Whacks Governor Easley
After weeks of lobbing grenades – on video poker, eye exams and the teapot museum – at their fellow Democrats in the House the state Senate just lobbed one at Governor Easley. For years, going back to the days of Governor Hunt, the governor has been chairman of the N.C. Progress Board which reports to…
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