Posts by Carter Wrenn
Another $555 Million – Not Being Spent on Schools
The News and Observer reports, “Raleigh-Durham Airport officials just approved a $257.6 million contract to replace the red-roofed Terminal C,” and the total cost of the project is “expected to reach $555 million.” So we have taxpayers funding: • $555 million for a terminal at the airport;• $215 million (and still rising) for the downtown…
Read MoreNo Lack of Money
The price of Mayor Meeker’s downtown Convention Center just soared again: to $215 million. The City Council just approved spending another $23 million on the Convention Center without a blink or hardly a nay vote. In fact, every County Commissioner and every City Councilman but one – Councilman Tommy Craven – voted for the increase.…
Read MoreThe Downtown Hotel
The downtown hotel has hit a stumbling block – but not because City leaders decided it was a mistake to stick taxpayers with a $20 million bill to build a Marriott Hotel. Instead, the problem is stucco. That’s right, stucco. Councilman Thomas Crowder is raising all sorts of cain because the builders want to put…
Read MoreBush and Spying
When I first heard about President Bush ‘wire taping’ calls (from U.S. citizens to overseas) I thought that sounded pretty bad – that the President shouldn’t just have the power to go out and wiretap calls made by American citizens anytime he wants to. Then I thought about the pictures on the Internet of hooded…
Read MoreDrug Companies
Gary, with all due respect, I believe I’ll pass on defending (see post below) the drug companies. Have at ‘em with my best wishes.
Read MoreThe Oil Companies Strike Again
Sometimes – though I feel a bit queasy about it – I think the liberals may have a point about the oil companies. The New York Times reports that while gasoline and natural gas prices have soared, big oil royalty payments for oil and gas pumped from publicly owned lands is little more than it…
Read MoreCorruption Poll
Well, there’s good news on corruption – sort of. The folks over at the Civitas Institute have taken a statewide poll and asked voters which party is more corrupt – Democrats or Republicans. So, who wins? Well, when it comes to corruption right here in North Carolina: 25% say Republicans are more corrupt (which puzzling…
Read MoreCorruption Poll
Well, there’s good news on corruption – sort of. The folks over at the Civitas Institute have taken a statewide poll and asked voters which party is more corrupt – Democrats or Republicans. So, who wins? Well, when it comes to corruption right here in North Carolina: 25% say Republicans are more corrupt (which puzzling…
Read MoreCorruption and Reform – Washington Style
Voters are hearing a lot of talk from politicians these days in Washington about lobbying reform. Both parties have presented packages to ‘clean up the mess’ and though the Democrats say they’re going a little further than Republicans, basically, both parties are saying the same thing, they want to curtail gifts and travel paid for…
Read MoreChinese Spies in Morrisville
Here’s a strange twist. The Morrisville City Council seems about to give Chinese computer giant Lenova $1 million in tax breaks – to relocate there. Giving tax breaks – even to a Chinese conglomerate – is not strange. But what’s unusual is that the federal government told Lenovo it had to leave the Research Triangle…
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