Posts by Gary Pearce
Waiting for the Doctor
Right now President Obama is like a patient waiting for the doctor to bring back the test results. And the signs aren’t good. In fact, it looks like the Supreme Court is going to give his health-care reform a death sentence on Thursday. Talk about “death panels.” There are three ways this will…
Read MoreLow Road at RDU
A TAPster who apparently is a Frequent (Unhappy) Flier writes: “Critics of the Raleigh-Durham Airport and its management rolled their eyes last week when the airport authority voted to name a road after the long-time airport director who is finally retiring. “It will be a fitting tribute if the gentleman’s namesake road is torn…
Read MoreRepublicans Rooting for Failure?
Four years ago, Republicans accused Democrats who criticized the economy of “rooting for failure.” Now, one Democratic TAPster notes, it’s Republicans rooting. Item 1, from Florida: “Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign asked Florida Governor Rick Scott to tone down his statements heralding improvements in the state’s economy because they clash with the presumptive Republican nominee’s…
Read MoreThe Economic Choice
An AP story captured Democrats’ dilemma this election. It summarized where Mitt Romney and President Obama stand on the economy this way: “On planet Republican: The economy is backsliding, and the president is to blame. His stimulus spending did more harm than good, and his big-government rules are strangling businesses. The answer is repealing…
Read MoreHating Government
This week I spoke to the Association of Government Information Officers in Raleigh. About 25 people were there (all but three were women, by the way; the reverse from when I was in government over 30 years ago). I asked two questions. First, how many think your agency (most all are in state government)…
Read MoreFear the Voters
Here’s a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats want to make it easier for people to vote. Republicans, harder. In Florida, Republicans are desperately trying to purge voters before November. In North Carolina, the Republican legislature doesn’t want to help counties improve and maintain voting systems. A party that doesn’t trust the…
Read MoreKeeping It Simple
Walter Dalton beat Bill Faison like a drum in the Democratic primary. But Dalton could learn something from Faison’s ability to boil down an issue – and an attack – to its essence. Or, as one old Southern politician said, “he gets the hay down where the goats can reach it.” Example is Faison’s tweet…
Read MoreHard Hearts
Republicans are determined to define themselves as hard-hearted – and hypocritical. They give two explanations for cutting out $10 million to compensate people who were forcibly sterilized by the state. The first is: We can’ afford it. Let’s figure here. The budget is $20 billion. $200 million is 1 percent of that. So…
Read MoreTillis Goes Negative on Himself
House Speaker Thom Tillis is not exactly this legislature’s MVP. First came his staff “play to play” scandal. Then came news of his costly town-hall entourage. Today he said that his inability to get $10 million in eugenics-victim compensation is “a personal failure.” Here’s some free political advice, Mr. Speaker: Never admit you failed.…
Read MoreScandal – or Stupidity?
Was the N&O’s front-page story on “lettergate” overblown? The story referred repeatedly to “false letters.” What was false? Apparently, this sentence: “Funds are needed in this budget cycle” for two highway projects. Members of Governor Perdue’s staff inserted that line. Jim Trogdon of DOT, whose signature was added to the letters electronically, didn’t…
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