General
Everyone Has Their Own Point of View
The Good Lord gave everyone their own way of seeing things but he also gave them the ability to stand in another person’s shoes (or at least to get close enough to where another person’s standing to see what he’s seeing). But there are exceptions. For instance, when people get into politics. And join…
Read MoreTree’d
Senator Tom Apodaca, the last of the old-fashioned Bull Moose in the State Senate, has tree’d Prior Gibson. Just before the General Assembly voted on the budget a letter landed on legislators’ desks from the Secretary of Transportation saying it was urgent to spend $63 million to build a parkway in Gaston County. Only…
Read MoreWaiting 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 MoreTalent or Lightning Striking?
After two terms in the State House Thom Tillis soared to being the second most powerful politician in Raleigh after the Governor and the oohing and aahing that followed probably wasn’t as lethal (or as likely to turn a fellow’s head) as a blonde whispering in his ear but, still, all that adulation had to…
Read MoreA Well Kept Secret
If the Ethics Commission has ever found anyone guilty of an ethics violation it’s one of the best kept secrets in North Carolina. But, nonetheless, now the Commission says it’s going to investigate two lobbyists who had affairs with two members of House Speaker Thom Tillis’ staff to find out what “things of value” the…
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 MoreWho Gives the Orders?
Last year when the politicians in Washington sent down an order to the politicians in Raleigh telling them to implement Obama-care the politicians in Raleigh saw red and said the whole thing was unconstitutional. Which sounded pretty cut and dried until the other day when the Raleigh politicians gave an order of their own.…
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 More