Raleigh

You’ve got to admire John Kane’s chutzpah. But not his political judgment. Kane, the developer of Raleigh’s North Hills, wants $75 million in public money so he can build parking decks for his North Hills East project. What is he thinking? It’s not going to happen. Especially not in an election year. Mayor Meeker immediately…

There was a short story in The News and Observer last week about the CACs (Raleigh ‘neighborhood groups’) asking the City Council for $25,000 to recruit new members. As a practical matter these semi-official groups have long since turned into adjuncts of Mayor Meeker’s political apparatus. The Council giving them $25,000 to recruit members is…

The Wake County School Board got a second “black eye” from County Commissioners. Commissioner Kenn Gardner blasted the Board for reducing teacher pay raises at the same time it was boosting Administrative spending 11% – twice the increase in school enrollment. Not so, Chief Business Officer of the School Board David Neter, shot back. He…

The Wake County School Board got three “black eyes” in one day (last Tuesday) in The News and Observer. The first was the continuing a saga of the Boards ‘Land Acquisitions Office.’ If you buy a home the bank requires an appraisal. But the ‘Land Acquisition Office’ says that’s folly. It’s administrators want to buy…

Ten months ago, a local developer signed a contract to buy thirty-two acres in Wake County (for $2.5 million). He purchased the land on June 6. And sold it the next day for $3.3 million. In other words, he contracted to buy the land, then found a second buyer, then flipped it and made a…

As just about everyone knows no one is more adroit than a politician when it comes to using a euphemism to hide bad news. The Mayor and his two liberal allies on the City Council – Russ Stephenson and Thomas Crowder – have a euphemism they’re using for raising taxes: Impact Fees (The News and…

Mayor Meeker and the City Council are considering changing Raleigh’s C.A.C. (Community Action Council) structure. And, of course, the first thing someone suggested was hiring a consultant to do a study. For $150,000. The C.A.C.’s are gadfly-like neighborhood groups funded by the city to advise the City Council. Right now, they claim 6400 members. But…

Five members of the School Board are up for re-election this fall and School Superintendent Del Burns’ decision to cashier high-school teacher Robert Escamilla may land right in their laps. Mr. Escamilla teaches – or did teach until Burns demoted him – at Enloe High School. For twenty-four years, he has received good to exemplary…

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…