Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Reform-mania
Nothing is quite so repellent â or dangerous â as a politician in the throes of reform-mania. Witness the North Carolina legislature. To start with, no legislator really wanted to pass lobbying or campaign finance reform. They liked the old system. After all, they had designed it to serve themselves. So they did what they…
The Blue Ribbon Panel
Gary and John Hood of the Locke Foundation are having a little debate about the Blue Ribbon Commission. I recently read the Commission’s report. It says Wake County’s population is going to double in twenty-five years and, as a result, we’re going to have to spend a whole lot of money on schools, streets, sewers…
Terror Politics: The Democrats
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee knows how to fight back. Its new web ad blasts the Bush record on protecting America: “Not enough troops… “Four times as many terror attacks in 2005… “Iran developing nuclear weapons… “North Korea quadrupling its nuclear arsenal… “Millions more illegal immigrants… “Feel safer? Vote for change.” Click here to see…
Terror Politics: The Republicans
I’m not the only one suspicious of the timing of last week’s airport-terror scare. As Keith Olderman pointed out on MSMBC’s Countdown Monday night, the Bush administration for years has conveniently announced terror threats at politically-advantageous times. Like right after the Connecticut Senate primary. Has the act worn thin? We’ll see in November. Click to…
Picasso or P.T. Barnum?
Is the dingus Spanish impresario Jaume Plensa wants to build in the middle of Fayetteville Street the most brilliant work of modern art in the twenty-first century – or is it a good old-fashioned flim-flam? Is Mr. Plensa Picasso – or P.T. Barnum? The leaders of Raleigh’s art circles say Plensa has woven aircraft cables,…
The N&O’s big boo-boo
Since I got my first job as a copyboy at The News & Observer 41 years ago this summer, my life has been inextricably intertwined with that paper. But I’ve never seen the N&O do more damage to itself than with the front-page mistake on the Duke-lacrosse investigation. Public Editor Ted Vaden described it this…
In Defense of Jim Black
Everybody’s piling on Jim Black. So I’ll dissent. First of all, enough with Republicans decrying a pay-to-play system in Raleigh. It’s a pale imitation of the pay-to-play system Republicans installed in Washington – and in Raleigh, when they had the House majority. Second, enough with politicians and reporters who are shocked – shocked, mind you…
Republicans at Bat – at Last
Republicans are airing their first TV ad about the pay to play scandals. State Senator Andrew Brock’s ad calls on “embattled House Speaker Jim Black to resign…” (WRAL-TV, 8/7/06). Brock also says the beneficiaries of the ‘pay to play’ scandals are Democrat House members who received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Black. A…
City Debt – Up, Up, Up!
According to the News and Observer (7/24/06), since Mayor Meeker took office Raleigh’s debt has tripled. In a few weeks, on September 30, for the first time the City’s debt will pass $1 billion. Five years ago it was $294 million. That puts the spending spree the Mayor has been on in perspective. Granted, some…