Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
To get the debate on the so-called ‘Transfer Tax’ out of the backrooms of the legislature and into public domain – so voters would know about the new tax on homes – the Realtors Association ran TV ads. They got Governor Easley so stirred up he let fly and told legislators they had to decide…
While John Edwards and Hillary and Barack Obama are running around the nation deploring the greed of corporate CEOs, North Carolina State Senate kingpin Tony ‘The Fixer’ Rand is helping the CEOs. At the end of the legislative session Senator Rand slipped through a bill to give Goodyear Tire and Rubber $40 million in “incentives”…
Governor Easley’s spokesman said the Governor plans to spend this month reading all the bills enacted by this year’s legislature and deciding whether to sign them or veto them. For which he can thank my old boss Jim Hunt. Jim Hunt first took office as Governor 30 years ago this year – in 1977. Back…
I’ve got to – for once – agree with Gary. The most feared name in Democratic politics today is Joe Sinsheimer. There’s no substitute for good research and Mr. Sinsheimer’s carving out a niche all his own. His particular bone of contention is corruption. How effective is he? Ask Jim Black, Rep. Thomas Wright and…
Here’s a story about how democracy works that’s a far cry from what they teach in high school civics class. Two years ago, three big waste management corporations decided to build mega-garbage dumps here in North Carolina. Not for garbage from North Carolina. But for garbage from Massachusetts and New York. They promoted their idea…
The North Carolina Democratic Party needs to shed the stink of video poker money. A federal grand jury in Asheville has indicted 21 people for illegally operating video poker machines in 15 western N.C. counties. The allegations include bribery of two Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies. Joe Sinsheimer’s complaint to the State Board of Elections this…
One of the mantras of the Urban Correctness crowd – of which Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker is High Priest – is “density.” “Density” is good. “Sprawl” is anathema. That’s what makes the flap at Five Points – involving the quasi-official, quasi-political CACs who’re usually among the mayor’s biggest boosters – interesting. Because they’ve decided “density”…
Governor Easley has turned into the ultimate huckster. The suckers in North Carolina won’t buy enough lottery tickets, so, like a shill in a carny, he wants to jack up the prizes apparently on the theory that if he baits the hook with enough fool’s gold the suckers will part with more of their money.…
It’s one of my favorite political trivia questions: In 1972, George McGovern carried only two of North Carolina’s 100 counties against Richard Nixon. What are the two counties? Most people can guess Orange (Chapel Hill). But few guess the other: Northampton County in northeast North Carolina. Sonny Boy Joyner was the man responsible. He put…
Carter Wrenn and I are moving to Substack. That’s where you’ll find our blogs in the…
The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…
A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…