Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Now George Bush says this is a “battle for civilization.” No it isn’t. And that’s exactly why he’s bad for America. Like all second-term Presidents, Bush yearns for a place in history. So his rhetoric grows ever-more overblown: The struggle against radical Islam is “the calling of our civilization.” “The safety of America depends on…
Not to long ago State Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker-Odom claimed she was going to save taxpayers millions by hiring a new computer vender to process the state’s Medicare claims. Today the new vender is a year behind schedule, the system is not in place, the state is in a contract…
First the federal government shot down Raleigh’s hopes for light-rail money. Now the State Board of Transportation has cut off the spigot. Who is to blame? Here are some nominees: The Mayor and City Council. Heckuva job lobbying, folks. And now Mayor Meeker is suggesting a half-cent local sales tax instead. The Wake County legislative…
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker may set the record for most mentions as a potential candidate for statewide office. But my bet is that he runs again for Mayor. Rumors this summer had him looking at Attorney General (if Roy Cooper ran for Governor, which he won’t), State Treasurer (if Richard Moore runs for Governor, which…
There is a controversy simmering around the state about government using its right to Eminent Domain to seize private property. A recent article in the News and Observer – about the Triangle Transit Authority – gives an example. Last year, the TTA took Mr. Bob Morrison’s business, ‘Bob’s Service Garage,’ in Durham because it wanted…
“Plamegate” in Washington and “Deckergate” in Raleigh make me wonder about the political power of federal prosecutors. For years, Democrats took great glee over the investigation into who outed CIA agent Valerie Plame. Especially when it looked like Karl Rove would be the ultimate victim. Just as North Carolina Republicans take great glee over the…
Raleigh Arts Commissioner Lee Tripi recently spoke out on behalf of Juame Plensa’s Plaza in the News and Observer 8-17-06. He wrote: “Decisions concerning public art should not be about what any individual likes or dislikes… “Those who see more value in hot beds of asphalt …than in having a city square with cultural significance…
With the price of gasoline soaring the state must – it has to be — be awash in gas tax revenues – so why does it seem every time I open the newspaper the headline reads “DOT Delays Road Construction”? (News and Observer, 9-6-06) It seems the DOT hardly builds roads anymore – at least…
Thatâs the cliché de jour, but I think 9/11 changed our lives in ways we canât yet see â or even imagine. Itâs not just leaving your shampoo and toothpaste out of the carry-on bag. History is an unpredictable thing. Think about Vietnam. Thirty-five years ago, nobody could have imagined how deep and searing the…
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…