Mischievous Genie
Over a week ago in a newspaper story – after a day of women chanting “shame, shame, shame” – a Republican consultant declared bluntly House Speaker Thom Tillis had better support the Senate... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Still pushing on Voter ID
Editorial, News and Observer, July 22, 2013. Just when it appeared the unnecessary, wasteful, oppressive ideas on voter identification proposals couldn’t get any worse, state Senate Republicans have... Read More
Democrats MVP
It’s hard to be an all-star when your team is getting steamrolled every day. Still, a number of Democratic legislators have fought hard, stood their ground and spoken eloquently. But I’m awarding... Read More
Tax Reform Part of Broader Plan
A few weeks ago, I was interviewing one of North Carolina's senior Democratic statesmen for my upcoming biography of former Gov. Jim Martin. Not surprisingly, the interview occasionally veered from... Read More
Standing Up For The Old North State
Many of us moved to North Carolina because of its Southern charm and the attributes of its economy and culture that made it stand apart from its Southern counterparts. Many more of us were born here... Read More
Budget is Not What State Employees and Retirees Deserve
Late Sunday night, the N.C. General Assembly released its compromise $20.6 billion budget proposal which includes five bonus days, but no pay raises or retiree cost-of-living adjustments. To say that... Read More
North Carolina Republicans Push Harsh New Voter ID Law
North Carolina was long regarded as one of the most progressive Southern states—an island of moderation amid a sea of conservatism. But since Republicans took over the state legislature in 2010 and... Read More
The myth of teacher tenure
If only we could abolish teacher tenure, propose liberals and conservatives alike, surely we could improve our nation’s public schools. Right? Wrong. Although hailed as a panacea, getting rid of... Read More
Deep wells inappropriate for NC fracking
By Vikram Rao, the executive director of the Research Triangle Energy Consortium and a member of the Mining and Energy Commission , Published in News and Observer, July 23, 2013. The General... Read More
