In defense of the press
Yesterday, Peder Zane wrote a piece in the N&O bemoaning the partisan bent of news coverage in the state and nation. He has some legitimate gripes. Reporter bias does often come through and, yes... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Important Medicaid news you might have missed
You probably missed the news that the members of the overwhelmingly Republican state Senate finally came to their senses Monday and voted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and provide... Read More
Unravelling
Day in and day out for years I sat in meetings watching and listening to men who lived and breathed politics and, almost to a man every one looked on telling a lie (or, more precisely, being caught... Read More
5 important uncertainties for NC that make this no time to double down on tax cuts
Today at 1 p.m., the North Carolina Senate Finance Committee will take up the Senate’s latest tax cut proposal: a bill that flies under the dubious official title, “Billion Dollar Middle Class Tax... Read More
Community Colleges are a worthy investment
Editorial published in Burlington Times-News, March 29, 2017. North Carolina's community college system originated in 1950 when the state superintendent of public instruction commissioned a study to... Read More
GOP state lawmakers dismantle local control
by Paul O'Connor, Capitol Press Association, published in Salisbury News, March 28, 2017. Let’s look back six years to the beginning of this Republican legislative era and ask: Has the GOP done what... Read More
Small towns, courts and independent thinkers
I have to vote to break a tie on town council's votes all the time,” the mayor of a small North Carolina mountain town told a friend. “When they deadlock it is a 3 to 3 vote, with the same people... Read More
To those who say a concealed carry doesn't belong in church
The North Carolina House passed a bill on Monday that would give concealed carriers the ability to carry their firearms in places of worship that also operate schools outside of school operating hours... Read More
Class size tussle presents a bigger problem
There will be no quick solution for school districts grappling to address new class size requirements. You may remember that in mid-February the North Carolina House passed legislation (HB 13) in... Read More
Term limits amendment gets another shot
State Rep. Dennis Riddell, R-Alamance, is under no illusion a constitutional amendment to impose legislative term limits will be an easy sell, even though the earliest anyone would be barred from... Read More
