November 9, 2004

There were 3 posts published on November 9, 2004 (this is page 1 of 1).

Kneth Dell

The state government rolled over and handed out $250 million in corporate welfare in an effort to woo Dell. Understandably, other computer makers with manufacturing shops here are a bit peeved about this, as they should be.

I know the economy is tough. No politician in her right mind would ignore a chance to add jobs. Or to appear to add jobs, at least. But writing a staggering check to a company to bring them here is to the extreme.

There is no promise that Dell will stay here. No promise that those jobs will remain. With all other jobs seemingly headed to Asia, one has to wonder how long a manufacturing plant in North Carolina will be profitable. Then again, if you’re being bankrolled by the state, I suppose you don’t have to worry about such things.

Corporate welfare occurs when politicians stop trying to find creative ways of spurring business. And don’t get me wrong. I think Dell is a good company. They may even be around for a while in the cutthroat business of computer hardware. Putting the burden of their success on the rest of us taxpayers and business owners, however, just ain’t right.

There’s got to be a better way.

Election Wrap-Up

Election Day did have some bright spots for me, actually. I confirmed the whereabouts of Mike Easley when he showed up for his victory speech. My Libertarian friend and fellow blogger Wade pulled in an eye-popping fifteen percent of the vote for his district. That’s an amazing total for a Libbie, but it’s no surprise to me. Wade’s a super guy and deserved every vote he got, and then some.

In another N.C. House race, a guy I campaigned for, Grier Martin won a seat in my district against Don Munford. I met Grier for the first time at the Kerry-Edwards rally, where he was a fellow veteran supporting Kerry. We were two of the few there who weren’t vets of Vietnam or Korea, so we kind of stood out. It wasn’t until I saw how he knew damn near every politician onstage that I put together that his father is D. G. Martin, longtime administrator of the UNC system.

Offhandedly, I offered to help in his campaign. He handed me a cheap, ink-jet-printed business card and vowed he would call. A few weeks later, he called saying he would be drilling with his Army National Guard unit that weekend and was looking for volunteers to help canvass neighborhoods. Having some free time, and wanting to learn more about politics, I joined them.

I’d like to think the four hours spent knocking on doors helped get him elected. Pundits agree about the importance of the “ground game.” In reality, though, it was probably the $330,000 his campaign spent on TV ads, mailings, and signs that put him over the top. The margin of victory was a mere 566 votes, a hundred of which I might have added by walking neighborhoods.

So what did I learn? Politics takes some good, comfortable shoes. It takes perseverence. And if happen to have a third of a million bucks, that helps too.

Monster Baby

Travis got weighed this morning at his pediatric appointment. The doctor had told Kelly that he wanted to see Travis gain at least a half-ounce per day. Travis is apparently an overachiever, since he put on a whopping 11 ounces in the eight days since last getting weighed! He’s now over his birth weight once again, with no sign of looking back.

We’re mighty proud of our boy, though he’s certainly putting poor Kelly through her paces. Turner babies have a reputation for growing quickly. Travis will be no exception!