Politics

Politics

There are 1,056 posts filed in Politics (this is page 56 of 106).

Coastal N.C. counties fighting sea-level rise prediction

While there’s still enough sand left on our coast to do so, state lawmakers and coastal county officials intend to bury their heads in it.

State lawmakers are considering a measure that would limit how North Carolina prepares for sea-level rise, which many scientists consider one of the surest results of climate change.

Federal authorities say the North Carolina coast is vulnerable because of its low, flat land and thin fringe of barrier islands. A state-appointed science panel has reported that a 1-meter rise in sea level is likely by 2100.

The calculation, prepared for the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission, was intended to help the state plan for rising water that could threaten 2,000 square miles. Critics say it could thwart economic development on just as large a scale.

A coastal economic development group called NC-20 attacked the report, insisting the scientific research it cited is flawed. The science panel last month confirmed its findings, recommending that they be reassessed every five years.

via Coastal N.C. counties fighting sea-level rise prediction – Local/State – NewsObserver.com.

Jumping into a neighborhood crisis

It’s been a crazy week for me. I got word last Friday that all was not well with the Wade CAC. Elections for new CAC officers that were scheduled to take place on Tuesday were delayed and the existing leadership resigned two days before. There were lots of email flying around and phone calls made, to the point where my head began to spin with trying to unravel everything.

The Wade CAC normally meets every other month, which means that any attempt to “reboot” the election process would normally have to wait until September. That’s the approach that the city’s Community Services department wanted to take, but as the chair of the Raleigh CAC (RCAC) organization of which the Wade CAC is a part, I didn’t think it was fair for the Wade CAC membership to have to go four months without representation. Many others agreed, writing some heated emails to that effect to elected officials and city staff.
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Blogging answer abruptly ends political survey

There was a long pause when I answered the phone this evening: a sure sign of a telemarketer. The number, 801-823-2033, wasn’t familiar, either. The woman on the other end soon came on, said she was with some survey company (perhaps Opinionology?) and wanted to ask a few questions. I agreed.

“Do you plan to vote for a candidate for president this year?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“To ensure we have a representative sample, in what year were you born?” she asked.

“1969.”

“What county in North Carolina do you live in?” she asked.

“Wake.”

There was a pause. “Lake?”

“No, Wake!”

“Oh, Wake. Okay.”

There was a pause.

“Do you have a political blog or participate in political blogs?”

I stopped and considered that almost every other post here on MT.Net has something to do with politics. “Yes, I do,” I answered.

There was an even longer pause.

“Thanks for your participation in tonight’s survey. Have a good evening,” she cheerfully said before abruptly ending the call.

Weird. I wonder what it was about writing a political blog that apparently disqualified me as a survey respondent. I also wonder what that says about the respondents who don’t get disqualified.

Gov. Perdue issues executive order creating fracking task force

The N&O’s John Frank is a great reporter and I always enjoy his stories. If I may be allowed to pick nits, though, I did have one quibble with this Dome blog post he wrote about Perdue’s fracking executive order (emphasis mine):

Perdue wants the group to include appointees from the Democrat and Republican leadership in the House and Senate. But her executive order appears to preempt — or at least compete with — legislative efforts to create an official oil and gas board to write regulations for energy exploration.

The proper term is “Democratic leadership” (such as it is, admittedly). Then again, I’m not won two talk about double-chicking mmy blag posts before postine them, am I? 🙂

via Gov. Perdue issues executive order creating fracking task force | newsobserver.com projects.

Raleigh CAC meeting ends on time

Tonight was a milestone of sorts as the Raleigh CAC meeting I chaired actually ended ahead of schedule. In the four years I’ve been on the board I can’t recall a single night where this has happened.

When I was elected chair, I pledged to my fellow boardmembers that I would run an efficient meeting and not waste everyone’s time. While the first few meetings were a bit longer than I would’ve liked, tonight we actually ended a minute or two early.

One of my first big moves was to make the meetings end at 8:30 PM instead of 9 PM. I thought we should be able to get done what we need to get done in that time and so far it’s worked out well. So with the switch to the earlier time, it’s probably safe to say that no RCAC meeting has ever ended before 8:30 until tonight.

One of the reasons I consider this a milestone is that I conducted the meeting fairly, sought input from the CAC chairs, and moved things along when they needed moving. Another notable thing is that the CAC chairs actually listened to me! When I first joined the RCAC board years ago, the RCAC seemed like the epitome of herding cats. Being chair looked like a thankless job that I accepted only with trepidation. Instead, meetings like tonight show that I may be able to effectively lead this organization after all.

I came home feeling psyched, energized, and actually looking forward to the next meeting. It’s a pretty good place to be!

Raleigh to involve public sooner in parks planning

I was quoted in this morning’s Midtown Raleigh News on the new Public Participation Process for Raleigh Parks.

After a string of park projects beset by opposition battles and lengthy delays, the city’s parks and rec department will soon overhaul the way it works with the public during planning for future parks, ballfields and gyms.

The proposed guidelines, laid out in exhaustive detail in three documents totaling 89 pages, are intended to pinpoint areas of disagreement and bring together citizens groups to give suggestions, particularly when controversial projects are involved.

The idea is to resolve disputes early and not let them fester, said City Manager Russell Allen.

“The hope is that if you take time up front, you don’t get snagged later in the development of the project and run into an element of the public that never bought in,” Allen said.

via Raleigh to involve public sooner in parks planning – Raleigh – MidtownRaleighNews.com.

Vote for the winner

As I picked up my dry cleaning yesterday, a man smelling of alcohol wandered into the store and leaned forward to me.

“Hey man,” he said as he extended his fist for a fist bump, “you vote?”

“Beg your pardon. Am I broke?”

“No,” he mumbled, trying to focus his eyes on me. “Do you vote?”

“Yes, I do,” I said.

He nodded. “Well, I vote, too!”
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Amendment One passes

I was disappointed that a majority of North Carolinian voters voted to enshrine discrimination to the state constitution Tuesday. Many pointed to the Bible as their justification.

The way I see it, God gave some people blue eyes and some people brown eyes. God made some people black, some white, some Asian, and so on. Likewise, God made some people straight and some people gay. It is not for us to question God’s wisdom! I’ve always wondered how some can claim to know God better than God Himself. Let he who is without sin …
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NC Democratic party votes to keep Parker

I have to say I’m totally flabbergasted by the North Carolina Democratic Party’s SEC vote to reject David Parker’s resignation. It’s a total farce.

As my friend Perry pointed out, never before has the party held a vote to reject a resignation. On the face of it it seems to me that the motion would be out of order.

I am concerned that Parker appears not to be keeping his word to step down. I’m also concerned that the vote of 269-203 show a deep division in the party. How could anyone in the party choose to support such a divisive leader (and I use that term loosely)?

As time passes, my thoughts on Parker’s trainwreck of a press conference have only been reinforced. As I said before, I have no idea whether or not sexual harassment took place. What I do know is that Parker’s explanation was so much bullshit. At best, he’s an aloof leader who failed to properly vet and supervise his employees. At worst he’s a baldfaced liar, a loose cannon who perhaps even protected a sexual predator. Neither option evokes confidence.

And for the Parker supporters to claim that others are attacking him is ridiculous. He’s the boss of the party; the buck stops with him. He’s the captain of the ship and with that authority comes responsibility. If the ship wrecks, it doesn’t matter whether he was paying attention or not, it’s his fault, period. There is no one else to blame.

Bernie Sanders Warns Republicans that Sarkozy’s Fate Will Soon Be Theirs

Bernie Sanders is spot on. The American middle class won’t take kindly to shouldering the lion’s share of the economic recovery while the ultra rich get richer.

The backlash has already hit Europe. I would not want to be an incumbent when it hits America.

Sen. Sanders has it nailed. The American people don’t like extremism. Since the 2010 elections, Republicans have been pushing fiscal extremism, and the bill is about to come due in 2012. The Republican Party is out of step with what most Americans really want. They want their Social Security and Medicare left the way they are. They want taxes to be raised at least a little bit on those who can afford it the most, and they want the social safety net to be strong and left in place.

via Bernie Sanders Warns Republicans that Sarkozy’s Fate Will Soon Be Theirs.