Heard on the Street Posted: Thursday, March 11th, 2010 Travelling mike
This Monday NC SPIN will be taking our travelling microphones to the North Carolina Sheriff Association’s Spring Meeting in Wrightsville Beach at the Holiday Inn Sunspree. We are looking forward to the give and take that will take place on critical issues affecting not only our law enforcement and criminal justice system, but also other important issues of the day.
Taft’s murder saddens the state
Kathy Taft was a dedicated member of the State Board of Education, a vibrant and energetic advocate of public schools and enjoyed the political process in this state. Her death has dominated the news this week as authorities try to determine what happened to this fine woman. The fact that law enforcement authorities are not saying much leads one to surmise they have a lead on who did this. In the meantime media outlets are trying to piece together what happened and there are conflicting reports surfacing. More details from law enforcement authorities will follow in such a high profile case. In the meantime we join the family in mourning the tragic loss of this leader, mother and friend.
Wake Schools
Hardly a day goes by without more controversy from Wake County Schools. This week the new board put Superintendent Del Burns on administrative leave until the effective date of his resignation. How much does this cost taxpayers? The poorly chosen remarks of the new Chairman about “the animals” were matched by equally poor insinuations about the Mafia from the NAACP. Regardless of whether you support the new policies of the Wake Board or not, The Charlotte Observer offered some editorial comments today that should be heeded. The editorial recounts that Charlotte Mecklenburg schools have been on the same path Wake schools now appear to be traveling and suggests that Wake not make some of the same mistakes Charlotte Meck made.
This comes about the same time a report was released that there were 1,400 instances of paddling of students in our state. We think it is time to collect all those paddles, send them to Raleigh and apply them generously to the adults who are acting more like ill-behaved children. Might have more of an impact and you can be sure it will make more great news coverage.
NC Finalist in Race to the Top
Last week we reported in this newsletter that North Carolina was unlikely to be a finalist in the Race to the Top federal initiative that will award four billion dollars to states. No sooner had we hit the send button on our newsletter than the news broke that we were a finalist. Just goes to show that expert sources are not always experts.
There was some good news in education this week. Reports indicate the number of students dropping out last year was 4.27 percent, the lowest on record. This is not just a North Carolina problem. It is a large part of President Obama’s motivation in the Race to the Top initiative.
Look for more discussion on the Race to the Top on this week’s NC SPIN.
Marshall boasts of new poll
The race for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate race has seen some public debates and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is publicizing a new poll she commissioned that shows her with a large lead in the primary race. The Lake Research Partners poll shows her with 31 percent support, compared to 5 percent for Cal Cunningham, 4 percent for Ken Lewis, 3 percent for Marcus Williams and 1 percent for John Hendrix. However, 56 percent of the voters are undecided.
The press release says that Marshall leads in every demographic and geographic area of the state. No doubt that survey will be quickly challenged. Regardless of the poll, however, most say Marshall is leading at this time.
This campaign is far from over but time is running out for serious challengers to Marshall. Seven weeks remain between now and May 4th. That isn’t much time for a candidate to get name recognition and establish positions on key issues. Insiders say none of the campaigns have enough money to go up on TV. The longer they wait the better it is for Marshall.
Apologies to Ken Lewis
Last week, in our summary of the US Senate campaign we reported that Ken Lewis had contributed a large chunk of his reported contributions to his campaign. Within minutes of our publishing, Bruce Clark, Lewis’ campaign manager, contacted us to say that Ken hasn’t loaned his campaign any money. Sorry for the misinformation.
No raise for state employees
Governor Perdue didn’t mince words in telling state employees not to expect pay raises this year. To be sure there will be grumbling, but at least they should keep their jobs. 11 percent (or more) in this state are unemployed, as the latest Employment Security Commission report indicates. Kevin Siers, the man who can say in one picture what it takes most of us hundreds of words to speak, has a delightful cartoon in today’s Charlotte Observer.
State to legislate video sweepstakes parlors
We’ve talked before about the explosion in the number of video sweepstakes parlors, an explosion that developed because the legislature failed to take action last year. Some legislators are saying they want to ban them, much as has been the case with video poker, but others are saying that perhaps the better way is to license and tax them. Look for more discussion about this on next week’s NC SPIN.
O’Connor says appoint judges
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was speaking at the Elon University Law School this week and came down hard against the election of judges. "We are the only nation in the world that elects its judges," said the former Justice. "We are just way out in left field on this. You still do that in North Carolina, I'm sorry to say — very sorry to say — that's not a good way to go.”
Let’s see what our panel has to say on this subject on next week’s NC SPIN.
Cleaning the air
In 2002 North Carolina passed what has become known as the “Clean Smokestacks Bill,” following an effort by environmentalists to rid pollutants in our air. The law has been in effect long enough to question how well it is working. The John Locke Foundation offered their summation of the results in a new white paper Costs High, Benefits Unclear from NC Clean Smokestacks Bill.” We are eager to hear the response of industry and environmental groups. Look for us to discuss this on an upcoming NC SPIN.
RA North owes $700k in taxes
We have kept you posted on developments surrounding former governor Easley and the people with whom he was connected, most of them subject to federal lawsuits or investigations. This week the Jacksonville Daily News reported that R.A. North, the developer of Cannonsgate and several other resort communities along our coast, is delinquent on property taxes to the tune of $700,000 for property in Onslow County. We won’t know until tomorrow whether R.A. North is delinquent on the Cannonsgate property taxes in Carteret County, but we do know that brothers Randy and Gary Allen have walked away from a planned waterfront development in Pamlico County and are embroiled in a legal suit in hopes to reclaim almost $3 million paid the county in impact fees.
Some are calling the Allen brothers the “Madoff’s of Real Estate,” owing to four lawsuits involving 200 property owners in real estate developments the two have started.
Read the Jacksonville Daily News story and get more information about the Pamlico development written by our friend Jeff Aydelette in The County Compass. We haven’t begun to hear the end of these stories about R.A. North, the Allen’s and more Easley friends. We are told not to expect more indictments until after the Ruffin Poole trial ends, but we are assured they are coming.
Tickets to “An Evening with Bill Friday”
There are still tickets available to NC SPIN’s 600th show event, “An Evening with Bill Friday.” To get yours, call (919) 832-1416 or e-mail us at add comment >> |
