Comment Archives: Stories: Columns
Re: “Public Schools First NC is sounding the alarm”
As budget analysts dig deeper into the Senate GOP's budget, they discover that the proposed cuts to pre-K funding are worse than what the budget summaries indicated. The current level of 29,600 children funded by the state would drop by 7,500 in the coming fiscal year and another 2,500 -- for a total cut of 10,000 -- in 2014-15, according to the N.C. Justice Center's Matt Ellinwood.
He explains it here: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2013/05/22/…
Re: “Public Schools First NC is sounding the alarm”
The behavior of this legislature is irrational and destructive. What is WRONG with these people.
One mistake: "North Carolina has dropped to 48th ... and now leads only Arizona, Utah and Texas."
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
I've sat in on political discussions with James and can attest to his seriousness about our situation at the local, national, and world levels. He's no baby kissing glad hander who is in it for the money and power. I'm also a life long registered Independent because when I first registered in 1972 I realized that both parties were too much about business as usual. Its only gotten worse. The business of America is BIG business. James is not that kind of lackey.
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
Hi, all, you may remember me as MTBinDurham from BlueNC and other spots.
Here's why James has a long way to go before he gets my support -- I'm not interested in symbolic runs; I want someone who's going to actually get into office. Winning office at the state level is a long and messy process. "Speaking truth to power," or any other number of vacuous slogans and phrases, isn't going to get anywhere.
The progressive I'm going to support is going to be one who shows he can go to North Carolina's small towns where the economy is the worst, jobs are scarce, and the Democratic party is scarcer. Show my you can get those towns not just excited, but organized and motivated to do the tedious work of turning out people to vote and getting everyone moving in the same direction, and I'm on board. Writing internet missives from a comfy chair in Chapel Hill isn't what makes a governor.
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
Thanks for this article--a big ray of hope in the face of all the collateral damage already wreaked by McCrory and friends in the short time he has been in office. I am glad to hear about James Protzman. I am glad he is willing to call liars liars. He sounds like a man capable of critical thinking and a heart that can feel. I will learn more and plan to support him and his voice early and often.
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
While I've also never met the man in person, I've followed his activities at BlueNC for a couple of years and I can promise you, he is EXACTLY the type of candidate we need to see in every race and every level of office in this state.
Sometimes arrogance has more to to with the perceptions of those on the receiving end than the character of the person accused of being so. As for uncompromising; I've seen a lifetime's worth of compromise in candidates who call themselves progressives (or sell themselves as such), and I'm sick to death of it.
Give me a candidate who tells it like it is, pulls no punches, and occasionally calls an asshole or a liar what what they really are, in public, any day of the year over the sniveling, compromising, afraid-to-offend professional politicians we've had to put up with for as long as most of us can remember.
Protzman is a breath of fresh air in a room full of stale air and rusted tools.
Go. James, go!
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
Michael, if James really didn't care about our state and the average people who inhabit it, which seems to be the prevalent opinion amongst the vast majority of candidates/elected officials, he would not get as angry about some of the things that have happened.
We need somebody with a little emotion, who can feel a sense of outrage when it should be felt. But behind that emotion is one of the smartest people I have ever met, who also happens to be one of the most objective, as well. He isn't above reevaluating his beliefs, to see if he's missed something along the way. He's hungry for new information, as opposed to running away from inconvenient truths, and that is the only way to continually make progress.
Is he a rock star? No. Have we had enough rock star politicians already? Oh, hell yes.
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
I've known this good man for more than 35 years. He'd be a great governor! He's smart enough to know when arrogant and uncompromising is appropriate. In this political climate we need someone who is willing to tell the truth.
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
@Michael
As the article suggests, I'd be thrilled to see a great progressive candidate join the fray and lead our party forward.
Pat McCrory spent ten years running for governor. We need someone to step forward now to challenge him at every turn. Got any suggestions?
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
The problem is that Protzman can come across as a complete jerk. I share almost all of his political views, but it would require some serious nose-holding to vote for him in the primaries. (The stench from the GOP would be such that in the general that wouldn't be much of an issue.) Interacting him through BlueNC and other online fora, my initial reaction is that while he's done some good work statewide, I'd be worried if he were the flag for NC progressives, because he'll make us all look uncompromising and arrogant.
I should qualify this by saying I've never met him in person, and Lord knows it's easy for one to get the wrong impression online, but while I'm not as active in the NC progressive online chatterboxes as I used to be, I was never really left with a good impression of the man.
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
Maybe they could just stay off the ripple...
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
Let us hope that Proudly Unaffiliated stays Unaffiliated. I would stand up for his right to speak his opinion, just as I would for others.....But perhaps this "Unaffiliated" should read his (her) comments while looking in a full length mirror. That the place where they will be most respected. My prayers to you
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
Bait? Really, Proudly? You must mean that beating upside the head that the Republicans have administered to our state. Now it's true, some people -- including, yes, some black people -- aren't taking their lumps lying down, and some are even resorting to nonviolent civil disobedience. This strikes me as preferable to the alternatives of giving in or (literally) fighting back.
But protest is just one tact of several that must be used to, as you say, get us out of this one. I have some others in mind and will be writing about them over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
The Dems took the bait, partly you did not have a choice, partly, as with letting Barber become the most active and vocal opposition leader, you swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker. With more minority House reps and Senators in the General Assembly in living memory, then add Barber, the face of the Dem party is black now. Not white, not reasonable, not gay, not even all that moral or intelligent or articulate. Think Mel Watt. As this continues, the Blue Dog Dems (the ones you left off your leftist coalition list) will slowly but surely be pushed out. The Blue Dogs are necessary to achieve a Dem majority and they are disappearing. You may think you are of the 99% but at the ballot box you will be the 49%.
Yes, the Rs set the stage for the electorate to polarize their electoral choice and you Progs have made it easier. Blame the Rs if you want but all they did was set the stage and let you do the damage to yourselves. They knew you couldn't help it.
What is next? Real tax reduction and reform from the Rs, a terrific body blow that defunds the left, while you guys continue boilerplate Monday protests. Who do you think wins that one, even with a Prog-sympathetic media? Oh, and let us not forget the continuing Dems scandals which englishes the game against you, too.
Write an article telling us how you get out of this one. You look snookered to me.
Re: “A pint for Oscar”
Regarding: A Pint for Oscar
Dear Bill Kirk,
I’m not surprised to read that you remember the night you got your Oscar. Most people do. I always bring it along when I screen a film or give a presentation to share it with the audience. Hundreds of thousands of people have held it all over the world. I suspect we were returning from a screening at UNC or Duke the night we stopped in at Spanky’s.
I have a few comments and corrections I hope you will welcome. For starters, the bronze plaque which is attached to the Oscar is screwed on, not glued on.
Of the trio of women you met, only I was one of the “winners”. The other “winner” is David Kasper, though I believe the biggest winners are the American public and the people of Panama.
Let me clarify what the film is about. The Panama Deception reveals the untold story of the 1989 US invasion of Panama, the events which led to it, the excessive force used, the enormity of the death and destruction and the devastating aftermath. It sheds light on the true motivation for the invasion and explains how and why the mainstream media collaborated with the US government to censor information and deceive the public. It is a poignant and alarming reflection of the government deception, media misinformation, war for profit and ideological fanaticism that eerily repeats itself today.
I’m not sure what you meant by “left-wing radical filmmakers”. Speaking truth to power is surely radical. Media, including The NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post, and other influential papers initially supported the war. In the end they printed praises for our film’s ability to ‘deal with the explanations for the military intervention singly and devastatingly.’ What is radical is that they eventually acknowledged that they had behaved as propagandists for the government, a policy that continues today.
By the way, it used to cost $300 to return each Oscar to The Academy en-route to R.S. Owens foundry in Chicago to have the Oscar repaired and re-gilded, which we have done twice with each of our Oscars. The Academy told me today it would be $1,500, not counting repairs (Some people drop it), which means I may never be able to spiff it up again. How sad. I like to let people hold it, but I also like for them to hold something that still resembles an Oscar
I hope you come and introduce yourself this Mothers Day, May 12th between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at The Station in Carrboro, where the Oscar will be meeting and greeting along with David and I at the Big Boss Brewing Company’s Elderberry Cask Party. Donations will go to Empowerment Project and Old Oak Homestead. Bring your camera. I’ll buy you a drink.
Barbara Trent
The Panama Deception
Empowerment Project
Re: “Dancing babies”
Apparently no livestock were kept on that inherited farm.
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
FYI, the Associated Press interviewed the Rev. Barber today. He confirmed that the "Moral Monday" protests will continue, with the next one coming in four days, May 13: http://www.wral.com/nc-naacp-says-monday-d…
Re: “The ripple effect: NAACP's Barber and civil disobedience in Raleigh”
100% agreement here. There is no finer leader in the State than Dr. Rev. William Barber II. There has never been a greater cause in this State where all persons need, if nothing else, the basic information and motives of this General Assembly. If you were there to see the concern, knew the true goals of the General Assembly, and were fortunate to have been among those that stood up, took a stand, and saw the actions, perhaps you would understand this is about all the Citizens of NC. I proudly let them cuff me to help expose their cruel, mean spirited agenda. To do nothing is the real sin!!!
Re: “Party of eight”
My mother wasn't able to have kids after her second, me being the first so she chose adoption agencies chicago il, and the adopted siblings are as much of my family as I am, and Its great!
Re: “Public Schools First NC is sounding the alarm”
Where the heck is the Great NC education lottery money going? Quit robbing programs to enhance others if it fails cut it. If you don't have the frigging money don't spend it. We as a people need to wake up and realize most politicians are crooks they rob our hard earned money and gamble on stupid crap. 14,000,000 to fund research on snails. That was just a random made up example, but makes you think of some of the stupid crap they spend money on, while robbing our kids of an education. I am a non party person, but my beliefs are to quit paying our politicians so much give it to our soldiers and teachers. Kick them all out of office and start from scratch.