Recent Comments
Re: “Where is McCrory on a bill to cut unemployment benefits?”
The only problem with paygo is that they weren't actually willing to. Whether they in this case is the legislature or the businesses that control them is debatable.
I am looking forward to the day that you can stop trying to give McCrory the benefit of the doubt.
Re: “Why Aqua NC customers are furious about their service”
These companies often do more harm to area residents that are not their customers than anyone else. Look at the wells of long-time residents that were sucked dry because the latest white-flight suburb popped up down the road.
I wish we would stop pretending that they are serving some public good. They exist to turn a profit only. When a significant portion of this country is willing to excuse seemingly any behavior during the pursuit of a dollar, you can't expect the right thing to be done. How do you think they're handling the waste treatment if they can't be bothered to provide the water correctly.
In the end, there's little to nothing these residents can do. The government has handed them a monopoly on these properties. They often can't drill their own wells nor provide their own septic. We have sold our residents and our natural resources to the highest bidder.
Re: “No smoke: Pope selected as McCrory's deputy budget director”
Honestly, this was all going to happen with or without the junk store magnate.
The only good thing, if you can call it that, is the Obama/McCrory voters will finally get a clue. The state will likely never recover from the was of corporate handouts and religious idiocy that will be passed over the coming year.
Re: “In Raleigh, a push to lift the ban on granny flats”
Raleigh planners? That's funny.
Portland works, by the way because the town was planned and developed for the residents.
Raleigh doesn't work because we only seem to care about the developers and the tourist dollar.
Though I suppose we might have more skill at traffic light placement, or road widening.
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When "studying" these other towns, I suppose they didn't notice that things like backyard cottages exist there because people actually WANT to live downtown. Normal people with normal jobs that couldn't afford to otherwise. I guess our council members can't really imagine people wanting to live in downtown raleigh.
As for Crowder. He continues to try to use the council as his own personal HOA.
Re: “The One Percent will eat the poor, and other prophecies”
Truly excellent. Unfortunately, the people who might benefit from the words will never read it. Even some who actually visited the site and felt compelled to comment couldn't bother to read it.
Your summation of the Republican constituency strikes me as spot on.
While I don't agree with the corporate greed, it is a concept that most everyone can understand. What I cannot comprehend, however, is the huge swath of "red" for whom this is does not apply. The millions of people ready to vote against their own best interests because, if nothing else, it denies the other-guy something.
Re: “Presidential debate grades — Obama: INC. Romney: DQ.”
Clear platform points that I heard:
- open all public lands to mining interests
- school vouchers
- lower tax rates for corporations and everyone running a business
- elimination of every government program that is not a corporate subsidy. More specifically, a corporate subsidy in an approved industry. Oil and gas = good. Green energy = bad.
You cannot "debate" Romney. The words coming out of his mouth vary based who's listening and the day's polling numbers.
That said, asking Obama to be aggressive seems to be against his nature. He has spent the last four years trying to compromise with the GOP. He won't defend the stimus and somehow allowed himself to get sucked into this Austerity idiocy.
Re: “A Good Friday note: Resurrection will "Save Our State" (plus two upcoming events in Raleigh)”
Don't read the bible? Are you serious?
Mr Jennings, I know more about your holy book than the overwhelming majority of your followers. Of course, I've also read the religious text and practices of countless other religions as well. That, my good Reverend, is precisely why I'm not religious. The same is true for every atheist I have ever met.
As for respect. Well, I'll respect your right to believe what you want. I will not, pretend I don't think you're a fool and will not abide proselytizing. Of course, I'm not running for public office either. I don't have it in me to pretend to be religious like so many of our politicians.
Here's a thought. If we wiped the slate clean today, how many people do you think your religious text would convert? How many people would make it through Genesis before throwing it in the trash? How many of those would be left after Leviticus? Would there be any? Aside from the scholars or self-ordained priests?