Friday, July, 4 2008

Jesse Helms, RIP
Posted July 4th, 2008 at 12:18 PM by Jeff Taylor

Former United States Senator Jesse Helms has passed.
On Independence Day. Flip a burger, have cold one, enjoy some fireworks with friends and family. In other words, be a proud American.
You owe him that much.
Bonus Observation: CNN is hopeless:
Helms’ hometown newspaper, the Charlotte News & Observer, lionized him in 2001 as one of the creators […]

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The Devil in Durham
Posted July 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 AM by Jeff Taylor

For once it is not Coach K.

Ba-dum-dum! Crash! Thanks, I’ll be here all week.
I know this Durham Democrats in a satanic ritual thing has gotten big play on talk radio and on the Inter-tubes, but I just do not buy it. Not yet.
One, there is the little matter of the Duke lacrosse case, which […]

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Limbaugh’s Biltmore Connection
Posted July 3rd, 2008 at 7:34 AM by Jeff Taylor

This very long New York Times Magazine profile of Rush Limbaugh has many little nuggets, including this one:
Unlike many right-wing talk-show hosts, Limbaugh does not view France with hostility. On the contrary, he is a Francophile. His salon, he told me, is meant to suggest Versailles. His main guest suite, which I did not personally […]

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The Boyd Drama
Posted July 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 AM by Jeff Taylor

The murder of Dr. James David Boyd is unfolding without surprise. Now a sex-for-drugs angle has emerged. Occam’s razor suggested as much at the outset, given the facts. But now let’s go further.
Was Candice Jo Drye a law enforcement informant? Were either Jonathan Barnett or Christopher Boyd — charged along with Drye in Boyd’s death […]

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• Getting Ugly
  Jeff Taylor explains the danger associated with Charlotte Center City Partners’ opposition to Coyote Ugly’s move into the old Ivey’s building.
• More Code Red Alerts
  Charlotte is almost certain to see frequent alerts on unhealthy levels of ozone. Jeff Taylor points out that the overlooked fact will be that we already have done something about.
• Ghost Riders Boarding Lynx
  Operations of the CATS’ South Corridor light rail have become a little more transparent with two recent data points explains Jeff Taylor.
• Charter School Funding
  Michael Lowrey explains why the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled that CMS was underfunding five local charter schools.
• Charlotte’s Misery Index
  Jeff Taylor says that Charlotte’s inclusion in Forbes’ list of the 10 most miserable cities in America shows how far local civic leaders are into denial.
• 2008: A Taxing Year
  Jeff Taylor analyzes the prospects for an additional ¼-cent sales tax or land transfer tax in Mecklenburg County. Expect to see one on ballot in November.
• See More Hits

Removing jail money reduces bond total
CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County will send a smaller bond package to voters in November, after agreeing Tuesday to pay for a new jail using money that doesn’t need approval from the public. All seven commissioners present for the vote agreed to use certificates of participation to cover the $360.2 million price tag for a new jail and improvements to the sheriff’s office.

Monroe gets to keep degree
CHARLOTTE — Virginia Commonwealth University broke its own rules last year in awarding a bachelor’s degree to Rodney Monroe, but Monroe did nothing wrong and can keep the degree, the university announced Friday. The university said it “found no evidence of academic misconduct” by Monroe, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and former Richmond police chief.

Teachers give CMS low marks in survey
CHARLOTTE — During the school year, Jamie Dyer drives 30 minutes from her Charlotte home to her teaching job in Cabarrus County. She has no interest in working closer to home. “Every single teacher who's working (at my school) wants to be there,” says Dyer, an English teacher at the new Hickory Ridge High in Harrisburg. A newly released state survey of teacher working conditions suggests she’s typical.

CMS luring teachers for struggling schools
CHARLOTTE — Though some of Mecklenburg County’s most effective teachers work in struggling schools, kids in the high-flying south suburbs are more likely to have teachers who can help them get better at reading and math, a new list shows. The list helps principals at seven struggling schools recruit star instructors with $20,000 bonus packages.

Rising fuel costs hitting bus system
CHARLOTTE — A day after CATS announced a fare increase to offset rising fuel costs, the head of the agency acknowledged another hike may not be that far off. During an interview with the Observer on Thursday, Keith Parker said that if fuel prices continue climbing to $5 a gallon, it could mean a host of changes for the agency, including a reduction in services and another fare increase.

More leaks in Charlotte water system
CHARLOTTE — Three new water main breaks in south Charlotte Wednesday had utility officials searching for answers and local leaders wondering if a bigger problem is hiding under city streets. A comparison conducted by the Observer indicates there may be reason for concern: Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s water system gets about seven times as many water main breaks per mile as other similar-sized systems.

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Un-Affordable Housing: Cities keep low- and middle-income families from home ownership
Many North Carolina cities use affordable-housing policies to provide housing to low-income citizens. No doubt started with the best intentions, those policies ignore fundamental economic realities and produce the opposite effect than was intended.

Does Gaston need a sales tax increase?
The Gaston County commissioners are asking voters to approve a sales-tax increase on May 6. This report identifies $54.4 million in revenue and savings the county could use to meet its needs — almost 12 times the amount that the proposed tax increase would produce.

Does Lincoln need a sales tax increase?
The Lincoln County commissioners are asking voters to approve a sales-tax increase on May 6. This report identifies $26.3 million in revenue and savings the county could use to meet its needs — over 17 times the amount that the proposed tax increase would produce.

Does Stanly need a sales tax increase?
The Stanly County commissioners are asking voters to approve a sales-tax increase on May 6. This report identifies $23 million in revenue and savings the county could use to meet its needs — over 16.7 times the amount that the proposed tax increase would produce.