The Meck Deck
Comment and analysis on all things Charlotte
Monday, May, 20 2013
Posted May 18th, 2013 at 10:46 PM by Michael Lowrey
The Charlotte Observer, among other news outlets, is reporting that the Charlotte Bobcats will be renamed the Charlotte Hornets. The date for the change is uncertain, but almost certainly not before the 2014-2015 season at the earliest. Also undecided (or at least unannounced) are what the new Hornets colors will be. As positive as a [...]
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Posted May 16th, 2013 at 6:01 PM by Michael Lowrey
A quick update on the route award actions before the U.S. Department of Transportation that effect US Airways and Charlotte: • DCA route award. A set of slots at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) that US Airways was hoping to obtain were instead awarded to Southwest Airlines for Houston Hobby service. Us Airways said that [...]
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Posted at 1:11 PM by Michael Lowrey
This will do absolutely nothing to dispel the usual stereotypes about NASCAR: “NASCAR driver arrested, charged with stealing competitor’s hauler”
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Posted at 9:16 AM by Michael Lowrey
My latest column for Carolina Journal is on Gov. Pat McCrory’s proposed overhaul of state transportation policy: RALEIGH — In April, the McCrory administration outlined a new state transportation policy. While as always, the devil is in the details, this plan is a welcome step forward for transportation policy in North Carolina. The last time [...]
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Posted May 15th, 2013 at 8:54 PM by Michael Lowrey
From ESPN: The ACC is “thoroughly investigating” playing its men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. One source was adamant that the ACC tournament eventually would be held in the World’s Most Famous Arena, which would take it out of traditional ACC country for the first time. “We’ll be playing [...]
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Charlotte's Greatest Hits
As jailed former state House Speaker Jim Black mounts a campaign for early release, critics contend that the state justice system did favors for Black regarding the settlement of his $1 million fine.
Wake County officials say imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black satisfied a $1 million fine by surrendering some Mecklenburg County real estate, but questions remain about the real market value of the property.
Imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black used undeveloped land with a tax value of less than $150,000 to pay off an outstanding $500,000 state fine.
Colleen Calvani writes that the Charlotte Area Transit system will scale back some routes in an attempt to counter three major decreases in funding.
Jeff Taylor argues that Pat McCrory failed to carry Mecklenburg County because he failed to move its conservatives.
Jeff Taylor says there may be another factor to blame for CMUD’s recent series of water leaks.
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Research
Cronyism is an umbrella term covering a host of government activities by which an industry or even a single firm or speculator is given favors and support that they could not attain in market competition. This report explains what opens government to cronyism, gives a brief rundown of recent examples of cronyism in North Carolina, and offers several possible reforms.
County and municipal governments provide many key services while taking in billions of dollars in revenue, but finding comparative data is hard. That's why this report provides information of how much local government costs in every city and county in North Carolina.
This report examines 52 contracts signed by the Raleigh Convention Center for the period of July–December 2011 and is a follow-up to the September 2008 John Locke Foundation report “The New Raleigh Convention Center: A taxpayer-funded money pit.”
County governments all over North Carolina are saving money by privatizing services. In an effort to assist in the exchange of information about these activities, the John Locke Foundation conducted a survey of all 100 counties asking county managers to tell us about governmental activities that they currently supply privately. We also asked them if they had problems in the past with a privatized activity that had caused them to return the activity to government provision.
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