March 2009 archives

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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Athletic calling: Maybe there is something more to the academics/sports link

State Sen. Charlie Albertson proposed a bill in the state legislature this year that has about as much chance of passing as a fish has of learning to walk. Albertson has proposed that any school that is not making...

Monday, March 30, 2009

A humble hero: Dr. William Plummer served with humility and dignity

You would not have known by talking to Dr. William Plummer that he was one of the leading veterinarians in the state with numerous honors from his peers and many contributions to his profession. He wasn't one to talk...

Friday, March 27, 2009

Speak for them: Controlling domestic violence begins with getting involved

There is nothing sadder than a family destroyed by violence. And according to statistics released from the state Attorney General's Office, the problem is getting worse. Last year, 131 people died at the hands of a family member. So,...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

A reminder: The U.S. does have a position to maintain in the world

There has been much talk of late about the U.S. position in the world and the many promises made by the current administration about invigorating this nation's image as it relates to the rest of the free world. The...

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Octo-cuckoo: When is someone going to worry about babies' rights?

OK, here is the bottom line: No one should care anymore about Nadya Suleman. The octomom's latest bit of stupidity is firing the free nursing care she was receiving -- time donated by a national organization dedicated to offering...

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The future: Lessons learned from financial crisis should apply everywhere

Good news. The stock market rose nearly 500 points Monday on the heels of the announcement that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had come up with a plan to rid the banks of their "toxic debt" and to open up...

Monday, March 23, 2009

Bad idea, twice: There's a reason presidents don't go on variety programs

It almost seems hardly worth commenting on since on the surface it seems like just another silly decision by overzealous approval-rating-hunting presidential advisers.But President Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show" this past week really has a deeper lesson -- and...

Saturday, March 21, 2009

America's roots: Some might be forgetting this country's heritage

There are very few companies in America today that did not start with one person -- or maybe two -- who had an idea, invested blood, sweat and tears and took a chance. The road to get there wasn't...

Friday, March 20, 2009

Payback: Maybe AIG executives not the only ones who owe us refund

There is outrage and a demand for action over the fact that AIG officials and others in the banking and investments businesses were allowed to take bonuses and other perks on the heels of the largest bailout in history....

Need vs. clout: Stimulus payments already not going where they should

It might not seem significant to Goldsboro and other Wayne County residents to hear that Fremont and Mount Olive both lost funds for their water and sewer projects because of state cutbacks required by Gov. Bev Perdue. That's the...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Uuuugh ... taxes: Predictable tax increases, but at least some cuts

One of the always amazing parts of any budget discussion in a state is how "easily" cuts are made when the bottom line is red instead of black.It kind of makes you wonder why we were spending so much money...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Handouts fail: Reality is, if free money exists, some simply won't work

It does not really matter whether they are a corporate executive with AIG or if they are someone who has figured out how to work the system, for some people, when there is free money available, there is little reason...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Guard support: As months progress, more servicemen called to duty

There are hundreds of North Carolina servicemen and women who will soon be called to duty in Afghanistan and Iraq as officials try to figure out the next step for U.S. involvement in these two countries. And for many...

Shine a light: Open government rules should matter to you, too

Most people do not think about open government or what it means to them until they are personally affected. Until they have to get information from a county commission, school board or even the governor's office, they might not...

Friday, March 13, 2009

Cut crime, too: Number of prisoners shocking peek at where society is heading

$68,000 -- in cheese? Not that surprising really that it would take that much money to provide cheese for all the inmates in North Carolina's 79 prisons. But after you get get over the initial shock that you are...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Octo-profit-mom: Why the wait? Now is the time to consider octuplets' future

Not sure if there is a real need to think twice about what kind of protection this nation really provides to children who are facing lives with less-than-competent parents? Been wondering why so many children end up right back...

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

In the know ... Keeping an eye out pays off in the long run

No one can possibly know everything that is going on in his or her county. Keeping everything on the straight and narrow -- that's what we pay city and county managers and their staffs for and why we elect...

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Silver lining: Here's a new take on state budget troubles -- frugality

It is hard to feel better about anything when you are listening to any politician talk about what to do about budgeting and taking care of the impending doom of deficits and cutbacks. But take heart -- those of...

Monday, March 9, 2009

On the same side: Frustration, concern make some appear at odds

Here is the bottom line in the debate over schools and their future in Wayne County: The Wayne County Board of Commissioners wants the best for the county's children and is determined to watch out for the taxpayers at...

Saturday, March 7, 2009

The hard truth: Absentee, irresponsible parents create troubled children

Fixing education in Wayne County has been a subject on the lips of many politicians at all levels of late -- and has been a perennial election issue.That's because it is easy to say. Who would be against seeing a...

Friday, March 6, 2009

Incentives: Economic first step requires more than pundits and speeches

It is becoming increasingly clear that part of the problem with the state of the American economy is that no one really is sure what's going on -- or if anything that is being done is really going to...

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Looking for cuts: Do we really need another education bureaucrat?

There must be better ways to spend $248,000 in North Carolina right now. The announcement that Gov. Bev Perdue's first act as governor was to sign into law her new education CEO is a telltale sign that perhaps someone...

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Danger signs: Commissioners, school board need to stay steady, cooperating

American politics -- and municipal government -- is set up to be confrontational. Candidates run for office by pointing out how they could do it better than the people who are already doing it, and then, once in office,...

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Other issues: Economic concerns not the only issue you need to watch out for

With the stock market in what seems like a modified free fall, most people aren't paying too much attention to the foreign policy decisions that are being made on their behalf. So, the news that Secretary of State Hillary...