April 2009 archives

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Good riddance: Arlen Specter is changing political parties? Oh well.

It is one thing to have an ideological change of heart and to decide that you want to switch political parties because the other better-serves your viewpoint. It is a whole other thing to switch parties -- when you...

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Budget talk: Not much notice, but there is a chance to speak up

State legislators are asking you to give your opinion on what they should spend your money on during the next 12 months. Now, rest assured, you do not have much time to state those opinions -- the statewide public...

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Bravo to all: Weekend's activities mixed patriotism with pickles

It is so tempting to write about politics -- local, state or national -- on a Sunday editorial page. And, lately, there is certainly a lot to talk about -- especially if you have been reading your local newspaper....

Friday, April 24, 2009

Torture truth: The memos won't be pretty, but remember the reason

It won't be easy to read or think about the torture memos that President Barack Obama is releasing -- nor will it be easy to watch news coverage of waterboarding and other techniques to elicit information from suspected terrorists....

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Lottery uh oh: Watch closely as sleight of hand might make funds disappear

Lottery funds -- who would have thought they would not only be frozen, but be in danger of being lost as a source of funding for school building projects? Anyone who has a real grasp of how government works...

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Budget woes: The battle to do more with less is really just beginning

It is not really that surprising that the state of North Carolina is freezing everything it can find to make sure there is liquid money available in this year's budget. After all, politicians have been talking of little else...

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Free speech: Pageant 'controversy' suggests prejudice by some critics

It really doesn't matter what view Miss California Carrie Prejean has on the gay marriage issue. And it really doesn't matter how any of the rest of us feel about it either, least of all those who run the...

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Survivor's lesson: Fundraisers honor all those who have fought or are fighting

Jackie Pendergraft did not waste a moment of her short life, her family and friends say. A beacon of sunlight and hope, the 45-year-old knew the battle she was facing was a hard one, but continued on anyway, silencing...

Friday, April 17, 2009

Protest counts: Just because it's conservative doesn't mean it is to be ignored

Here is a little news for all those pundits and news personnel who have been spending the last 24 hours trying discount the hundreds of thousands of people across the United States who decided to let someone know that they...

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Standards check: County's discussion on zoning first step to taking control

The applicability might not be the easiest to figure out when it comes to deciding who will be able to build what, where and how in Wayne County. That is the reason there are usually more rules in cities...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Stench of pork: Stimulus mad spending not only sign Congress doesn't get it

Just in case you thought that there was nothing more to worry about in Washington and that your elected representatives now understand that wasteful spending is how we got here in the first place, take a whiff of what...

Monday, April 13, 2009

Roads? No way: Commissioners are right -- roadwork is state's job

It might seem like an awful lot of fuss -- the squawking the Wayne County commissioners are making about the possibility that the state would even consider handing off road maintenance to the individual counties. But what your leaders are...

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Christian nation: On Easter Sunday, Americans need to remember their roots

Today is Easter Sunday. It is a time for families, love and laughter -- and of course, eggs, chocolate and bunny rabbits. But beyond those fun expressions that make this holiday so unlike any other, there is a profound...

Friday, April 10, 2009

$6 at a time: County can pitch in to buy T-shirts for the athletes

It really would not cost you that much to help. All you would have to do is go cheap for dinner or lunch and maybe forgo a latte or two. For a little more than $6, you could make...

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wasted time: Save money by giving bureaucrats less time to think

Want to know why our federal government has so little time and so little money? The answer is simple -- there are too many bureaucrats who have too much time to sit around and think of ridiculous ways to...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Tragic loss: Sometimes communities forget danger their officers face

They were just doing their jobs. Two Lenoir County deputies got a call about a man who was posing a danger to their community and they headed to the scene. Little did they know that they would be greeted...

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Arrogant, huh? President Obama's comments not message to send overseas

You might have missed it with all the big news about the economy and first lady Michelle Obama's effect on the European fashion industry.But during one of his speeches on his recent trip overseas, the president of the United States...

Monday, April 6, 2009

Supervision: Perhaps there should be a way to evaluate boards' effectiveness

State Sen. Charlie Albertson's recent attempt to control the divisiveness and downright paralyzing bickering among Duplin County leaders has succeeded in doing one thing -- uniting both the school board and county commissioners in one mission -- their desire to...

Friday, April 3, 2009

Go Heels: Set aside politics for now -- unite to cheer on UNC

The following cheer might not be possible for everyone in North Carolina -- especially if Tar Heel Blue is replaced in your wardrobe by Wolfpack Red, Blue Devil Blue or the gold of the Wake Forest Deacs. But with...

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Just scary: Economic crisis should not make us less aware

North Korea is at it again -- this time threatening military action against anyone who interferes with its planned rocket launch. On the surface it might seem like just another bit of silly rhetoric from a nation that regularly...

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Think ahead: County, city, towns should set sights on 'post-recession'

There are only so many times a day that you can hear the words "downturn" and "recession" and not start to wonder if there really is any hope that an end to the economic challenges this nation faces is...