December 2010 archives

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Friday, December 31, 2010

Bureaucracy threatened: New York City snowfall incident example of government arrogance

Want to know what happens when a bureaucracy feels threatened and its members sense that the possibility exists that someone might be looking at efficiency? All you have to do is follow the story about the New York City...

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Now the real test: Republicans will have to demonstrate they deserved statehouse victory

A new year usually means resolutions. And with the General Assembly just a week or two away from opening its next session, North Carolina's new Republican majority had better be thinking about a few priorities of its own. Citizens...

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Job creation key: Businesses need tax cut that encourages capital spending

The watchword for 2011 is very likely going to be jobs.So, while politicians will pontificate about how you create them and blame each other for why we don't have them, the reality is that if we do not find a...

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Basic budgeting: State lawmakers forced to make kinds of choices families face all the time

There are certain realities that regular people have to deal with that government often seems to ignore. First, you can only spend what you have, or scrimp and save to have, and second, having a budget means giving up...

Monday, December 27, 2010

Not worth it: Safety should be community's first priority -- and caring for others

We will have plenty of time this week to talk about state budgets, local budgets, the Democrat-Republican standoff in county government and what we need to do to support the county's schools. So just stay tuned for more on...

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Get them out: Lame duck Congress needs to stop passing bills and fly on home

They have done their damage -- the outgoing Congress -- and now it is time for all of them to fly away home. After all, if they are out of Washington, they won't cost us anymore money -- literally....

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas spirit: It's nice to see a community with the focus on right syllable.

At this time of year, how many people forget just what Christmas is supposed to be all about. And who could blame them -- one trip to the mall or to the local department store and they are immersed...

Monday, December 20, 2010

Deal watch: Compromise should not mean giving away the store

Politicians always say that Americans want their leaders to compromise. And maybe they do, just so they do not have to listen to the pontificating and bickering anymore. But in the last week, we have noticed that compromise can...

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Weeding in 2011: If we set the standards, we can help those who deserve it

During this time of giving, kind people's hearts turn to providing for others -- those who must struggle to have necessities, those whose hard work is still not enough to make ends meet and those who face harsh circumstances...

Friday, December 17, 2010

One last push: Volunteers have worked hard to make campaign a success.

If you want to help your community one life at a time, there is still time to be a part of the 2010 United Way campaign.Campaign chairman Lynn Williams and her army of loaned executives and campaign volunteers have worked...

Poll banter: Forget the talk. You can't make any judgments based on polls

There is a poll every other day -- who supports whom and which candidates voters would find the least offensive in a 2012 presidential race.And while the results might be entertaining, the real truth is that polls are useful only...

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Home stretch: Don't blink; Christmas is just right around the corner

If a light bulb went off today and you realized that you still have Christmas shopping to do and only a few more days left to do it, you are not alone. Hundreds of Wayne County residents are getting...

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Health care step: Court's ruling is a first step, with a long, long way to go

The news that a Virginia court has said that the provision ordering individual Americans to buy health insurance might be unconstitutional does not undo all the damage done by the Obama administration's health reform bill. And the continued challenges...

Monday, December 13, 2010

State watch: There is reason to keep close eye on budget negotiations

The fact that the state is facing a $3.7 billion deficit should put fear in the hearts of anyone who pays taxes in North Carolina.Although the governor has already announced some cost-saving measures, there is a pretty big bill to...

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Christmas joy: Thank you for sharing with the county's needy children. It was worth it.

Just when you have had enough of the mall, the stores and the holiday hustle and bustle, something comes along to remind you what Christmas is supposed to be all about. And this weekend, thanks to the generosity of...

Friday, December 10, 2010

Not a bad idea: For those who want to, there should be a way to donate 'extra' money

In some of the commercials touting the plan to drop the Bush tax cuts for the nation's wealthiest Americans, there is a woman who says she is rich and she "doesn't need the extra money." Good for her --...

Thursday, December 9, 2010

He's right: Commissioner's comments about new order right on target

Commissioner Jack Best is upset. And rightly so. He told those gathered for the county commission meeting that he thinks the federal government's order that some federal documents must be translated into Spanish is not only ill-advised, but wrong,...

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Legacy of courage: Elizabeth Edwards should be remembered for her strength

Whether you liked her or her husband's politics, hearing the news that Elizabeth Edwards lost her battle with cancer Tuesday should make you think -- not about scandal and partisanship -- but about courage. Even during her darkest hours,...

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

No tax cuts: Don't listen to rhetoric -- this is just status quo

The fact that the government is not rescinding tax cuts at a time when large numbers of Americans are finding themselves unable to find work -- and struggling to make ends meet -- is not a great concession.It is simply...

Monday, December 6, 2010

Last push: Only a little more than a week to get United Way through the hump

The United Way of Wayne County is full of dedicated volunteers who have been laboring since this past summer to raise the money necessary to allow the organization to help as many county residents as possible in the coming...

Friday, December 3, 2010

Bell ringers: Salvation Army is out ringing its bells again this year

During this time of year, it is easy to walk right by the bright red kettle outside your favorite local store. After all, we are all long on lists and low on time, so it is not surprising that...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Good news: Shoppers are cautious, but spending, this holiday season

It isn't the end of the troubles being caused by the recent economic slowdown. And one really good Christmas season is not going to completely erase the tough years local businesses and others have faced. But news that Black...

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

A small step: Keeping Bush tax cuts is first step to job-full recovery

It is an easy sale really -- raise the tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, that is the way to take a bite out of the deficit. So that is the argument Democrats and others are using as they...