A prime time for North Shore debate to end
It’s time to end this debate.With another pro-settlement county board, the election of Swain Count native and pro-settlement congressman Heath Shuler, a new study showing the economic benefits of a cash settlement and an ever-increasing price tag for construction, it’s time once and for all for Western North Carolina’s leaders to take advantage of the moment and demand a cash settlement of at least $52 million in lieu of the construction of the North Shore Road.
Memories prevent me from celebrating Veterans Day
By Jim Joyce
In five hours and twenty minutes it will be midnight and Veterans Day 2006 will be over. Thank God. I hate Veterans Day, and I don’t know why we have it. We already had Memorial Day. To me Veterans Day is painful and celebrating it is out of the question.
Keeping college affordable
Some time this holiday weekend, my nephew Sterling will come for a visit at my mother’s house. He’s a high school senior, and he is still unsure of his college plans.
Going after the good guys
The fine line between a cop doing one’s duty or overdoing his duty is once again in the grip of Monday morning quarterbacks to judge. Meanwhile, a pair of police careers are on the line.
Looking for ways to fix the health care system
By Mark Jaben
Last time, we talked about EMTALA (the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act), managed care and how far the pendulum has swung, leading to decreased capacity in the system. The availability and provision of health care is not determined by system planning, but by unintended downstream effects, resulting in uneven, unfair health care rationing. Do the rules of the system still work?
The honeymoon ends ... now
In the aftermath of last week’s election, we’ve seen a seemingly endless parade of politicians and pundits on both sides of the aisle making wild claims about just what it all means, the pasting of the Republicans by the Democrats.
Election procedures could use some fundamental fixing
It’s time to change the voting laws and procedures in North Carolina to reflect today’s reality and to help alleviate a confusing situation that could hurt candidates and confuse voters.
Bush tax cuts soaked the rich
By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist
Every election year there are always claims and counter claims over federal tax policy. Liberals claim Republican income tax cuts benefit the rich and ignore the lower and middle classes.
The school board, economics and political insight
By the time we hit the streets with this edition and this column is read, the election that has been dominating the news will be behind us. Talking heads and columnists will be digesting and spinning the results, givingtheir take on what it all means. As of this writing, though, we don’t know who will win.
The real work begins the day after the election
By Rob Schofield
This year, those who care about preserving and expanding the common good in North Carolina would do well to treat Wednesday, Nov. 8, as less a day of celebration or mourning and more as the day on which they renew their commitment to studying and articulating a policy agenda that will help to build a modern, moral and progressive state.
