By Steve Peha Recently, I visited a number of schools: high schools, middle schools and elementary schools; public, private and religious schools. Each acknowledged the same problem with literacy: Too many kids were so far behind in reading that they couldn’t function in their classes. But when I made suggestions about how to improve things,…
Category: Opinion
More than a budget driver
By Chris Fitzsimon Tuesday’s budget and tax briefing for state lawmakers was billed as a look at the “major drivers†in the growth of the state budget, with most of the time spent on trends in education and Medicaid. Lawmakers will hear more detailed reports on both issues in the coming days, but Tuesday’s Medicaid…
The right attitude
There’s not a lot of good news out of Raleigh on the state budget. But we can report one bright spot here in this community — the attitude of many university employees in facing the reality of tougher times. As we note in this week’s issue, university employees via their Employee Forum is pushing for…
For the record: Resolution of Appreciation for Rebecca Clark
The following resolution was passed by the Orange County Board of Commissioners at its meeting last week. WHEREAS Rebecca Clark worked tirelessly to promote and provide social justice in the Orange County Community; WHEREAS Mrs. Clark ensured the democratic process by registering countless individuals to vote, helping the house-bound and disabled to cast ballots and…
Key issues in connector roads review
By Dan Coleman As recently reported, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen will soon be reviewing the town’s Connector Roads Policy. This policy, first adopted in 1986, has been a frequent source of contention over the past decade. This is in part because, as residents of Wexford and adjoining neighborhoods recently pointed out, the policy fails…
Missed opportunity
We’ll not linger too long on the issue of the Town of Carrboro’s failure to notify the media in the usual manner about last Monday’s retreat attended by the board of aldermen and senior staff. It is, in our opinion, likely true that human error and not a conspiracy caused email notices to not go…
The message behind the talk of furloughs
By Chris Fitzsimon UNC system President Erskine Bowles wants the General Assembly to give him the authority to furlough university employees, a proposal that sent shudders through state government circles last week, a stark reminder of how bad the state budget crisis could become. Gov. Beverly Perdue has so far avoided using the “f†word,…
Uncool
The late Jim Shumaker, longtime editor of the Chapel Hill Weekly, used to say that about every decade or so the paper had to run a major story proclaiming that “the village†is dead. We suppose that was the general point of the ruckus caused by notorious hipster and former economic-development director to the OC…
For real mental health reform, listen to the consumers
By Vicki Smith One media exposé after another has highlighted the flawed implementation of North Carolina’s much ballyhooed 2001 effort at mental health reform. These exposés have given many state officials heartburn as they picked up their morning papers or watched the evening news. The media’s descriptions of the mental health/developmental disabilities/substance abuse (MH/DD/SA) service…
A hospital visit amid troubling news
By Chris Fitzsimon Gov. Beverly Perdue has generally received good reviews for her first two weeks in office and deserves them, particularly for her executive orders on transportation and transparency, staying on top of the state’s budget woes and making a number of public appearances that reinforce her commitment to be an available, hands-on governor….
Your newspaper
To paraphrase Samuel Clemens, reports of the death of newspapers have been greatly exaggerated. In our opinion, there has been all too much gnashing of teeth and lamenting over the fix that some papers find themselves in. The word “some†in the last sentence being all-important. Most papers are much more like the one you…
The real state health plan crisis
By Adam Searing North Carolina’s health plan for state workers is in trouble. Estimates differ, but shortfalls may be in the tens of millions and health plan administrator Jack Walker recently called for a $300-million taxpayer bailout in addition to sharply higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles for state employees. In the current economic climate, North…
For the Record: Redesign in Raleigh
The “elect†has now been removed from Gov. Beverly Perdue’s job title, and the office furniture has been rearranged. The governor hauled her own desk into her new office the other day and situated it by a window. Let’s hope this arrangement affords her a better view of the state than her predecessor’s. Over the…
Is this well-managed growth?
Mari Weiss I am a new Carolinian. Since moving to Chapel Hill/Carrboro, I have learned a great many things. The first thing I learned was that my house was located in Chapel Hill but in a town, heretofore unknown to me, called Carrboro. I have also learned that, unlike living in Los Angeles, my voice…
High-speed Internet must be a part of Carrboro’s infrastructure
by Brian Russell People who live, work and visit Carrboro love the free wireless Internet. But the Town of Carrboro’s wireless is a victim of its own success. I’ve heard from a lot of people who have problems with it and wish it worked in their homes. Fact is, the area the wireless signal covers…