By Randy Voller The situation with wastewater is complicated and should rise abovebumper stickers. It is expensive to treat waste water and will require regional cooperation. Typical estimates for a modern plant are $8 to $20 a gallon. It was wise to engage the Western Wake partners, as county commissioners Patrick Barnes, George Lucier and…
Category: Opinion
For the Record: Sanity calling
We have a few simple and relatively inexpensive items to add to this year’s public works budget: Large signs downtown encouraging those piloting automobiles not to talk on the phone while driving. Perhaps it is because so many Citizen staffers get around on foot or by bike that we’ve heard a number of first-hand reports…
For the Record: Wisdom returns
The Chapel Hill Town Council made a wise choice on Monday by rescinding its vote the previous week to make themselves and other council members eligible for lifetime insurance benefits after serving eight years. Though council work is indeed demanding, town employees have to report for duty full time for 20 years to get the…
For the Record: Summer’s here (duh)
You may have noticed that warmer weather has settled in. We have scientific proof of that thanks to a friend of ours — a local deli owner — who with the aid of a highly accurate, instant-read thermometer recorded temperatures on downtown sidewalks last week of well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lay of the land in the disability rights world
By Vicki Smith A year ago, a new advocacy group for North Carolinians with disabilities was launched. Over the past 12 months, the staff of the new organization – Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) – has learned a lot. Not only did we learn mundane things, like how to use the new database and fill…
Keep Medicare premiums fair
By Bill Wilson Congress is embroiled in a debate over Medicare while older adults get ready to reach deeper and deeper into their pockets to pay for their health coverage. Medicare beneficiaries are willing to pay their fair share. They expect their premiums to go up, but they should not have to shoulder an extra…
The familiar budget battle
By Chris Fitzsimon The full Senate budget proposal was on display Tuesday in the Senate Appropriations Committee and there were few surprises in it, as many of the key decisions were released in sparsely attended subcommittee meetings late Monday afternoon. There wasn’t much of a debate Tuesday either. Most of the two-hour budget committee meeting…
For the Record: 6/12/08
We were — and are — in support of the county’s decision to revisit a decision to site a solid-waste transfer station at the current landfill on Eubanks Road. But there are still concerns as the new process to select a site gets started. As many of you are aware, when the landfill fills up…
Mental health reform 2.0
By Chris Fitzsimon The most encouraging news about the state’s sputtering mental health system might be that after several years of neglect, most state officials are finally paying a lot of attention to it: the secretary of Health and Human Services, legislative leaders, candidates for governor and other statewide offices, and even the current occupant…
Health insurance changes are sound policy
By Sen. Elizabeth Dole I would like to respond to criticisms in a June 5 op-ed by Adam Searing regarding my bill to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Although the president vetoed SCHIP legislation, Congress with my support extended the current program through March 2009, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss…
Letter: Thanks Trail Heads
A big shout out and thanks to the Trail Heads running club for their super effort in organizing the Philosophers Way Trail Run this past Saturday. What a well-run and fun event this was, I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! Hopefully, a lot of people have discovered the network of trails…
Letter: AG’s bad call
I regret the attorney general’s opinion to deny admission of undocumented students to the community college system. I believe it is wrong to deny children who did not choose to come here themselves and who have worked hard, as we urge all our children to do, from reaching their full potential and becoming contributing members…
For the Record: 55 anyone?
This may sound crazy, but once upon a time, during another oil crisis, a Republican president suggested that this country might want to conserve. In fact, one of the conservation measures he pushed for and won was a reduction in the speed limit to 55 miles per hour. Sometime later for reasons too many to…
For the Record: Ouch
During this season of budgets there is a lot of concern about what looks like a big year for tax hikes. Many of us as well are already digging deeper to cover fuel costs directly and inflation driven by them indirectly. Then there’s the simple fact that the making and selling of housing, now in…
‘This is our time’
Editor’s note: Following is the closing of remarks by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois in St. Paul, Minn. on Tuesday, June 3 upon the conclusion of the Democratic Primary season. The Senator became the party’s presumptive nominee for President of the United States after reaching the necessary delegate count to secure the nomination. He is…