bumped and slightly expanded- RP

While thousands of visitors strained to see a festival of tall ships at Beaufort this month, more than 200 state and local officials enjoyed the views from a cruise aboard a state-owned ferry that was paid for partly by taxpayers...
A DOT spokesman, Ernie Seneca, said the cruise cost taxpayers about $2,800 in fuel and staffing -- costs that DOT will absorb.
...
The steel drum band cost $1,200, Fox said. But ports officials said they don't know how much the catering cost because they haven't gotten a bill. Fox would not say how much was budgeted for the catering.

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Cross-posted on the Brock Log

Cross-posted from the Brock Log.

We already know where the Jacksonville Daily News stands on this…

Regardless of their editorial, the NC General Assembly has approved the bill requiring back-seat passengers to be strapped. This is a good thing, even if the penalties aren’t quite painful.

People continue to fail to understand why this is an important safety requirement. People such as State Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden). In the article Mr. Berger says "We continue to see an erosion of our personal freedoms,". Wow. All that just from having to buckle a seat-belt.

I invite you, Mr. Berger, and anyone else, to go to your preferred hardware store, purchase a 200 pound back of sand and put it in the rear seat (behind the driver’s seat, please). Get in the car and drive. Accelerate to about 55 miles per hour, then slam on the brakes.