Chapel Hill

Great work by the citizens of Chapel Hill - forcing their elected officials to rescind plans to grant themselves health benefits. Maybe its time for new leadership in Orange County

If you live in Chapel Hill – we’d really appreciate your support for the town’s new public campaign financing pilot program at a hearing on Wed. May 14th! If the program is implemented and succeeds, it could really open up access to public office for progressive candidates while limiting the influence of special interest money on local policy.

Shouldn't $1.6 million dollars of your hard earned North Carolina tax money give you the right to know and refuse exposure to hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals? If Governor Easley can spend $1.6 million tax payer dollars on a pesticide plan to protect farmworkers shouldn't the plan also include protecting the citizens of North Carolina as well. The plan should be comprehensive and not discriminate between industries, companies, workers, and citizens. Tell the Director of the State Office of Rural Health and Community Care, Mr. John Price to implement a plan that protects everyone's right to know when being exposed to hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals.

I was thinking the other day about the possibility, albeit slim, that come primary-time in May I'd have the ability to vote for a full slate of folks who live within five or ten miles of my front door. I won't say that any of these would have been my natural choice, but I'm assuming that even with his campaign in suspension, Edwards will still be on the ballot for president; Chapel Hillians Jim Neal and David Price could snatch my votes for Senate and House; at least in theory I could vote for Chapel Hill resident Bev Purdue for governor; and let's not forget lieutenant governor candidate Hampton Dellinger, who grew up in town though he's since fled to Durham.

The December 9, 2007 Chapel Hill News 'My View' column titled GOP chair Cho to challenge Price contained the following:

A former Presbyterian minister and tae kwon do instructor, Cho is a writer raising two children in Chapel Hill. He has been writing a monthly My View column for the Chapel Hill News. His column will go on hiatus during his run.

Now on December 26, 2007 Mr Cho has another column in the Chapel Hill News titled 'Soul patrol.' (It's not online yet. I just pulled it out of my driveway at 12AM.) At the end of Mr. Cho's column today is this excuse,

This is his last My View for now. Cho's column is on hiatus as he campaigns for the Republican nomination for U.S. House District 4.

To me this column contradicts the first one. His column was supposed to "go on hiatus." Second, its a clear violation of the News' journalistic principles. Will Congressman Price get a My View column so he can promote his personal values too?

My good friend Mark Kleinschmidt is an anti-death penalty attorney and a twice-elected member of the Chapel Hill Town Council. He is also gay. This last fact qualified him for membership on a list that is making the rounds on hate sites called the "National List Of Openly-Homosexual Public Officials."

A lot has happened since I disappeared from this site, which I enjoyed reading, posting, and commenting on from the springtime when I discovered this wonderful forum of people and their ideas.

I landed a great job in Chapel Hill, and I'm trying to sell my house in Forsyth County, which means I'm commuting 65 mins one way each day. So much for blogging time, and a lot of other things,for that matter.

So I thought I'd check in with you guys on a rare day off with some random thoughts.

I couldn't make it to the event today, but the Center for a Better South rolled out their new environmental policy book today in Chapel Hill at Smith Middle School.

From bettersouth.org:

The book, Getting Greener: Progressive Environmental Ideas for the American South, offers 15 policy recommendations for state and local leaders and provides a dozen ideas for consumers on how they can be greener in everyday living without government action. The book is written by Arkansas law student L. Edward Moore of Little Rock.

The book is the second released by the Center. The first, released last Fall, offered recommendations for southern lawmakers to modernize tax codes in their states. The Center for a Better South is a non-partisan progressive think tank out of Charleston, SC.

The book is available free online at gettinggreener.info

On June 21st, I was watching my wife recover from an appendectomy, so you will forgive me if this has been blogged, but I haven't seen it. Recently, John Autry posted about the Smithfield Workers, and he said this:

That is why I stood with workers from the Smithfield packing plant on June 16th as they tried to draw attention to their struggle. We marched from the Harris Teeter in south Charlotte to the home of Harris Teeter's CEO to deliver a Father's Day card from the children of Smithfield workers...It has been some time since I felt so gratified to be with a group of people. The stories I heard made me wonder if we were really in 2007. A man who came down with colon cancer was terminated and lost his health coverage. Undocumented workers who attempt to participate in organizing are visited by INS. Workers being injured from working in close proximity with sharp instruments.

The Democratic Party can't forget its labor roots, in fact, we need to make our roots with labor stronger than ever. At a time when the average fully-employed male makes less than he did in the 70s, and at a time when family buying power is at a low not seen since after the Great Depression, it will be the unions and labor that help us fight for Democratic ideals. That is why I was glad to see John Edwards take time away from the early primary/caucus states and 2nd quarter fundraising to hold an event with the Smithfield workers here in Chapel Hill. No one has pushed harder for labor in recent history than John Edwards and it is good to see that he isn't afraid of being labeled a labor-lover by the Neocons.

The Town of Chapel Hill is advertising its Arborist position, which did not, in fact, get frozen.

One applicant, Adam Smith, just finished a week-long Arbormaster training course and received the certification which qualifies him as an Arbormaster. The training course was paid for by TCH, and after the job is filled, I'll tell the whole story here.
It'll make your blood boil, that's for sure, but I dare not tell it now, just because you never know who will be reading.