2007

Planning Board Diversity

Last November I made a comment here on OP about someone who observed that recent appointees to the Chapel Hill Planning Board had close ties to those on the Council and their campaigns for reelection. You can follow the thread to see the reactions. Today, George C reported that a UNC professor was recently added to the Planning Board. I think that's great!

They spent HOW MUCH?

I've had several people contact me and ask for a post about the final 2007 campaign finance figures. (And yet none of them offerred to write it themselves, hmmm.) The results are pretty interesting. The Independent Weekly wrote a summary including Chapel Hill.

He placed fourth in the race, but first in cash: Council challenger Matt Czajkowski spent at least $20,000 in the election cycle—more than fellow candidates Sally Greene, Cam Hill and Bill Strom combined. Ninety percent came from Czajkowski's own pocket, via $17,750 in self-loans.

Czajkowski came in fourth in the seven-person race for four seats, squeaking by incumbent Hill by 63 votes.

In total, Strom raised $9,380 and spent $6,497; Greene raised $7,881 and spent $5,669; and Hill raised $5,485 and spent $5,566 (he had cash on hand from his 2003 race). Top vote-getter and incumbent Jim Ward, who pledged not to spend more than $3,000, had not submitted a final report as of Jan. 29.

Letters take liberties with logic

A couple of recent letters to the editor are stretching logic and hyperbole in order to make their points. I think they end up having the opposite effect. In today's Daily Tar Heel for example, senior Chris Garrison complains that "if Benito Mussolini can get public transportation to run on schedule" why can't Chapel Hill? Do we really have to answer that, Chris?

In last week's Independent Weekly, Sharon Cook wrote a letter taking issue with that paper's October 2007 characterization of her as a newcomer to the issue of justice for the African-American neighbors of the landfill. She accused the Indy of shoddy reporting, and explained her history of supporting her Rogers Road neighbors.

Welcome Lydia, and thank you Alex

And now tonight at 7:30 Carrboro will swear in new and re-elected members of the Board of Aldermen: Joal, Dan, and Lydia. I'm sure Dan Coleman will be breathing a sigh of relief now that he has been put before the people of Carrboro and duly elected. Expect another round of nice speeches followed by good snacks. If there have been as many bitter recriminations in Carrboro as there have been in Chapel Hill, I sure haven't noticed. What are people saying? Are we ready to work together yet?

New Council starts today

Tonight, the Chapel Hill Town Council will swear in the four folks elected this fall: Jim, Sally, Bill, and Matt. Hopefully, this will lay to rest the Chapel Hill News' obsession with picking on Cam Hill. Presumably, you can look for Matt Czajkowski - who promised to ride his bike to all Council meetings - pedaling up Franklin Street tonight.

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