October 2005
John Herrera made two interesting comments in his interview in today's Herald:
We need to ask ourselves, who value diversity, why is it that single moms are not on the board? Or people of color. It is so hard to recruit them. They don't have the time, the money, the what it takes sometimes to run a campaign.
Something I have been pushing for but it got shut down, is reducing the amount of meetings. Bigger municipalities... don't meet every Tuesday.
We all know there are obstacles along the lines John describes. Most of them would be difficult for local government to overcome. It would be great for the town to provide a childcare fund which might cost up to $2000/year for a single parent (that's on top of the alderman pay which I think is around $5000) and much less for parents with partners or joint custody - an idea worth exploring.
It's time to Celebrate the Creek at the 2nd Bolin Creek Festival, 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. October 8th at Umstead Park in Chapel Hill. This family-oriented festival is sponsored by the Friends of Bolin Creek and admission is free. Please join your friends and family for a relaxing afternoon near the creek. Bring a blanket! For more information read the press release:
The Friends of Bolin Creek invite you to the 2nd Bolin Creek Festival planned for October 8th at Umstead Park in Chapel Hill from noon-6pm. The festival is being held as a celebration of the creek, it's neighbors, the hard work of local citizens on its behalf, and as an opportunity to meet kindred spirits, learn and have fun. We would like to raise awareness about Bolin Creek, a natural treasure which flows through the heart of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music, great food, win valuable prizes donated by local merchants, and learn about efforts to preserve the creek corridor and nearby woodlands.
This just in from OWASA:
The Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake are 68 percent full despite dry weather in recent months. As of Monday morning, the water stored in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community's two reservoirs totaled 2.3 billion gallons, and water use in the last week has averaged about 10.3 million gallons per day.
Although the dry weather in recent months has affected some reservoirs in the region more significantly, OWASA's lake levels are about normal for this time of year. University Lake and the Cane Creek Reservoir have more than twice as much water as they did at this time in 2002 during the area's worst drought on record.
OWASA officials do not foresee a need for additional mandatory water use restrictions this fall or winter, but additional conservation measures could be necessary if the lakes do not refill by spring. (Since operation of the Cane Creek Reservoir began in 1989, the only year when both lakes were not full by early spring was in the severe drought of 2002.)
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 01, 2005
In Greek mythology, the villain Procrustes kept a house by the side of the road where he offered hospitality to passing strangers, inviting them for a night's rest in his very special bed. Procrustes described the bed as having the unique property that its length exactly matched whoever lay down upon it.
This "one-size-fits-all" was no supernatural phenomenon. It was achieved by Procrustes stretching his guest on the bed if he was too short or chopping off his legs if he was too long.
Figuratively speaking, candidates for local office have run into a Procrustes of our own this fall. The Chamber of Commerce has once again crafted its questionnaire to reduce complex issues to answers limited to yes/no/unsure and seek commitments to vague policy formulations.
I keep hearing that there will be engagement with the entire community about UNC's Master Plan, but the public hasn't been invited to any accessible (ie: off-campus) meetings about it. The the last two "community workshops" (November 2004 and May 2005) were held in the middle of central campus (and were not well-attended in the previous round).
I would think UNC would use a space either near downtown or near parking if they actually wanted the community to attend. Or as I suggested last May, enable feedback by giving the community more than one meeting to look at, process, and give feedback on the plan:
Kleinschmidt "outstanding leader for equal rights," ENC's Palmquist says.
Equality NC PAC announced today its endorsement of Mark Kleinschmidt for re-election to the Chapel Hill Town Council. The statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group cited his leadership on equal rights issues in making its choice.
The group is primarily active in state-level races, but makes endorsements in local races of statewide significance.
"Mark Kleinschmidt has proven himself as a leader who truly represents Chapel Hill's values of freedom, justice and equality," said Ian Palmquist, the group's Executive Director for Programs. "Mark is significant not only because he is one of four openly gay elected official in our state, but because of his outspoken and effective advocacy for equal rights."
Read the entire release.
Announcing OrangePolitics Volunteer Sprints!* We are looking for volunteers to help us build a better Election Guide. If you are interested in researching candidates and issues or building online tools to share election information, please consider helping out.
Some of the things we might work on include:
- Compiling information about each candidate possibly including: endorsements, campaign spending, candidate photos, and whatever else we think of
- Comparative charts and other analysis
- Dynamic maps (like this for example)
- Post-election analysis of donations, and results by precinct
If these sound interesting, or if you have a better idea, please sign up for the OP Volunteer list.
Local media outlets have some polls to entertain us readers. Here's an opportunity to vote early and often:
News of Orange
Should intelligent design be taught in school?
Yes 20%
Yes, if evolution is also 25%
No 50%
I don't know 5%
Chapel Hill News
Do you support a special district tax for the Orange County Schools?
Yes 92%
No 7%
I don't know 1%
News & Observer
If mandatory water cutbacks are enacted, would you turn in your neighbors if you saw them violate the restrictions?
Yes 35%
No 53%
I'm not sure 12%
News 14 Carolina
Do you think the U.S. is making progress in the war against terrorism?
Yes 39%
No 61%
The newspaper will host candidates for Chapel Hill Mayor and Town Council, and Carrboro Mayor and Board of Aldermen in a Town Hall-style forum setting on Thursday, October 6th from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on campus in Manning Hall 209.
BREAKING NEWS! Walker Rutherfurd just used his closing statement at the DTH candidate forum to announce his resignation from the race!!!
His statement was thoughtful and mature. He said he would be applying for the Chapel Hill Tech Advisory Board. Well done.
Here's a statement from Bill Thorpe clarifying his leadership in protecting neighborhoods on Town Council during the 1980's:
I am writing to clarify my role in Council votes over the Smith Center Special Use Permit. I believe that by providing voters with this background, they will understand that I have long been a strong advocate for the people and neighborhoods of Chapel Hill.
Here are the facts: In July 1980, I voted to approve the university's application for a special permit to construct the Dean Dome, having cast two prior opposing votes because of my concerns about the impact the development would have on the surrounding neighborhoods. These two 'no' votes were based on the legitimate objections raised by nearby residents about noise and traffic problems. I voted 'no' until the council secured noise buffers and more traffic controls. After securing those concessions, I voted yes - the vote alluded to by Mr. Davis.
It looks like most of the campaign signs are up. Allan Louden, associate professor of communication at Wake Forest University and a specialist in political advertising, told the Herald earlier this week ("Sign Language: Carefully chosen words on a campaign placard could spell victory, or not, on Election Day" October 04, 2005):
The right sign, designed the right way, with just the right information, could mean the difference between a vote won or a vote lost, especially among folks who head to the polls unsure of whom to vote for.
In a close race, a couple of those votes could define the margin between victory and defeat.
Louden also says signs with a one-color background convey a candidate who is "solid, substantive and serious." Locally, that would include Mark Kleinschmidt, Alex Zaffron and Laurin Easthom.
White signs often fade into the background when placed among several signs, according to Louden. Bad news for Ed Harrison, Randee Haven-O'Donnell and Jason Baker. I would imagine that something distinctive about the sign would overcome the disadvantage of white thereby favoring Mark Chilton and Catherine DeVine.
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 08, 2005
Last month's announcement of a new research campus in Kannapolis places UNC's Carolina North project in a new light. It also vindicates ideas promoted by Chapel Hillians over the past decade.
As described in Carolina Newswire on September 12, billionaire David H. Murdock, owner of Dole Food Company, and UNC System President Molly Broad unveiled plans for the North Carolina Research Campus, a massive scientific and economic revitalization project that encompasses the former Cannon Mills plant and entire downtown area of Kannapolis. They were joined by Mike Easley, Elizabeth Dole, Richard Burr, Robin Hayes, Marc Basnight, James Black, and a host of other officials.
Broad observed, "We cannot overstate the significance of the University's embarking - in partnership with Dole and David Murdock - on a project of this magnitude, scale, and potential. This initiative advances our three-part mission of teaching, research, and public service - and in the process gives new meaning to the terms 'collaborative' and 'multi-disciplinary.'
Are you troubled by the disaster in Iraq but fearful of the consequences of an early withdrawal? Looking for alternatives between the extremes of “Stay the Course†and “Out Now� On Monday October 10, 7:30 - 9:30 PM, the Orange County Democratic Party is sponsoring a public forum to educate citizens about the alternatives for withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, focusing on realistic scenarios and their consequences, and to provide a forum for discussion of the situation in Iraq.
Where: Chapel Hill High School auditorium.
When: Monday October 10, 7:30 - 9:30 PM
Speakers
Readers are encouraged to submit short, progressive opinion pieces for publication on OrangePolitics. The rules are that it be local, informative, and not express a typically conservative viewpoint. This last criterion is obviously subjective and is decided by the editor.
Readers are encouraged to submit short, progressive opinion pieces for publication on OrangePolitics. The rules are that it be local, informative, and not express a typically conservative viewpoint. This last criterion is obviously subjective and is decided by the editor.
At the Compassionate Living Festival (The Power of One Conference) in RTP this past weekend (October 7-9, 2005), The Animals' Platform was presented. To explain very briefly, it is a platform that will be used at the national level to get animal rights onto the political agenda for the 2006 election season. It will be updated every 2 years for each election season. You can see The Animals' Platform at http://www.animalsandsociety.org/animals_platform.htm.
Everyone was highly encouraged at the conference to develop an Animals' Platform at the state and/or local level. Malcolm Kenton volunteered to develop a list-serve for people interested in participating in the development of a North Carolina Animals Platform. If you are interested in joining the list, you can subscribe by going to the website at http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/ncanimalsplatform .
In an amazing feat of citizenship, the Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG), an all volunteer organization, has posted a summary of responses to eight interview questions with Chapel Hill candidates on its web site. Audio of the interviews is also available.
Chapel Hill has four Town Council seats and the Mayor's seat up for election in 2005. NRG asked all ten Chapel Hill Town Council candidates to participate in an interview on topics of interest to local citizens. Nine of the candidates accepted, and one candidate withdrew from the race on October 6. The responses from the remaining eight candidates are presented here. NRG as an organization is not endorsing candidates for this election. We are posting the candidates' responses here in the hope that this information will help citizens make an informed decision this November. No comment or statement on these pages should be seen as an endorsement of a particular candidate.
The Sierra Club announced its endorsed candidates in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough today.
In Chapel Hill the Sierra Club endorses Kevin Foy for Mayor, and Mark Kleinschmidt, Laurin Easthom, and Will Raymond for Town Council.
In Carrboro, the Sierra Club endorses Mark Chilton for Mayor, and Jacquie Gist and Randee Haven-O'Donnell for Board of Aldermen.
In Hillsborough, the Sierra Club endorses Tom Stevens for Mayor, and Mike Gering and Frances Dancy for Town Board.
Having been a part of this process I am thrilled with all of these selections. I think the club definitely made the right choices. Just as a disclaimer, I recused myself from voting on Chapel Hill endorsements because of my positions in several of the candidates' campaigns.
At Chapel Hill Town Hall.
I have read some coverage of the School Board race including last night's forum. The Herald had candidates arguing over who is accountable for the acheivement gap, while the DTH had them debating srategies for addressing it. Either way it's pretty much the same story.
We all want to close the gap, but School Board debates seem to be conducted in some code I don't understand to avoid touching the lightning rod of racism - which is really at the heart of the problem. So you tell me, readers: Who are the progressives in this race and why?
The sun finally came out! Is anyone else having trouble concentrating with this lovely weather outside? ;-)
Here's an open-minded thread for discussion of whatever you like. Have a good weekend.
I have long felt that the placement of candidates' yard signs can tell you a lot. Each of us tends to put signs in places we think people are likely to see them, usually based on places we ourselves feel likely to see them. For example, if there are gaps in signage, we don't notice them unless we see the gaps ourselves.
Since most yard signs are put up by friends of the candidate, if not the candidate herself, they tell us a lot about the milieu of each candidate. Do they spend a lot of time near local schools, downtown, the mall, the grocery store, parks?
Today I went on a walk to see what yard signs are up in my neighborhood. I walked about a mile west into downtown Carrboro and a mile east into downtown Chapel Hill. Here is what I saw...
Here are SOME of the many signs I saw in downtown Carrboro:
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 15, 2005
One of the most compelling comments of election season so far came from Carrboro Alderman Jacquelyn Gist at the Sierra Club candidates forum. "Grass makes you stupid" Gist said in reference to Carrboro's many acres of lawn. "Grass is one of the biggest problems facing our community."
Knowing Gist, I did not take her words to be a New Urbanist rebuke of suburban living. They seemed more an indictment of the manner in which modern society relates to nature, and how an alien landscape -- in this case, the lawn -- interferes with our ability to understand the ecosystem that is our home.
I'd been thinking along similar lines this summer, each time I stepped out my front door and walked over to the nearby forest by Bolin Creek. Along the sidewalks and street it was awfully hot, the pavement throwing the sun's heat back at me. But as soon as I stepped under the canopy of trees, it felt 10 degrees cooler. Clearly, the way we live, the way we build, the way we develop -- none is well attuned to our natural environs.
A local group called Citizen Action for Responsible Roads (CARR) has conducted an "e-forum" for the Chapel Hill Town Council and Mayoral races. They e-mailed the candidates and published their responses online.
Here are the questions, check out their website to see the candidates' responses.
1. Explain why you support or oppose keeping Carolina North's automobile traffic off of Weaver Dairy Road, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, and/or I-40.
2. Where should automobile entrances to Carolina North be located?
3. Describe why you support or oppose an automobile connector road between Larkspur and Eubanks Road.
4. What is your opinion of council's decision not to expand Weaver Dairy Road?
5. What's your philosophy in deciding where future regional transportation corridors should be located?
6. What's your position on UNC's plan to put 17,000 parking spaces at Carolina North?
7. What action should council take should NCDOT continue to drag out the improvements that have been approved for S. Columbia Street?
The OCDW (Orange County Democratic Women) Carrboro / School Board Candidates Forum will be on Wednesday, October 19 at 7:30p.m. at the Southern Human Services Building on Homestead Road.
What's with the fighter jets strafing southern Orange County this morning? The last group of them was so loud/close that it set off a car alarm in my neighborhood!
Monday night, Jim Protzman, Mark Marcoplos, and I will present the following resolution to the Town Council. We plan to bring it subsequently to Carrboro and Orange County.
A Resolution Calling for New Federal Priorities
At Chapel Hill Town Hall.
Please come! Hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and administrators are expected to gather at Rams Head Plaza from 11:00-2:00 on Oct. 26 to celebrate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Campus Sustainability Day.
The following is a press release that I am posting here at the request of Cindy Shea, UNC Sustainability Coordinator. She wanted to get the word out and invite the community to UNC Sustainability day, to be held next Wednesday (I've suggested she post this info on the UNC community webpage, too).
The basics:
What: Campus Sustainability Day
When: Wednesday, Oct. 26th
Where: Rams Head Plaza
Why: exhibits, information booths, and free local and organic food; the chance to meet and talk with those involved w/ campus sustainability efforts.
For more info, you can visit sustainability.unc.edu or call their office at 843-7284.
Campus Sustainability Day to feature awards, exhibits, food, report
Yesterday I was walking around Carrboro and Chapel Hill checking out the local candidates yards signs. Amongst all the political signs I noticed a sign not advertising a campaign. They were apparently home made signs letting us know about the Really Free Market, a "free event, where all are encouraged to give, receive, and create on their own terms."
I got closer to admire the hand cut spray paint stencil lettering, just as I would with a painting to determine its technique. Then I noticed behind the thinly painted white background was another sign. It was a school board candidate's yard sign repurposed! Knowing this I looked closer at more Really Free Market signs and noticed that other candidates yards signs had been altered this way too.
[Editor's note: Alison is a new OrangePolitics volunteer who will be blogging about her journey to figure out the Carrboro races. We look forward to a new perspective on issues from someone who isn't already a politico or activist. -RS]
Someone once told me that the sign of a good government is one whose actions go mostly unnoticed by its people. I supposed he meant that if people could go along with their lives and not have to think about whether the city will suffer a blackout or the garbage will be picked up, things were running smoothly and the job was getting done.
I have lived in Carrboro for 7 years, and been a home owner for the last 3 years. According the definition above, Carrboro's government is a good one for me. I have hardly thought about it in all the time I have lived here. I have always known the Mayor and some of the Aldermen socially, but as for their political beliefs or platforms I have been completely ignorant. I plan to make a change this election season.
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 22, 2005
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there was a brief moment in which the long-neglected problem of environmental racism received some attention. Katrina exposed the racism in state and national efforts to aid victims, in who lives near Superfund sites, in who lives in the most vulnerable areas and in who has the means to evacuate.
It also laid bare the difficulty in disentangling questions of race and class particularly in a city like New Orleans. In the flooded Lower Ninth Ward, more than 98 percent of residents are black and more than a third live in poverty.
Katrina made manifest the nature of American poverty. Suddenly, we could see, as Duke professor Mark Anthony Neal put it, that the poor are "already dying a slow death, brought on by a concentration of financial limits, inferior housing, dilapidated educational structures, violence, environmental decay and systematic state neglect."
At Chapel Hill Town Hall.
The Independent Weekly endorsements, often thought to be the most influential in Orange County races, came out today.
In Chapel Hill the Indy endorses Kevin Foy for Mayor, and Mark Kleinschmidt, Laurin Easthom, Will Raymond, and Bill Thorpe for Council.
In Carrboro the Indy endorses Mark Chilton for Mayor, and Jacquie Gist, John Herrera, and Randee Haven-O'Donnell for Board of Aldermen.
For the School Board it endorses Lisa Stuckey, Pam Hemminger, and Jean Hamilton.
Guest Post by Steve Sherman
There will be a vigil tonight at the Franklin St Post Office to commemorate the death of 2000 American military personnel. To end the ongoing bloodshed, American troops need to be withdrawn from Iraq. Let's not have to have a vigil for the 3,000th serviceperson fallen. Apologies for the MoveOn boilerplate:
2000 Too Many Have Died
Not One More Death. Not One More Dollar.
Join a Vigil to Remember the Fallen and the Living--Support the
Troops, Bring Them Home Now!
Wednesday, Oct. 26, 6:30pm
Franklin St. Post Office
(Please Bring Candles)
There will be over 400 events in 49 states.
We have just received word that the moment we have been dreading has arrived: 2,000 U.S. servicepeople have now died in Iraq. We grieve for these two thousand men and women, killed in the prime of their lives, for a war based on lies, and we grieve for the tens of thousands of Iraqis who have also died in the chaos and carnage the Bush Administration has brought to their country.
Chapel Hill candidate forum at Carol Woods Meeting Hall, 750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill.
Note: The threshold for campaign spending is $3000.
One stop voting is open NOW! Friendly volunteers are waiting for you to record your preferences.
Orange County Board of Elections Office
110 East King Street, Hillsborough, N. C.
October 20, 2005 – November 5, 2005: Monday – Friday , 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Three Saturdays, October 22nd, 29th, and November 5th: 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Chapel Hill Morehead Planetarium
October 24, 2005 – November 5, 2005: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Two Saturdays, October 29th, and November 5th: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Carrboro Town Hall
October 24, 2005 – November 5, 2005: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Two Saturdays, October 29th, and November 5th: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
It's that time of year again, for members ("owners") of Weaver Street Market to have their say about the organization's leadership, sort of. The Board of WSM is made is made up of 2 members elected by consumer owners, 2 members elected by worker owners, 2 board-selected members, and the general manager. That's right, the board selects some of it's own members. It's sort of like electing 6 town council members, letting the town manager vote, and then letting the council choose another three members - good for stability, bad for dissent.
This year owners get to vote for one of these two board candidates:
James Morgan, an incumbent who has served 8 years on the WSM board.
Billy Madden, a former WSM employee who wants to see the Board do more outreach to owners and the broader community.
Is anyone else as sick as I am of the Chapel Hill News harping on how much downtown sucks? Last weekend there was a big spread mostly about how we are doomed (again). It was way too lengthy for me to dissect it all, but if you read it, please share your thoughts.
Here's one great letter to the editor in response:
How dare they be homeless?
I, too, am outraged at the panhandling that occurs on Franklin Street. Even all of the letters from Sunday's paper could not convey my disgust at those homeless. How dare they ask me for money! I mean, they chose to be homeless; it's their fault.
They buy drugs and alcohol and don't save their money like us good, righteous folks. They stand there smoking expensive cigarettes, and turn right around to ask me for change. They waste their money, so they deserve to sleep on freezing concrete. My rights are being trampled when they ask for money, and their poverty makes me so uncomfortable.
I've been at it for a couple of weeks now, learning the ropes of the political process in Carrboro and I agree with one of the comments to my previous post: two weeks ain't a lot of time. But as Ruby pointed out, it's just about the amount of time most voters will spend investigating the candidates and informing themselves of the issues.
I have spent time reading the candidates' websites, newspaper articles, transcripts and and have determined the main themes in Carrboro are structural development, economic development, and affordable housing. To me, they are all related.
UNC announced plans yesterday for a community and university steering committee for planning Carolina North.
I am pretty skeptical about the university's motivations here.
First, why was the Chamber's Community Leadership Council told this before the Town Council? I think it's a real slap in the face not to make the members of Council the first to know. The Chamber may be easier for UNC to work with but it doesn't need the Chamber's approval of its plans, it needs the Town Council's.
Second, why is the university creating a new committee when it still has yet to respond to the report of the Horace Williams Citizens Committee? This group made a lot of very meaningful recommendations, and several Council candidates and progressive groups have formally asked the university to make a response- we have been met with nothing but silence.
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 29, 2005
Judging by the news coverage, this year's municipal elections have been a pretty dull affair. The papers have provided an outlet for candidates to express their views through guest columns, web profiles, and articles on forums. But there is a lot more that could have been reported on their backgrounds and positions and on campaign events.
Let's start with Will Raymond. He claims to be a dotcom success story, promising to bring strong business and financial management skills to the Town Council. The news media could have looked into Raymond's background and informed voters of the reality behind these claims.
Robin Cutson has called into question the adequacy of our water supply to meet the needs of growth. OWASA chair Mark Marcoplos has rebutted some of her charges on orangepolitics.org. This too could have led to an informative news story.
Alderman candidate Katrina Ryan has spoken of her intention to help launch a private company that will take advantage of energy tax credits to promote solar energy in Carrboro. Is that a flaky idea or a good one? You'd have to know the details to decide.
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