November 2005

The maps below show the percentages of votes by precinct garnered by each candidate for the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.

Let's see... tuition keeps going up... staff and faculty need raises... and the fattest cats on campus get raises based on a bigger percentage of their bigger salaries!

Raspberries to the General Assembly and UNC Board of Governors, for handing out raises to top university officials as if they had already won the lottery.

Raise your hand if you're accustomed to raises of up to 16 percent from one year to the next. That's what we thought.

The UNC Board of Governors approved raises for system presidents of 8 percent to 16 percent. James Moeser, chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill, got a 13 percent hike.

The board said the increases were necessary to keep the state system competitive with other universities nationwide. But it's an all-too-familiar slap to regular folks, including state employees with titles less lofty than chancellor, who are told the budget can't handle more than a 2 percent raise.
- Chapel Hill News, Roses & Raspberries, 11/16/05

The Question for Chapel Hill: More pollution and greenhouse gas emissions or More use of solar power and energy efficiency at UNC?

WHAT: Chapel Hill Town Council public hearing and probable vote on upgrading the UNC coal plant.

WHEN: Monday evening, November 21st. 7 PM

WHERE: Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd (formerly Airport Rd.)

WHY BE THERE: UNC is asking the Chapel Hill Town Council to permit the "upgrade of their power generation capabilities" at its coal plant. While UNC's co-generation plant is more efficient than most coal-burning power plants, the university admits that it expects to burn more coal at the plant than it does now. Burning more coal will produce more pollution and greenhouse gases. The university has not presented data on whether it could better meet its electricity demand by increasing the energy efficiency of UNC buildings and increasing its use of solar energy.

WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO:

Elections are over now, and the community expression of support for the creation of the Bolin Creek Park and Preserve was overwhelming.

Thanks in no small part to Carrboro Mayor, Mike Nelson, we're on our way to making this park and preserve a reality. The 27 acre Adam's Tract is now in preservation, and last month the Carrboro BOA voted to accept a Conservation Map of the Bolin Creek Watershed.

But where do we go from here?

The planned Claremont development just west of Bolin Creek on the north side of Homestead Rd. is rapidly moving forward. UNC is in the concept stage of Carolina Commons, a development of 140 affordably priced homes for UNC faculty and staff just north of Winmore and east of Lake Hogan Farm. Much of the land targeted for preservation is developable and remains elusive. Clearly, if we are serious about making this park and preserve a reality, we must press on quickly.