The Commentators
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The Commentators
Only One Way to Fight the Power of the NRA
Unbelievable. The National Rifle Association has so conned us into thinking that guns are the American way, Patriotic, and God-fearing, that we don’t even pay attention when a family implodes because of the easy, accessibility of guns. Congressional candidates are scared to death, pardon the pun, of the the power of the NRA to get […]
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The Commentators
Excited About the Orange County Portion of the Mountains to Sea Trail
In 1977, while Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, I proposed the idea of a hiking trail stretching from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Thus, the Mountains to Sea Trail. Almost 40 years later, more than 680 miles of trail are now complete and people are hiking […]
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The Commentators
Driving With Cell Phones Still a Big Chapel Hill Problem
Driving while talking on the phone, handheld or hands free, is as dangerous as drunk driving. Here in Chapel Hill we have 28,000 students who grew up with cell phones and take for granted communications with their friends and families. This expectation remains when they get behind the wheel, a prescription for tragedy. This problem […]
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The Commentators
North Carolina Must Rise to Climate Change Challenge
Climate change has become a planetary emergency. If humanity doesn’t begin cutting global admissions, this crisis will pass a point of no return. North Carolina has a unique duty to help avert climate and economic chaos, because the world’s second largest power company is based in Charlotte. The sheer size of Duke Energy means that its […]
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The Commentators
We Must Do Something About Student Debt
Something is totally out of kilter in academia. The University of North Carolina has raised a record $447 million in alumni gifts, donations, and endowments. “I’d say we had a pretty loud year,” boasted Chancellor Carol Folt to a throng of faculty and staff. Student debt has reached a staggering $1.2 trillion, even outpacing credit card […]
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The Commentators
Support Local Foundations Who Support Local People
I always prefer to read and write about positive things. Nowadays, in all the media, there is too much negativity, and so little about good things that can change people’s lives. Just the other day was happy news about WCHL’s going ”local” again. Since coming to Chapel Hill in the 70s, it was our anchor, […]
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The Commentators
Why Young Professionals Aren’t at Chapel Hill Town Council Meetings
Originally published on August 14, 2014. Whenever a rezoning proposal is on the agenda, you can bet on hearing from passionate residents at the Chapel Hill town council meeting. However, have you ever noticed who doesn’t comment at those public hearings? Young single professionals. You might write off their absence as a sign of political […]
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The Commentators
Making Life Easier for Your Waste Collector and Everybody
You know, there’s a lot of people who make a community function and contribute to its appeal. I believe my neighborhood has been very fortunate because the crews that collect our trash and recyclables do great work. One day I asked the crew that came on trash morning how things were going. It was one […]
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The Commentators
Why Do They Devalue our Teachers and Schools?
Originally Published on March 7, 2016 Before Betsy and I moved from Florida to Chapel Hill years ago, we studied several potential destinations. Where would be the best place for us to raise our three daughters? We wanted to live in a community that offered good public schools and access to the arts. Chapel Hill […]
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The Commentators
Breaks for Big Business and Higher Taxes for Us
Originally Published on May 2, 2016 Are North Carolina tax incentives a new profit motive? Pat McCrory has been handing out millions of taxpayer dollars to draw new businesses to North Carolina and pay his top staffers. Now, before I get bombarded with all of the GOP talking points on how we just can’t afford […]
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The Commentators
You Can Help With Orange County’s Literacy Problem
I’m on the board of the Orange County Literacy Council. Essential in our modern society is the ability to read, write, and communicate electronically. In Orange County, there are over 15,000 adults who can’t read or write. Illiteracy is a social disability. It’s often not the fault of those who fall into this category. It’s […]
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The Commentators
The Importance of the Mountains to Sea Trail
In August, the board of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) voted to allow the Mountains to Sea Trail to be built along its Cane Creek Reservoir. As part of that decision, OWASA outlined conditions to guide planning and construction of the trail so that it protects water quality, minimizes risk, and respects the privacy […]
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The Commentators
What I Hate About Poor Customer Service
You know how when you are really busy and you have to call some company? Then, the phone connects you and you get this message, “We are experiencing a higher volume of calls than normal. Your call is very important to us. Blah, blah, blah, blah.” If the call is so important to them, you […]
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The Commentators
Renew Our Commitment to Public Schools on Election Day
As the school year gets underway, the energy and enthusiasm building within each and every one of the neighborhood public schools in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is proof positive that students win when parents, educators, and community members and leaders come to together. Unfortunately, the vast improvements we have made and the promise that our […]
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The Commentators
Sitting with Kaepernick and What Life is Really About
I’m a fan of the Green Bay Packers and generally have not favored the San Francisco 49ers, but a short while ago the 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to keep his seat when the United States national anthem was played at NFL games. Well, well, well. His coach defended his right to choose to sit. […]
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The Commentators
Vote For Folks Who Really Support Education and Educators
I don’t know about you, but I think education is one of the most important things a community can provide to its people. I’ve got children who are in school here, and I’m betting you do too, or know neighbors who do. And I’ve worked in schools most of my life and I’ve seen how […]
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The Commentators
Don’t Misuse Handicapped Spaces
Let there be no question. This guy was in a hurry. He whipped into the parking place nearest the entrance of Harris Teeter, jumped out of his luxury SUV, flung the driver’s door shut, and strode majestically into the store. He had parked in a space reserved for handicapped drivers. It was well marked with […]
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The Commentators
‘Performance Based Funding’ and why it Matters
Have you heard of PBF? Not PB-R but PB-F as in Frank. It stands for Performance Based Funding and it’s used to measure institutions of higher education. The idea is to reward efficient campuses and punish others. Proponents claim PBF 2.0 is innovative and 3.0 is just over the horizon. Do we need such complex […]
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The Commentators
The Supremes Untie Our Election Day
The Supremes have untied our election day by a tie vote. How about the Supremes? They untied as follows: No more required IDs No more elimination of same-day registration Allowed another week of early voting They tied, agreeing with the Fourth District Court. a few days ago, there were many of us Moral Movement activists within the […]
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The Commentators
Bicyclists and Drivers Must Share the Road
I stopped short as I was about to pull out of a driveway on Martin Luther King Blvd the other day just as a bicycle zoomed past. Whenever the subject comes up lately, it feels a lot like our politics. People take sides, dig in, and snarl at each other. It’s as if bike riders […]
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