Guilty pleasures come in many forms. I would like to invite people to read The Soup and indulge in one of mine. Because if you read them more, they’ll write more. So my motivations are largely selfish. I’ve heard a plausible theory that The Soup is a dumping ground for talented press people who can [...]
Monthly Archives: October 2007
- Oct31
Poverty and the Public Schools
Hood gives the N&O and Comrade Schofield a lesson in statistics and common sense on the issue of schoolchildren and poverty (after bad reporting by the N&O Schofield stumbles clumsily into this post). -Max Borders
- Oct31
Misleading Us About School Choice
What’s the best way to dismantle public education and privatize schools? School choice. That’s what our friend Chris Fitzsimon says in a guest editorial in last week’s Public School Forum’s Friday Report. Amusing, but certainly not true — ask the Milwaukee Public Schools. If I really wanted to dismantle public education, let’s just say I [...]
- Oct30
Transit Tax: Enter the Special Interests Parade
Here’s a post on the special interest whores, which Fitzsimon clearly seems to be ok with — if but by omission. The disdain for everything corporate dries up when corporations support their pet issues. -Max Borders (Update: Bank of America: $60,000 Wachovia: $60,000 Duke Energy: $50,000 Siemens: $50,000 (the maker of the trains!) EarthTech: $20,000 [...]
- 1Oct30
Fitzsimon and the Folly Trolley
Never one to forego an opportunity to tap into the herd mentality of populist sentiment, Chris Fitzsimon sings glowingly of an apparent "majority" in Charlotte on light rail: As Election Day gets closer, it is becoming more and more obvious that the anti-transit forces, led by Raleigh’s leading market fundamentalist think tank and its followers, [...]
- Oct30
Smoking for Schip Part Deux
Another version of the smoking for the kids vid. Enjoy.-Max Borders
- Oct30
Opportunity Cost and Incentives
Another day, another six-figure payment to a company in the name of "economic incentives." This time it’s to Ply Gem Industries in Cary, who plan to add 100 jobs over the next four years. In exchange, Governor Easley has granted them $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund. Now here’s the kicker… The One North [...]
- Oct29
Tragedy of the Commons: Bruce Yandle
One of my heroes, Bruce Yandle, has a podcast on the tragedy of the commons. Every environmentalist and concerned citizen should understand this concept, as the phenomenon is responsible for 98 percent of all environmental issues — from pollution to over-fishing. Bruce is a scholar and a gentleman. Enjoy. (Update: pay close attention to his [...]
- Oct29
More Horror Stories From “Single-Payer” Health Care
Check out more insight into what the so-called "progressives" want to do to America’s health care system. Seems like our friends across the pond are getting desperate for alternatives from their "single-payer" system. "Thousands of "health tourists" are going as far as India, Malaysia and South Africa for major operations – such is their despair [...]
- Oct26
The Neal v. Hagan Quandary for Dems
If as widely speculated, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-Guilford) rethinks her decision and does run for the Democratic nomination for US Senate against Sen. Dole, it sets up an interesting quandary for NC Democrats and for Sen. Hagan herself. Does Sen. Hagan run on her purported record as a pro-business Democrat and try and secure the [...]