East Carolina University will be offering the nation’s first master’s degree in sustainable toursim. In an article in this morning’s News and Observer, Patrick Long, director of ECU’s Center in Sustainable Tourism said, There is a close link and relationship between good science and good business. . . We need to train and educate our future leaders [...]
Miscellaneous Archives
- Jun16
More antics at the Wake school board meeting
You might say a handcuffed Rev. William Barber being led away from the Wake County School Board meeting room by security officers is just the picture the Reverend wanted. And, if you scan the local paper and TV stations, it looks like most of the media cooperated. But that’s where the good part ends for [...]
- 1Jun15
The Audacity of H.O.P.E
Beware, public employee unions are lobbying at the General Assembly today for the right to collectively bargain. The group organizing the effort, H.O.P.E – Hear Our Public Employees – desires the repeal of a North Carolina law prohibiting collective bargaining between North Carolinian’s public employers and employees. According to literature handed out by the group, [...]
- Jun15
Should Gov’t Make-Work Jobs Count in Employment Numbers?
Many observers and commentators of the current economic recession say “unemployment may be high now, but its nothing compared to the Great Depression.” But is that really a fair comparison? Independent Institute economist William Shugart suggests its not. The answer: The United States in the 1930s recognized that government-funded make-work jobs were not the same [...]
- Jun14
Kinnaird Wants to Control What You Eat
According to the Daily Tar Heel, it took the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health a total of 20 years and the participation of over 5,000 people to determine that there is “a correlation between the price of fast food and the amount of consumption by the public.” Might I suggest that next time [...]
- Jun11
BP Oil Spill Another Example of Government Failure
Statists across NC and the nation are pointing to the BP Gulf oil spill as another form of “market failure” and are exploiting this tragedy in an attempt to demonize “free markets” and insist that government is the only entity we can trust to safely run economic activity such as oil drilling. As Sheldon Richman points [...]
- Jun10
A Unique Problem Concerning Inmate Health Care
In today’s Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS) appropriations conference committee meeting, Senator Ellie Kinnaird (D – Orange), asked why hospitals would need to incur additional security costs to create a physical buffer zone between inmate patients and other patients if guards were already present. One would think the answer to that question is [...]
- Jun09
Addressing the UNC faculty problem
This morning’s News & Observer contained a lengthy article about how, over the past year, 50 plus faculty at UNC Chapel Hill have been lured away to other universities and UNC administrators have been largely unsuccessful in stemming the exodus. Both Senate and House versions of the State budget recommend deep cuts to the UNC system, so [...]
- Jun09
It IS Richard Morgan!
Yesterday, we asked if the photos below were of former co-Speaker Richard Morgan clubbing it up at a Raleigh hotspot. Morgan confirmed to various media outlets that it is indeed him, so we’re putting the pictures back up. Here’s the link to yesterday’s post: http://civitasreview.com/miscellaneous/is-that-richard-morgan/
- Jun08
Education tax credits:what are we waiting for?
Thousands of law-abiding North Carolinians choose to educate their children at home or in private schools. In addition to paying state and local taxes for an education system their children do not use, parents must also pay the costs of tuition, books and the other costs associated with non-public education. It’s not difficult to see how those who choose not to attend [...]
- Jun08
Anybody See Bill Harrison At A Charter School?
My good friend Matt Mittan stumbled across some fascinating audio showing part of what is wrong in public education. Apparently, if you can’t back up your statements with facts, it’s ok to just make them up in front of the senate subcommittee on education (you can hear the audio). State Board of Education Chairman [...]
- Jun08
Is That Richard Morgan?
The former Co-Speaker of the House, partying it up at the brand new Still Life “nightclub and Ultra-lounge” in Raleigh? If so, it’s good to see that there is a life at politics.
- Jun08
Obama Taking Blame for Oil Spill
The frustration in President Obama’s voice is apparent. It’s so bad, he’s dropping expletives on the Today Show. (Way to be a role model! Get frustrated, kick someone’s ass… great lesson for kids.) With the results of a new Gallup poll shows that only 40 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the oil [...]
- Jun08
NC Agencies Consider Race When Contracting
Believers in the dream of Martin Luther King; in a society that judges individuals based on their merit and not their skin color (or gender) should be aware that this state actively promotes skin color and gender as a consideration when contracting with private companies. Governor Perdue issued Executive Order 13 in 2009, a contradictory [...]
- Jun04
NC Charter School Conference in Raleigh, July 11-13
Charter schools represent a wonderful example of innovation in education. They offer unique learning environments to educators and students; expanded educational opportunities for parents and a quality educational product — at a cost usually significantly below that of traditional public schools – to taxpayers . How are North Carolina’s charter schools doing? People vote with their feet and a charter school waiting list [...]
- Jun04
House Approves its Budget Plan, Senate Approves Irresponsible Debt
Shortly after midnight this morning, the N.C. House approved its 2010-11 budget proposal. You can read the bill language here, and the money report here. A few preliminary observations: The media is reporting that the House spending plan totals $18.9 billion. This is misleading and does not represent actual spending on state programs. The $18.9 [...]
- Jun03
Texting While Legislating
In North Carolina it is illegal to send text messages while driving. Evidently it is not illegal for the Speaker of the House of Representatives to send text messages while presiding over budget proceedings on the House floor. Earlier today, Rep. Joe Hackney (D-Orange) was seen doing just that.
- Jun01
5/28 Bad Bill is on the Move
S.B. 1114 sponsored by Sen. Kinnaird (D- Orange), has been introduced in the House as H.B. 1888 by Rep. Insko (D- Orange) and Rep. Faison (D- Orange). This bill, last week’s Bad Bill of the Week, has passed the second and third readings in the Senate and is currently scheduled to be considered by the [...]
- May27
English proficiency for driving? Do we really have to ask?
It looks like Pablo Escobar and Rep. Harold Brubaker won’t be sharing a taco anytime soon. The Randolph County Republican has introduced legislation to make all North Carolina drivers tests in English only, essentially ending the current driver’s test the NC DMV offers in Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. Mr. Brubaker’s [...]
- May27
Senate Democrats scramble to find votes on “charter lite” bill
The state Senate passed a bill that would allow school districts to turn low performing schools into what it terms “charter schools” that would still be run by the school system. But Senate Democrats couldn’t find enough sure votes at first to assure quick passage. There were apparently several head counts during a recess among [...]