NCGA

A quorum of the Carrboro Aldermen was arrested tonight

[After getting out of jail. Photo by Jeff Herrick.]I'm pretty sure that no other municipality in North Carolina could have done business from prison in Raleigh tonight. But Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton (who helped instigate Mega Moral Monday) as well as Alderpeople Michelle Johnson, Damon Seils, and Sammy Slade all committed civil disobedience with about 140 other people - including Chapel Hill Town Council Member Donna Bell and OP Editor Molly De Marco - by refusing to leave the rotunda in the N.C. General Assembly.

Among the 1,000 protesters outside the NCGA were a quorum of Orange County Commissioners (Bernadette Pelissier, Penny Rich, Renee Price, and Mark Dorosin), a Carrboro Alderperson (Randee Haven-O'Donnell), OP regular Mark Marcoplos, and two more OP editors (Travis Crayton and myself).

Mega Moral Monday

This will be the biggest Moral Monday yet, and is our unique opportunity to put our collective foot down against the corrupt, malfeasant Republican takeover of our state. There will be an especially strong Orange County contingent, including elected officials.

Please join us!

MORAL MONDAY MASS RALLY:

Education, Economic Justice and Voting Rights: 
Pillars of Democracy! 

Bicentennial Mall - Across from NC General Assembly

16 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC

Monday June 3, 2013 5:00 pm

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RISK ARREST TO ATTEND THE MORAL MONDAY MASS RALLY! The vast majority of people will be there only to attend the rally and serve as supporters. You can even go inside the NC General Assembly, but must leave when asked if you do not want to risk arrest.

For those who make the personal decision to petition the legislature through nonviolent civil disobedience, based on your own moral conscience, it is CRITICAL that you attend a briefing and information session beforehand:

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Information Session
Martin Street Baptist Church
1001 E. Martin Street, Raleigh, NC
Monday, June 3, 3:00 pm

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/334641253331262/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128838747317762/ 

Date: 

Monday, June 3, 2013 - 5:00pm

Location: 

North Carolina General Assembly, Jones Street, Raleigh

Intentionally disenfranchising students (and others)

It’s about to get a lot harder to vote in Orange County, at least for some of us.

The Republican majority in the General Assembly clearly feels that the racist, anti-woman, anti-urban, and very anti-liberal redistricting which took place last year didn’t do enough to solidify their entrenched majority. Now they’re hard at work systematically disenfranchising people who are unlikely to vote for them. Stringent voter identification requirements, shortened early voting, and other impediments to voting have been proposed in the General Assembly and are all likely to pass.

But of particular note to us in Orange County is the aptly-numbered Senate Bill 666. The most significant change in SB 666 isn’t in chapter 163 which governs elections; rather, it’s a change to the tax code:

The Fight To Save Our Schools

3,200 UNC System employees lose their jobs under the budget that currently sits on Governor Perdue's desk.

Backers of the budget cuts argue that at a time where unemployment is at near record levels and the state is facing a 3 billion dollar deficit cuts need to be made. By slashing education and other vital public institutions instead of keeping the current sales tax level, the legislature claims to be protecting economic development in NC. They fail to recognize the fundamental role education plays in economic development.

Letter to Representative Insko and Commissioner Gordon on School Funding

With the month of May coming, it time for flowers to bloom and for our school district to trim resources.   Every year when this happens I appreciate the flowers and figure there has to be a better way to fund our schools.  Below is the text of a letter I send to Representative Insko with copy to County Commissioner Alice Gordon.  There has to be a better approach that what we have now.  Thoughts and comments are appreciated. 

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