October 2005
UNC announced plans yesterday for a community and university steering committee for planning Carolina North.
I am pretty skeptical about the university's motivations here.
First, why was the Chamber's Community Leadership Council told this before the Town Council? I think it's a real slap in the face not to make the members of Council the first to know. The Chamber may be easier for UNC to work with but it doesn't need the Chamber's approval of its plans, it needs the Town Council's.
Second, why is the university creating a new committee when it still has yet to respond to the report of the Horace Williams Citizens Committee? This group made a lot of very meaningful recommendations, and several Council candidates and progressive groups have formally asked the university to make a response- we have been met with nothing but silence.
Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday October 29, 2005
Judging by the news coverage, this year's municipal elections have been a pretty dull affair. The papers have provided an outlet for candidates to express their views through guest columns, web profiles, and articles on forums. But there is a lot more that could have been reported on their backgrounds and positions and on campaign events.
Let's start with Will Raymond. He claims to be a dotcom success story, promising to bring strong business and financial management skills to the Town Council. The news media could have looked into Raymond's background and informed voters of the reality behind these claims.
Robin Cutson has called into question the adequacy of our water supply to meet the needs of growth. OWASA chair Mark Marcoplos has rebutted some of her charges on orangepolitics.org. This too could have led to an informative news story.
Alderman candidate Katrina Ryan has spoken of her intention to help launch a private company that will take advantage of energy tax credits to promote solar energy in Carrboro. Is that a flaky idea or a good one? You'd have to know the details to decide.
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