August 2014
We came to Orange County in the autumn of 1978. Though we lived in Durham for a few years, we moved back to Chapel Hill in the mid-80s and have called it home ever since. We made a choice to live in this community.
This year, I am proud to serve as the 2014 Chair of the Orange County Housing Authority, a relatively new community board appointed by the County Commissioners. We provide citizen oversight of the County’s Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as “Section 8.” Just under 600 families in this community are the direct beneficiaries of this rental subsidy, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program brings about $3.5 million into our community every year.
That support is vital for those families, but did you know that you benefit from it too? The effect on you and your family or your business may be indirect, but it’s right in front of you. Keeping housing affordable leads directly to spending money in the Orange County economy.
Thanks to the 31 of you who completed our survey. We got quite a bit of helpful feedback. Below is a summary of what you told us.
We used randomresult.com to randomly select our 3 winners from those who completed the survey. The winners are…Mark Marcoplos, Terri Buckner, and Penny Rich. You can collect your prizes at our next OP Happy Hour on October 10 (location to be announced).
1. How did you first hear about OrangePolitics? (n = 31)
Many respondents noted that they had been reading OP for so long they didn’t remember how they first heard about it. Others said they learned about the site from one of the editors, a friend, or social media (Facebook, Twitter).
2. How do you usually access OrangePolitics? (n = 31)
Most respondents (58%) used the OP home page, and 42% followed links from Facebook or Twitter. Fewer respondents used the RSS feed or accessed OP through the Latest Content page.
3. What features of OrangePolitics do you use regularly? (n = 31)
Candidate forums: 68% (21)
In November 2013, the Chapel Hill Town Council voted 7-1 to sell 8.5 acres of town-owned land on Legion Road to Durham-based affordable housing developer, DHIC, Inc, for $100 (the property was valued at $2 million) for the development of 170 units of affordable housing. One of the steps in that development was the need for DHIC to apply for tax credits from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to assist with funding for the development.
On Monday, DHIC president Greg Warren announced that, because a document was missing from the application, the application had been eliminated from consideration. Because of the incomplete application, DHIC must wait until 2015 to apply for the opportunity again, delaying the completion of an important affordable housing project as we continue to face a housing crisis.
Friends and allies for affordable housing in Chapel Hill---
To achieve a port civilization economic activities cannot be limited. In a broad way of understanding the best functioning cities where food, shelter, and a life of the mind are most advanced, the city or town must make itself into a destination for its citizens and its visitors.
It must be for those that live there a destination achieved once they get out the door of their home. Great places are like that.
The office of Transportation Planner for the Town of Carrboro is open, and I applied for it because it is an area of my study. All of my study of governance results from my determination to build a nation of airports and spaceports. The caveat that has made my work difficult, in one crucially dramatic and pivotal way is that to normally achieve the foundation of a nation, one gets the national identity from a war. Blood sacrifice is required and I have not been willing to forment war.
In the wake of the President's call to re-examine the militarization of police in the US, I go one step further, and wonder if it is not time now actively to consider disarming front-line police officers?
Internationalist Books is moving and we need your help!
Internationalist Books and Community Center has been an invaluable part of our community since 1981. We are moving from our current location on Franklin St to Carrboro. Our new space will give us a better ability to host programs, projects and events, and make us better able to keep Internationalist strong and growing into the future. This move is a huge undertaking, and a huge leap of faith. We need our community’s support to make this move successful. Please donate whatever you can to pay for the costs of renovations, new bookshelves and furniture, and to help us weather the financial impact of a big move and establish ourselves firmly in our new home. We also want to invite our community to help with workdays in the new space, help us spread the word, and help us with a vision for our new space and the amazing ways our work can grow through this move.
On Saturday, August 30th bike-in to check out Internationalist Bookstore’s soon-to-be new space in Carrboro at 101 Lloyd St. All proceeds go to help Internationalist move to the new space and build new bookshelves. At 7 p.m., we’ll be serving a home-cooked Southern dinner including mashed potatoes with local mushroom gravy, hoppin’ john, and sauteed collared greens (all vegan), and lemon balm iced tea. There will be popcorn and other concessions available. The movie will start promptly at 8 p.m. We’re asking each person for a suggested donation of $20 but whatever you can give is appreciated. Members of Piedmont Earth First! and friends of Ibooks are hosting this event out of appreciation for the many years Internationalist has allowed us to host free events in their space. Spread widely!
“This move is a huge undertaking, and a huge leap of faith. We need our community’s support to make this move successful. Please donate whatever you can to pay for the costs of renovations, new bookshelves and furniture, and to help us weather the financial impact of a big move and establish ourselves firmly in our new home. We also want to invite our community to help with workdays in the new space, help us spread the word, and help us with a vision for our new space and the amazing ways our work can grow through this move.”
Other options if you can’t attend:
Internationalist Books is Moving! Fundraising Page on EverRibbon
You can make donations through our PayPal
This would be an excellent time to join Ibooks as a Sustaining Member!
If you’d like to help us in other ways, like donating materials, helping with workdays, or hosting a fundraiser, please be in touch! You can email them at ibooks@internationalistbooks.org.
Date:
Saturday, August 30, 2014 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Two weeks ago, we in Orange County, NC learned that six armored personnel carriers had been made available to law enforcement in our county. We are told, two weeks later, that elected officials within our county are still trying to track them down. Still trying. Two weeks later.
Let me deal with the immediate, and then I'll wax about conspiracy.
The immediate: I can forgive elected officials for not knowing where six armored personnel carriers might be. Maybe. Just. But, after two weeks, if you truly can not find them, and do not know what to say to your citizens about them, then you have no business serving.
Someone sold them. Someone bought them. Someone has a receipt. Some body of elected officials looked at some document saying, we want 'em, or we bought 'em.
And if not the latter, then who exactly is policing the police in our county, and cf. no business serving.
Unless, and here is where we get to conspiracy.
I remember back in 2011, when SWAT was deployed in Chapel Hill, to the anger, consternation, bemusement of the citizenry. As in, really, we have a team like that, why?
Pages
About Us
OrangePolitics is a not-for-profit website for discussing progressive perspectives on politics, planning, and public policy in Orange County, NC. Opinions are those of their authors. Learn more.
Community Guidelines
By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by
WeebPal.
