Dan Coleman's blog

From: Chapel Hill Herald; Saturday, October 30, 2004

The 2000 election was a scandal or, perhaps more accurately, a crime of historic proportions. According to investigative reporter Greg Palast, fully half of the rejected ballots that year, about a million in total, were cast by African Americans. This despite the fact that blacks comprise only 12 percent of the U.S. population.

While we may hope that this disenfranchisement does not recur, it is an unfortunate fact that barriers to voting remain prevalent in many areas that are home to minorities. According to Palast, few of tens of thousands of African-Americans who were improperly removed from voter rolls in 2000 have been returned to them.

For most of us, it is hard to reconcile ourselves to the fact that there are political actors in our nation who do not believe in the right to have one's vote counted. What could be more basic to American democracy than the right to vote?

In a letter to Mayor Foy, Chancellor James Moeser writes "I wish to register, in the strongest most possible terms, our objection to the action taken by the Town Council on October 11, initiating the rezoning of the University's Carolina North property to OI-2."

Moeser would prefer to "use this time to work together to further our mutual goal of building a better community and university."

So, a zone (OI-3) that allows the university to do whatever it wants without Council involvement is "working together" but a zone (OI-2) under which the Council would review university projects is not?

This strikes me as the sort of knee jerk reaction the university, or any corporation faced with new regulation, always makes: object stongly and in the huffiest terms.

Moeser also conveniently overlooks that all the Council did Monday night was ask for information on a rezoning process. There is a long way to go yet.

[Shameless self-promotion: I discuss the rezoning futher in my column in today's Chapel Hill Herald.]

Having followed the County Commissioner campaign as closely as I know how, I just went down to Town Hall and cast a single vote for Margaret Brown. Here's why: over the past eight years, where the county has made progress, Brown has been a leader. Not just a reliable vote in support but a true leader. I know some people have trouble with Margaret's personality or style but, on a five member commission, I think you have to give such key leadership on the issues the lion's share of the weight. As to the particulars, heres what The Independent has to say: