Ruby Sinreich's blog

Last week, I received a press release about the 2011 endorsements by the Anderson-Thorpe-Chapman Breakfast Club (quoted in its entirety at the end of this post). Unfortunately, the statement raised more questions than it answered. I spoke by phone with my friend Nate Davis, corresponded with NAACP representative Rob Stephens, and also e-mailed Fred Battle and Al McSurely, but was not able to get any answers to my questions. If candidates and the media are going to tout these endorsements, I think we should know a little more about where they came from.

Last night while much of OP was intently watching our live online candidate forum for aspiring Aldermen, the Chapel Hill Town Council was discussing proposed new foodtruck regulations. To me they sound very limiting, including provisions that they cannot operate within 100 feet of an open restaurant, that they can only be located on private property, and that the truck and property must both get permits from the Town. Even with these restrictions, WCHL's Elizabeth Friend reported that the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership opposed the change.

This makes it pretty clear to me that the perceived interests of their members is more important to the Chamber of Commerce than the success and sustainability of our local economy.

If you're not familiar with the recent or past history of Carr Mill Mall management's anti-Carrboro policies, catch up with us at http://orangepolitics.org/tags/carr-mill. I am so frustrated by the attitude that Carr Mill owes nothing to the community that has made them so successful.

A few days ago ago, Damon and I were looking for a place to park in downtown Carrboro. We had a question and asked Hector (the security guard), he gave us a short answer and a slip of paper with the following printed on it (verbatim):