North Carolina
Plan now to gather with thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of
North Carolinians in support of a progressive agenda for the state. The
second annual HKonJ -- Historic Thousands on Jones Street in Raleigh --
will be held Saturday, February 9 at Chavis Park,
505 Martin Luther King Blvd., Raleigh beginning at 11:30 a.m., with a
march to the State Legislative Building planned for 12:30 p.m.
See the HKonJ site for more information, agenda, flyer, etc.
(Updated 2/7/08.)
Date:
Saturday, February 9, 2008 - 6:30am to 9:00am
Location:
Chavis Park, 505 Martin Luther King Blvd., Raleigh, NC
Progressives,
Let us count the tipping points that we face next year: political,
economic, social, climate - just for starters. The questions are: Which
way will they tip and who will do the tipping?
There is nothing mechanical about these critical tipping points.
They are mostly contests of vision, combined with sheer energy and
will, that determine who will make policy decisions, and what those
decisions will be.
As the Progressives Democrats of NC (PDNC), we have tried to be the
link between the issues and advocacy groups that matter to real people,
and the political process that can enact real reforms.
To be effective, we need to be charged up, diverse and united, and have a smart plan.
The Orange County Chapter is the host of the 2007 Annual Meeting of
the Progressive Democrats of NC and invites all to come to the concert
on Friday evening and the meeting and Democratic Lt. Governor
Candidates forum on Saturday. Membership is NOT required; however,
non-members cannot vote.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF NC -- MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!
Governor Mike Easley wants us all to cut our water use in half. How are you doing it?
"Whenever you use water, cut the amount by half, whether it is taking a shower or washing the dishes," Easley said. "We all need to know whether this will be extremely difficult or easily doable."
Few water managers described Easley's request as easily doable. Having already slashed usage by about 20 percent by eliminating most outdoor watering, the next step is to head indoors where water use often isn't considered optional.
That means three-minute showers, limited washing of clothes and dishes, and strategic toilet flushing. Other possibilities: turning off the tap while shaving and brushing teeth, and collecting water in a bucket from your shower to use elsewhere.
- newsobserver.com | Easley: Cut water use by half, 10/23/07
I read on Chapel Hill Town Councilmember Mark Kleinschmidt's blog that the NC General Assembly is considering allowing Chapel Hill to establish a program for public financing in municipal elections. With some notable exceptions, I actually think Chapel Hill and Carrboro are some of the few places where money does not control local elections. (Mostly, I just want to put a muzzle on Chapel Hill Mayoral candidates.) But if it's an opportunity to show other communities how this can be done, I'm all for it.
At the request of the Chapel Hill Town Council, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird has introduced a bill to allow Chapel Hill to sponsor a public financing program for its local elections, using local resources. The bill is SB 418 "CHAPEL HILL CAMPAIGN FINANCE OPTIONS." Apparently, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen have also asked for such a bill, which she will also be introducing. Needless to say, the Home-Builders-Etc. will fight these bills even though they are local bills. I hope folks will support these local efforts to create proactive solutions to the money in politics dilemma.
In other public financing news, Democracy North Carolina has launched a new website and petition in the wake of the recent Jim Black scandal: http://CleanUpRaleigh.com
Democracy North Carolina, currently based in Carrboro, but soon to be based in Durham (perhaps we can talk about the issue of affordable space for Orange County non-profits in another post) has been calling for public financing of campaigns or "Voter-Owned Elections" for years.
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