Intolerance is Apparently Contagious
It isn’t often that a local community center becomes international news, but with the proposed development of the Islamic Community Center a few blocks from Ground Zero in downtown New York City, that is exactly what has happened. To this point, I have been able to sit back and watch the national dialogue unfold, but …
Ordinary, Reasonable Person?
Being a huge The Daily Show fan, I was thrilled when Jon Stewart called a Rally to Restore Sanity on October 30 in Washington, DC. The idea, of course, is to counter the silliness of Glen Beck’s recent rally with an even more ridiculous one. Like most of Stewart’s humor, it is mostly just funny, …
Calculating Poverty
Numbers released from the Census Bureau last week put over 14% of US residents below the poverty line. Unfortunately, the number here in NC was even worse, at nearly 17%. But just as the unemployment rate does not adequately reflect the actual number of unemployed people (merely those seeking unemployment benefits), the same is true …
The Great Recession
Tuesday morning, The Wall Street Journal trumpeted “Slump Over, Pain Persists” on the front page. I almost spit my coffee across the room. Seriously? Over? It’s official: The 2007-2009 recession, which wiped out 7.3 million jobs, cut 4.1% from economic output and cost Americans 21% of their net worth, marked the longest slump since the …
Revenue Enhancement
Taxes. It’s a dirty word in everywhere, but especially in austere North Carolina. Revenue enhancements go down only slightly better, and value-added fiscal collections will raise more than a few eyebrows, but they all mean the same thing: you need to pay more of your hard-earned money to the government. We get it – we …
Proximity, Choice, Stability, Achievement
In response to the Board of Education’s call for public input into the emerging Student Assignment plan, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership announced that they will hire education consultant Michael Alves to develop a Controlled Choice Student Assignment plan based on three criteria identified by the Wake Board of …
Finally Seeing the Light on Enlightenment
In an uncharacteristically reasonable measure, the Wake County School Board agreed (though didn’t formally vote) today to restore the funding for the ridiculously wonderful Project Enlightenment program. For those of you unfamiliar with the program, they have been around since the 1970′s and offer a range of services to children who are sometimes overlooked by …
Love, Not Dove
It is hard to know what to say on an anniversary such as this. We all have our stories, what we will always remember, and we all honor memories and feelings in different ways. For those struggling to find the positive, choose to take today as a somber yet vivid reminder of the inequalities that …
School Discipline Policy
Are we on the cutting edge or what? Not one day after we announce plans for a summit dealing with suspension issues in NC, the Wake County School Board decides to go ahead and make some changes to their so-called zero tolerance policy. Coincidence? Of course it is – but it’s still pretty cool! A …
Safe Schools, Fair Schools Summit Announced
Safe Schools, Fair Schools: A Community Dialogue about School Suspensions in North Carolina is planned for November 12 from 9am to 5pm at the Wake Technical College in Raleigh. The NC Partnership for Educational Opportunities (NCPEO) is presenting the event. The one day gathering of stakeholders is designed to allow dialogue about issues and examine …