Category: CivilLiberties

  • Election 2007: Update on Early Voting On The Move

    Following up on my post “Election 2007: Early Voting on the Move”, BOE Director Barry Garner responded with lightning speed to my request for further information: Nothing has been decided yet however the Seymour Senior Center is an option. The board will meet on August 7, 2007 to discuss this. UNC has offered us the […]

  • Broadcast Localism: More Fun To Be Had…

    Chad Johnston just posted this over on OrangePolitics.org about this weekend’s Peoples Channel fundraiser (July 21st, Horace-William’s House, 6-8pm): Hey folks, Just wanted to give an update on this really cool event! Food and drink will be provided by: Benjamin Vineyard, Anathoth Community Garden from Cedar Grove, Cane Creek Farm Pork, Yugela’s treats, Matthew’s artisan […]

  • Cindy Sheehan: This is NOT a Rally

    [UPDATE:] More from the CarrboroCitizen. [UPDATEx2:] Some photos of the event.. Peggy Misch wants to make sure everyone knows, in spite of what the local press says, there is no Sheehan rally at Carr Mill Mall. Just a simple lunch with Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton and some folks from GRIM ( Grassroots Impeachment Movement). It […]

  • Broadcasting Localism, a People’s Channel Fundraiser

    As many of you know, I have a particular interest in employing technology to boost our citizens’ voices cost-effectively and in ways not otherwise possible. I met a kindred spirit in the The Peoples Channel’s director Chad Johnston many years ago when we both started attending the Town’s now defunct Technology Advisory Board to encourage […]

  • The Power of Sorry

    It’s been nearly a year since the General Assembly’s 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission released their 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Report. Tonight, NPR’s Laura Leslie, over on Isaac Hunter’s Tavern reports: State lawmakers made history today by unanimously (both chambers!) passing a resolution apologizing for their predecessors’ role in promulgating slavery in North Carolina. … […]

  • iRack

    Another back and forth between Orange County Democrats over the Iraq debacle, local Representative Price’s efforts to scale it back and the party’s local leadership communicating that effectively (OrangePolitics Art on Weaver and Nudge Price, No More War Funding). On the cusp of Bush’s Iraq “surge” the moment has come for the Democratic Party, and […]

  • Trash Talk: Aarne Vesilind’s History

    I mentioned this before, but on the cusp of tonight’s meeting I’d like to remind folks of Aarne Vesilind excellent overview in the Chapel Hill News (Feb. 21, 2007) of some of the history of the Eubanks landfill. Before the early 1970s, Chapel Hill was using a small landfill owned by the university for the […]

  • 2035 Orange County’s Garbage Center of Gravity?

    I was struck by a conjunction between the following image from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan Socio-Economic projections I mentioned earlier and the debate currently raging over siting a trash transfer station on Eubanks Road. 35 years ago the Orange County landfill currently blighting the Rogers Road community was […]

  • Community Networking: Profiting from Poor Leadership Clearwire Gains a Toe-hold

    Profiting from Council’s continued inability to craft effective technology policy, Clearwire, a wireless Internet service provider utilizing proprietary spectrum, has gained a toe-hold in our community. These days, it’s hard to imagine getting through high school without the Internet. However, there are at least 100 students at East Chapel Hill High School whose families cannot […]

  • Chapel Hill News: Crushed by Council’s Jagganath

    I commented Dec. 4th that the Lot #5 development juggernaut was powered by an all-consuming illogic I fully expected to crush rational opposition. I wasn’t disappointed [VIDEO]. Echoing that sentiment, today’s Chapel Hill News speaks of a “proposal…so big and had so much town involvement — Mayor Kevin Foy and council member Bill Strom have […]

  • I’m just a Bill

    Former Council member, occasional OP poster and Director of Bill Drafting for the North Carolina General Assembly since 1981, Gerry Cohen has a new ‘blog, NC Bill Drafting: 30 Years on Jones St., capturing the tug-n-pull of NC’s legislative tides. What a great niche subject covered by a key player. For instance, he notes in […]

  • Fish, Fowl, Eyeballs, Journalist: None of the above?

    My Nov. 4th Chapel Hill News column was kind of choppy this week. I guess one of the “nots” I can add to the list is a paragon of brevity. Some folks use the term “citizen journalist” to describe what I’m doing on CitizenWill – a description that hasn’t quite jelled into a term of […]

  • District Referendum: What would Abe think?

    District referendum won 18703 (68.52%) to 8593 (31.48%). The negative consequences of this decision will not be fully apparent until 2010 and beyond. With reform in the air, with winning candidates Nelson and Gordon both saying there’s more to be done, with every media endorsement suggesting further action, the next phase of broadening electoral participation […]

  • Election Day 2006: Hogan Farms and Beyond…

    Covered Hogan Farms from 6:45am to 9:45am. BOCC candidate Jamie Daniels was handing out material until roughly 9am. Stein supporters covered the precinct from 7ish on. The Democrats staffed a table handing out sample ballots the whole time I was there… As of 9:35am, 300 confirmed voters with another 10-15 milling about waiting to go. […]

  • Please Vote Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

    For my RSS reading readers ;-)! Find your precinct HERE . Please vote Tuesday, Nov. 7th. Polls are open 6:30AM until 7:30PM. Vote NO, NO, NO on either of the divisive Orange and Chatham county districting referendums. Vote YES for Baddour and Anderson Superior Court District 15B. Vote YES for Vanderbeck commissioner Chatham District 4. […]