Opinion
The Big Radio Broadcast of 2003
Monday boasted probably one of the most listened-to radio programs in history. So why did the mind wander to the uncertain future of local commercial broadcasting?
Opinion
Politics Is Just So Intriguing
A wide range of disclosures about state and federal races this week illustrates why politics is so intriguing -- and why that makes it so intriguing.
Opinion
Back to Base(ics) on the Military
While state politicians understandably would like to see the next round of Pentagon base closings bypass North Carolina, they shouldn't take the argument too far.
Opinion
Would You Relish Running on This?
Plenty of incumbents are seizing up their potential opposition and mapping out their political strategies for the 2004 elections. Here's why they're nervous.
Opinion
On Iraq, Pirates, and the Constitution
A pile of leaves leads to an airing of constitutional history which mentions piracy which leads to the isolationist critique of the war in Iraq. Really.
Opinion
When Privatization Misses the Point
Senate leader Marc Basnight has a couple of ideas for boosting growth in North Carolina. One is unambiguously good while the other could be an irrelevant distraction.
Opinion
UNC Needs Cap(stone) Course
The UNC Board of Governors is about to consider raising the cap on out-of-state students. Believe it or not, the debate has gotten even sillier than it was a few weeks ago.
Opinion
Oops! Congressional “mistake” prompts NIH review
A mistake by a Congressional staff member ignited a review of research projects approved by the National Institutes of Health. But despite what U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called “scientific McCarthyism,” it turned out Congress had not declared war on the NIH approval process.
Opinion
No. 716: Solving the Government Spending Puzzle
How many times have you come across someone who complains about taxes being too high, but then in the next breath says roads are too congested, the police are overworked, or the parks aren’t open long enough? Sounds inconsistent, right? Not necessarily. To many people it does seem as if government is taking more in taxes but doing less with the revenues. I call this the “government spending puzzle.”
Opinion
Edwards Confused on Dean Remark
Howard Dean's remarks about Democrats needing to attract the voters of Southerners with Confederate flags on their trucks seem to have flustered Sen. John Edwards.
Opinion
Time to Study Up on Tollways
It looks like the debate over possible toll roads in North Carolina isn't going away anytime soon. Here are some useful resources for studying up on the issue.
Opinion
No. 715: Regulatory Reform to Clean the Air and Lower Costs
Some state governments, under influence from environmental pressure groups, have chosen to challenge the Bush administration's decision to make it easier for electric utility companies to undertake improvements and repairs at older coal-fired power plants. The decision will give utilities more leeway to upgrade and modernize equipment in ways that will increase energy efficiency and reduce pollution. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper has shown concern for both the environment and utility customers and resisted the pressure to appeal the President's decision.
