Mecklenburg County probably will continue to vote for the favorite goose that continues to lavish golden eggs on the Queen City, state House Speaker Jim Black.

While probably guilty in the eyes of most citizens of North Carolina, Black likely will never be convicted.

Still, there might be a way to see that he is no longer speaker: Elicit a pledge from every candidate running for the N.C. House that, if elected, "I will not vote for Jim Black to be speaker."

If the candidates won't make this pledge, they will become very vulnerable to their opposition.

As one elected official has said, "This mess stinks. Let's begin to clean up now."

Bill Garrabrant
Raleigh