http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/ Pull up a chair and join the discussion with the News & Record's Editorial Board. en Copyright 2008 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Saturday's lead editorial. As North Carolina’s top cop, Roy Cooper made national headlines in 2007 when he stepped into the infamous Duke lacrosse case and dropped all charges. Cooper was scathing in his assessment of former Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong’s shameful and willful mishandling of the case of three Duke athletes falsely accused of rape by an exotic dancer. Small wonder that Cooper, a Democrat running for a third term as attorney general, reran the moment in his first campaign commercial. As sad an occasion as it was for Nifong, it was one of Cooper’s finest, the culmination of a thorough, 12-week investigation that his office handled coolly and professionally. But his record in office neither begins nor ends with the lacrosse case. Cooper’s Republican challenger, lawyer Bob Crumley, 51, blames Cooper for “clogged courts,” an “explosion of gang violence” and “backlogged crime labs.” That’s debatable. Cooper, 51, actually worked with local law enforcement to establish an SBI crime lab for the Triad in Greensboro. The 10,000-square-foot lab opened in July, serves 12 counties and is expected to handle 6,000 cases per year. Crumley argues that the lab should have been equipped to process DNA evidence, which is still sent to Raleigh. But Cooper says that would have significantly delayed the local facility’s opening and he leaves open the possibility for DNA analysis there in the future. Cooper also has done a good job stemming the epidemic of meth labs in the state, a cause he aggressively took on several years ago. He has added his office to a national electronic database of information about gangs. He has taken an aggressive look at charges of price-gouging by gas stations throughout the state. And he has increased arrests of online sexual predators. Crumley, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2002, has built a thriving law practice and has served in previous jobs as Randolph County manager and county attorney. He says he won’t use the office as a political stepping-stone, as others have done. He also advocates “a more common-sense approach to reviewing and implementing regulatory practices which affect our business community.” There’s no doubting Crumley’s impressive resume in business and government. But Cooper is the clear choice based on the breadth of his experience and the quality of his record. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/for_attorney_general.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/for_attorney_general.shtml Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Saturday's No. 2 editorial. In North Carolina, the job of lieutenant governor primarily is defined by the person who holds it. And the three men seeking the state’s second-highest elective office have distinctly different views on how to do it. Two, Democrat Walter Dalton and Republican Robert Pittenger, have legislative experience. Libertarian Phillip Rhodes is a first-time candidate. Based on experience and his vision of the job, the nod goes to Dalton, 59, a 12-year state senator from Rutherford County. He’s forcefully guided state legislative initiatives dealing with economic development, education, job retraining and health care. Pittenger, 60, also served in the state Senate, representing Mecklenburg County. But as a member of the minority party, he had less of an opportunity to play a decisive role. While his focus commendably was on eliminating government waste, a sometimes-quixotic agenda failed to attract much support. Rhodes, 35, a Chapel Hill resident, echoes his party’s call for a smaller, less-invasive government and doing away with what he describes as corporate welfare. He hasn’t been a major factor in the campaign. As a senator, Dalton has shown leadership in helping resolve appropriations issues, funding programs like Earn and Learn, lobbying for affordable health care for kids and seniors and attracting new industry. While some of his time will be taken presiding over the Senate, Dalton has a better take than his opponents on how to promote initiatives that could prove beneficial to state residents. As lieutenant governor, he can play a leadership role on both the State Board of Education and the Board of Community Colleges. Dalton also takes aim at what he calls “two North Carolinas” — economic disparities between rural and urban counties. Besides rural job recruitment, he wants to make broad-band Internet more accessible in those areas. Although Pittenger is a formidable and competent opponent, Dalton’s proactive approach and emphasis on accountability make him the best choice to carry out the many facets of a very nebulous job. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/dalton_for_states_no_2_job.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/dalton_for_states_no_2_job.shtml Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Friday's lead editorial. It’s still nearly 2,000 miles from Las Vegas to High Point, but in another sense the distance is decreasing. For High Point’s furniture market, Las Vegas is getting too close for comfort and needs some pushing back. The World Market Center in Las Vegas announced Wednesday it will change its schedule of shows from February and July to February and September starting next year. The September date puts the Las Vegas event only one month before the High Point Market’s fall show each October. High Point’s spring market is in April. The shift to September is an aggressively in-your-face move that intensifies the Las Vegas-High Point rivalry. It will be harder for exhibitors to show in Las Vegas and High Point each fall with so little time in between, and more buyers will reconsider their own plans. Las Vegas seems to be forcing the industry to make a choice. The challenge is right in character for the western upstart, which initially proclaimed a desire merely to become a top regional market but lately has revealed the goal of achieving market pre-eminence, the position held by High Point for decades. “No one could have imagined that in three years we would be at this point,” World Market Center President Robert Maricich said after the summer show. “At a time when people are looking at the glass being half empty, we are playing to win.” High Point’s attitude must be the same. Tough times in the furniture industry threaten to depress business and attendance at every market, but that just raises the stakes. Gambling is the stock-in-trade in Las Vegas, and the World Market Center is making a play to survive by grabbing a larger share at High Point’s expense. High Point Market leaders probably are right that, despite claims to the contrary, the Las Vegas summer show wasn’t doing as well as promoters hoped. But they’d be foolish to take this move lightly. If the industry has to choose between markets, High Point must work harder than ever to influence that decision in the right direction. High Point still has a huge advantage in sheer size, but Las Vegas is steadily building up to match it. And, it consolidates its showrooms on a single campus while High Point’s are spread across several downtown blocks. Las Vegas naturally also touts its superior hospitality and entertainment attractions. High Point should not change its own market dates, but it must continue to make improvements in accommodations, transportation, entertainment and the overall visitor experience. Every market must be more customer-friendly than the one before. And, promoters must sell the strengths of the High Point Market to a worldwide industry. That requires commitment, creativity and resources. Responsibility rests not just with High Point, but with Triad neighbors and the state. If Las Vegas is crowding High Point, it’s crashing the whole neighborhood. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/las_vegas_gets_pushy.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/las_vegas_gets_pushy.shtml Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Friday's No. 2 editorial. N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Jim Wynn isn’t shy about letting colleagues know when he thinks they’ve gone in the wrong direction. “Judicial prudence requires us to leave these policy questions to our legislative and executive branches of government. ... Our role is to apply the law, not to make it,” he wrote in a dissenting opinion to a ruling issued this summer. Even when taking the minority position, Wynn commands respect. There may be no more distinguished member of the North Carolina judiciary — or one who’s experienced bigger disappointments. First elected to the Court of Appeals in 1990, Wynn was appointed to the N.C. Supreme Court in 1998. He lost election that November to a full term by fewer than 4,000 votes. The next year, he was nominated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals by President Clinton but was denied a confirmation hearing by Sen. Jesse Helms. Another nomination before Clinton left office was returned by President Bush. Nevertheless, Wynn has served admirably on the state Court of Appeals over a span of nearly 18 years. In addition, he’s been a top military judge in the U.S. Navy and serves as chairman of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division. Wynn, 54, also holds a master of laws degree in judicial process from the University of Virginia. He’s a national leader in his profession, a creative thinker, clear writer and champion for the rule of law. Without question, he’s the strongest candidate for re-election of any judge on the statewide ballot. His opponent is Greensboro attorney Jewel Ann Farlow, 50, who, despite practicing law for 20 years, has garnered little support locally. There’s no call for a dissenting opinion in this case: Wynn should be re-elected. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/wynn_stands_out_on_court.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/wynn_stands_out_on_court.shtml Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Thursday's No. 1 editorial. It may be a far piece down the road, but a proposal to replace gas taxes with a road-use tax is worth a test drive. And 200 volunteers in the Triangle will join drivers in five other states to get a handle on how a new approach to raising money for road repairs and construction might work. For their efforts, they’ll be paid $895 each. Before the experiment begins, global positioning units that cost about $50 will be installed and track how far and where each test vehicle has been driven. Once a month, participants will get fake state and federal bills for their accrued mileage, based on the EPA fuel-economy ratings for their vehicles. For the sake of fairness, the tax rate will be higher for large trucks than for hybrids. And the test compensates by including a credit for fuel purchases based on vehicle miles per gallon. Sounds complicated and a bit contrived, but a new taxing system to raise money for highway costs is inevitable, although it could be 20 years away. Gas-tax collections already feel the pinch as new cars get more miles per gallon and high gas prices impact miles driven. The outlook becomes even cloudier as more hybrids with smaller engines take to the nation’s highways. Should plug-in electric cell cars and fuel-cell models reach their potential, the situation could get even dicier. But fairness is critical if a road-use tax is to gain traction. First, federal and state governments must carefully set rates for different vehicles. Also, drivers must be assured that governments don’t use global positioning devices as an excuse to track their whereabouts. Proponents say exact times and locations won’t be recorded. One positive result is that under a user plan, road taxes go to the state where the miles are logged. For example, an out-of-state tourist headed to the North Carolina coast would be taxed on miles driven here, no matter where fuel was purchased. A new approach must be found because revenue necessary to shore up the nation’s transportation infrastructure lags far behind what’s needed. There are other options. Toll roads can be a revenue source, but they amount to double taxation if motorists have paid a fuel or road-use tax. And impact fees directed at those who develop land or live in areas served by new roads can stunt development. On the downside, mileage taxes don’t address environmental issues such as air pollution or road congestion. Single-occupancy car use, in all probability, will continue to prevail. Even so, a taxing alternative for highway needs will have to be found as gas-tax revenues decline. While there may not be a simple solution, tests like the one set for December should help provide answers. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/fair_roaduse_tax_plan_might_be.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/fair_roaduse_tax_plan_might_be.shtml Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Thursday's No. 2 editorial. Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson isn’t defending his seat in next month’s election. He finished third, and out of the running, in the nonpartisan May primary. He’ll be replaced by either Sam J. Ervin IV, 52, or Kristin Ruth, 52. Ervin is the better choice. Yes, he belongs to that Ervin family. Sam IV, who goes by Jim, is the grandson of the late Sen. Sam Ervin Jr. and even tried a jury case with him after the senator had retired from Congress and the young Ervin was fresh out of law school. And Jim Ervin’s father was a highly regarded federal appellate judge. One lesson he learned from his grandfather, an N.C. Supreme Court justice before going to Washington, where he famously presided over Senate Watergate hearings: Nobody’s above the law, not even a president. The family pedigree doesn’t grant Ervin an entitlement to serve on the N.C. Court of Appeals, but it has instilled in him a strong sense of responsibility. Additionally, his credentials — extensive private practice in Morganton, including plenty of appellate work, and nine years dealing with complex issues as a member of the N.C. Utilities Commission — provide ample qualifications. Ervin was an honors graduate of Davidson College and Harvard Law, and is known as a hard worker with an impressive intellect. Ruth, too, is equal to the job. A Wake County District Court judge for 10 years, she’s a nationally known innovator in the field of child-support enforcement. She believes she could help deliver more clarity at the appellate level to family law cases. She has a strong work ethic and a commitment to impartiality on the bench. On balance, however, Ervin’s broad experience and his desire to live up to high standards make him the superior candidate in this race. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/thursdays_no_2_editorial_court.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/thursdays_no_2_editorial_court.shtml Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Tuesday's lead editorial. Wachovia’s whirlwind corporate courtship with New York’s Citigroup went almost as quickly as it came last week. The foundering, Charlotte-based banking giant’s shotgun wedding with Citi had seemed a done deal until Wells Fargo suddenly swept Wachovia from the altar with a cool $15.1 billion stock offer. Good thing, too. Wachovia and San Francisco-based Wells Fargo are much better suited as a couple. But the nuptials may not last. Citigroup, which had offered $2.1 billion, refuses to go quietly, accusing Wachovia, essentially, of breaching its promise. In the latest tortured twists, Citi filed a lawsuit Monday, seeking more than $60 billion in damages, then agreed to a standstill on all litigation. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve was pressing for a Solomonic compromise. Wachovia’s northeast and mid-Atlantic branches would go to Citigroup. Wells Fargo would get the California and Southeast branches. That plan is neither in the best interests of Wachovia or North Carolina. Wells Fargo is the superior match for Wachovia, hands down. Both banks traditionally have been conservative and well-run. Each neatly complements the other geographically. Most of Wells Fargo’s branches are located in the West, most of Wachovia’s in the East. Both have strong brand names and reputations for integrity, customer service and cool-headed business practices — at least until Wachovia fell prey to the mortgage-lending crisis. Remember, when larger First Union acquired Wachovia in 2001, it so valued Wachovia’s brand that it took on the smaller company’s name. And, as one of only a few major banks that have remained profitable during the credit crisis, Wells Fargo is healthier than either Wachovia or Citigroup. As significantly, the deal likely would mean Wachovia would keep more jobs in North Carolina. That’s not as clear a possibility in a merger with Citigroup. Now, hardly anything is clear, except the stakes. Wachovia would have had its assets seized by the government had no one stepped forward to buy it. It employs 120,000 workers nationwide, 20,000 in Charlotte, where it’s a major player in the community and the economy. The financial services and insurance industries accounted for $5.6 billion, or 20 percent of Charlotte’s private wages, in 2007. The bank also employs 3,000 workers in its former home city of Winston-Salem, where its white, domed skyscraper still dominates the skyline. Who ultimately will get Wachovia’s corporate hand? And what will it mean? It’s hard not to be hopeful. And nervous. And saddened that one of the state’s corporate titans has been humbled so quickly and so completely. Even so, two suitors are better than one. Three options are better than none. But one suitor is clearly preferable to the other. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/drama_at_the_altar.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/drama_at_the_altar.shtml Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Not many decisions by the N.C. Court of Appeals make the news, but an opinion written by Judge Doug McCullough deservedly attracted attention when it was released last month. It overturned a Durham man’s convictions on serious charges because he was denied a speedy trial. The defendant wasn’t a wealthy Duke student but a crack-cocaine user with a criminal record who, in this case, appeared to be the victim of sloppy work by Durham police and the District Attorney’s Office. The court’s ruling not only found a prejudicial violation of his rights but took “judicial note” of facts pointing to another man as the more likely culprit. McCullough, 63, isn’t apt to be mistaken for a liberal, activist judge. He was a federal prosecutor for 15 years and has steered a generally conservative course since his election to the court in 2000. But he’s also a guardian of individual rights, as in another ruling this summer that said possession of a firearm by a felon is one charge, not two, even when the felon is found with two weapons. The state’s possession law, he said, is not clear, and “ambiguity in the statute should be resolved in favor of lenity.” McCullough’s one legal blemish was a DWI charge in 2006. He pleaded guilty, lost his driver’s license and expresses regret for a serious mistake. McCullough is opposed by Cheri Beasley, 42, a District Court judge in Cumberland County. She presides frequently in family court and sees a need for more domestic law expertise in the appellate courts. Beasley appears to be a good judge who will have other chances to rise in the court system as she gains experience. McCullough is a valuable member of the court now and should be re-elected for another term. http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/mccullough_merits_another_term.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/mccullough_merits_another_term.shtml Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Monday's lead editorial. Suzanne Reynolds would make an excellent addition to North Carolina’s Supreme Court. But subtracting Bob Edmunds would be a significant loss. On balance, it’s better to keep Edmunds. Voters should re-elect the Greensboro resident to a second eight-year term on the state’s highest court. Edmunds, 59, is a respected and well-liked justice, an anchor on the state’s centrist high court. In addition to experience in his current seat, he served two years on the N.C. Court of Appeals, was the top federal prosecutor in North Carolina’s Middle District for seven years and practiced law privately in Greensboro. He’s a U.S. Navy veteran and holds a master of laws degree. Reynolds, 59, also practiced privately in Greensboro before beginning a career teaching law at Wake Forest in 1981. She’s known as a brilliant academic who keeps in close contact with lawyers’ groups. She’s regarded as the state’s leading authority on family law. Edmunds is the only justice whose seat on the seven-member Supreme Court is up for election this year. His six colleagues, however, shouldn’t think they’re not involved. In a sense, Reynolds is running against the entire court — and she has raised serious concerns about the way it operates. Reynolds notes the court’s declining output, a years-long trend. It accepts fewer cases and writes fewer opinions, more often adopting either a majority or dissenting opinion from the Court of Appeals without writing a full opinion of its own. This leaves too many legal questions inadequately resolved or explained, Reynolds contends. Many lawyers share her concern, and some suspect the court is shielding itself from political fallout by minimizing its handling of controversial cases. If that’s true, the court is failing to meet its responsibilities. North Carolina needs a productive Supreme Court that shines a bright light on important issues and illuminates the shadowy corners of the law, giving clear guidance and direction to all the lower rungs of the judicial system. Whatever the court’s shortcomings, however, holding Edmunds solely accountable isn’t the answer. The whole court has to address its deficiencies, and he’s as capable as any of its members. While Reynolds is brave to raise these issues, there’s no promise she could accomplish more than Edmunds. In addition, though her knowledge is formidable, it only exceeds his in some areas of the law. His many years of courtroom experience dealing with the full range of legal matters give him an overall advantage. Edmunds deserves a second term, and he should use it to strengthen the court as a whole. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/edmunds_should_stay_on_states.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/edmunds_should_stay_on_states.shtml Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Monday's No. 2 editorial. Since his appointment to the N.C. Court of Appeals by Gov. Mike Easley last year, Judge John Arrowood has made a positive impact. The court handles a heavy case­load, and Arrowood is a swift worker, insiders say. He’s also sure, taking time to confer with colleagues to seek the benefit of their insights and reach consensus. Arrowood, 51, was known as an outstanding lawyer in Charlotte dealing mostly with complex commercial litigation before serving a short stint as a Superior Court judge. He’s quickly learned the ropes on criminal cases, sometimes livening opinions with phrases worthy of Mickey Spillane: “Reyes told Queen that he wanted crack cocaine and sex, and Queen promised to provide both,” Arrowood recounted in State v. Thompson. And: “Queen judged Calfee to be insufficiently stalwart for a robbery.” Of course, these are serious cases, and Arrowood shows an earnest appreciation for the court’s proper role: “We conclude that balancing the humanitarian, environmental and economic factors implicated by these issues is a task within the purview of the legislature and not the courts,” he wrote with judicial restraint in another case. Arrowood is opposed in the November election by Robert N. Hunter Jr., 61, a veteran Greensboro attorney described by colleagues as an exceptional lawyer who possesses a remarkable legal mind. He has represented the Republican Party and Republican politicians in political cases, including Trudy Wade in the long-contested 2004 Guilford County commissioners’ race. His partisanship raises some concerns about impartiality on the bench, but Arrowood was a Democratic Party activist and he has left his politics at the courthouse door. Hunter has similar integrity. This race is nonpartisan and should be decided on qualifications alone. Arrowood already has proved he’s a good fit. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/john_arrowood_finds_good_fit_o.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/john_arrowood_finds_good_fit_o.shtml Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Who won Thursday's vice presidential debate? Or was it a draw? Tell us what you liked or disliked about the debate. Did it meet or exceed your expectations or did it disappoint you? http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/question_of_the_week_week_of_o.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/question_of_the_week_week_of_o.shtml Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Sunday's editorial. For years, Kay Hagan has been Guilford County’s go-to state senator in Raleigh. Smart, energetic and well-connected, she’s drawn high ratings for effectiveness. One example stands out: state support for the furniture market in High Point. High Point isn’t part of Hagan’s Senate district, but she recognized its economic importance to Guilford County, the Triad and all of North Carolina. Then she made sure that leaders in Raleigh — in the administration and the legislature — understood, too. With other area representatives of both parties, she won backing for state funding for transportation and marketing to improve the important furniture show. The amounts of money have been modest compared to state incentives deals, but they’ve made an impact in bracing High Point’s competitive position against a potent rival in Las Vegas. Hagan, 55, has worked vigorously on behalf of Greensboro interests as well, while becoming a leader in forging statewide spending priorities. What she has done in Raleigh, she’s ready to do in Washington. She deserves election to the U.S. Senate seat held by Elizabeth Dole, 72. The incumbent, a Republican, has represented North Carolina honorably, crowning a long career of distinguished public service with a term in the Senate, but the times call for a change. With the state’s other Senate seat held by Republican Richard Burr, a respected Democrat like Hagan can see to it that North Carolina interests aren’t overlooked by Democratic majorities in Congress and a likely Democratic administration. She’s already proved she won’t sit for long on the back bench in a legislative chamber. Hagan’s record has been moderate and business-friendly. She should remain on that centrist course, embracing the best ideas from either side of the political divide. Her priorities include fiscal responsibility, investing in effective education policies, health care reform, new energy development and what she calls “a whole list of pocketbook issues.” She exudes confidence, frequently promising that things will get done when she goes to Washington. Unfortunately, voters haven’t always seen Hagan at her best during the campaign. More TV ads have attacked Dole than featured Hagan’s achievements. Dole’s campaign has responded in kind. Portraying Dole as a captive of the oil industry or out of touch is unfair and inaccurate. Tagging Hagan as “Fibber Kay” is unconscionable. These two women should be running for office in a manner that would convince North Carolinians that either would be a worthy winner. The third candidate, Libertarian Christopher Cole, 44, said last week the relentless attack ads would prompt him, if he could afford his own TV messages, to declare: “They’re both right.” Actually, they’re both wrong. Dole, before the barrage began, was liked by most North Carolinians. Although she has not gained as much influence in the Senate as her Washington experience should have earned for her, nor been as visible in North Carolina as she should have, she can count some accomplishments. Among them: helping give sheriffs more federal support to deal with illegal immigrants who commit crimes; negotiating a favorable tobacco buyout program; watching over a military realignment that strengthened North Carolina’s position. She also several times pushed for stronger regulation of lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but unsuccessfully. Dole is vulnerable politically because of her alignment with President Bush on most issues over the years, from the Iraq war to massive deficit spending. All the nation’s troubles have fed voters’ desire for change in Washington, and Dole could be a casualty of that understandably restless mood. Hagan, if elected, may be exactly the right replacement. She’s responsive to constituents, communicates well, works hard, comprehends complex issues, makes good decisions and is not content to be average. She can become an outstanding U.S. senator. With appreciation for Dole’s service, voters should give Hagan the chance to take her talents to Washington. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/sundays_editorial_for_years_ka.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/sundays_editorial_for_years_ka.shtml Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Saturday's lead editorial. The not-so-faraway tremors on Wall Street are shaking floors and peeling plaster in City Hall. So city leaders are right to begin pruning their spending now. Nor should they be satisfied with temporary fixes. Anticipating smaller tax revenues and tighter budgets, City Manager Mitchell Johnson has asked department heads to find $1.1 million in spending cuts. That’s a good start. Johnson hasn’t gone so far as to order layoffs, but City Councilman Mike Barber believes job cuts have to be part of the equation. Councilwoman Trudy Wade agrees and notes that many private businesses are trimming 5 percent to 10 percent in operating expenses. Their sense of urgency is understandable. A troubled economy means falling sales tax revenues. Government shouldn’t be exempt from the same hard look at budgets that private companies have been forced to take. But, unlike private business, government is obligated to protect the public’s safety and welfare. The manager and council should bear that in mind when deciding what goes and what stays. That said, tough economic times increase demands in some areas, among them public safety. But they also lessen demands in others, such as building permits and inspections. At Barber’s urging last summer, the city eliminated 49 positions and has held open more than 100 jobs. The city also has pulled the plug on all out-of-state travel for employees and is searching for additional savings through energy conservation. But the council and manager need to look further. Longer term, they should explore lasting changes such as the consolidation of some services that overlap with county government. For instance, preliminary talks to merge the Greensboro and Guilford planning departments have begun. Those talks should move forward and move faster. So should the delicate process of building a regional transit system to meet growing ridership demands, relieve crowding and improve on-time performance. Barber suggests outsourcing some functions, not only to private businesses but to sister governments, including the county. Good idea. Even in the vital area of public safety, the city may need to put off a worthy but costly proposal to allow police officers to take their cruisers home. Meanwhile, a $205 million bond package awaits on the Nov. 4 ballot. Cuts to recurring spending would put the city in a better position to handle the additional debt the bonds could create. Finally, the city should solicit savings ideas from its employees and the general public. After all, we’re in this together. And it is our money. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/saturdays_lead_editorial_the_n.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/saturdays_lead_editorial_the_n.shtml Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Saturday's No. 2 editorial. The Guilford County commissioners were right to reject Commissioner Steve Arnold’s challenge Thursday to the county’s early voting sites. But Arnold has raised a legitimate concern that should be addressed before the county elections board next chooses sites. Arnold wants early voting to take place only in courthouses and town halls. He doesn’t like the location of most of the county’s sites because he says they have been placed in areas favoring Democrats. It’s true that some sites are in heavily Democratic areas. That’s inevitable, as the county’s voters are half Democrat and only a third Republican. Still, there are voting sites in areas — such as in Oak Ridge — that lean more Republican than Democratic. Looking at a map of the county’s 19 sites, one gets the sense that the three-person elections board mainly was trying to pick places that would be convenient to the most voters. Still, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement in site selection. North High Point — a Republican stronghold — didn’t get an early voting location, but two are located near one other in the city’s core, where more Democratic voters live. While population density appears to have determined site picks, in the future it might be good for the board to pay more attention to making sure all geographical areas are served. Arnold’s idea of limiting the sites to a few government buildings is not wise. Fewer sites would likely mean fewer early voters. Is that what Arnold is after? It may be. The truth is that Arnold doesn’t much like early voting. “I move farther and farther away from appreciating the value of early voting,” he told News & Record reporter Gerald Witt. Arnold may not like the practice, but personal preference is no reason for trying to discourage it throughout Guilford County. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/saturdays_no_2_editorial_the.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/saturdays_no_2_editorial_the.shtml Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Friday's lead editorial. No one’s trying to sell gas for $5 a gallon around here anymore. Clearly, Gov. Mike Easley and Attorney General Roy Cooper grabbed the attention of gas stations that pumped up prices well beyond $4, and in some cases $5, on Sept. 12 when Hurricane Ike was bearing down on the Texas coast and its refineries. The governor declared a state of “abnormal market disruption,” triggering the state’s price-gouging law. Cooper announced he meant to enforce the law vigorously and began investigating complaints. Prices quickly retreated. That result can’t be an accident. It seems that station managers don’t want to run afoul of the law. Nevertheless, there’s no happy ending yet. While prices have settled down since Sept. 12, North Carolina’s average price for a gallon of regular was $3.871 Thursday, according to AAA. The national average was $3.598, and prices were higher only in Alaska, Hawaii and Georgia. Related to that problem: Supplies are spotty in the Triad, and shortages are more acute, and prices higher, in Charlotte, Asheville and other parts of western North Carolina. In an interview at the News & Record Thursday, Cooper vowed to pursue his investigation up the supply chain. The gouging law applies to distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers, as well as retailers. Cooper said he intends to find out if there’s been any manipulation in the North Carolina market. Meanwhile, the debate has shifted to the city level — with a dose of statewide politics in the mix. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican candidate for governor, is under fire for not ordering gas rationing. He alternately explained he didn’t think he had the power to intervene, and it wouldn’t have helped if he did. Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson sought an answer to the question about emergency powers and found that the City Council could regulate the sale of gasoline. She would have to make a determination of an “imminent threat to life and safety,” which could be caused by rioting at gas stations, for example. “If I needed to do that, I would do it,” she said Thursday. The best approach, Cooper said, would be to ask retailers to restrict customers’ purchases. But, if retailers have to be restrained by law from raising prices, could they be expected to limit sales voluntarily? UNCG economist Andrew Brod argues that rising prices constrain demand. Gas shortages have been exacerbated by motorists’ eagerness to line up to pay less than $4, which they wouldn’t do if stations charged $10. Politicians naturally won’t promote policies that encourage price-gouging. Doing so would favor the wealthy over the less-affluent who need gas to get to work, Cooper said. He’s right, and his threat to enforce the law certainly has helped hold down prices. But prices are still higher in North Carolina than almost anywhere else, and the law isn’t pumping up supplies. There isn’t a quick fix for every market disruption. ]]> http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/state_scares_gougers.shtml http://blog.news-record.com/staff/voice/2008/10/state_scares_gougers.shtml Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500