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Saturday's lead editorial.

Greensboro's Downtown Greenway is bold, ambitious and taking its first steps. The easy ones.
Not that it didn't require extraordinary energy and enthusiasm to get this far.

"A couple of years ago it was only a vision," Marsh Prause said after the City Council voted to support the project Tuesday. Prause is a member of the Bicentennial Commission, which has promoted the 4.8-mile path around the center city as its signature project. Ground-breaking for the initial section is expected in the spring — the perfect time to launch such a hopeful venture.
Yet, many journeys that commence with exhilaration present discouraging challenges down the road.

The greatest for this is cost: an estimated $17 million for the basic trail and transportation improvements, such as road crossings; $3 million for parks along the path; and $1 million for operations. Another $5 million would be sought later for additional parks.

Private sources will supply some of the funds. Already, $600,000 has been pledged, Prause told the council, most of that from the Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation.

Taxpayers will be counted on for a big share, however. Among other avenues, the project could draw state transportation funds, and proponents will ask for $10 million from a city transportation bond.

While those possibilities sound promising, transportation dollars are tight. At a time when bridge and highway maintenance lags, diverting millions to a greenway is a tough sell. The council's vote of support Tuesday conveyed no commitment of dollars, yet.

Even if construction funds are secured, expenses for maintenance and security will be ongoing. The city handles those costs for other parks and recreation facilities, but council members already have mentioned that as an area for future budget cuts.

Still, benefits should be considered. Boosters say the greenway will promote health and fitness, offer travel alternatives, link neighborhoods, draw people downtown and encourage economic development. Councilman Mike Barber, a budget hawk, said the project could take Greensboro to "the next level." Councilman Robbie Perkins called it "the No. 1 thing we can do" in terms of a long-term strategy for Greensboro's development.

Commission members have been wise in meeting with community groups to build support. They have more work to do as specific public funding decisions approach. Dollars are limited, even if a vision is not.

"A hundred years from now, this project will continue to pay dividends," Prause said hopefully.
It has to be paid for first, and that could be a journey of many steps.

Sunday's lead editorial.

When Keith Brown's High Point neighborhood was threatened with an unwanted development next door, he turned to a state law for help.

"It's a great law," Brown said last week. "It's there to protect the people who own adjoining property."

The law allows neighbors to file protest petitions against proposed rezonings. A successful petition requires a three-fourths vote by the City Council, rather than a simple majority, to approve the change. But it doesn't apply in Greensboro, denying residents a tool they ought to have to make sure land-use decisions are fair for everyone.

The protest provision goes back to 1923 in North Carolina, when municipal zoning statutes were first enacted, David W. Owens, a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's Institute of Government, said last week. Zoning was meant to establish a sense of certainty in land-use policy. Legislators also recognized that nearby property owners had a stake and gave them the opportunity to influence decisions in a powerful way.

Then, in 1971, following a contentious rezoning case, Greensboro won a legislative exemption from the protest petition law. For decades, little attention was paid to the issue. Until now.
Brown, a Greensboro native, has been pushing for reinstatement of the protest petition option for his hometown. He's winning supporters.

"I feel strongly that we need to restore that power to the citizens of Greensboro," state Rep. Pricey Harrison said last week. She'll try to get that done during the short legislative term that begins in May, although for procedural reasons action might have to wait until the next long session in 2009.

But a Greensboro attorney who handles land-use cases throughout much of the state, Thomas E. Terrell Jr., warned that the law allows too much power, sometimes to a single individual who owns enough adjoining property to invoke a petition by himself.

"One person has the power to deny an elected body the right to decide an issue by majority vote," Terrell said. It's the "biggest stick any citizen can ever have" to control how another person uses his own land.

Protest petitions don't always settle conflicts with a big stick, Owens at the Institute of Government said.

"They have the effect of encouraging the landowners and neighbors getting together and reconciling their competing interests prior to the issue getting to a vote of the City Council," he said.

That was the case when people in Brown's neighborhood filed a protest petition: The developer eventually offered acceptable accommodations.

"I think it's going to make developers sit at the table," he said.

Greensboro City Councilman Zack Matheny, however, worries about discouraging new developments. Although protest petitions haven't impeded growth in Charlotte or Raleigh, where they're used commonly, "Greensboro is not Charlotte and Raleigh. Greensboro is a different town," Matheny said.

Yet, if developers make a compelling case, they still can win City Council approval with a three-fourths vote. And the council should give more weight to the objections of many residents than to one or only a few.

Greensboro property owners are due the same right to petition state law allows residents of other cities.

Sunday's No. 2 editorial.

From the national to the local level, 2008 looks like it will be the year of the young voter. Whether it's the Iraq war or the Obama factor, people younger than 30 are registering to vote in record numbers.

In North Carolina, the youngest age group, those 18 to 24, has especially seen an increase in registration -- with "unaffiliated"gaining a 200 percent increase from 2004 in that category. The two parties aren't performing shabbily either, with registration for Democrats up 176 percent in that age group and for Republicans up 126 percent.

Nationally, it's the Democrats that have mostly benefited from the increase in young voters, with some 2.3 million people under 30 already having taken part in their contests.

In the presidential race, young voters have drawn attention to some issues that often get less play, such as the rising costs of higher education. Barack Obama is supporting a tax credit to shave $4,000 off the cost of college for most people, and Hillary Clinton also has pledged to work to make college more affordable.

While the presidential election is the drawing card for younger voters, we hope their interest extends to races farther down the ballot. State and local races are just as important as those on the federal level. And, with fewer voters involved in local elections, an individual's vote is more likely to determine a race's outcome. But forget about running in them: The deadline for filing was Friday.

Should political phone calls be limited by the Do Not Call Registry?

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Thirteen is no unlucky number for Greensboro. Not when it's $13 million, the amount — and then some — raised by the United Way of Greater Greensboro during its recently completed 2007 campaign.

Pushing two months into 2008 shows two things about the fund drive: It was tough going because of concerns about the economy, and campaign chairman Dale Hall and everyone who helped were absolutely determined to reach the annual goal.

"We're exhilarated," Hall exclaimed.

They should be — not for the thrill of success but for making sure 31 agencies have the resources they need to meet critical community needs.

The generosity of donors and the willpower of United Way staff and volunteers will improve the quality of life for many in Greensboro this year.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Now boarding ... a lot more passengers at Piedmont Triad International Airport. And some are coming from as far away as South Carolina to take advantage of lower fares, Airport Authority Board Chairman Henry Isaacson said last week.

It wasn't only discount carriers Skybus and Allegiant accounting for a 20 percent boost in passengers during January. US Airways, which cut many of its fares, gained 3,000 boardings over its January 2007 level.

Airlines still face economic turbulence, but those that can get travelers to popular destinations at good prices with a minimum of difficulty have a good chance to succeed. It's good for the Triad that some of them are flying out of PTI.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Greensboro made Popular Science's list of America's greenest cities. But barely.
Greensboro ranked No. 50 out of 50 cities. It is the only North Carolina city to have made the list.

The magazine used Census data and statistics from the National Geographic Society's Green Guide to compile its list. The city scored the highest in the "recycling and green perspective"category, getting 3.9 out of 5 points. "This measures how comprehensive a city's recycling program is (if the city collects old electronics, for example) and how important its citizens consider environmental issues,"says PopSci's Web site.

All in all, it's better for Greensboro to appear on the bottom of a greenest cities list than at the top of the one Charlotte found itself on recently.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Charlotte/ Douglas International Airport as seven on its "Airport Misery Index."It based its ranking on delayed flights (28.2 percent were delayed at Charlotte) and "load factor,"or percentage of seats filled. Charlotte received an 81.8 percent ranking in that category.

Not to be a Charlotte booster, but that survey stinks. The number of people on a plane shouldn't be a consideration in such an index. Full planes aren't indicative of a miserable airport but of an economically healthy one.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

It's hard to tell looking at the U.S. Drought Monitor map, but a tiny portion of North Carolina is no longer in a drought. The latest information, released Thursday, shows the area around Morehead City still dry but no longer suffering a drought. Unfortunately that's only about 1.2 percent of the state.

It's the first time in about seven months that a part of the state has not been in a drought.
Our area, though, remains in the worst category: exceptional drought. So let's hope that the prediction for thunderstorms later this week for Greensboro is correct.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation is holding a celebration for Haw River State Park Tuesday to honor the recent acquisition from Bluegreen Corp. of 692 additional acres for the park. It's at 5 p.m. at the Summit Environmental Education Center in Browns Summit.

And with the news that 140 additional acres are likely to soon be purchased for the park, there's even more reason for celebrating.

Today's lead editorial.

Bruce Davis, Olga Morgan Wright, Jim Rumley and George Ragsdale -- bless their hearts -- are giving voters more than they'll likely get in return.

They're giving voters a choice in four Guilford County legislative districts by running against an incumbent.

It's very difficult for challengers to unseat state representatives or senators who enjoy advantages in name recognition, fundraising and often in the arrangement of the district.
State Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican, almost apologized for the advantages of incumbency Friday when he saw the noon deadline pass with no one filing to run against him. Not that he would welcome the need to raise money and organize a campaign, but he recognized an unfair system.

If getting elected is hard, so is serving in the General Assembly. The job isn't really part-time as advertised. Guilford County Commissioner Paul Gibson said he dropped thoughts of running for the state Senate when he calculated he couldn't afford to sacrifice the time away from work — several days a week for six months or longer some years.

Local offices are demanding, too. Everyone cares about the school board but few people want to serve on it. Two newcomers — Carlvena Foster in District 1 and Paul Daniels in District 5 — will be elected to their very first public office without opposition. They're credible people, but it's incredible that some school board seats are available for anyone who wants one. That's how gruelling and thankless the job can be.

Incumbents Kris Cooke and Amos Quick will be re-elected without opposition. Only Darlene Garrett faces a challenge, from Mike Stone.

Five candidates filed for the at-large seat that Dot Kearns will vacate, so voters will have a lot to sort out there.

County commissioners races are more competitive. Of those up for re-election, only Mike Winstead will be unopposed.

Guilford voters will decide five contested District Court judge races, but seven incumbents were not challenged. Those include Michelle Fletcher, who was appointed by the governor only a few weeks ago. One judge will retire: veteran Lawrence McSwain, a former chief District Court judge. Highly regarded for his long service, he'll be missed on the local bench.

Looking over the entire field of Guilford County candidates, it seems possible that every current office holder running for re-election will succeed. While Davis, a county commissioner challenging state Sen. Katie Dorsett, might have an even chance, he's a rarity. Most challengers are clear underdogs. But they deserve credit for trying because voters always ought to have a choice.

Besides, no one can win without running.

State Attorney General Roy Cooper wants to pull the plug on automated campaign pitches over the telephone.

If Cooper had his way, candidate Beau Megawatt no longer could attempt to woo you in a recorded voice while you're trying to watch “Wheel of Fortune.”

The federal no-call registry, which prohibits telemarketers from calling those consumers who sign up, was supposed to fix this problem. But political organizations are exempt from no-call enforcement.

Cooper, who is himself a candidate running for re-election, wants that loophole closed for automated political calls. Last week he told a U.S. Senate committee that the same regulations that apply to private companies should apply to political “robocalls.” Cooper specifically suggested do-not-call registries for federal candidates.

Cooper has pushed this cause before, backing an unsuccessful bill in 2007 by state Sen. Tony Rand, a fellow Democrat, to outlaw campaign robocalls in North Carolina. Cooper cites sheer annoyance as the primary reason. “Many consumers are sick of them,” he said.

A Republican congresswoman, Virginia Foxx, has introduced similar legislation in Washington in 2004 and again last year.

Given the universal pain of a unwanted call from an unwanted source at an inconvenient hour, Cooper certainly has a point.

But hold the phone. While campaigns cynically could be considered as much in the business of a selling as someone hawking credit cards, mortgage refinancing or rug cleaning, there is an important distinction: Campaigns are a part of the democratic process. And encouraging citizens to vote using robocalls can't be altogether bad.

But there are other ways to accomplish that end without being so annoying and intrusive, including using real-life human beings. Maybe that's why even some politicians want to put automated calls out of commission.

Cooper's on to something. Let's give Mr. Roboto a rest.

Wednesday's lead editorial.

North Carolina's state university system stands out for many good reasons and one bad one: secrecy in selecting leaders.

A comprehensive survey by the Fayetteville Observer found that no other state so consistently denies the public information about candidates for top university positions.

As UNCG, UNC-Chapel Hill and Fayetteville State University seek to hire new chancellors, the lack of openness excludes opportunities for public input and gives too much authority to just one person, the president of the UNC system.

The question is whether search committees should identify their finalists. In North Carolina, they almost always agree not to disclose the names of applicants, reasoning that confidentiality is necessary to attract the best candidates.

It's a powerful argument. Why would someone with a good job somewhere else want to risk his or her position by publicly applying for a post here? Doing so could be taken to mean he or she is unhappy and wants to leave. Worse, it's embarrassing if he or she doesn't get the better job.
But it's a fallacious argument, one not substantiated by the experiences in other states, the Observer reported. University administrators aren't penalized if they apply for other positions elsewhere, and the prospect of publicity doesn't discourage them.

It can head off problems by providing additional opportunities to examine the backgrounds of leading candidates — a service that professional search firms sometimes fail to provide.
The Observer has learned the names of the three Fayetteville State finalists through "sources close to the FSU search." It discovered that one filed for personal bankruptcy and another presided over "violations in procedures and a lack of fiscal oversight" at another college — information the hired search firm did not tell the FSU search committee.

The process generally used in the UNC system is heavy on secrecy. A search committee identifies three finalists and, with the consent of the university trustees, forwards the names to UNC President Erskine Bowles. The finalists are not ranked in priority order. Bowles makes his selection and submits the choice to the UNC Board of Governors for ratification. Then the new chancellor is announced. Neither the public nor even the Board of Governors knows who else was considered.

In other states, however, it's common to introduce finalists to the public and the university community, giving everyone a chance to get to know each other. That kind of open process can be very helpful in making sure the candidate who fits best is selected.

Some applicants might be uncomfortable with that, but others are likely to shine. Because a chancellor is such an important figure, on campus and in his or her community, a public audition could be an appropriate test of his or her abilities.

Secrecy simply isn't the best policy for North Carolina or the accepted practice outside North Carolina.

Wednesday's No. 2 editorial.

In the battle against foreign oil dependency, converting one tank at the Greensboro tank farm to biodiesel storage hardly creates a ripple, but it's still a move in the right direction.

Biodiesel, so far, has faced an uphill battle. For starters, not many people drive diesel-powered vehicles. Those who do say finding a station that sells biodiesel fuel can be tough.
In North Carolina, they're few and far between.

That could, however, change as a result of an arrangement between Boston-based biodiesel supplier World Energy Alternatives and the local terminal company. Helping solidify the deal is a $150,000 grant from the N.C. Solar Center, which promotes alternative fuel use.

A dependable supply source nearby should boost availability throughout the Piedmont. Vendors now will be able to rely on timely deliveries rather than investing in on-site storage.

And, should biodiesel eventually catch on, Greensboro will have a leg up on potential competitors as an already up-and-running distribution center.

For more than a decade, state and municipal diesel vehicle fleets have run efficiently and cleanly on biodiesel. With a better distribution network, that notable success could spill into the private sector.

As gasoline prices soar into uncharted territory, alternative fuels finally are looking better to more motorists. The focus on biodiesel coincides with the state's plan to be a national alternative energy source leader. An example is research at N.C. State University on lightweight, plug-in auto hybrid batteries, which holds great potential.

While biodiesel may never attract as large a following as more popular ethanol-based fuels, making it a more viable, convenient option is worthwhile. The planned Greensboro tank conversion should help accomplish that goal.

Today's lead editorial.

Elder abuse is widespread, yet few resources are directed toward combatting it. One Senate committee, for example, found that less than 2 percent of federal money targeted for abuse prevention is spent to help elders.

But the Baby Boom generation, now heading into its senior years, is focusing attention on the issue, as Jennifer Fernandez's story in the News & Record on Sunday pointed out.

That story also showed that the problem isn't just substandard care in nursing homes. It's also financial abuse. Studies show that the elderly are the ones most often falling victim to these scams. Aware that many older people have substantial savings, and aware that aging may have left the elderly isolated or diminished their faculties, scammers see them as prime targets.
Fernandez's story focused on a Greensboro woman bilked of her $100,000 savings by a telemarketer. But it also told of a valuable program run by Senior Resources of Guilford that teaches elderly people how not to fall victim to such scams. In these programs, participants learn the need to shred documents containing personal information and other methods to deter scammers. More programs like this are essential. (AARP also provides many resources for seniors on this topic.)

North Carolina has a panel that fines adult-care facilities for inappropriate actions, but the fines are often wrist slaps. It took one North Carolina facility 10 days to report to law enforcement that one of its patients had gone missing. He was found stabbed to death. The fine? A measly $8,000. Increase the fines, and abuse and neglect will decrease.

Advocates also say the federal government needs to provide leadership in this area. A bill in Congress -- The Elder Justice Act -- would do that. It has several components, among them data collection. Research indicates that elder abuse is woefully underreported. Collecting more information on scams and abuse, both in private homes and in long-term care facilities, is essential for determining further action. The act also would provide a reliable source of federal revenue for states' adult protective services divisions and establish programs to help train those in law enforcement or public health who deal with elder abuse.

Some supporting the act also want it to contain additional protections for elders, such as a national nurses' aide registry and the requirement that criminal background checks be conducted on all who work with the elderly.

Clearly, the nation must target the abuse and exploitation of elders or else the elderly will keep getting targeted. The elderly must not be preyed upon by anyone -- from family members to Internet scammers.

Today's No. 2 editorial.

If it looks like a video gaming machine and works like a video gaming machine ... the state legislature meant to make it illegal.

Whether the law precisely accomplishes that has become a matter of dispute as a new crop of video gaming machines springs up to replace the video poker machines that were banned last year.
As staff writer Mark Binker reported Sunday, many of these machines are operating in Greensboro, apparently with no threat of prosecution. The Guilford County District Attorney's Office doesn't think they break the law.

Alan Fields, the Alcohol Law Enforcement supervisor for the Greensboro region, disagrees: "They appear to fall squarely under the prohibition of a slot machine in the North Carolina statute," he said.

He's absolutely right, because the statute draws a broad target. It defines video gaming machines as offering poker, bingo, craps, keno and others, as well as any video game "based on or involving the random or chance matching of different pictures, words, numbers, or symbols not dependent on the skill or dexterity of the player" -- just as the machines in question do.

Illegal machines require "deposit of any coin or token, or use of any credit card, debit card, or any other method that requires payment to activate play," the law adds.
Players activate the new machines with a purchased phone card, which certainly fits the definition of "any other method that requires payment."

Guilford County Assistant District Attorney Tom Carruthers told Binker the new machines make "the perfect problem for the legislature to solve." The legislature will be surprised it didn't solve the problem already. If one remains, it can be remedied by arrests, prosecutions and convictions.

Video gaming machines constitute a public nuisance and were properly banned. A transparent attempt to evade the law ought to come up lemons in court. What looks and works like a video gaming machine is meant to be illegal in North Carolina

Friday's lead editorial.

Mike Barber's snappy quip the other night that everyone but the "intergalactic legal network" has investigated the Greensboro Police Department may have brought a few chuckles.

But when he moved that the council officially embrace yet another outside probe, the city councilman was dead serious. "We need to open our doors, open our windows and open our arms for anybody who wants to investigate us," Barber said.

Barber's motion, approved 5-3 by the council, welcomes a federal investigation of allegations that police destroyed records related to the bloody Nov. 3, 1979, confrontation between Klansmen and Nazis and a group of anti-Klan demonstrators that left five people dead and another 10 injured.

Three local ministers say they were told by an officer, Julius Fulmore, that someone in the police department ordered that 50 boxes of information pertaining to the shootings be destroyed in either 2004 or 2005.

The state NAACP followed with a request for a federal investigation in letters sent to the offices of U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Reps. Howard Coble and Mel Watt, as well as Gov. Mike Easley and state Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Truth be told (and that is one of the goals here, isn't it?), the council should have approved Barber's motion unanimously. If the city wants to convey anything, amid lingering shadows over the police department, it should be that it has nothing to hide. Look where you will. Ask tough questions. Bring it on.

The motion does not endorse the ministers' allegations. It simply supports a clear and open accounting for what actually did or did not happen. And why.

So far, there is no evidence that any law was broken. District Attorney Doug Henderson has said as much. But questions remain about why the documents were discarded and who gave the order. If the files were destroyed as alleged, why do so as a local panel, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was researching the shootings? Don't the documents hold historic value if nothing else? What does the department typically do with old case files?

As for City Manager Mitchell Johnson's decision to meet with the ministers, then offer no response to their concerns, that's no way to treat citizens, whatever their point of view. "You can say what you will about them," Barber said of the Revs. Nelson Johnson, Cardes Brown and Gregory Headen. "They did it right. They came to us first."

As for the bigger picture, local government is struggling to rebuild the trust and confidence of citizens. The absolute worst way to do that is to be distant, close-mouthed and unresponsive. "I don't think we can ever appear to be defensive again," Barber said. "We can never appear to be covert again. We cannot absorb another body blow."

If the city has nothing to hide, it has no reason to worry. And it has much more to gain than to lose by shining light wherever it needs to shine.

Friday's No. 2 editorial.

A sad story out of Alamance County serves as a reminder that government-run animal shelters in North Carolina are more often killing factories than adoption centers.

The Times-News of Burlington ran a story this week about Elon University sophomore Lee Dickinson, who took his dog, Petey, to the Burlington animal shelter in February, thinking he had a good chance of being placed for adoption. The bulldog mix was neutered, current on its shots and had its papers.

Dickinson had a change of heart just hours after surrendering Petey and asked a friend to retrieve him. She went to the shelter only to discover Petey had been killed within an hour of his arrival.

Fortunately, this scenario can't play out here. The Guilford shelter holds a surrendered animal 24 hours before it's considered shelter property. Surely, it wouldn't break the bank for the Burlington shelter to adopt a similar policy, even if it required expansion.

Dickinson said he wasn't clearly told by shelter workers that Petey would be killed. While the shelter disputes his claim, the reality is that it's human nature to soft-pedal hard topics.
Perhaps shelters should be required to give those surrendering pets their kill rate stats. (The Alamance shelter killed about 70 percent of the animals it impounded in 2007.) A cold, hard number may mean fewer broken hearts.

The reality is that the odds of a happy outcome for an animal surrendered to most public shelters in North Carolina aren't good. And it's likely they'll be worse this year than last: Economic downturns see more surrendered pets.

The Times-News story quoted Tamee Penley, supervisor of Burlington animal services, who gave this good advice: "If an owner isn't sure or doesn't feel good about leaving it at the shelter, they are better off running an ad in the newspaper or putting a picture in a pet shop."

That's what one anonymous online commenter on the Times-News story did. Backing away from an animal shelter, the person took out a newspaper ad and screened applicants: The dog now lives on eight acres in the country.

Other good alternatives to shelters are local humane societies and rescue groups.
Dickinson learned about shelters' kill rates the hard way. By sharing his story, he hopes others can avoid learning through personal experience.

Saturday's lead editorial.

Mike Easley had a lousy week. But, if the governor could turn back the clock, he should retreat seven years rather than seven days.

In 2001, the state legislature embarked on an ill-conceived plan to reform the delivery of mental-health services throughout North Carolina. The result was an unmitigated disaster, wasteful of taxpayers' money and harmful to patients.

Many newspapers, including the News & Record, have reported about the problems. Last week, The News & Observer of Raleigh completed an exhaustive investigation, setting the cost of failure at $400 million and 82 avoidable deaths in state mental hospitals.

Easley responded with a news conference in which he contended his administration “vigorously opposed” the reforms from the beginning.

That was absolutely not true. His secretary of Health and Human Services at the time, Carmen Hooker Odom, boasted of developing the reform plan in collaboration with the legislature and formally presented it to the people of North Carolina “with pride and enthusiasm.”

If Easley harbored reservations, he didn't express them openly or exercise his power to block the legislation. Nor did he act to fix obvious deficiencies in the years since then.

Easley's office apparently did order the firing of Debbie Crane, a longtime public affairs officer with the Department of Health and Human Services, who provided information to News & Observer reporters — information that she insisted the public had a right to know. A spokesman for the governor accused her of hindering access to information and called her “dishonest, untruthful and insubordinate.”

Someone must have blocked Easley's access to information because he misstated several facts at his news conference. It looks as if the governor has been disengaged from and in denial about the state's mental-health system problems for a long time. He finally proposed some changes this week, asking for greater state authority over local mental-health agencies. Legislative leaders also promise to explore ways to repair the system.

The idea in 2001 was to put people with mental-health needs in the hands of private service providers. Because of poor oversight, too much state money was paid for unnecessary care while people with severe, more-expensive-to-treat problems were neglected. Drastic budget cuts left state mental hospitals understaffed and patients at risk.

These troubles caught up to the governor this week and were laid at his feet. He tripped trying to dance out of the way — not his best moment.

He can't turn back the clock, so he should use the rest of his time in office trying to fix what's broken.

Saturday's No. 2 editorial.

Eve Carson's hometown newspaper, the Athens Banner-Herald, described her as brilliant, without arrogance; beautiful, without vanity; and generous, without self-importance.
Her murder Wednesday in Chapel Hill, where she attended the University of North Carolina as a Morehead Scholar, unleashed torrents of grief from Chancellor James Moeser to the thousands of fellow students who gathered to remember her Thursday.

The unexplained crime shocked the close-knit UNC and Chapel Hill communities where shootings are still relatively rare. Sadly, images of the safe, small-town atmosphere older alumni cherish now must be updated in the wake of this tragic event. Few places are insulated from the culture of violence that pervades our society today.

The irony is that Carson's studies took her to Egypt, Ghana, Cuba and Ecuador, places where safety concerns might deter other young travelers. Yet it was only a mile from her own campus where she met deadly danger.

The 22-year-old Carson seemed fearless, even joyful, in all her ventures. She spent a summer helping deliver babies in South America and pitching in with farm chores for her host family, and celebrated those experiences in a moving multimedia presentation called “The Gifts of Poverty.” She taught science to elementary schoolchildren in Chapel Hill, volunteered for countless worthy causes and hoped to go to medical school. Last year, she was elected student body president. “I really think one could say she was the most popular student on campus,” a friend told The Daily Tar Heel.

Although a native of Georgia, Carson enriched UNC and maybe would have made her home in North Carolina. Her death marks a grievous loss for her family, friends, university and all those she might have touched in a long lifetime. A vicious, irrational crime has caused a world of harm.

Sunday's editorial:

Nothing matters more to Guilford County's future than education. Nothing else depends so much on the concept of One Guilford.

The News & Record initiated the One Guilford series last year to create conversation about important issues that affect all of us from one end of the county to another. Too often, we observed, old boundaries and divisions impede progress and keep us from combining resources to solve common problems.

The first One Guilford program, hosted by High Point University in May, focused on leadership. The second, at Guilford College in October, examined four issues related to economic development and education.

The education portion of that program drew the most interest and audience participation, so we've chosen that for a closer look at Wednesday's One Guilford event hosted by UNCG.
The specific issue we'll examine is how well we're preparing our young people for success after high school. We want to identify good things that are happening but also deficiencies. Why do some employers and college/university administrators report that many of the high school graduates they see just aren't ready? Most importantly, we want to explore ways to do better.
Guilford County Schools is the agency directly responsible for K-12 education, but it can't address this task adequately on its own. It needs the support of local governments, community organizations, businesses and our institutions of higher learning.

Everyone has a stake in education. If our young people aren't equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to become productive members of the work force or handle the academic demands of college or university studies, Guilford County will lose ground economically and everyone's quality of life will suffer.

High Point businessman Jerry Camp sees too many high school students "not having a clue what they're going to do when they walk across that stage at graduation." Camp, board chairman for High Point's Chamber of Commerce, has worked extensively on the work-force preparedness issue. He'll talk about that at Wednesday's program.

We've assembled an outstanding panel. Participants include representatives of colleges and universities, the business community and school system. Significantly, four very bright young people will join them on stage to talk about their current or recent experiences as students.
We expect them to engage in a lively and informative discussion that may inspire new ideas for meeting the challenges before us. While many efforts already are under way or in the planning stages, other opportunities might have been overlooked.

One key to success is increasing the resources available to solve a problem. If there are people, organizations or institutions that remain uncommitted to the cause of improving education, Guilford County isn't doing everything it can to build a better future. And it can't afford to come up short.

Everyone can participate in this discussion. Audience members will have a chance to offer questions during the program and to engage the panelists in informal conversations immediately after. We'd like to see school personnel, students and their parents, community leaders, businessmen and everyone else with an interest in this critical One Guilford subject. Our future demands strong education.

Want to go?

One Guilford
When: 4-6 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Elliott Center Auditorium, UNCG
Cost: Free and open to the public. Free parking in the Walker Avenue Deck (follow Stirling Street off Spring Garden Street).
RSVP: E-mail us at edpage@news-record.com or call Becky Layton at 373-7010

Welcome by Dr. Patricia Sullivan, UNCG chancellor
Co-moderators: Dr. Andrew Brod, UNCG; Allen Johnson, News & Record
Panelists:
Dr. Joseph Graves, N.C. A&T
Dr. Rosemary Wander, UNCG
Jerry Camp, High Point Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Kathryn Baker Smith, GTCC
Alan Duncan, Guilford County Board of Education
Dr. Margaret Arbuckle, Guilford Education Alliance
Dr. Noah Rogers, Smith High School principal
Malishai Woodbury, Dudley High School
Jasmine Renee Mitchell, Smith High School ’06, UNC-CH Morehead Scholar
Megan M. Metzger, UNCG ’05
Samantha McCulley, Andrews High School ’07, GTCC student
Ralph Yarnall-Rodland, GTCC student

Should Greensboro have a downtown greenway?

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

One of Guilford County's most respected and popular District Court judges, Lawrence McSwain, plans to retire at the end of this year. He's served on the bench since 1986.
McSwain, 61, was diagnosed with prostate cancer more than a decade ago and, despite surgery and treatment, has never been in remission. He wants to pursue his interests in travel and Old West history while he's healthy enough to enjoy them, he said last week.

Not that he'll give up public service. He mentors 10 male students at a local high school and would like to do more of that. He takes them out to eat or to the movies, or they just "talk about things they need to know to make good, wise decisions.”

They couldn't have a better role model. Wise decisions have been McSwain's stock in trade.
Retiring sounds like another one. We hope he enjoys many healthy and productive years.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Can you name the critically acclaimed singing sensation from High Point currently starring in New York?

Fantasia Barrino isn't a bad guess. But the answer is Anthony Dean Griffey, leading the Metropolitan Opera's new production of "Peter Grimes.”

The New York Times' Anthony Tommasini recently delivered a rave review: "Mr. Griffey, even though his voice has heft and carrying power, is essentially a lyric tenor. And it is disarming to hear the role sung with such vocal grace, even sweetness in places.”

Griffey is "an elegant singer and courageous actor long overdue for a starring role at the Met,"the critic added.

Unlike Fantasia, Griffey still makes his home in High Point. The entire Triad can be proud of this native son whose terrific talent has taken him to the top of a demanding profession.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Appalachian State University didn't plan to hold a mock drill for an armed intruder last week, but it was forced to respond when a student called police to report seeing a gunman running toward campus.

That was a fabrication, deserving a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report for 22-year-old senior Matthew W. Haney. He's due whatever punishment the courts and the university can give him. Campus shootings are only too real and too frightening. Haney's thoughtless deceit caused too much trouble and trauma.

It did give the university and local police a chance to test their emergency procedures, which apparently worked well. But, then, there was no real gunman. That was the only reason to give thanks.

One of Monday's Short Stack items.

Could Greensboro's water restrictions soon be eased? City Water Resources Director Allan Williams says that Greensboro is evaluating the effects of last week's abundant rainfalls to determine if that can happen.

One significant change is that Burlington's City Council has voted to lift its water restrictions. That means Burlington can increase its water sales to Greensboro, which would improve the water situation here. All of Burlington's reservoirs are full, with water even spilling over a couple of them.

Guilford and surrounding counties are still at the worst level of drought, but the recent rains have made the picture much better for much of North Carolina. The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly report, which is released on Thursdays, shows a big improvement over two weeks ago. Thirty-nine of the state's counties still remain in exceptional drought, the worst of five drought categories. But two weeks ago, 64 counties fell into that category.

Tuesday's lead editorial.

In the highly competitive job-creation game, you win a few and you lose a few. But most of the time, the Triad and North Carolina are squarely in the winner's circle.

National rankings released last week by SiteSelection magazine show hard work is paying off in plant expansions, business recruitment and hundreds of new jobs.

According to the magazine's Web site, in 2007 North Carolina ranked fourth nationwide in new or expanded capital projects. In the "small metro" category (200,000 to 1 million population), Greensboro-High Point came out on top just as in 2006. For areas with fewer than 50,000 residents, nearby Thomasville-Lexington led the pack, edging out Mooresville-Statesville.

The only downer in an otherwise positive picture was Greensboro-based RF Micro Devices' decision to put on hold construction at a local plant and instead add 300 jobs at a British subsidiary.

Those high-paying jobs originally were earmarked for Greensboro. As part of a plant-expansion package, the company had negotiated tax breaks of $4.5 million from the state and $1.2 million from the city. Guilford County commissioners, on the other hand, declined, saying locally based RF Micro wasn't about to relocate.

If the upgrade does happen within five years, the company still could cash in. Local and state incentives wisely are linked to job creation.
A stumbling economy may force businesses everywhere to reassess and put well-intended plans on hold. If that occurs, local governments can redirect the money to corporate customers ready to make a move. Either way, area workers will get a boost.

In a global economy, luring new business is a two-way street. Thomasville recruiters told SiteSelection they often get overseas inquiries and several foreign-based firms already have located in Davidson County.

Yet it isn't always a fair trade-off. Jobs coming into this country may not be as good as those departing. Displaced textile and furniture workers can attest to that danger.
Nonetheless, the SiteSelection rankings will draw renewed focus on the Triad and state's favorable business climate. A friendly tax structure, worker retraining, university research and a good transportation network all bode well for the future.

Competition, however, will be intense and the stakes high. According to SiteSelection, states like Michigan and Ohio, hard hit by losses in the auto industry, are more aggressively wooing new jobs.

Even so, North Carolina's enviable string of successes based on solid selling points should help keep the winning streak alive.

Tuesday's No. 2 editorial.

The grieving in Salisbury has just begun. Friday morning, two firefighters in the city of 25,000, about 40 miles southwest of Greensboro, died in a raging woodworking company fire.
Fire crews from across the state, including High Point, are volunteering at stations there while Salisbury firefighters come to grips with the tragedy.

The pain is an all too familiar one. They felt it in Charleston, which lost nine firefighters on June 18. They felt it in New York, at the World Trade Center. A "Mayday" call is the same anywhere, anytime.

In fact, New York City and Salisbury share an eerie connection. Victor Isler, who died as he fought flames inside Salisbury Millwork, had been a New York City paramedic and was among the first responders to the 2001 terrorist attacks. But at 40, he was too old to join the New York Fire Department, so he moved south to realize a lifelong dream of being a fireman.

Nineteen-year-old Justin Moore shared that dream. He died alongside Isler, manning a hose. Moore joined a Rowan County volunteer unit’s youth program at age 14 and was studying fire technology at a local community college.

He wanted no other career.

In time, there will be answers concerning the fire’s origins, how it was fought and what might have been done differently. Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, the State Bureau of Investigation, the state Fire Marshal’s Office and local agencies are just beginning to sift through the ashes.

The flames seemingly had been contained, then suddenly flared out of control, trapping firefighters inside. The presence of highly combustible sawdust may have been a factor.

But for now, a town will pause to share grief, comfort families and honor memories.

The new I-40 bypass is four miles longer than the section of road it replaces. That means DOT's signage on distances from Point A to Point B are off by four miles. So what, you may ask. A Chapel Hill resident suggests the state update distances -- kind of a truth in advertising move. DOT says it isn't worth the trouble or expense. We tend to agree. What do you think?

Wednesday's lead editorial.

With the theft of some 70 manhole covers and grates, not to mention the destruction of countless air conditioner units around town for their copper, Greensboro can consider itself enmeshed in the global problem of metal theft.

Cities worldwide -- from Beijing (where some years hundreds of thousands of manhole covers are stolen) to towns in England (thieves target railways there) -- have been plagued by metal thieves. They seem to view every piece of metal -- downspouts, telephone cable, cemetery plaques -- as business opportunities.

Metals theft is nothing new. Google "metal theft" "North Carolina," for example, and one of the first stories you'll find is a New York Times piece from the late 1980s, when thieves around Charlotte were stealing highway signs.

Metal theft is cyclical. When the price of metals declines, thefts decline. Still, with that price likely to keep rising and, with a free-fall economy, metal theft appears to be a problem that is going to stick around this time.

Our community needs to get a jump on the issue. The fastest way may be to get in contact with The Macon-Middle Georgia Metal Theft Committee. Formed in November 2006 to combat metal thefts in the metropolitan Macon area, it enables interested parties -- from law enforcement (police through prosecutors) to scrap metal dealers, utilities to landlords' associations --to routinely share information that helps prevent and deter thefts.
"They meet regularly and share information. ... They talk to each other and try to learn what each can do realistically," says Jonathan Levy, director of state and local relations of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.

"The only thing that is going to affect this is communication between all the stakeholder groups."

The Macon group has an alert system that updates members by e-mail about items stolen.
The group also shares preventive measures. Did you know people are protecting heating/cooling units with metal, padlocked cages? Did you know that there is copper wiring that now can be made with markings that will make it easy to be tracked?

This information sharing -- the group also gets together every couple of months --has caused thefts to dramatically decline, bucking the national trend. In December 2006, the city of Macon had 84 copper thefts, but in December 2007 it had only 17 ... and in November 2007 it had only eight.
"It's a positive relationship," says Chip Koplin of Macon Iron and Paper Stock Co., one of the creators of the group. Koplin adds that a state law that makes some forms of metal theft a felony also has deterred criminals.

The N.C. General Assembly passed a similar law last year that should deter thieves. But information sharing also is needed. Greensboro needs to get going, call Koplin in Macon and set up a Triad group. It takes a community -- and communication -- to counter this kind of crime.

Wednesday's No. 2 editorial.
The annual summer trek to the beach or mountains on I-40 just got four miles longer. But you'd never know it by looking at the state's mileage signs.

Blame Greensboro's recently opened Urban Loop, which also serves as the I-40 Bypass. Simply put, the old route, now I-40 Business, that links Winston-Salem to Burlington is four miles shorter.

Instead of updating hundreds of signs from Tennessee to South Carolina to reflect the unforeseen changes, DOT had a better idea. According to The News & Observer of Raleigh, Greensboro's old miles have been stretched to fit the new distances. Mile markers on the urban loop-I-40 Bypass really are 1.1 to 1.6 miles apart.

Perhaps it's an imperfect solution, but it beats the expensive alternative. Besides, most drivers probably are preoccupied with navigating the loop's eight lanes. Missing an exit can turn the extra four miles into 40.

Those eight lanes, by the way, haven't gone unnoticed in the Capital City. The News & Observer's Bruce Siceloff writes, "After ours (West Raleigh's I-40) is widened, we'll have six crummy lanes. Whoopee."

And considering Raleigh's exasperating rush-hour traffic snarls, it's obvious that its stretch of I-40 could use a lot more than six crummy lanes. Gee, the Greensboro loop's wide open spaces are looking better all the time.

Anyway, just keep your old-fashioned 1.0 miles. We prefer a mild case of mile inflation-- x-plus-four shouldn't be all that complicated.

Still, there could be hard feelings.

Siceloff writes, "We're happy for our hefty Greensboro friends. We can't wait to drive their new ‘phat' freeway en route to someplace we like better."

Well, we can't promise whoopee, but for a pleasant change of pace, put the pedal to the metal, stay here a while and enjoy an EIGHT-LANE freeway.

An editorial we're working on:

Greensboro and High Point made the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority an offer it couldn't refuse.

It almost refused anyway.

The on Tuesday approved a pumping station to be built by High Point and Greensboro to speed delivery of water from the new, and nearly full, Randleman reservoir.

Amazingly, the vote was only 6-4 in favor, despite the sweetheart of a deal the station poses for the authority.

Here's what Greensboro and High Point were proposing to do:

-- Assume the responsibility for completing the design, financing and construction of the pump station at Highway 62.

-- Build the water distribution lines and related facilities that will deliver treated water from the pump station to High Point, Greensboro and Jamestown.

What's not to like?

But the authority seems wary of Greensboro and High Point. Some members apparently fear the bigger cities are attempting to take the project over.

That's not only doubtful but petty and political. There is a drought, folks, and the sooner the new lake can provide precious water, the better.

Thursday's lead editorial.

Gov. Mike Easley wants to "make our state drought-proof."

He's asking the legislature for power to set statewide water policies. But for drought-proofing, he'll need divine authority. Mere politicians can't produce rain.

They can generate political thunderstorms now and then. It doesn't take a weatherman to predict that some of Easley's proposals will whip up high winds, lightning and hail.

Generally, local governments operate their own water systems and set their own policies. "We have a 19th century water system in place in the 21st century," Easley said at a news conference Tuesday.

The state can modernize by dictating rate structures to penalize high water consumption, demanding conservation measures, helping local systems detect leaks, requiring water-efficient buildings, giving tax breaks for purchases of low-use appliances and, during emergencies, forcing communities with adequate water to supply neighbors with less.

The last power elicits a hypothetical: Suppose, as soon as Greensboro finally receives its first allocation of Randleman Lake water, a future governor orders half diverted to Raleigh, the fast-growing capital with an unquenchable thirst. Cue the thunder and lightning.

Yet, the governor makes some good points. Water is a shared resource. How it's used in one place impacts others in complex ways. For example, low flow in the Catawba River could limit the amount of water Duke Energy draws for its future power plant in Gaston County and thus influence the cost or supply of electricity in Greensboro.

Water is a "visceral" issue, says Alan Hirsch, director of the governor's Policy Office. "Nobody wants to give it up. ... People will fight for it."

Randleman Lake is the only major new water source developed in North Carolina in the last 30 years. No others are planned. Greensboro, High Point and their regional partners in this project can congratulate themselves for their foresight and chide cities like Raleigh for failing to meet their own needs. But the state is likely to insist on a broader view.

There can be no arguments about Easley's conclusion that "we also need to change our attitude about using water in North Carolina." Conservation, even when lakes are full, will be critical to long-term sustainability.

Hirsch praised Greensboro for doing "a wonderful job of maximizing supply and minimizing demand." All communities must do as well or better but also build connections for times when some face dire emergencies. Greensboro has done that, tapping water from neighbors -- not through coercion, however, but by purchase at fair prices.

The state has an interest in applying consistent policies to make wise use of a critical resource, but it shouldn't penalize water-thrifty communities and reward the wasteful. That would provoke political thunderstorms -- unless God grants governors the power to make it rain.

Thursday's No. 2 editorial.

There may not be much of a point in writing this. Chances are, you're not going to read it anyway.

As Jason Hardin reported Sunday, our reading habits are not what they used to be, especially when it comes to books (we'll fret about newspaper readership on another day).
Statistically speaking, this is not a pretty story.

People of all ages and walks of life are spending less time and money on books. We are more likely to watch three hours of TV each day than to have read one novel in the previous year. According to an NEA study, barely more than one-third of U.S. high school students read proficiently.

Much of our time -- especially young people's time -- is likely drawn to computers, and obviously that entails reading as well. But it also involves pictures and sounds and digital scraps rather than full courses.

Beyond the sheer satisfaction of a good page-turner are the lessons and inspiration a compelling read can provide. Better readers also tend to get better jobs and earn better pay.
Further, books make our imaginations work. Written words become pictures in our minds.
A good book drives creativity. A movie can put it on cruise control.

It's reassuring that a fictional icon like Harry Potter still conjures a passion for supersized volumes that young people can't wait to wolf down. And that a town like Greensboro works hard to make reading a community event through its One City, One Book initiative.

Perhaps the only thing better than reading a memorable book by yourself is sharing the experience. But we are more engrossed in text messaging than engrossing text. And in TV. And computers. And video games. And movies.

Yet there's a simple reason movies often fail to live up to the books that spawned them. Even in the age of computer effects, a film has boundaries. There are no limits to the mind's eye.

When we open a good book, we open the door to ideas. And possibilities. And opportunity.

Have you had metal stolen from your property? If so, what has been stolen?

If you live in Greensboro and had metal stolen, have you had problems with getting the city to respond?

If you don't want to answer in this public forum, you can e-mail us at opinion@news-record.com.

We may write another editorial on this topic. (See previous entries for Wednesday's editorial.)

We would like to hear your stories.

Today's lead editorial.

Gov. Mike Easley is not the CEO of North Carolina.

He is the state's top public servant, and his bosses are those who live here.

Yet the governor may not want us to have a full accounting of his administration. His actions seem to indicate he favors keeping at least some public records from public view.

Here's the story: Earlier this month, Easley fired Debbie Crane, chief spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Human Services, for insubordination. This occurred after Crane had provided information to The News & Observer of Raleigh for a series it ran on botched mental health reform in this state: Some $400 million has been misspent in this area during Easley's watch and many seriously ill people haven't been served.

Once fired, Crane went to the media with news that the governor's directors of communications had told spokespeople to destroy e-mails between them and the governor's office. Easley adamantly denied setting such a policy, though he has said that guidelines allow state workers to delete some e-mails.

Then, Easley added fuel to the fire by admitting that he threw out a letter hand-delivered to him from Carmen Hooker Odom, former head of the beleaguered DHHS, which explained why she wouldn't provide media interviews. Easley said the letter wasn't worth saving — a decision with which many might beg to disagree. (It's also worth noting that if the letter had come in the mail, his staff probably would have saved it.)

Easley says he hasn't violated public records law, either by destroying the Hooker letter or by deleting e-mails. That law makes it illegal to "destroy, sell, loan or otherwise dispose of any public records ... without the consent of the Department of Cultural Resources." To support his actions, Easley points to a Cultural Resources policy which states that e-mail "of ephemeral or rapidly diminishing value may be erased or destroyed when the user has determined that its reference value has ended."

But is that policy misguided? Was it the law's intent to allow Cultural Resources to provide prior approval for document destruction?

One thing is clear: The law strongly supports saving public records. It states: "When in doubt ... retain the record in question."

Whether or not Crane's allegations are true, it would better serve the state if its public servants, from governor on down, didn't make so much use of the delete key.

SUNSHINE DAY
What: North Carolina Open Government Coalition Sunshine Day featuring Debbie Crane, who was fired from her job as public affairs director for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
When: 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 20.
Where: Moseley Center, Elon University.
Cost: $30. Students $15. (Includes lunch.)

Today's No. 2 editorial.

Greensboro and High Point made the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority an offer it couldn't refuse.

It almost refused anyway.

The authority on Tuesday approved a pumping station to be built by High Point and Greensboro to speed delivery of water from the new, and now overflowing, Randleman Lake.
Curiously, the vote was only 6-4 in favor, despite the sweetheart of a deal the station poses for the authority.
Representatives of Randolph County, Randleman and Jamestown said no.

Here's what Greensboro and High Point were proposing to do:

-- Assume responsibility for design and construction of the pump station at Highway 62 and Coltrane Mill Road.

-- Finance the project at less expense using Greensboro's favorable bond rating.

-- Build the water distribution lines and related facilities that will deliver treated water from the pump station to High Point, Greensboro and Jamestown.

What's not to like?

But some authority member communities seem wary of the biggest entities that will draw water from the regional reservoir, Greensboro and High Point. They apparently fear the bigger cities are bullying the smaller communities into deviating from the original plan.

Some distrust is inevitable in the delicate process of nurturing fragile regional relationships. The water authority may be the most significant collaboration in the Triad's history, but it isn't perfect. There will be growing pains.

Plan A, in which the authority would have built both the reservoir's treatment plant and pump station, but not at the same time, may have soothed nerves and kept the peace.
But despite recent rains, there is a drought. The sooner the new lake can provide precious water, the better.

Do some vestiges of territorialism still exist? You bet. Randleman reservoir wasn't built in a day.

Neither were the regional relationships that helped make it a reality.

But we're getting there.

We're going to write an editorial encouraging people to attend and/or fill out an online survey about Greensboro's transportation needs for the next decade.

Are there ways that you see to make transportation better here in the city?

City staff already has gotten good suggestions for improvements from some who have attended the meetings. Often, it's the little suggestions that are the most helpful. For example, one person noted how an intersection could be better marked -- such as adding a turn lane where there is none -- to improve traffice flow.

You're on the streets. You know what's out there. What do you want to see improved? Post your comments here -- and take the city's online survey too:

Will you vote in the May primary? Why or why not?

Tuesday's lead editorial.

City Councilman Mike Barber is gamely chipping away at the traditional wall between city and county government.

Barber is suggesting in a resolution that local leaders pursue combining the city and county planning departments into "a single Greensboro-Guilford Planning and Inspections Department."
The resolution proposes a task force that would study the ramifications of such a merger — as Barber words it, "not if, but how the departments can be joined together for the benefit to the citizens, customers and taxpayers."

"We're not operating in a vacuum," Barber said in an interview Monday. "This has been happening all across America."

The council is scheduled to discuss the resolution at tonight's meeting. It ought to approach the idea with open minds, if not open arms.

Barber's resolution makes sense on at least three basic levels.

First, it presumably would save taxpayer money by combining the operations of two planning offices into one. That's particularly important in an era of rising costs and stagnant tax bases.
Second, it would foster a more unified vision for planning; under the current setup, two separate visions for the city and an increasingly urbanized county don't always mesh. That needs to change.

Finally, it should eliminate confusion over whom to call with a planning or inspections question with one office, one number.

There are predictable concerns ... for instance, who would be in charge of a combined city-county planning department?

As for whether some department employees could lose their jobs, Barber believes the staff could be trimmed over time through retirements and attrition.

The proposed task force would have to address those concerns, and others. Among the most obvious sources for insight are governments that already operate joint city-county planning departments, such as Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

In addition to combined planning offices, Charlotte/Mecklenburg features a 14-member city-county planning commission that includes five City Council appointees, two mayoral appointees and seven members appointed by the Mecklenburg commissioners.

If the idea gains traction here, it could signal a welcome end to duplication in city and county planning, where politics and tradition can trump practicality, efficiency and customer service. It also could smooth the way for other opportunities for the city and county to pool resources and expenses.

Of course, not every arranged marriage makes sense, in the public sector or in private business. Some mergers that sounded good in theory have yielded little of the savings and "synergy" they promised.

But Barber's question definitely begs an answer. The council and the commissioners ought to at least be willing to find out what that answer is.

Tuesday's No. 2 editorial.

Barack Obama will bring his presidential campaign to Greensboro, but not this week.
Fortunately, there were no security concerns stopping the Illinois senator from visiting Greensboro Wednesday, as earlier reported, spokesmen for his campaign and the Secret Service said Monday. The decision for Obama to hold events in Charlotte and Fayetteville but not Greensboro had to do with scheduling, according to spokesman Dan Leistikow.

"Sen. Obama will be campaigning in Greensboro very soon as well," Leistikow said.

Leistikow called North Carolina "an incredibly important state for both candidates," adding it will be a "battleground" in the general election, "at least if Sen. Obama is the nominee."

Speculation that Hillary Clinton won't contest North Carolina as vigorously was dispelled Monday when her campaign named Averell "Ace" Smith as its state director. He led successful primary efforts on Clinton's behalf in California and Texas.

"We are going to wage an aggressive, grass-roots campaign and work hard for every vote across North Carolina," Smith said in a news release.

Meanwhile, the N.C. Democratic Party is working to stage a debate between the two, spokeswoman Kerra Bolton said Monday. Both campaigns agree, but details are being discussed.

In any event, Bolton expects North Carolina "will see the candidates a great deal" before the May 6 primary.

The race will put the state in the national spotlight and give Democratic voters a voice in the highly competitive nomination process.

It's just going to take a little longer for the candidates to arrive in Greensboro.

Wednesday's lead editorial.

Complaining about traffic seems to be a favorite pastime. So does complaining about taxes. Witness the many letters to the editor we run on both topics. Now, the city is providing an opportunity to do more than gripe.

It wants your input on how to improve transportation in the city -- and on how much you are willing to spend over the next decade to do that.

From now until the end of March, the city's transportation department is gathering information from residents on which transportation problems they want addressed during the next 10 years. It will use the information it gathers to help shape a transportation package it wants to bring before the City Council in April. If the council approves it, a bond might be put to voters on the November ballot.

Transportation staff are holding meetings throughout the city (though not, unfortunately, in the Cardinal) to share proposals. An online survey at the city's Web site also makes it easy to share your thoughts.

Adam Fischer, the city's interim transportation director, says he's already heard some good suggestions. He especially likes hearing about those little things -- the turning lane that could be marked at an intersection to improve traffic flow -- that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
So far, only about 75 people have responded to the online survey -- and that's a shame. It is well-constructed and provides residents a great opportunity to comment on projects and how much they're willing to spend.

For example, in the "Intersection Improvement" category, respondents can choose among (and view) packages costing $40 million, $30 million and $21 million or mark "do not support." It also has a place for your thoughts.

Taking a few minutes to complete the survey is a wise investment. Who knows? Doing so may greatly reduce the time you're stuck in traffic.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Links to the city of Greensboro's transportation proposals and to an online survey are at the main page of the city's Web site at: www.greensboro-nc.gov/

Remaining transportation meetings:

Thursday: Central Library, 219 N. Church St., Lindley Recreation Center, 2907 Springwood Drive.

March 25: Shiloh Baptist Church, 1210 S. Eugene St., Lawndale Baptist Church, 3505 Lawndale Drive.

March 27: Westover Church, 505 Muirs Chapel Road, Lindley Recreation Center, 2907 Springwood Drive.

People may drop in anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. Brief presentations will be at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday's No. 2 editorial.

The N.C. House of Representatives almost certainly will expel one of its members this week for the first time in 128 years.

Thomas Wright, a Democrat from Wilmington, deserves the boot but not the distinction. Others before him should have met the same fate: most recently, Jim Black and Michael Decker. Both of them are serving federal prison terms on corruption charges.

Black, the former speaker, resigned. Decker was voted out of office. But their colleagues should have hastened their departures by setting higher ethical standards and enacting stronger disciplinary measures sooner.

Wright, who also faces a criminal trial, is testing the House's resolve to clean up after the Black & Decker scandals. He denies wrongdoing, but a House ethics panel recently found "clear and convincing evidence" of misconduct. The full House will meet in a special session Thursday to consider expulsion.

"Let the show begin, because this is just the beginning," Wright said, hinting that other legislators should be worried, too. Who can doubt it?

Wright previously has protested that he's being singled out because he's black, and that white legislators have been dealt with more leniently. His complaint about racial discrimination isn't convincing, but it's obvious the House has condoned many transgressions until now. Black probably would still be speaker if federal prosecutors didn't get after him.

Of course, the legislature would need a very high tolerance for corruption to overlook Wright's actions. For years, he engaged in a pattern of putting campaign and foundation funds to his personal use, investigators say.

That's not acceptable behavior anymore. The House will signal that a new and better day has arrived if it gets rid of Wright.

Topic A for tomorrow's editorial column is Barack Obama's important speech on race in America.

You can read the address and see it on video at his campaign Web site.

What did you think?

Thursday's lead editorial.

Barack Obama's call to break ‘a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years' deserves attention in Greensboro and across a still-imperfect union.

Barack Obama could have been talking to Greensboro Tuesday from his podium in Philadelphia. But then, in a way he was ... and to every other American community where the effects of injustice, resentment and hostility divide people and hinder progress.

The Democratic presidential candidate began with the task of explaining his relationship with his Chicago pastor, Jeremiah Wright, suddenly famous for preaching a "profoundly distorted view of this country." Obama didn't succeed in convincingly repudiating a man for whom he also professes affection and admiration; instead, he rose to a higher discussion of a bigger challenge: race relations and the quest for a more perfect union.

Obama comes to this subject from a unique vantage point. In his now-familiar words, "I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas." His white grandparents helped raise him. He counts relatives "of every race and hue, scattered across three continents, and ... in no other country on Earth is my story even possible."

His background and experiences allow him to acknowledge that "so many of the disparities that exist in the African American community today can be directly traced to the inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow." At the same time, he also understands "the anger within segments of the white community" among people who don't feel they're privileged by race, who resent it when their kids are bused across town, who shouldn't be called racist for fearing crime in urban neighborhoods.

The bitterness -- listen up, Greensboro -- has created "a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years," Obama said. Meanwhile, schools are crumbling, families are breaking apart and communities fall into "a cycle of violence, blight and neglect."

Obama scolded Americans for ignoring the source of problems but also encouraged them to seek common ground and arrive at solutions together. The path to a more perfect union, he said, "requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams ..."

Naturally, Obama presents himself as the leader best able to inspire reconciliation and a new commitment to meeting the nation's promise. Voters can make up their minds about that.
But his message demands self-examination beyond the political decisions of the day. Do we indeed, finally, want to make the United States a country where every American has a fair chance to succeed, where no one surrenders to despair or is crushed by injustice and discrimination? Personal responsibility is a key ingredient, but this nation also was founded on a notion of collective responsibility for the rights of all. Obama's eloquent reminder should resonate in Greensboro and across the country.

Thursday's No. 2 editorial.

We'll take it as a gesture of good will that N.C. Gov. Mike Easley, under scrutiny for the way his office handles public correspondence, recently signed a proclamation making March 20 Sunshine Day in North Carolina. Whether it was a good intention or unintentional irony, the governor was right to approve a day marking the importance of openness in government.
Anyone who even superficially follows news in this state knows that transparency in government can't be taken for granted. Look at Greensboro, where release of information about public business seems to be an ongoing struggle. And closed council meetings happen so often here they have come to seem routine. It was almost startling to discover that just a few miles east, the Elon town council has gone into a closed session only once during the past 25 years.

Elon Mayor Jerry Tolley brought up that information about his council's public-friendly stance in a video that our state's 10th-graders may soon view. Vic Costello, an associate professor at Elon University, worked with some of his students to develop teaching materials on open government for high schoolers. He presented them at the annual meeting of the state's social studies teachers' association in Greensboro in February, and hopes they'll use it in their civics classes.

This is just one of many projects undertaken in conjunction with the N.C. Open Government Coalition's Sunshine Center, which is housed in Elon's School of Communications. The center has fielded some 187 requests from the public during the past year. Even public officials have called for assistance.

The center will further its mission of advocating for and educating about openness by holding a seminar today. They'll update participants on legal challenges, possible legislative action, education efforts and state candidates' stands on openness issues.

We're glad the center is down the road from us. We'd be even gladder to hear that some in Greensboro or Guilford government attended today's event in Elon.

Friday's lead editorial.

For commuters and truckers, the city's recently opened western loop connecting Bryan Boulevard to I-85 is a welcome improvement that makes it easier to get from here to there and enhances the Triad's reputation as a transportation hub.

But there's also collateral damage. Once-serene neighborhoods are awash in a symphony of whooshing cars and rumbling 18-wheelers. Sleep patterns and outdoor activities may never be the same.

Inevitably, some people will be inconvenienced for the sake of others. Live in the path of progress, the argument goes, and be prepared to pay the price, no matter how painful.
However, loop neighbors understandably question whether the state Department of Transportation did enough to mitigate the roadway's impact.

As Jason Hardin reported it Sunday's News & Record, residents of the Charlestowne Square condominiums off Hornady Road, in particular, are worse off than before. They say their pleas to the state for solid sound barriers that could have provided relief were ignored.

The Federal Highway Administration says those admittedly costly barriers cut noise levels in half. State engineers, who have set different noise criteria for condominiums and single-family dwellings, rejected them. According to their reasoning, residents of multifamily units spend less time outside than their single-family neighbors. (Balconies and patios apparently don't count as “outside.”) And only a chain-link fence stands between Charlestowne Square and the road.
Considering this leg of the project has just been completed, amends are unlikely. But without relief, residents may ask the state to take the property off their hands through condemnation.
If that were to happen, not only would it pose an added cost to taxpayers but it also would be detrimental to nearby property values. Yet compromise still is possible. Noise-absorbing vegetation or trees or an earthen berm near the condos might help.

As the loop threads westward through populous neighborhoods, this scenario will be repeated. Before that occurs, affected residents should get solid assurances from DOT officials that they'll get the sound mitigation they deserve.

Growth comes at a price. Whether it's living in the shadows of an interstate highway or in the FedEx hub's flight path, lifestyles will change. Even so, the voices of residents shouldn't be dismissed out of hand as an impediment to progress.

The state ought to allow for dissent, consider valid complaints and grant reasonable exceptions when they're warranted.

Friday's No. 2 editorial.

Law enforcement can use all the help it can get fighting crime, but not from police wannabes who misrepresent themselves and confuse the public.

After recent complaints, Greensboro police arrested two men this week on charges of impersonating a police officer. In this instance, they were employed by a private security firm. Neither, however, was certified by the state as a law-enforcement officer.

Particularly troubling are reports that one of the suspects has previous convictions for false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer. The other is accused of violating state rules governing private police.

What allegedly happened shouldn't reflect unfairly on privately owned security agencies, which play a valuable role in providing protection for businesses and their customers.

But more often than not, people who pretend to be sworn officers are familiar with law enforcement or at least fascinated by it. Dressing the part and flashing a badge can be convincing to citizens caught up in a stressful situation. Besides the public, police also can be fooled by slick operators, as apparently happened in this case.

No matter the misguided motivation, engaging in such illegal activities makes law enforcement's job even tougher. Already dangerous tasks such as traffic stops become even more difficult when citizens wonder if the approaching officer is real or a fake.

Just how the two men arrested this time were able to land jobs as security workers considering their dubious backgrounds is unclear. The N.C. Justice Department, which is responsible for security employee screening, needs to investigate and explain.

When there are questions about an officer's authenticity, ask to see official identification. Although such deception is rare, there's nothing wrong with opting on the side of caution.

Saturday's lead editorial

The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress registered valid objections against a City Council redistricting plan but not likely enough to kill it.

The council adopted "Plan Q" on short notice last month, denying residents a fair opportunity to review it.

"We urge you to reject Plan Q for that reason alone," the GNC wrote March 12 in a letter to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

That reason alone, though, isn't sufficient to work up much indignation in Washington. Legislative bodies are famous for pushing through redistricting plans that shortchange the public interest for the benefit of politicians.

Whether that happened in this case is a matter of dispute. Former Councilwoman Sandy Carmany complained her district was moved out from under her. Councilman Zack Matheny, who authored Plan Q, gained the Fisher Park area he wanted. Personal considerations of other council members might have been taken into account -- all typical when elected officials draw their own election districts.

The Civil Rights Division, however, cares primarily about race: whether the new voting plan protects the interests of minority voters. Because Plan Q leaves substantial "minority majorities" in Districts 1 and 2, there shouldn't be grounds for rejection. Overall, the annexation of 10,000 residents of the Cardinal and other communities will raise the city's white population, but the new voters will be divided between Districts 3 and 5.

Plan Q, as opposed to the Plan B favored by city staff, shifts more voters and splits more communities. It deserves the complaints against it. But, even after the public had a month to offer objections, a majority of council members stood by it this week. Its approval seems likely.

Greensboro remains one of the few large cities in North Carolina required to submit election plans for Justice Department preclearance. Only 40 of the state's counties are "covered jurisdictions" under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Winston-Salem, Durham, Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington are not part of those counties. But Guilford County can't even conduct a bond referendum without prior approval of the Justice Department in case it might try to deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race.

In reality, that's less of a risk today than the temptation to use redistricting for political advantage.

Saturday's No. 2 editorial.

The recent reduction in Skybus flights out of Piedmont Triad International isn't the beginning of the end for either the airport or the airline. It is a smart cost-containment move by the young air carrier.

Skybus will cut five daily flights out of PTI. Instead of two daily flights to Fort Myers, Fla., and the Chicago, New York and Philadelphia areas, it will fly one. It also has ended its PTI-New Orleans flight.

Rapidly rising jet fuel costs powered the decision. The cost of jet fuel has almost doubled in the last year, and has hit $3.48 a gallon. Its cost is rising even more rapidly than the cost of gasoline because of a shortage of refineries for this fuel.

Skybus' decisive move may hurt PTI in the short term, but it will help it long term, as it will increase the airline's chances of surviving. And survival is the name of the game in the passenger air industry, as some carriers likely will succumb to increasing fuel prices.

Though Skybus is retrenching, it is also redirecting resources. Announcement of the flight cuts was packaged with news of three additions of flights to Florida from two cities. It also is adding a seasonal flight between the New York City and Boston areas. The latter move plays to a Skybus strength: running short routes.

Skybus' decision to reduce flights is a much better, and more direct, policy than what the industry as a whole is doing, which is burying fuel surcharges into passengers' bills.

Such surcharges can make ticket prices double. They also can create ill will. Some analysts speculate that if fuel keeps rising rapidly, some airlines might unbundle the fuel cost from the ticket price and have customers pay for fuel just prior to boarding. Knowing the actual cost of a flight would then become a crapshoot.

Skybus' aboveboard approach is customer-friendly, shows business savvy and is in keeping with its image as a straight shooter.

No one likes service reductions, but if they have to happen, Skybus shows how to do them.

What do you think of Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson's 10-page plan to address issues brought up by the City Council?

If you haven't seen the plan, you can see it here:

Sunday's editorial.

It's been said many times before but it's worth repeating: The lion's share of new jobs in North Carolina don't come from the Dells and FedExes of the world.

They come from small businesses, many of them startups created by smart people with good ideas.
The big Kahunas of corporate America, bless 'em all, are still more than welcome to set up shop here. Y'all come.

But it's at least equally important to continue to grow and nurture the little guys who quietly create jobs and help drive the state and local economies, especially in these uncertain times.
And that's why it's especially noteworthy that a new business incubator in east Greensboro holds so much promise and fills such an important need.

East Greensboro traditionally has been starved for the kind of economic development that thrives in other parts of the city. As Lanita Withers reports on today's front page, the new incubator, aptly called a Minority Business Incubator, helps fledgling businesses set down firm roots and provides support and resources to increase their chances for success.

Its founders and operators, Michael and Ramona Woods, are themselves successful entrepreneurs whose hair-care business has built a national clientele.

They see the incubator, located on South Eugene Street, as a way to help others get their start and avoid the "unconscious incompetencies" that can doom a new enterprise.

The tenant list includes a 14-year-old who sells hats, pants and T-shirts, a bridal boutique run by an N.C. A&T senior and an accountant.

There is certainly a market for it in that area, which is predominantly African American, and whose economic clout should not be underestimated. Buying power among African Americans in North Carolina is expected to reach $47 billion by 2011.

And if east Greensboro grows jobs, all of Greensboro benefits.

Meanwhile, only a few miles away, the largest small-business incubator in the state, the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, has made a considerable impact in its 20-plus years of existence.

According to an economic impact study released earlier this year, the Nussbaum Center represented an economic impact of $161.8 million in Guilford County in 2006. It also created 1,310 net new jobs at an average annual wage of $49,130.

Sam Funchess, president and CEO of the center, sees the biggest advantage of locating there as being in an environment of small-business owners and people who help small-business owners. Those people include Funchess, who himself operates two small businesses, and his staff. They also include the GTCC Small Business Center, the N.C. Industrial Extension Service and the SCORE, which provides volunteer counseling to small businesses.

"If you step outside your office and raise your hand," Funchess says, "you'll get the help you need."

A third engine for small-business growth, the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network, provides start-up capital and focuses on helping entrepreneurs throughout the Triad gain a foothold with new businesses.

The bottom line: Small businesses matter.

According to the latest figures, small businesses total 766,500 in North Carolina and employ nearly half the state's private, nonfarm labor force.

City and state officials need to bear that in mind as they consider ways to create a climate conducive to job growth.

One final positive note: The various small-business agencies appear to do a good job of working together. For instance, PTEN and the Nussbaum Center touch bases regularly, Funchess says.
When PTEN discontinued a monthly meeting for entrepreneurs, the Nussbaum Center took it over.

As for where Michael and Ramona Woods got the inspiration for their own minority incubator?
Here's a clue: Both are Nussbaum Center alumni.

A Monday Short Stack item.

Thomas Wright found few defenders among his colleagues in the N.C. House of Representatives, but three of them were from Greensboro.

Reps. Earl Jones, Maggie Jeffus and Alma Adams first voted only to reprimand the Wilmington Democrat, who was charged with misappropriating money and failing to report personal spending of campaign funds. That vote failed 102-12.

Jones continued to support Wright on the expulsion vote, which passed 109-5. Jones said it was "wrong to just trump and veto the voters who are going to go to the poll in the May 6 primary and decide Rep. Wright's fate." By that reasoning, Jones would let voters decide the standards for legislative conduct -- whatever they condone, the House of Representatives would have to accept.

Although Jeffus ended up voting for expulsion, she didn't see much difference between the options considered: "I think censure and expulsion are both very serious and in the end would have the same kind of result," she said.

Except that the result of expulsion was that Wright was removed from office; with a reprimand, he would continue to serve. Not the same.

Wright's case presented legislators with a clear ethical imperative. It's sad that some had trouble determining what was the right thing to do.

A Monday Short Stack item.

Barack Obama picks the Tar Heels to win it all in this year's NCAA tournament.
He chooses the Heels to go all the way not because they happen to hail from a state whose May 6 primary will be crucial to his presidential prospects, Obama says. He picks the Heels because of their star big man, Tyler Hansbrough.

Not to be outvoted, other politicians are weighing in on the Final Four as well.

Elizabeth Dole chooses Duke to win it all, a pick she made before the Blue Devils barely beat heavy underdog Belmont, 71-70, Thursday.

And a Democratic hopeful for Dole's Senate seat, Greensboro's Kay Hagan, picks the Tar Heels, as does her Democratic primary opponent, Jim Neal.

Meanwhile, turning the tables on politicians picking athletes, this week's Sports Illustrated asked athletes to pick politicians.

In a poll of 350 pros, NBA players picked Obama for president by an 8-1 margin; Major League Baseball players chose McCain, as did National Hockey League players. Clinton finished a distant third in all three sports.

"Look at the tax bracket we're in," one baseball player said, explaining his support for McCain's fiscal conservatism.

Not that all of the voters showed much game when it comes to current events. One NBA player who backed McCain said he opted not to vote for Obama because "the country is not going to elect a Muslim."

He was, of course, mistaken about Obama's faith -- and probably a little bit confused last week by all the controversy swirling around Obama's Christian pastor.

A Monday Short Stack item.

On the subject of presidential candidates and basketball, former contender John Edwards told Jay Leno that he and Obama played some one-on-one at Edwards' home near Chapel Hill last month.

Leno: "Who won that game?"

Edwards: "I'm not telling."

Which says it wasn't Edwards.
Next, Obama challenges Clinton, winner takes the nomination?

A Monday Short Stack item.

A heroic dog and caring volunteers have turned potential tragedy into an uplifting story.
Barking by Bandit, a seizure-alert dog for 6-year-old Dakota Suggs, woke a Reidsville family in time for them to escape from a fire. The only victim was Bandit himself. The family also lost most of its possessions.

Almost immediately, Rockingham County's new Disaster Action Team was on the scene. Volunteers found lodging for the family, assembled other necessities and began looking for another trained seizure-alert dog.

No one can replace a hero like Bandit, but the Disaster Action Team is heroic in its own right.

Tuesday's lead editorial.

It takes strenuous reasoning to conclude that a legislative act meant to raise money for education isn't a revenue bill, but two judges of the N.C. Court of Appeals delivered that ruling last week.

A dissenting opinion by the third member of the panel, Judge Ann Marie Calabria, gives the state Supreme Court a chance to settle the question of whether the General Assembly created a lottery legally or not in 2005.

Calabria's view seems more sound, but even she wouldn’t put the lottery out of business by judicial fiat. Instead, the legislature should vote again, this time the right way, she wrote, adding:
"Constitutionally mandated procedures are a concern of the highest order, and they may not be stopped by a hurry to sell lottery tickets."

The legislature was in a very big hurry in August 2005. Senate leader Marc Basnight conceded he didn't have the votes to pass the lottery and sent senators home. Then, with two lottery opponents unavailable, Basnight quickly called the chamber back into session and pushed a vote through. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue broke a tie in favor of the lottery.

Opponents howled and some went to court, complaining the legislature violated a constitutional provision requiring that bills imposing taxes must be voted on in three separate days. It's a safeguard intended to protect taxpayers from hurry-up legislation.

The legal debate, then, hinged on whether the lottery is a tax. Writing for the court, Judge James Wynn said no. He was joined by Judge Bob Hunter.

Wynn noted that the lottery act "did not receive the requisite three readings on three separate days, nor were the yeas and nays properly entered." That exposes the legislative action for what it was: a blatant effort to pass a controversial measure by shady methods. But it wasn't unconstitutional, Wynn said. Among his arguments:

-- The state did not pledge its faith and credit to pay lottery obligations, instead creating an independent commission for that purpose.

-- Purchasing lottery tickets is voluntary, like paying a toll on a highway. While the game's function is to raise revenue, players receive in exchange for their payment a ticket that represents a chance to win a prize from which they may derive "exclusive benefit."

Calabria countered that almost all purchases are voluntary and Wynn's definition would mean the sales tax isn’t a tax. The portion of the lottery ticket price the state keeps must be called a tax, she asserted.

The case is close enough to warrant the Supreme Court’s final word. If it produces a different verdict, the legislature might not approve the lottery again, given the game's failure to meet original promises.

At the very least, supporters should follow honest procedures the next time around. The lottery transfers hundreds of millions of dollars each year from private purses to public coffers. It should have been treated as a revenue bill in the first place.

Tuesday's No. 2 editorial.

A police officer doesn’t use a Taser when deadly force is needed. So when a stun gun kills, as it did last week in Charlotte, something went wrong. There must be a thorough and transparent investigation to find out why.

The victim was Darryl Wayne Turner, only 17. He was having an angry argument with his supervisor at a grocery store when police were called. An officer arrived, and a "highly agitated" Turner "advanced" at the officer, refusing commands to stop, police said. The officer responded with the Taser. Turned collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The Taser is a legitimate tool for police officers who need to subdue someone without using a firearm. It's not considered life-threatening -- yet it obviously has the potential to kill. For that reason, officers faced with the choice of using a Taser or not must consider the worst possibility and make absolutely certain of the necessity.

Officers who assume a weapon won't cause serious harm might be too quick to use it. But that’s not a safe assumption about a Taser.

An investigation must determine whether there were medical factors or other circumstances that contributed to Turner's death. It also must review the events that led to the officer's decision. Would some other action have been better? These questions have to be answered openly.

Tasers are employed widely by law-enforcement agencies. They're carried by officers on some Guilford County school campuses. Parents, and the general public, deserve to know about the lethal potential of these weapons, and they need to be satisfied that well-trained officers will use them only when absolutely required.

When someone dies, particularly a young person, it's critical to know why it happened and how it could have been avoided.

Wednesday's lead editorial.

Plan on borrowing $667 million? Better figure out how much it will cost to pay it back.

Voters are beginning to fix their attention on May 6, which brings a presidential primary and party nominating contests for other federal, state and local offices. But, in Guilford County, they also should gather information about the largest package of local bond proposals ever to appear on the ballot. They are:

-- Guilford County Schools, $412.3 million;
-- Eastern High School, $45 million;
-- GTCC, $79.5 million;
-- Guilford County Detention Center, $114.6 million;
-- Parks and recreation, $20.2 million.

The presidential candidates couldn't spend that much money here.

Advocates for these projects will offer good arguments for their desirability or necessity. Some might downplay the price, noting that bonds typically are paid off over 20 years.

True, but the impact on taxpayers and the county budget each year will be significant. Voters have to make fully informed decisions, which means understanding benefits and costs.

County government itself has done a good job of making information available on its Web site. Users can find a listing of every proposed bond project with costs and the potential impact on the property tax rate. The columns of figures don't make easy reading, but they're numbers taxpayers need to know.

Here's the bottom line: If voters say yes to every project, the cost of paying for the bonds will represent 3.79 cents on the property tax rate next year, rising to a peak impact of 12.66 cents in the 2012 fiscal year. The latter amount means a hike of $126.60 on property valued at $100,000, or about 18 percent higher than the current tax.

That could vary, however, depending on overall budget priorities. Political pressure, or a prolonged economic downturn, could push commissioners to cut other spending to offset some of the effects of bond debt payments. On the other hand, defeating bond proposals could force commissioners to fund some projects, such as the new jail, through other, more expensive means.

Voters also will decide May 6 whether to approve a quarter-cent local sales-tax increase. If passed, that would raise revenue that could relieve some of the burden on the property tax. For taxpayers, though, it would just take money out of a different pocket.

The bond proposals are as important to Guilford County as the political races and demand as much consideration. And voters likely will live with the benefits or costs for a lot longer. They must decide wisely.

Wednesday's No. 2 editorial.

"Davidson has a different environment and atmosphere compared to the other schools I visited. The trust between students here makes me feel very comfortable" -- Stephen Curry, '10.

Sophomore Stephen Curry is a good choice to appear as an "in focus" student on Davidson College's Web site this week. The silky smooth guard just dropped 30 points on Georgetown in Sunday's NCAA basketball tournament upset, following a 40-point performance against Gonzaga a couple of days earlier. Davidson remarkably, incredibly advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" for the first time since 1969.

The editors at Inside Higher Ed look like geniuses. They named Davidson the champion of their Academic Performance Tournament. Viewing the NCAA brackets through the lens of athletes' classroom prowess, they saw Davidson outscoring North Carolina, then Belmont in the Final Four.

Obviously Davidson, a Presbyterian-affiliated college of 1,700 students founded in 1837 and located in a small town of the same name a few miles from Charlotte, successfully combines brains and basketball. Long recognized as an academically elite institution, it has battled into the ranks of the nation's basketball powers. Coach Bob McKillop's strategy of playing a punishing nonconference schedule against the likes of Carolina, Duke and UCLA prepared his players well for Georgetown and, next, Wisconsin.

The sudden basketball fame will draw attention to Davidson's other strengths. For example, although cost to attend exceeds $40,000 a year, starting with the current freshman class Davidson promises to meet 100 percent of each student's demonstrated financial need through a combination of grants and employment --not loans.

Davidson is one of many outstanding private colleges and universities in North Carolina. Duke and Wake Forest might come to mind first, but their men's basketball teams are done for the season. Davidson just keeps winning.

The landfill debate was supposed to have been settled two years ago but City Councilman Mike Barber has raised it again.

Should the city reverse the decision to close the landfill to local garbage and instead truck its trash to a transfer station, and from there, pay a contractor to haul it to a landfill in the Uwharrie National Forest?

Would that constitute reneging on its settlement with residents in the area?

We're working on an editorial for Sunday on the issue and our initial impression is that the landfill should remain closed, for these reasons:

The city's word ought to mean something, and it would violate northeast Greensboro residents' trust by flip-flopping on this decision.

Reopening and expanding the landfill would require a difficult and complicated permitting process.

It also would invite a lawsuit.

The last thing the city needs right now is any of the above.

Or does the lesser cost to taxpayers justify reopening the landfill and, with it, a very divisive and emotional debate?

Thursday's lead editorial.

Barack Obama put Greensboro on the nation's political map Wednesday. The Democratic presidential candidate made his only public appearance of the day in the Greensboro Coliseum's War Memorial Auditorium in front of a spirited crowd that arrived as Obama supporters and left probably wishing they could vote right away instead of waiting until May 6.
Although Obama visited Charlotte and Fayetteville last week, few North Carolinians have had a chance to see the Illinois senator in person. He makes a good impression, appearing comfortable in front of a live audience, trading quips, patiently waiting for questioners to get their words out. His style makes believable his promise that he'll listen to the American people as president.

The same vow -- to listen to the people -- worked for Greensboro's Yvonne Johnson in her mayoral campaign last year. It's remarkable that a candidate running for the highest office can offer the same kind of relationship with voters. "I'm accountable to you," he said directly to the audience, pointing out that small donors, not political action committees and lobbyists, account for his remarkable fundraising totals.

Obama praised Johnson as "the wonderful mayor of Greensboro. ... I'm so grateful for her presence and her support," he said. Otherwise, however, he didn't make specific references to Greensboro: no mention of the city's 200th birthday, no acknowledgment of the historic sit-ins by N.C. A&T students in 1960 — although many A&T students turned out to see him.
The senator did predict he'll win North Carolina in November. Recently, aides to Sen. Hillary Clinton have downplayed the importance of the state. She'll have the chance during appearances in North Carolina today to set the record straight about that.

Certainly, the flurry of visits -- former President Bill Clinton plans to stop in Greensboro Friday on his wife's behalf -- says both campaigns are competing for the state's Democratic delegates. Few political "experts" expected North Carolina to matter much in the nominating process for either party -- true for Republicans, who've already settled on John McCain, but wrong for Democrats.

On policy issues, it's difficult to find many differences between Obama and Clinton. Both want to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and both call for more federal intervention, and money, to address domestic problems. Obama makes a distinction in his call for a break from the status quo, Republican and Democratic, by which he means a way of doing business in Washington, where special interests influence politicians. Obama pledges to take direction from the American people.

Obama heard from some of them Wednesday, here in Greensboro. For a rare moment, the city was in the middle of a presidential campaign.

Thursday's No. 2 editorial.

Probably the last guy you'd want piloting a 41-ton jet airliner with 124 passengers and three flight attendants in tow and a loaded pistol in his hand is Barney Fife.

That appears to have been the case on a US Airways airliner in which a pilot's gun misfired last week, punching a hole in the plane's cockpit and raising all kinds of uneasy questions about armed aviators.

The incident occurred during the plane's approach for a landing in Charlotte. Fortunately, the Airbus A319 landed safely and no one was injured.

Among the most obvious riddles is why the pilot had drawn the gun in the first place rather than keeping it in his holster, as federal guidelines prescribe. The pistol involved in the incident was standard issue for air marshals and the 5,000 airline captains and flight officers who have been trained and authorized to carry firearms.

Experts say it's very unlikely that the .40-caliber Heckler & Koch USP semiautomatic pistol would misfire if it were accidentally dropped. "Someone would have to squeeze the trigger," ballistics specialist Ronald Scott told the Associated Press.

If you felt queasy about armed pilots before, this episode hardly helps. Even so, the Charlotte incident was the only reported misfire in five years among thousands of pilots who have carried guns on thousands of flights.

A select number of flight deck officers have been armed for five years in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But they first must complete 50 hours of training and must requalify to bear arms twice a year.

Even those of us who still cringe at visions of shootouts in the cabin --and who believe secure cockpit doors are insurance enough against hijackers -- shouldn't call for the program to be shelved on the basis of one man's ineptitude.

Meanwhile, the pilot rightly has been grounded pending the outcome of the investigation.

Presumably he also has unloaded his Heckler & Koch -- and placed his bullet securely back into his shirt pocket.

Friday's lead editorial.

Greensboro's general strikes a gallant pose over the roundabout at South Greene and McGee streets.

"In the very name Greene are remembered all the virtues and talents which can illustrate the patriot, and the military leader," said the Marquis de Lafayette, whose tribute is inscribed on the base of the Nathanael Greene statue unveiled Wednesday.

British adversary Lord Cornwallis recognized Greene's abilities in more combative terms: "The Americans fought like demons."

Greene's fight at Guilford Courthouse in 1781 pushed Cornwallis toward surrender at Yorktown and earned the general lasting fame far from his native Rhode Island. When a new county seat was laid out at the center of Guilford County in 1808, it was fitting to call it Greensboro.

Two centuries later, Greene's fine likeness, commissioned by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and created by sculptor Jim Barnhill, deserves its downtown place of prominence. It's a majestic work, reminding viewers of the heroic struggles required to build this nation and secure its freedoms.

But the Greene statue is just one salute to history put on display this spring. The city's bicentennial celebration officially commences today with festivities at NewBridge Bank Park, and imaginative events continue for weeks. The Parade of Decades May 17 might be a highlight as entrants illustrate Greensboro's story in 10-year increments.

The guns of Guilford Courthouse were long silent, and Greene himself was many years in his grave, when Greensboro was founded. Even in 1808, however, history was important. It remains so today. The past teaches valuable lessons. Greensboro's 200 years cover times of progress and setback, proud achievements and shameful moments, heroic accomplishments and villainous deeds, battles of every sort won and lost. Through it all, Greensboro has grown into North Carolina's third-largest city and one of its most pleasant and attractive. There's much to celebrate, much to learn from.

Lafayette complimented Greene's virtues and talents. The modern residents of Greene's namesake city have virtues and talents in abundance. This milestone in history calls for a commitment to use them well.

The general will be watching.

Friday's No. 2 editorial.

For Chris Dolldorf, having an automated external defibrillator (AED) at his school proved to be a lifesaver. Trained staff at Greensboro Day School used one on March 3 to shock the eighth-grader's heart back into rhythm after he'd gone into cardiac arrest.

It wasn't the first time a portable, easy-to-use defibrillator played a key part in helping revive an apparently healthy student whose heart had stopped beating. A similar situation occurred in May 2006 at Western Guilford High School.

But not all schools have the lunchbox-sized devices that rely on an electrical impulse to get an irregular heartbeat in sync. Progress, however, is being made.

In Guilford County, the ongoing AED Initiative steadily is whittling down the number of schools needing them. As of now, each high school and middle school has at least one. They're first in line because older students are more susceptible to cardiac episodes.

Cost is a factor. At around $2,000 for each unit, financially pressed school systems often are forced to look elsewhere for funds. Fortunately, booster groups, civic clubs and the private sector provide welcome assistance.

Last month, Alamance Regional Medical Center purchased 21 AEDs at a cost of $27,000 for that county's middle and high schools. In other places, individual donors have contributed.
Chris' sudden seizure was typical of what can happen. An apparently healthy teenager collapses in cardiac arrest. Time then is of the essence.

Without treatment, the survival rate drops to 50 percent in five minutes. After 10 minutes, the patient has only a 1 percent chance. That borrowed time allowed Chris to get the follow-up hospital treatment he needed.

An AED nearby can make the difference. Eventually they'll be as commonplace as fire extinguishers. Businesses, public places, even homes will have them.

Yet until that day arrives, it's important that they're readily accessible. And schools top the list.

Given the recent misfiring of a pilot’s pistol in the cockpit of a US Airways plane landing in Charlotte, should pilots and other flight officers still be allowed to carry guns?

See a story on the incident by clicking here.

Sunday's editorial.

As far as sheer facts and figures are concerned, City Councilman Mike Barber is right: It has been more expensive to close the city's White Street Landfill than to keep it open.

The council knew that when it shuttered the northeast Greensboro facility in 2006. And it knows that now.

But the council at the time was computing the costs of that option in more than purely dollars and cents. It also tallied the costs in terms of fairness to northeast Greensboro, which is home not only to the landfill, but the North Buffalo Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The landfill is used today only for yard waste and construction debris, even though there is ample room nearby for expansion. Now trucks carry household garbage to a transfer station and from there it goes to a landfill in Montgomery County, out of sight, if not out of mind.

Barber estimates that the added cost runs into "the millions" -- as much as $15 million a year. "This is the worst economic decision we've made in 200 years of history," he said last week. City Manager Mitchell Johnson places the annual cost difference at less than $3 million a year.

More precise numbers have been requested and ought to be available soon.

The historical record
Meanwhile, residents who live near the landfill complained for years before it closed that the smell, the birds and the rats made life miserable for them. Some also say the landfill was located in that area in the first place because it was predominantly black.

History says otherwise.

The White Street Landfill was created in 1940, long before many of the houses that now exist in the vicinity were built. The city chose that site not based on any racial motivations, but because the Army's Overseas Replacement Depot already was using White Street for its waste disposal.

"When the Army pulled out, the city continued to use the Army landfill and made it the municipal landfill," says Gayle Fripp, a Greensboro historian. "It had nothing to do with the fact that black neighborhoods were there."

In those days, the area was relatively remote and undeveloped. Even when more housing arrived, the larger area was predominantly white. The Woodmere Park and King's Forest subdivisions, two middle-class communities near the landfill, began as majority-white communities.

That said, some small black neighborhoods not only were located near the landfill as well, but predated it, among them Nealtown, Mount Zion and East White Oak. Yet, whether it was by design or not, the city actually was moving the landfill away from the black community in opening the White Street facility.

The old "city dump" had been located at Cottage Grove, Spencer and Perkins streets, in historically black southeast Greensboro. And the city incinerator stood on East Market Street, again on the black side of town.

As for the majority-black Nealtown Farms community, which sits near the edge of the landfill off Huffine Mill Road, it was built -- with city subsidies -- more than 50 years after the landfill opened.

Where to from here?
Does that mean the city should suddenly reverse its decision to close the landfill? Not necessarily.

Again, more is at stake here than money.

Good faith and trust also are on the line, as is the perception that poor people and minorities bear a disproportionate burden for undesirable projects. Whatever it was in the past, northeast Greensboro today is predominantly black. And the absolute last thing the city needs is another divisive racial controversy.

"I couldn't think of anything more disruptive to a City Council that already has its hands full," City Councilman Robbie Perkins said last week.

But Barber insists reopening the landfill can be a "win-win" proposition. "We can do this in a way that everybody wins," he said. "Let's move past these knee-jerk reactions."

Barber says he raised the issue not to create controversy but to find ways to save tax dollars during a bad economy. "All I did was ask for the numbers."

Longer-term solutions
Now that the question has been raised, it deserves honest and factual answers. At the same time, the concerns of northeast Greensboro residents should not be taken lightly.

Then there is the question of an even longer-term answer for the area's garbage. Even if the White Street Landfill is expanded, it won't last forever. City and county leaders should have been discussing a regional solution to solid waste at least a decade ago.

As for White Street, even if the city decides to reopen the landfill, the savings would not be immediate. Expect a protracted legal battle, a contentious state permitting process and complaints from northeast Greensboro residents that the council settled with them, then reneged.

City leaders should study the numbers, weigh their options and make a call, based not simply on the financial bottom line but on what's right and fair and honest.