News-Record.com

Drought and politics
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that Gov. Mike Easley drought awareness ads cost North Carolina taxpayers more than $1 million — $1,152,000, to be exact.

The ads aired on television stations throughout the state in the spring.

You could quibble that Easley was promoting himself, since the governor appeared in the ads. That would be illegal, since state law says state money should not be used for an elected official to promote himself or herself for political purposes.

The law, however, does allow such appearances during states of emergency.

North Carolina was not in a state emergency when the ads aired. In fact, the governor has yet to declare a state of emergency related to the drought.

But we’ll cut Easley some slack in this case. The drought problems were severe and he needed to lead on that issue.

(We complained at one point that he should be doing even more in light of the worsening lack of rainfall.)

Plus, he’s in his final months of office and has no plans to run for anything else.

Then again, as more and more rains came, the ads didn’t ease up. Given the cost involved, maybe some of the ads should have been shelved and saved for a sunny day.

Triad tigers in Baghdad
The Baghdad Zoo has a Triad connection: Two Bengal tiger cubs arrived at the zoo a week ago from the Conservators’ Center, an animal sanctuary north of Mebane in Caswell County.

While both Iraqis and U.S. military appear delighted with the tigers, some animal-rights activists have spoken out against the cubs being in a country so prone to violence.

But the decision was not one the Conservators’ Center entered into lightly. It came, said co-founder Mindy Stinner, only after months of research into the area and the zoo and its staff.

The two cats — Riley and Hope — are also only on loan to the zoo, so the center could pull the animals out if it decided conditions aren’t up to par. (The center also provided Greensboro’s Natural Science Center its two tigers on a loan.)

Stinner says the center hopes to install equipment that allows visitors to the Caswell facility to see the Baghdad tigers and communicate with the zoo’s visitors. A field trip to the facility to learn about its work in Iraq and its other conservation efforts would be a good deal for area students.

Police to-do list
In a healthy first step toward increased morale and public confidence, a consultant’s report has pointed out the good and not-so-good in the Greensboro Police Department.

In a similarly promising second step, City Manager Mitchell Johnson’s office has compiled a hefty, 120-page to-do list of actions in response to the report, which said a number of very good things about the department, in addition to pointing out opportunities to improve.

But the third step may be the most difficult and most important: turning that document into tangible changes that address such issues as work schedules, promotions policies and procedures, personnel redeployment and plans for a new headquarters.

As Johnson said, this is one document that can’t gather dust on somebody’s shelf. “Don’t just stick it in your pocket and forget it,” he said.

Create clear goals and objectives. Add ownership and timetables.

And keep the people informed.

Two doors close ...
... But another opens.
City Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat shuttered her construction company in the wake of mounting bills and a flagging housing market.

Now another longtime builder, Pierce Homes, has been forced to close. Still, there was some good news amid all the gloom.

Habitat for Humanity broke ground on a new town home development, Arbor Court, in Eastside Park near Willow Oaks.

The $1.5 million development will provide affordable homes for 20 families. The multi-unit development represents a first for Habitat, a nonprofit which traditionally has built single-family homes.

It fills an important need and keeps the steady rebirth of a once-troubled neighborhood moving forward.