In an 1864 letter to his friend Col. William Elkins, he wrote: “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working … Continue reading →
Rich Lee 10:36am Mar 6 The city has a price target of $10,000 subsidy per affordable unit, usually pegged to the “affordable” and “workforce” standards discussed on this page, and often(?) ending up higher as projects like Eagle Market wind through development. Andrew Dahm has pointed out some examples of municipalities using their affordable housing funds (mostly CDBG money, I gather) to incentivize building accessory units and basement apartments–giving that … Continue reading →
Heather Rayburn 5:46pm Mar 6 I’m proud that our City Council played a part in putting an end to the use of elephants at the circus. Ringling Brothers cited municipal bans as one of the reasons they’re stopping along with changes in consumer tastes. This is progress — and a nice example of politics and activism’s role in bringing about cultural evolution. I love that the NYT has come out … Continue reading →
Cecil Bothwell commented on Elaine Lite’s post in Asheville Politics. Cecil Bothwell Cecil Bothwell 5:01am Mar 6 As Michael mentioned upthread – the problem is that these are not the most efficient way to build affordable housing. They’re cute, and one by one they look efficient compared to average modern house sizes – but stacking units is a lot more efficient in terms of materials and energy consumption. As for … Continue reading →
Advocates seek amendment to limit corporate campaign funding House Bill 125 (2015): Amend Constitution/Citizens United House backs off last-minute ‘fracking’ change By Mark Binker RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina would push Congress to help head off the flow of corporate money into the federal, state and local elections under a measure filed by Democrats and favored by Move to Amend, a citizens group calling for a federal constitutional amendment. “Today, … Continue reading →
RALEIGH—Backers of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would cancel a Supreme Court decision on campaign finance have yet to receive formal backing from Republicans in charge of the North Carolina legislature. A group of state lawmakers have filed a resolution requesting congress to put forward an amendment that would overturn the Citizens United court ruling. This is the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that removed corporate spending limits in … Continue reading →
Tell federal officials you oppose offshore drilling off of our natural coast. Here are 3 reasons why offshore drilling doesn’t mix with North Carolina: Oil spills. Remember Exxon-Valdez (1989) and BP’s Deepwater Horizon (2010)? Our coastal economy. Drilling operations would threaten our coastal tourism economy. Turtles, whales, and wildlife. Endangered species, such as the loggerhead sea turtle and right whale, could be put at risk if drilling activities move forward. … Continue reading →
Republicans eliminated income brackets reducing tax rate for higher incomes. Eliminated deductions helpful to the aged population and low income families. many exemptions, deductions, and credits have been eliminated. The most notable eliminations are as follows: $50,000 exemption for small business owners $4,000 deduction for government retirees (Bailey Settlement exclusions still apply) $2,000 deduction for non-government retirees $35,000 exemption for severance wages Education expenses Child care expenses Earned Income Tax … Continue reading →
TJ Amos 8:39pm Mar 3 BC Commissioner Association advocating for childcare subsidies, which will provide much needed support for “working parents faced with tough choices.” Commissioner Holly Jones very passionate about the importance of this motion.
“On Saturday March 7th Rep. Brian M. Turner will host his first in a series of Town Hall meeting for the constituents of House District 116. The Town Hall will be held at Valley Springs Elementary School at 3:00 PM in the auditorium. Rep. Turner has cosponsored over 20 bills including a bill to restore the Teaching Fellows Program, a bill to exempt Ag fairs from sales tax (such as … Continue reading →