Opinion

Opinion Roundup: A win for transparency

Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 -- A roundup of opinion, commentary and analysis on a public records case where transparency won out, a warning over inaction on rising sea levels, a look at the growth of charter schools in N.C. and more.

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Public records
Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 -- A roundup of opinion, commentary and analysis on a public records case where transparency won out, a warning over inaction on rising sea levels, a look at the growth of charter schools in N.C. and more.
POLITICS & POLICY
A transparency win (Winston-Salem Journal) -- Score another victory for accountability. A settlement announced last week ensures that the public won’t be required to pay big costs to inspect our state’s departmental documents — for now, at least.
JOHN BOYLE: Cooper, fired up Dems set sights on busting GOP super-majority (Asheville Citizen-Times analysis) -- Hundreds of impassioned Democrats gathered to hear Gov. Roy Cooper exhort them to get ready for a bare-knuckled brawl in the 2018 elections, with the ultimate goal of breaking the Republicans' veto-proof super-majority in the state legislature.

TRAVIS FAIN: Some say state-financed aquarium planned for private development a bit fishy (WRAL-TV analysis) -- Questions surround a proposed state aquarium that would help anchor a private development in Pender County. Little seems to be written down beyond a few sentences in the state budget setting aside six figures in taxpayer money to get the project rolling. The state department that runs aquariums says it has almost no information about the project.
Yes, talking does matter on gun issue (Wilmington Star-News) -- As America once again deals with the aftermath of a mass shooting -- this one the deadliest yet -- folks are lamenting that we talk a lot about gun violence but never do anything about it. We would suggest that one reason we don’t take action is that we really don’t talk about the issue -- at least in any realistic and productive way. As with so many critical issues, we do more shouting and expressing outrage than actual talking.
Allowing unlimited stockpiling of weapons is madness (Elizabeth City Daily Advance) -- It’s been a week since Stephen Paddock opened fire from an upper floor at a Las Vegas hotel room, raining down a torrent of bullets into a crowd of country music lovers at an outdoor festival, killing 58 people and wounding nearly 500 others.
CELIA RIVENBARK: We need a shot of common sense (Wilmington Star-News column) -- Our nation’s gun laws make about as much sense as the phrase “Curvy fit skinny jeans.” I shared this sentiment with a friend from my rural hometown the other day who seemed surprised when I told him I didn’t own a gun. “You’ve forgotten where you grew up,” he said. “Here if you get pulled and the cop asks if you have a gun in the car and you say “No,” he’ll say, “Wait right here, hon, I’ll go get you one.” This is, of course, an exaggeration. At least I think it is.
JOHN RAILEY: Bridge to gun control dwarfs even Selma (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- U.S. Rep. John L. Lewis of Georgia helped win one of the most important fights our land has ever known, that for the civil rights of African-Americans in the 1960s. Wednesday afternoon, as he courageously continued his latest fight, he asked Congress what will be its “blood price.”
In Tragedy's Wake, More Community (Southern Pines Pilot) -- The events in Las Vegas leave us hollowed out and yet, at the same time, full of questions and doubts. We’ve been working these last two days to make sense of how a night of entertainment could turn so suddenly into one of horror and violence.
BRYAN MIMS: Rev. Barber delivers final address as NC NAACP president (WRAL-TV analysis) -- Rev. William Barber became a national figure for his activism in North Carolina, but Saturday he delivered his final address as president of the state NAACP.
JONATHAN DREW: Debates, protests increase over universities’ slavery ties (AP analysis) -- The national debate over removing Confederate symbols from U.S. college campuses. The problem is apparent at UNC, where opposition to a Confederate statue has dredged up racist statements by a former trustee. Tobacco magnate Julian S. Carr, himself a Confederate veteran, gave the dedication speech in 1913 for the campus statue depicting an anonymous rebel soldier. His remarks included a reference to the “pleasing duty” of whipping a black woman in public.
PHILIP GERARD: N.C. Civil War History Center will help us understand complexities of divide (Greensboro News & Record column) -- From the robust public discussion about North Carolina’s legacy of Civil War monuments, it’s clear that — a century and a half after its close — we’re still sorting out how to make sense of that war and memorialize those who fought it.
SUSAN SVRLUGA: ‘We will keep coming back’: Richard Spencer leads another torchlight march in Charlottesville (Washington Post analysis) -- Spencer, a white nationalist, posted video on social media Saturday of followers carrying torches to the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, which the city has sought to remove.
The Republican’s Guide to Presidential Etiquette (New York Times) -- Republicans used to care a whole lot about how a president comported himself. Here is what they now condone.
KENNETH VOGEL: Battling Trump, Liberals Fall Into Big-Money Tug of War (New York Times analysis) -- A struggle between the Democratic Party establishment and grass-roots activists foreshadows a once-in-a-generation reorganization of the left. The Republican Party’s establishment is also contending with a rising rebellion, amid a broader realignment in American politics.
MATEA GOLD: Trump supporters eager to ‘drain the swamp’ help fill Republican Party coffers (Washington Post analysis) -- The GOP is enjoying a small-donor bonanza after harnessing the president’s anti-establishment rhetoric.
JENNIFER FERNANDEZ: Supporters, protesters greet Trump in Greensboro (Greensboro News & Record analysis) – Folks stood in the rain Saturday hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. Some wanted to show their support. Others, not so much. In his first visit to North Carolina since being elected, President Donald Trump headlined a campaign fundraiser at the home of businessman Louis DeJoy and former N.C. health secretary Aldona Wos.
SARAH KRUEGER: Excitement, protests greet Trump as he arrives in Greensboro for fundraiser (WRAL-TV analysis) -- President Donald Trump was in North Carolina for the first time as president Saturday evening.
Burr’s investigation annoys the president (Greensboro News & Record) -- A Thursday morning tweet from the White House illustrates the difficulty of Sen. Richard Burr’s job.
RICK SMITH: Triangle partners, state assembling task force, picks co-chairs to drive Amazon HQ pitch (WRAL-TV/TechWire analysis) -- Developer John Kane and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership are helping assemble a task force to prepare a "regional response" in pitching for the Amazon HQ2 project. Two tech executives have been asked to serve as co-chairs.
MIKE WALDEN: Mike Walden: Should North Carolina bid for Amazon HQ2? (WRAL-TV/TechWire column) -- Does North Carolina have a chance of landing the new Amazon headquarters? Economic developers have already composed lists of metropolitan areas they consider as viable candidates, and many lists include Charlotte and Raleigh. At least to me, this makes sense.
HEATHER HADDON: Lidl Stores Gain Little Traction So Far in U.S. (Wall Street Journal analysis) -- German grocery discounter Lidl has had trouble sustaining store traffic since opening its first U.S. outlets in June, and rivals have recovered much of their lost share of consumer shopping trips.
What if Tim Tebow had knelt during the anthem? (Charlotte Observer) -- Colin Kaepernick and others in NFL protests are criticized for kneeling during the national anthem. What if Tim Tebow had done so with another message?
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
ASHITA GONA: Panelists: Dangerous Inaction on Rising Seas (Coastal Review) -- Experts on coastal policy said during a recent forum in Raleigh that state and local officials are doing too little to adapt to and head off damage from sea level rise.

Lawmakers flee with GenX work badly underfunded (Fayetteville Observer) -- Members of the General Assembly went home on Thursday after wrapping up what’s likely their final session for 2017. What they left undone should worry most of us who live in the Cape Fear River basin, especially those who live along the 100 miles between Fayetteville and Wilmington. Somehow, the Republican majority forced itself to believe they had done enough to cope with the GenX pollution coming from the Chemours plant that sits astride the Cumberland-Bladen County line.
GILBERT BAEZ: One year after Matthew, Salvation Army continues to recover in Fayetteville (WRAL-TV analysis) -- It's been nearly a year since Hurricane Matthew came ashore in North Carolina, and many families and organizations are still struggling to recover. One of those is the Salvation Army.
CHICK JACOBS: Hurricane Matthew one year later: Heartache and resolve (Fayetteville Observer analysis) -- A year later, the legacy of Matthew scars every part of the region. Entire blocks of homes remain gutted, their owners enduring the aggravation of governmental red tape. Economic relief has been slow and inadequate, with more than 2,000 eligible homeowners in eastern North Carolina waiting for additional aid. Many families continue to pay mortgages on homes they can’t live in, while also paying rent on temporary places. Now, as other disasters from this year’s hurricane season dominate the headlines, some fear the victims of Oct. 8, 2016, are being forgotten.
A year later, Matthew offers reminders (Greenville Daily Reflector) -- Local planners made great strides after Floyd to mitigate damage from future storms. Damage from Matthew otherwise would have been much worse. However, its one-year anniversary, as well as the damage caused by recent storms in Florida and Texas, should remind us the process must be ongoing. The City of Greenville next week is expected to award a contract for major upgrades to its downtown stormwater drainage system and hopefully will embark soon on citywide improvements to its drainage infrastructure. That, along with a close eye on development, will be steps in the right direction.
Cooper, Cabinet members lending a hand for Matthew recovery (AP) -- Hurricane Matthew's heavy winds and rain reached North Carolina one year ago this weekend, so Gov. Roy Cooper and his Cabinet secretaries are going to communities affected by the subsequent flooding to lend a hand with the continuing recovery.
TODD WETHERINGTON: N.C. no stranger to the rain of a hurricane (New Bern Sun Journal analysis) -- Though it dodged several bullets last month with near misses from three hurricanes — Harvey, Irma, and Marie — Eastern North Carolina hasn’t always been so lucky. And if forecasters are correct, our area will see its fair share of pulverizing wind and torrential rainfall in the future — whether later this year, next year or the year after. As it is, residents are reminded that the hurricane season is far from over. It continues through Nov. 30. After all, the most powerful hurricane to hit the state, Hazel, struck in the middle of October. And today marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Matthew’s landfall in South Carolina, which continued into North Carolina the next day.
JEFF HAMPTON: Study of ocean currents could help Outer Banks rescues, predict good fishing, explain how islands form (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot analysis) – Gabe Matthias, research technician for the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, is part of a team researching currents flowing off the Outer Banks coast. It’s a four-year project that could help Coast Guard crews with search and rescue, explain formations such as this year’s emergence of Shelly Island off Hatteras Island’s Cape Point, and even predict a run of good fishing.
EDUCATION
ANDREW DUNN: Charlotte charter school boom shows no signs of slowing (Charlotte Agenda) -- Charter schools have boomed in Charlotte for the past half-decade — and that growth shows no signs of slowing down. The city has been the epicenter of North Carolina’s charter school movement since 2011, when a newly Republican-led state government lifted a state law capping the number of them at 100. The number of active charter schools in the state has nearly doubled since then — to 173 at the most recent count.
ALEX GRANADOS: Cooper weighs in on education issues (EdNC analysis) -- The General Assembly weighed in on education during the special session last week. Gov. Roy Cooper gave his perspective in a statement criticizing the legislature for not taking action on other education-related items. One, a fix to the K-3 class size restrictions some districts say are going to leave them strapped for resources next year, was a particular focus of his ire as local schools say they don’t have the money or space to meet the mandate.
UNC should be punished for cheating (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill could learn this week what action the NCAA will take in response to the school’s nearly 20-year academic scandal involving athletes.
HEALTH
TAYLOR KNOPF: It Takes a Village to Improve A Community’s Health (N.C. Health News analysis) -- Halifax County had some of the lowest health rankings in the state. Alarmed by this, the community pulled together to start making major changes.

Straighten up, Cardinal (Winston-Salem Journal) -- The liberties Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions has taken with public money, which include inflated salaries for its executive director and overly generous severance packages, are unacceptable. Cardinal needs to right its ship, right away.
AND MORE
City celebrates acclaimed native son (Rocky Mount Telegram) -- A series of events this weekend across the city celebrated the 100th birthday of legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Monk was born on Oct. 10, 1917, to Thelonious and Barbara Monk in Rocky Mount. The family moved to New York City in 1922, but throughout his life Monk would always tell people, “I’m from Rocky Mount.”
RICHARD BARRON: Sale of News & Record property part of a newspaper industry trend (Greensboro News & Record analysis) -- Faced with dwindling circulation, smaller staffs and more emphasis on digital services, newspapers from Charlotte to Chicago are selling off their high-profile properties. The News & Record joined the trend earlier this month.

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