Political Digression Thread -- Save UP! Move the politically focused stuff here

[Nick2]

On 8/29/2021 at 8:06 AM, rancenc said:

The decline of rural populations throughout the country is occurring under both Republican and Democratic party control.

https://www.wfae.org/politics/2021-08-28/rural-north-carolinas-loss-is-not-the-fault-of-one-party

People simply want the amenities of a city. It sucks to drive over an hour to the nearest mall, movie theater, nice restaurant, etc.

 

[kermit]

I am looking forward to hearing what Tariq has to say about our new state districts being drawn now.

Tariq is advocating for reducing at large representation in the Council. I might take him more seriously if he let folks in Raleigh now that he supports a non-partisan redistricting commission. His statements certainly make it sound like he just wants to gerrymander a couple of new republican districts on the council -- pretty ballsy for a member of a party that has not won more than two council seats in more than a decade (I may be wrong about that time span).

Edited September 8, 2021 by kermit

[15895]

10 minutes ago, kermit said:

I am looking forward to hearing what Tariq has to say about our new state districts being drawn now.

Tariq is advocating for reducing at large representation in the Council. I might take him more seriously if he let folks in Raleigh now that he supports a non-partisan redistricting commission. His statements certainly make it sound like he just wants to gerrymander a couple of new republican districts on the council -- pretty ballsy for a member of a party that has not won more than two council seats in more than a decade (I may be wrong about that time span).

He’s  cute, I assume foreign and his handle is pretty sexy. 
 

irrelevant but. 

[kayman]

42 minutes ago, kermit said:

I am looking forward to hearing what Tariq has to say about our new state districts being drawn now.

Tariq is advocating for reducing at large representation in the Council. I might take him more seriously if he let folks in Raleigh now that he supports a non-partisan redistricting commission. His statements certainly make it sound like he just wants to gerrymander a couple of new republican districts on the council -- pretty ballsy for a member of a party that has not won more than two council seats in more than a decade (I may be wrong about that time span).

Tariq is untrustworthy as at-large seats are much needed for a city that Charlotte has grown and evolved into present-day.

I would only take him seriously if he advocates for a strong mayor-council form of city government versus the council-manager that has led to a leadership void existing now in Charlotte. 

 

41 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

He’s  cute, I assume foreign and his handle is pretty sexy. 
 

irrelevant but. 

He's half-Pakistani & half-white. 

[rancenc]

Apparently same sex marriage is still contentious in some areas of the US from a legal aspect.

https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/32163-cherokee-upholds-same-sex-marriage-ban

[atlrvr]

That time-frame is probably right (not more than 2 R in > 10 years).  I would think we should look for a mix of D and R on city council.

I feel that the city leadership was far more effective during the mid-2000's than the last 10 years.  You had 2 republican at-large council members, John Lassiter and Pat Mumford, as well as 2 republican city council members, as well as republican Mayor.

City Council was 4 R / 7 D and most everyone was somewhat moderate (a couple of outliers).
 

[elrodvt]

 

9 hours ago, atlrvr said:

That time-frame is probably right (not more than 2 R in > 10 years).  I would think we should look for a mix of D and R on city council.

I feel that the city leadership was far more effective during the mid-2000's than the last 10 years.  You had 2 republican at-large council members, John Lassiter and Pat Mumford, as well as 2 republican city council members, as well as republican Mayor.

City Council was 4 R / 7 D and most everyone was somewhat moderate (a couple of outliers).
 

Given the current direction of the GOP I think we're best with the current composition. I'd agree though if they stopped being the anti-intellectual party. I keep thinking the madness will end soon but I think it'll remain a vote getter through '24.

[kayman]

Here are few things that need to be said but will be elaborated upon even further on a later date and time:

1) Charlotte needs to change its form of municipal government from council-manager to strong mayor-council (with a city administrator/manager who reports to the mayor).  The current council-manager form of government allows too much of the bureaucratic insulator mentality permeate which hampers the city from future growth into a world-class, major city; a minor modification of shifting the city manager to city administrator who directly reports to the mayor (mayor's office) would create more direct accountability; it creates 3 branches of  government instead of 2 branches (City Council and Judicial (CMPD & courts )) especially when the current city council empowered set up is not as wise as it appears.  Most other cities have more centralized leadership which comes from the mayor not the city council who are individual with their own localized interests with the exception of the 3 at-large members.  We need to lobby our state legislative delegation to push for a change in state law to allow this (please see point #3 below why)

2) Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) needs to be spun off from the City of Charlotte. Part of the reason why current CEO John Lewis is not very responsive to media and citizen inquiries is because he reports to the Charlotte City Manager (and Charlotte City Council). He is all about keeping his job not being a responsive leader of a Tier 1 (any public transportation system with a fixed guideway/rail component is considered Tier 1 by the FTA). Instead an actual independent regional transit system that is not a de facto City of Charlotte city department is not a good look at all. I believe CATS as an actual independent entity will yield more regional buy-in for transit if it is independent of the City of Charlotte.  It would also make more possible for it to become a bi-state entity possibly serving the future Panthers (likely Charlotte FC) HQ in Rock Hill.

3) We as citizens of Charlotte need to become more familiar with our state legislators (NC House and NC Senate) to help Charlotte. Charlotte elected officials which is basically the Charlotte City Council with the ceremonial (weak) mayorship  with some legislative veto power are ineffective in it current form (see point #1 why).  We have to call upon the Mecklenburg County Legislative Delegation (https://ncleg.gov/Members/CountyRepresentation/Mecklenburg) to do our bidding to push for more responsive city government with 3 branches, more regional transit via an independent CATS, and more regional efforts similar to the formation of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance involving regional transportation funding and planning. 

4) The Charlotte regional transportation conversation needs to be more unified. A little known fact that most citizens and civic boosters like ourselves doesn't know is that the Charlotte region (which does includes Hickory/Unifour urban area) has 5 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) (https://crtpo.org/PDFs/Resources/Maps/CharlotteRegion_MPO_RPO.pdf).  Why you might ask? It's a relict of the NC General Assembly attempting to overly delegate all regional urban transportation planning in the largest/principal city or county government rather than regional council of governments, regional planning commission/agency, or an independent entity as it is in most other urbanized areas in other states (https://www.planning.dot.gov/mpo/).  In Charlotte's case, it being a bi-state region, it would behoove Charlotte leadership (both public and private/philanthropic) to begin the high level conversation amongst its regional partners on both sides of the state line to form a bi-state regional transportation planning entity similar to our peer multi-state regions like St. Louis (https://www.ewgateway.org/), Cincinnati (https://www.oki.org/), Kansas City (https://www.marc.org/), Philadelphia (https://www.dvrpc.org/), or Washington DC (https://www.mwcog.org/tpb/)

Edited September 28, 2021 by kayman

[rancenc]

Great to see bi-partisan cooperation at the state level here in NC!

https://www.eenews.net/articles/n-c-poised-to-enact-sweeping-clean-energy-plan/

[Matthew.Brendan]

https://www.wral.com/nc-senator-calls-for-lt-gov-robinson-s-resignation-over-homophobic-comments/19915242/

I'll let the man speak for himself.

[JRNYP2C]

23 hours ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

https://www.wral.com/nc-senator-calls-for-lt-gov-robinson-s-resignation-over-homophobic-comments/19915242/

I'll let the man speak for himself.

I saw the Instagram post from Jeff Jackson on this, and it just turned my stomach.  The Lt. Governor is repugnant.

[Madison Parkitect]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:33 AM, JRNYP2C said:

I saw the Instagram post from Jeff Jackson on this, and it just turned my stomach.  The Lt. Governor is repugnant.

He should absolutely step down for these comments, but I'm not holding my breath. He doesn't seem to have any kind of conscience.

[kayman]

On 10/11/2021 at 4:23 PM, Madison Parkitect said:

He should absolutely step down for these comments, but I'm not holding my breath. He doesn't seem to have any kind of conscience.

If the Democrats can bring a formidable competitor, he'll be gone after this term. Robinson is a big fat dummy as far as I am concerned.  He called former First Lady Michelle Obama a man.  He seems like he's a miserable person who hates on black women and on anyone that is living their best life unlike his unhealthy looking obese self...

[Madison Parkitect]

26 minutes ago, kayman said:

If the Democrats can bring a formidable competitor, he'll be gone after this term. Robinson is a big fat dummy as far as I am concerned.  He called former First Lady Michelle Obama a man.  He seems like he's a miserable person who hates on black women and on anyone that is living their best life unlike his unhealthy looking obese self...

Yeah, he's said some really awful things in the past. It's hard to believe he won his race.

[kayman]

3 hours ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Yeah, he's said some really awful things in the past. It's hard to believe he won his race.

Yeah it is. There was entirely too much focus on the governor's, US Senate, and Presidential races and too little on the Lieutenant Governor race last year. I'm hopeful that someone recognizable and very popular with social media like NC State Senator Jeff Jackson will run in 2024.

[Madison Parkitect]

51 minutes ago, kayman said:

Yeah it is. There was entirely too much focus on the governor's, US Senate, and Presidential races and too little on the Lieutenant Governor race last year. I'm hopeful that someone recognizable and very popular with social media like NC State Senator Jeff Jackson will run in 2024.

He's running for US senate in 2022 in what I think will be a very close primary between him and Cheri Beasley.

[kayman]

On 10/15/2021 at 2:27 PM, Madison Parkitect said:

He's running for US senate in 2022 in what I think will be a very close primary between him and Cheri Beasley.

I know but I've been advocating for him to focus on developing his statewide profile. Something that I noticed that Beasley will probably beat Jackson in the primary. Beasley's existing statewide profile, being a former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice, and being a black woman is way more attractive to black & brown voters and getting more outside support to win the NC Democrats that seat back in 2022. Also Jackson is more needed here in the state as he can advocate for LGBTQs along with righting many wrongs and he's relatively young. 

Edited October 16, 2021 by kayman

[rancenc]

Former Charlotte mayor and NC governor has a prominent businessman contributing to his political war chest.

https://businessnc.com/charlotte-ceo-is-biggest-donor-to-mccrory-senate-super-pac/

[kayman]

 

It appears the rural black vote in Anson County in our region is a political bellwether for the state. I've been saying that Greater Charlotte is going to determine the political future of North Carolina.  We can be the change the state needs to become an even greater place to live, work, play, and visit.  Another thing is that Greater Charlotte will determine the future of eventually South Carolina as York and Lancaster counties continue to urbanize. 

Edited October 24, 2021 by kayman

[rancenc]

Tonight we shall see if alcohol comes to NC's last dry county!

https://wlos.com/news/local/graham-county-robbinsville-alcohol-sales-up-for-vote-inside-north-carolinas-last-dry-county

[videtur quam contuor]

I stayed in a lodge on Lake Santeelah in Graham County several years ago. I brought my liquor with me. The owner escorted us to our fine room and asked if we had alcohol in our possession. I said Yes.  Um, no. Maybe? Her point was that she had one of four on site alcohol permits for her diners, and guests were not permitted to take their bottles and drinks into the common spaces or off the grounds.  She mentioned that 87% of the county is federal land (TVA+ Forest+more) 7% is Cherokee land and 6-7% of the land pays all the county property tax. 

[southslider]

Not surprising that NC Rs want to increase their seats in Congress not just by 1, as gained by the Census, but by as many as 3, when they already have a 8-5 majority.  Guess the courts will just have to map districts yet again.

[urbanlover568]

1 hour ago, southslider said:

Not surprising that NC Rs want to increase their seats in Congress not just by 1, as gained by the Census, but by as many as 3, when they already have a 8-5 majority.  Guess the courts will just have to map districts yet again.

 

Oregon New Map:

Oregon Old Map

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/oregon/

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/princeton-gerrymandering-project-oregon-partisan/283-35a397c9-f5f5-410b-a016-0693b95a4071

 

Redistricting should NEVER be partisan.  Shame on BOTH parties. 

 

 

[southslider]

11 hours ago, urbanlover568 said:

Redistricting should NEVER be partisan.  Shame on BOTH parties. 

Very true. And one common-sense rule should be to not split any county more than once.

But to put NC redistricting really in perspective- OR's gained seat still could be competitive for a change from 4-1 to possibly 5-1 or 4-2, while NC would go from 8-5 to 11-3 or possibly 10-4.  Knowing the game, I don't blame NC Rs for trying to have NC's gained seat be R; I blame them for trying to REDUCE large metro representation, when those are the very areas that gained population. 

[CLT2014]

With Virginia flipping to a Republican Governor, North Carolina is one of just three Southeastern states that have a Democrat as governor alongside Louisiana and Kentucky.

Of the 16 states on the East Coast, NC would be one of just 7 states with a Democrat as Governor (assuming New Jersey flips to GOP as well).

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by CLT2014