RERUM NOVARUM, ON CAPITAL AND LABOR
By · CommentsRERUM NOVARUM, ON CAPITAL AND LABOR, POPE LEO XIII, May 15, 1891
The foremost duty, therefore, of the rulers of the State should be to make sure that the laws and institutions, the general character and administration of the commonwealth, shall be such as of themselves to realize public well-being and private prosperity … to benefit every class in the State, and amongst the rest to promote to the utmost the interests of the poor … since it is the province of the commonwealth to serve the common good.
What, no rugged individualism or moral hazard?
Asheville City Council Agenda 5.14.13
By · CommentsYour Asheville City Council convenes Tuesday at 5pm for another evening of deliberating and decision making. After the jump you’ll find the full agenda with all supporting documentation. Please offer your comments, questions, suggestions, and exhortations.
The Math
By · Comments
AC-T:
F to the N.C. House for moving to continuing to move to tighten eligibility rules for N.C. Pre-K, the state’s free program for at-risk 4-year-olds. House Bill 935 changes the definition of “at-risk’’ children eligible for the program to families of three making about $39,000 a year down to $19,000. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanley, said, “Eligibility is up here, and funding is down here. We’re making an effort to bring this eligibility down to something we can fund.”
Currently about 60,000 children are eligible under the definition, a number that could drop to 31,000. At the same time, the House was also moving on a proposal to end North Carolina’s estate tax, which sent $50 million to state coffers last year. Only 23 families paid the tax. Twenty-three families vs. 29,000 kids. The math does not reflect well on this legislature.
Looks Like It Got Worse
By · CommentsThis landed in my email inbox yesterday. Republished with the permission of the author:
I was a Republican until the state took our water system without giving Asheville anything for it. Now the Republicans want to make sure old and retired people get a tax increase to buy gas, food and everything else by doing away with the state income tax. There are thousands of retired military men like me living on fixed income. There are thousands living on Social Security and other fixed incomes also. I thought when the Republicans took charge in Raleigh things would be better, looks like it got worse. I am going from Republican to Independent as soon as I can, so I can get to work changing things back. Everything the Republicans have done is costing me more of my fixed income than before. Enjoy it while you are there because i am going to work my butt of to get you out.
#AVLH2O Goes To Court
By · Comments“This course of action is the only rational response to an irresponsible effort,” Council member Gordon Smith told Xpress after the vote. “Just the debt and bond issues will take months and months to sort out, not to mention that the authority that we’re supposed to give the water system to doesn’t exist yet. They’ve crafted a bill that’s impossible to execute.”
He added his thoughts on why legislators filed the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Tim Moffitt and supported by Reps. Nathan Ramsey and Chuck McGrady: “It’s just a case of vendetta politics.”
Read the whole Resolution authorizing legal steps forward.
Tuesday Open Thread
By · CommentsAmericans for Prosperity NC accuses NAACP of planning riot at NCGA. (Courtesy of MsSpentyouth.)
