Nicole Stewart Wants to Hear the ‘Right’ Voices
Nicole Stewart consistently uses coded language such as ‘right-sizing’ voices to find ‘the right voices’. Her code words sound vaguely progressive, but her motive is not to expand and empower all voices, but to conceal and distract from her real political motive: to silence voices she doesn’t agree with.
Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bond: No Commitments = No Accountability
A comparison of Durham’s successful $95M Affordable Housing Bond in 2019 with Raleigh’s proposed 2020 Bond reveals stark differences: Unlike Durham’s precise commitments, Raleigh’s bond lacks details required for accountability and for judging if the spending will address Raleigh’s most pressing needs.
Whenever Mary-Ann Baldwin calls for ‘flexibility’, what she wants is a backroom deal.
When Mary-Ann Baldwin recently called for “flexibility” in spending Raleigh’s proposed Affordable Housing Bond funds, what she really wants are fewer constraints on how the money will be spent, thereby creating more opportunities to parley taxpayer-funded development deals with supplicants in Barnhill’s back office.
In the “Save Shelley Lake” rezoning case, will Council do its job? Does it even know what its job is? (Councilor Buffkin: This mess is on you.)
It is the job of a conscientious City Council to mediate between profit-seeking developers and neighbors whose property rights — and quality of life — are in danger of being trampled.
NOW is Your Chance: Help Save Umstead State Park from that Giant Mining Pit/Quarry
This is likely your last chance to speak out and help save Umstead Park from the RDU Quarry.
The City Council’s Affordable Housing Bond Issue: “Buckets” of Debt ($80 mil) in Search of a Plan
The bond proposal is full of holes where the details should be. Still, we haven’t given up hope that we can persuade Council to focus on the real needs and fight gentrification in our historic African-American communities.
Raleigh is in crisis: What now for our City?
We are two cities in one: A surging city for whites and the highly educated. A city in crisis for many African-Americans and other people of color.
Pave Paradise
Midtown Raleigh resident Larry Helfant recently emailed the Raleigh City Council to share his concerns about a rezoning (Z-41-19) near Shelley Lake. The Public Hearing is June 2nd. Apparently the City Council plans to go ahead with public hearings and other business as usual, despite a pandemic and civil crisis.
Maslow or Moonshot? Sign up by Friday to weigh in at the 6/2 Budget Hearing
What we need is a real moonshot budget that prioritizes Raleigh Human Services and an Affordable Housing bond that deals directly and effectively with the horrifying impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are tearing at the fabric of so many Raleigh lives, particularly the lives of homeless mothers and their children.
Quick wins for improving community engagement at Council meetings
Livable Raleigh offers some suggestions for improving community engagement at Council meetings.