Democracy Dies in Darkness
Raleigh resident Larry Helfant submitted a response to a recent editorial by Gerry Cohen published in the N&O. An edited version was published on Aug 1, 2021. We are publishing the full, unedited response here. The True Cost of Delayed Elections I read a recent...
Nicole Stewart throws Staff and the Legislature under the bus with her lies
Councilor Nicole Stewart communicates with the citizens of Raleigh through a "Dear Friend" newsletter. In a recent edition, sent July 13, she discusses, among other issues, the movement of the City Council election from October 2021 to November 2022. A delay of over a...
This week in INDY Backtalk
INDY Week Published Backtalk the same day they published the winners of their "Best Of" series and we now have a bit more understanding of why the readers chose us as Best Local Activist Group. The readers' comments in "Backtalk:Wants to be Charlotte So Bad" sound...
Poor Communities Are Not Devoid of Hope or Role Models, Just Resources
In the current issue of INDYWeek, Courtney Napier challenges Raleigh City Councilor Buffkin's assertion that the children of poor people need wealthier people as role models. What follows are some excerpts from her piece: As I was putting the finishing touches on a...
What really happened at the July 6 Council Meeting – don’t be fooled by the clickbait!
If you were to consult local media, you would think the most important things that happened at the July 6 City Council meeting involved hairstyle discrimination and exotic snakes. Or you might mistakenly think that Council took action to address affordable housing...
Councilor David Cox – TC-5-20 and the Elimination of Single Family Zoning
David Cox, PhD, the three-term District B representative on Raleigh’s City Council, delivered this statement at a City Council meeting on July 6, 2021 and submitted it as a “Guest Blog” to Livable Raleigh for publication. TC-5-20 is a Trojan horse that promises...
City Council Afternoon Session, July 6, 2021
Five former mayors (Fetzer, Coble, York, Meeker, McFarlane) on hand to help honor City Clerk Gail Smith for 50 years of service. Appointed Denise Smith Kline as new Civil Service Commission Chair. STC-04-2021 in consent agenda – public hearing scheduled for August 17....
‘Density Anywhere’ rules will backfire, intensifying traffic congestion, stormwater runoff, loss of tree canopy, and making Raleigh’s affordable housing crisis worse.
As written, TC-5-20 will accelerate the demolition of affordable units in affordable neighborhoods in favor of high-profit infill as shown here. Without affordability protections, TC-5-20 will only increase housing costs and accelerate Raleigh’s affordable housing...
UPDATE — TAA: Turning Pandemic Pain into Profits and Power — UPDATE
As the NC Council of State has voted to end the state’s eviction moratorium, we feel now is a good time to re-examine the relationships between members of Raleigh’s City Council, the Triangle Apartment Association and a Full Service Eviction Service who notes now is a good time to clean out less than desirable tenants.
ALERT: Major Changes in Development Regulations Being Proposed for Lower Density Neighborhoods
See footnote for more information about image above. Longtime Raleigh resident Philip Poe weighs in on TC-5-20. Phil has served as Chair of the RCAC, Chair of the Five Points CAC, and was a member of the UDO Advisory Group Whenever City Council schedules an important...