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Bring elections and voter engagement into the 21st century
Barry Eriksen has been a rustbelt refugee and Triangle transplant for over 40 years and for the last 22 years has lived in West Raleigh’s Fairmont neighborhood. This blog post is adapted from his remarks made during the September 21, 2021, Raleigh City Council...
What to do when a rezoning request comes to your neighborhood
Did you receive a letter telling you about a neighborhood meeting to discuss a rezoning in your area? Or maybe some of your neighbors told you about an upcoming meeting. Rezoning applicants are required to hold a neighborhood meeting before they can officially submit...
Respect is at the Core of Democracy
On September 20th Livable Raleigh hosted a virtual meeting to discuss the state of democracy in Raleigh.
One of the featured speakers was Bob Hall, who for more than 50 years has been NC’s foremost advocate for the idea that government should be for the people.
Raleigh flunks all 5 tests of “Open Democracy”
Bob Geary, resident of Raleigh’s District D and member of the Wake County Housing Justice Coalition, delivered the following remarks at the City Council meeting on September 7: Mayor and Council, I want to recommend a fascinating book called “Open Democracy: Popular...
Metrics of Success – If it Matters, it Gets Measured
One important plank of Livable Raleigh's platform is Evaluation Using Data and Metrics “If it matters, it gets measured.” Raleigh must establish better metrics for measuring growth, equity, environmental quality, traffic congestion and citizen engagement, evaluating...
Artist duo sparks climate action in transformational new exhibit: Turning Point
One of the core tenets of Livable Raleigh’s platform is Environmental Excellence – “The protection of Raleigh’s natural resources – air, water, trees and landscapes — must be integral to every public action.” We are pleased to help promote Meredith College’s Art...
It’s Never Too Late to do the Right Thing.
Bob Geary, resident of Raleigh’s District D and member of the Wake County Housing Justice Coalition, delivered the following remarks about this Council's move of the next City Election to Nov 2022 at the City Council meeting on August 17: Mayor and Council – I suspect...
The Baldwin Recall Petition Isn’t Personal; It’s About Restoring Local Democracy
[Livable Raleigh has done] an excellent job at remaining focused on the nonpartisan issues in a way that aligns with fundamental principles … of local democracy, which is why this movement has gained traction across party lines.
Will Raleigh Ever Protect its LGBTQ Citizens?
In the last week three more local governments have enacted LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Ordinances. Joining the ranks are Charlotte, Chatham County and Winston-Salem. But, Raleigh still offers NO PROTECTIONS to their LGBTQ citizens. This despite the fact that two members...
Buffkin’s COVID Grandstanding Puts Public Health at Risk
It was announced on social media Wednesday, August 11th, that the Raleigh City Council was returning to virtual meetings as a safety precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Not long after, District A Councilor Patrick Buffkin criticized the decision on...
One more reason to recall Baldwin – Raleigh does exist outside the belt line – Guest Commentary
Kris Door, a North Raleigh resident, submitted the following commentary to the N&O as a letter to the editor. It was not published. We are publishing it here as part of our series of Community Voices. There are many reasons why Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin should...
What if Mayor Baldwin was a Republican?
I recently submitted a letter to the editor about Mayor Baldwin and her pattern of undemocratic behavior. The News & Observer deleted my main points (in red), and left just my partisan comments. With that heavy edit, the N&O should have titled my LTE “What if...
Comment on Missing Middle Housing by 8/14 – How to Make Raleigh’s Missing Middle Policy Better
Daniel Parolek coined the phrase "Missing Middle Housing." He recently held a webinar explaining the common mistakes made when implementing this policy. Raleigh is making most of those mistakes with this text change. The Top Five Missing Middle Housing Implementation...
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....