by S M | Aug 22, 2021 | Blog
[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.
by T N | Aug 19, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Aug 17, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Aug 15, 2021 | Blog
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...
by M L | Aug 10, 2021 | Blog
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...
by S M | Aug 9, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Aug 4, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Aug 1, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Jul 21, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Jul 12, 2021 | Blog
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...
by S M | Jul 7, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Jul 6, 2021 | Blog
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...
by S M | Jul 6, 2021 | Blog
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....
by S M | Jul 5, 2021 | Blog
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...
by S M | Jul 2, 2021 | Blog
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.
by S M | Jul 1, 2021 | Blog
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...
by T N | Jun 30, 2021 | Blog
On April 5, 2021, House Bill 496: Property Owners’ Rights/Tree Ordinances was filed in the House of the NC General Assembly. On May 11 it was passed by the House 72-43 and sent to the Senate on May 12. It was subsequently sent to the Senate Committee Rules and...
by T N | Jun 29, 2021 | Blog
It’s LGBTQ Pride Month. But, in Raleigh, we don’t have as much to celebrate as we should have. As LGBTQ Pride Month comes to a close, we recall in January 2021 we reported about the lack of progress of the Raleigh City Council in enacting...
by S M | Jun 27, 2021 | Blog
Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart began a recent self-promotional blog by asking how we can “work together to build housing that is both good for our people and better for the environment?” Based on Stewart’s voting record, she doesn’t know the answer. In fact,...
by T N | Jun 24, 2021 | Blog
Historic Chavis Park Carousel It’s Patrick Buffkin who needs a role model – like Carmen Cauthen Carmen Cauthen responds to the Councilor’s “Role Model” comments? So today was about the dedication of the new John Chavis Park. What many of...
