Answer to Hogg's "so much for public input"

David,

I was at the city council briefing and heard the discussion about bond issues to be placed on the ballot. Sandy Carmany was on the right side of the WMS issue. Maybe others will be persuaded to keep their promises about maintaining this historic stadium. I think the actual phrase during the planning of the new stadium was "continue to maintain."

I have a few words to say about that. How can we continue to maintain something that we have not maintained, but have let slide into such disrepair that we are now told that it is only fit to be torn down?

I am in favor of spending more money on maintenance of all city property in our regular budget. One of the reasons that the tax rate did not increase last year (an election year) is that the council decided to put off routine maintenance of many city-owned properties. Of course, the Coliseum got new carpeting and Bryan Park got money to do work around the greens, and Downtown Greensboro, Inc. got money for whatever and city money was allocated to redecorate the area around the downtown park.

Because of this lack of maintenance of property for several years, the council is now asking for capital improvement bonds to do what should have been done all along. I hear much talk about "taking care of what we have," but little real effort to do it. One excuse is that the economy hasn't been doing as well as was expected, so money wasn't there to "take care of what we have."

Talk is cheap. Action isn't. Taxpayers will pay one way or another. Council will decide what we will pay for and how it will be financed. And the beat goes on, and on, and on.

USS Cole Commander

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Interesting article on the Raleigh News & Observer site about Kirk Lippold, who was the commander of the guided missile destroyer USS Cole when it was attacked in Yemen in 2000.

The piece by James Rosen, N&O Washington Bureau includes information about events and intelligence information before and after the attack.

17 sailors were killed, 275 survived.

Distinguished Panel for Law Day Program

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Law Day Program Monday night, May 1

This year's Law Day Theme is "Separate Branches, Balanced Powers"

UNCG Prof. David Lefkowitz, Philosopher of Law
Norman Smith, Attorney at Law,
The Honorable Brad Miller, US House,
Judge Joe Craig,
NC AT&T Adjunct Professor Margaret Dudley,
The Honorable Phil Berger, NC House
will discus issues related to this year's theme and address questions from the audience.

School children in Guilford County participated in projects explaining this year's Law Day Theme, “Separate Branches, Balanced Powers.” Winners will be presented prizes at the Event.

The League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad, Court Watch of North Carolina, YWCA of Greensboro, Greensboro Bar Association, AAUW, North Carolina A&T Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, and the Greensboro Public Library are sponsoring the event.

Admission is Free and the Public is Invited.

Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (come early to see the winning contest entries)

Place: Greensboro Historical Museum auditorium, 130 Summit Ave.

For additional information contact League of Women Voters, www.lwvpt.org

This Forum is supported (in part) by a grant from the Program on Constitutional and Legal Policy of the Open Society Institute.