Some of us don’t like the idea. Clearly, this government initiative is intended to bring our state closer to compulsory unionized businesses—a bad policy for any right-to-work state. The AP article reports that “North Carolina is the least unionized state in the country.”

Section 14 (b) or the Taft-Hartley Act passed by Congress in 1947 was an attempt to protect American workers against compulsory unionism in states with right-to-work laws. North Carolina joined five other states to enact “Right to Work protection for their workers.”

George Leef in his great historical accounting of the “struggle between bosses of Big Labor and the American citizens who oppose their lust for coercive power,” gives a rich accounting of that struggle. His book, Free Choice for Workers, is a must-read for those who value the American ideal of freedom. Chapter one recounts “How Compulsory Unionism Invaded the Land of the Free.” It started in the mid-30s with the radical National Labor Relations Act, known as the “Wagner Act.” Leef argues that the “fundamental premise of the law is erroneous,” and that it should have been repealed.

Big Labor, now dominated by the Service Employees International Union and its lobbying affiliate State Employees Association of North Carolina, threatens all workers’ freedom of choice. Although Gov. Perdue says she “continues to oppose collective bargaining” by state workers, meeting with union bosses and activist groups doesn’t bode well for North Carolina workers, business owners or taxpayers.

Congressman Mike McIntyre was the only Democrat in the North Carolina delegation to vote against the “Pay As You Go” legislation aimed at curbing federal spending. It requires any new spending to come with corresponding cuts. McIntyre was one of 15 Democrats who voted against the legislation. The bill passed on a 233 – 157 vote.

In another vote Monday, the House narrowly passed legislation to raise the national debt ceiling. North Carolina’s delegation voted mainly along party lines, with Democrats McIntyre and the 8th District’s Larry Kissell crossing over and voting against the bill.

In this country, everyone has the right to private communication, even the governor of this great state. But there is a limit on what the governor can discuss with the expectation of complete privacy, and that limit clearly does not include doing the state’s business, no matter what vehicle is used to accomplish it.

The revelations of the former governor’s abuse of public-records requirements sends the wrong message to other public employees — and provides an indication of why state government took such a bad turn during the course of the Easley administration.

As former Carolina Journal reporter Paul Chesser explained in a blog post last week, no one should have been surprised at the administration’s cavalier attitude towards freedom of information. It began during Easley’s days as attorney general:

Aren’t these wonderful depositions this week from former Gov. Mike Easley’s public interference officers? Nice to see at least one of them (Renee Hoffman) is confessing and confirming what Debbie Crane said long ago about deleting emails. That’s a fine, shiny badge you got there, Deb.

Right now I’m reminiscing about the wonderful times I had with Cari Boyce. What a pro’s pro she was. I just took a stroll down memory lane through my email program — all those unanswered questions, still afloat somewhere deep in cyberspace. All those unreturned phone calls, but that was just fine. We were able to do our stories without the cooperation of the Easley communications office, and thanks to their non-input, they came out looking just peachy, didn’t they? Really knew what they were doing!

There’s more. Follow the links.

…[N]ot everyone thinks it’s wise for the government to spend $12 million in economic recovery dollars on a steppingstone ladder for fish.

“This project demonstrates that there’s nothing you can’t spend money on and call it stimulus,” said John Hood, president of the conservative Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation.

He questioned just how much long-term economic impact this project would have for the regional and state economies compared to, say, improving a deficient bridge or over-capacity sewer plant.

“I don’t think anyone could plausibly argue that (a fish bypass) is at the top of our priority list,” Hood said.

I can’t imagine why any reader would come to the conclusion that I think the project is utterly ridiculous.

When visiting the area last week, U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre (D-7th District) presented Pender County officials with a check representing $12.5 million which will be used to construct Phase II of the water treatment plant and facility.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to get our tax dollars back to both create jobs and invest in long term growth in Pender County,” said Rep. McIntyre.

The money came from a loan of $5,955,000 and a grant of $6,594,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

This is the kind of thing that gives people the false impression that Washington is generously doling out other people’s money to them. In fact, North Carolinians send billions of dollars a year to Washington. Federal officials then carve off a slice for themselves (shipping and handling charges, you know), borrow even more money against it, and then send some of it back home, theatrically.

Yuck.

Aragona, 39, is no stranger to politics. He served two terms on the Jacksonville City Council from 2002 through 2006 and one term on the Onslow County Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2008…

Aragona and his wife, Lori, run a small Jacksonville construction business they started about 16 years ago. Recent efforts of the business have focused on revitalizing the downtown area, he said.

Lifelong resident of Onslow County Phillip Shepard has also announced plans to run for the District 15 seat.

“I’ve been interested for some time in politics,” he said. “I’ve always felt like we as citizens should get out and make a difference, and I believe that making a difference for our community and being responsive to the needs of the citizens of Onslow County is what it’s about.”

While he has not held an elected office, Shepard, 55, said he’s up for the challenge.

“I don’t see that as necessarily negative,” he said. “I think people want someone fresh … I think we’re in dire need of a person who can step up to the plate and be a new voice in Raleigh.”

One, Deborah Butler—a Democratic candidate for New Hanover County commissioner—mingled with the crowd, before delivering an impassioned speech highlighting the public’s concern over Titan’s facility. She vowed to change the tide if elected.

“The current county commissioners ignored this project…The majority of that commission does not have the vision that you and I have,” Butler said into a microphone, her voice carried by a nearby speaker. Her speech drew applause.

Echoing one side of this contentious debate, Butler asserted Titan’s vetting was shrouded in secrecy with “Titan lobbyists fast-tracking the permit process all the way through Raleigh . . . I find it shameful,” she added.

And then:

Commissioners waited until after their Monday night meeting to comment, and when they did, asserted that Titan’s proposed facility was out of their jurisdiction and into the state’s, reiterating that the actions called for don’t fall under their jurisdiction.

“We have no authority,” said chairman, Jason Thompson. “If we did take any action it’s only ceremonial. It’s only symbolic. We have no legislative authority.”

In another piece, Bob Odom, manager of the local Titan Cement project, speaks out:

As he sat at the end of a long conference table in his office building near Laney High School, Odom expressed certainty that it was the project’s complexity which had sparked controversy, and if the public were more informed, that controversy would wane.

Indeed, the proposal is convoluted. It involves a number of state and federal agencies, intricate scientific study, terms that sound almost foreign and copious other factors that could easily fill volumes.

“People have concerns and we try to address that,” he said. “Maybe we haven’t done a well enough job of doing that. I’ll admit that.”

The extent to which the plant will impact the environment, public health and wildlife vary depending on who’s asked.

For Odom, state and federal environmental regulations will minimalize risks in all three arenas, even impacts to local schools and water supplies.

“Nobody is going to be hurt by our cement plant,” Odom said. “All the proper equipment will be in place. We’ll meet all the EPA regulations and we don’t foresee any effects to those schools or any of our neighbors for that matter.”

At the Kure Beach Town Council meeting on January 19, Councilman Chuck Keener discussed a new email system being installed for the Town and why elected officials should use the Town’s system and not their personal email accounts.

Keener explained, “I want to bring up a problem and I want to bring up a solution. The problem is right now every one of the guys up here is using their home computer and home email address to conduct Town business. I hope that none of those have been deleted and I hope you have them all in a folder.”

Actually, a public-records case in Chapel Hill is another reason why Keener has been paying attention to the issue — and why other local governments in the Cape Fear region should do the same. To learn more about the open-government policies of Kure Beach and other area governments, check out NCTransparency.com.

The Cape Fear Museum will explore the history of movie-going in the Cape Fear area in a new temporary exhibit. The new feature includes photos of old local movie houses, including a large map of New Hanover County with the location of theaters since the late 1800s.

“From nickelodeons to multiplexes, going to the movies is and has been an essential part of our culture,” Museum Historian Janet Davidson said in a press release. “We wanted to look at that experience and show how it’s shifted over time.”

Derrick Hickey of Port City Orthopaedics, PLLC, plans to file for the office Monday, on the first day candidates can sign up to run.

In a news release, Hickey says he joins current board members Janice Cavenaugh, Don Hayes and Ed Higgins in supporting neighborhood schools, core curriculum and parent choice.

Hickey is president of the New Hanover-Pender Medical Society and also serves on the New Hanover County Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.