While Number 4 is good, we actually dropped a spot in the last year while the "business friendly" Republicans were in charge of our Legislature. Maybe because they are more interested in our private lives than getting North Carolinians back to work.

The Tar Heel state ranked highest in infrastructure and technology, workforce, technology and innovation and business friendliness. The state's ranked lower in the health of its overall economy and its quality of life.

Infrastructure, technology, workforce, and innovation are all things that take time (more than two years) to establish while quality of life is more a short term (less than two years) measure.

Read more: Charlotte Observer

With only two months to go, the convention organizing committee changes the venue of one of the showcase events. This isn't just a small change, they are moving from Cabarras County to downtown Charlotte.

The change came five months after convention officials trumpeted the speedway event as a way to showcase the region and involve more people in the convention.

I always thought putting an event at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a good idea but many of my concerns were cited as reasons for the change.

read more: Charlotte Observer

I am guessing the holdup has to do with the fact we (Charlotte) only has one big park in downtown where they can hold the numbers of people expected to protest and it is right across the street from the City/County Government Center.

"We've made multiple attempts over many months to go through the appropriate channels to get permits...but have still heard no response from city and county officials," said George Friday, an organizer with the Move to Amend Campaign.

read more: Charlotte Observer

I was interviewed by NPR this morning about the state of the Democratic Party from a grassroots perspective and one of the topics we discussed was how the recent controversy at the state party was going to affect fundraising. I think turnout at the Jefferson/Jackson dinner next month will be telling. There is no way the dinner will bring in the numbers from four years ago but I think it will be a good gauge on what should be expected over the next few months.

This dinner has traditionally been one of if not the largest fundraiser for the state party each year and who shows should be pretty interesting.

Thoughts?