Progressive Blog Clips

I want to try to give an overview of the NC progressive blogosphere for the past week. While these are just my arbitrary opinions of what I thought to be interesting posts, please let me know what I missed and should have included.

Louisa Warren calls attention to the fluctuating proposals to (partially) fund child care. "Childcare has long been one of the largest, if not largest, budget items for working families." It's a blessing that Louisa is doing this work; I'm sure she needs help.

Adam Rust has started posting stories on manufactured housing (mobile homes) on BlueNC. I hope he continues to cross-post, because this is an important issue. I don't know the exact number, but a large percent of NC lives in manufactured housing, and there are some disturbing laws (or lack thereof) regulating the industry. On top of that, apparently foreclosure is up:

Ed Cone talks about how everyone wants to have nice things but nobody wants to pay for them. In a comment someone wrote: "Plundercrats are running out of people to blame for their plunder prattle."

Gordon Smith offers a primer on the Parkside deal. Apparently Buncombe county sold a chunk (by accident?) of Asheville's central park to developer Stewart Coleman.

J.W. Williamson is worried about McMansions and landslides in Franklin and Watauga counties: "We want candy! We want candy now! No one can tell us that CANDY NOW is not good!"

Pam Spaulding comments on the Log Cabin Republicans' non-endorsement endorsement of John McCain. The GOP org has said it will "will do its part to educate gay and lesbian voters about Sen. McCain in the weeks ahead."

Thomas Brock uses a cool iPaper Scribd widget thingie to display his letter to the editor of the Jacksonville Daily News. Thomas is talking about offshore drilling. Does anyone know any reputable (i.e. not Civitas) polls on how North Carolinians feel about exposing our coast to drilling?

George Cianciolo looks forward to the return of civility in Orange County politics. Apparently the controversional decision by the Chapel Hill Town Council to gives themselves health care for life really touched a nerve. The Council "quickly" reversed their decision, but not before triggering a flood of strongly worded petitions, letters, and blogposts.

Karen Rindge, of Wake Up Wake County, issues a press release: Citizen Group Opposes Senate Repeal of Local Option Land Transfer Tax.

Chris Kromm wishes yall a happy Juneteenth. Juneteenth is "a holiday marking the day that, in 1865, slaves in Texas were finally told they were free -- two months and 10 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ullyses S. Grant at Appomattox."