Bob Geary

Inveterate election reformers–and you know who you are–think we’d all be better off if we knew our votes couldn’t be stolen or “lost” after we cast them; if more people voted in the first place; if the candidates we’re voting for weren’t bought and paid for by special interests; and if the districts the candidates […]

I, for one, plead not guilty to the charge leveled at the Independent and ilk (his word was “readership”) by our friend and first-term state Senator Doug Berger. Berger, whose district is just north of the Triangle and runs up to the Virginia line, tells us that most folks there like to gamble a little–“whether […]

At the end of the community forum in Raleigh a week ago about the future of the Dorothea Dix property, I made three notes to myself about what the priorities ought to be. First, preserve the natural green spaces, accounting for probably one-third of the 307 acres. Second, the proposed Wake County psychiatric hospital should […]

What a story: State Sen. Janet Cowell, the Raleigh rookie, stands at the bridge, her shield in one hand, her Wharton School finance text in the other. Single-handedly, she halts the Democratic retreat from the battle for progressive taxation. Chastened and emboldened, Gov. Mike Easley, Senate President Marc Basnight and House Speaker Jim Black all […]

An “organized political voice” for young folks. “Social gatherings,” and the politicians (and policy types) come to you. With music and food. That sounds pretty good, if they can pull it off. And maybe they can–the founders of Generation Engage include a Rockefeller and our own Cate Edwards, the Princeton-educated daughter of once-and-future (?) presidential […]

Here’s something I agree with Ron Margiotta about. It was a lot more fun campaigning for office than it is serving in office, the first-term Wake County Board of Education member says. School board, county commission, Raleigh City Council, take your pick–they all pay a pittance, take enormous amounts of time if you really pay […]

I take as my text for the week a commentary by the BBC’s Justin Webb on the Terri Schiavo case. His three years covering Washington for his fellow Brits, Webb wrote, had pretty much convinced him that Americans were ignorant, lazy and “ruled to a dangerous extent by trashy television, superstition and religious bigotry, [while] […]

Just got back from Savannah, and weekend two of the now three weeks long Savannah Music Festival. Note to Raleigh: Why don’t we do this too? They’ve got the spring sewn up–and their azaleas are already in bloom. Ours can be in the fall. They’ve got classical, jazz, bluegrass, ballet, you name it. Lots of […]