As time in Raleigh draws to a close a year after my appointment to the NC Senate, I find myself reflecting on three primary thoughts.

First, my confidence in North Carolina’s government is greater today than it was when I took office. I am struck by the caliber of individuals who serve on both sides of the isle. Most work for a living, many are small business owners; none are getting rich on the $13,951 salary. With few exceptions, these individuals sought office for the right reasons, and genuinely pursue what they believe to be in the best interest of North Carolina, even if their ideology is different from mine.

The leadership in both houses, from committee chairs to President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger and Rules Chairman Tom Apodaca in the Senate, and Speaker Thom Tillis and Rules Chair Tim Moore in the House, keep both chambers on an efficient schedule. They effectively guide positive legislation through both bodies. North Carolina has generally chosen well in her elected officials.

Second, the bureaucracy is worse than I imagined possible. I have sat through numerous committee meetings in which the asininity of the (continue reading…)

Although the facts from the article are not exactly right, Program Evaluation Division will study how charters are granted by the Department of Public Instruction, and if the state is doing everything reasonably possible to assist charters in successful start-ups. This study will not impact Pinnacle Classical Academy in any way; PCA will open in August of 2013. This study will potentially impact future charter requests.
LINK: Under the Dome, One-year Legislator Gets His Way

Update: North Carolina Alliance for Charter Schools press release.

Early voting starts today. While polls show a number of people who are undecided about their choice, I’ve not found them. As I engage people, they are clearly decided about their choice for President and Governor; but virtually no one knows about the most important race on the ballot.

Years ago, our judicial races were partisan, in other words, the candidates ran as either Republicans or Democrats. At that time, the NC Supreme court was held by (continue reading…)

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Part 2 will be in theaters on October 12; click here for movie listings.

I am struck by a life recently passed, that of Chuck Heath. His life challenged the common pursuit of political power through his uncommon pursuit of political philosophy. He leaves a shadow in which we all should wish to stand, of political solutions based on considered values, not of win-at-all-costs rhetoric.

Many national politicians are motivated primarily by gaining what they perceive to be power. The problem comes that once achieved there is a vacuum of values from which they have to draw (continue reading…)

I have watched with interest the passion shown regarding the ‘Marriage Amendment’. The proposed amendment would codify within the NC Constitution the current law defining marriage, to ensure that a judge does not rule current law to be unconstitutional. Similar laws have been challenged in a number of states; in some cases, a single judge has overturned the law, thus allowing gay marriage in that state.

Regardless of an individual’s thought on the amendment itself, when you boil it down, it is neither (continue reading…)

From Reason.com:

If the president is serious about making the rich pay their “fair share”—as opposed to scoring political points in an election year—he needs the Gandhi Rule, not the Buffett Rule. In other words, he ought to apply the Gandhi quote that he repeated ad nauseam during his first campaign—“Be the change you wish to see”—to his own tax returns… more

…if nostalgia were a sound guide to economic policy, we should be building Studebakers and rotary telephones. Neither Santorum nor Obama seems to grasp the realities of manufacturing in 21st-century America. Read the complete article at Reason Magazine…

Great read from Forbes, particularly for any manager:
…in thinking about Star Wars, let’s leave the prequels behind and focus on the original trilogy. It occurs to me that the Star Wars films have a lot to teach us about leadership styles. In particular, the Galactic Empire strikes me as a quintessential example of how not to effectively run an organization. Let’s take a look at five of the Empire’s biggest mistakes and see how you can avoid them in your own organization. …more