Next month: 15 years

Weekend thoughts

Who's prepared?

Below is an email from a friend who is currently living out west. Think of it as a road map for how to survive, if and when the shit hits the fan. In my opinion, the odds are high that our government will fall into fascism, both at the national level and here in North Carolina. It could get ugly.

With that preamble, here's what one person is doing to prepare for the worst. I'm on a slightly different track, but many of the actions he's taking are on my to-do list.

Checked in, backed away

I've been in a self-imposed media blackout for a month now, doing everything I can to steer clear of the stream of garbage flowing from Cheeto's vile, ugly mouth.

From an ex-Republican reader

Why I will never work the polls again

by Joe Vincoli

I used to enjoy working the polls. A chance to do something that had a civic value. A chance to build a sense of community.

After this election I will never work the polls again.

Since last Thursday I have had so many of my neighbors come up to me in the booth and express their contempt for me just because I am wearing an election vest.
They don’t know I live on the same street or in the same neighborhood. They think I am part of the 'big scheme'.

“It’s all rigged!”

The great unraveling

It would be a mistake to say we have "given" Republicans all the rope they want. Truth be told, they have taken it, pure and simple. In their reckless lust for power, they have crossed every boundary of decency and fairness. In pursuit of domination, they have thrown aside integrity, local control, and personal freedom. They have behaved like bulls in a china shop, stomping adversaries into oblivion, just because they could.

The state of North Carolina: Abandoning freedom and fairness

This week, we're surveying the choices made by Republicans in North Carolina. At first, second and third blush, those choices reveal a broad-based shift away from freedom and fairness. The list of assaults is daunting.

Crowdsourcing the decline

Everyone I talk with who cares about North Carolina has a different issue that triggers their outrage, and goodness knows there are so many sources to choose from. If you're willing, please list the top three actions the GOP legislature has taken or might take that most upset you. I'm making a list.

Art Pope in the news again. BlueNC, too.

Art Pope is in the news again, this time telling lies about me, BlueNC, and alleged threats he received. It all goes back to several years ago, when I mused that some people could get so frustrated with politics that they might resort to violence. Pope, who has friends in high places, took those musings personally and asked the Wake County District Attorney's office to check me out. The matter was dropped in minutes, as a complaint without merit.

2015 Blue NC stories picked up by Daily Kos

A few years ago, Meteor Blades at Daily Kos started a weekly diary recognizing efforts by progressive state blogs on the front page at Kos, putting those diaries in front of thousands of readers. And our efforts here are frequently included:

At bluenc of North Carolina, scharrison writes—GOP tax reform: Lose your home to foreclosure, and then pay taxes on it: They have absolutely no shame: "One of the other provisions in the legislation would startlingly hurt homeowners struggling with foreclosure by counting as income any portion of their mortgage debt forgiven by a lender.

Sen. Tamara Barringer, a Republican, bucked her leadership and voted against the bill because of the change, telling the News & Observer, “these are people that have lost their homes. Are we going to tax them when they’re trying to get back on their feet?” Apparently the answer from Senate leaders is yes. There were no hearings on that part of the gas tax bill, no discussion with mortgage lenders or people who work with struggling homeowners.

Even if you don't frequent Daily Kos, you should bookmark this tag and keep up with this series. It's good to know there are smart progressive bloggers in other states, struggling with issues just like we are. Here are some more crossposts from 2015:

BlueNC