IRS keeps an eye on the ‘patriots’ It sounds like the plot from a dystopian libertarian novel. The word “patriot” and the phrase “educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights” triggered heightened scrutiny from the most intrusive agency in the federal government.
We now know that the Internal Revenue Service did indeed target conservative groups, as had long been rumored and oft-denied. The news is a perverse confirmation of the groups’ worldview, and a challenge to Pres...
Presenter corrects errors in story on Orange Ribbon event To the Editor,
I would like to correct three errors that were in a story that was published concerning the Orange Ribbon luncheon by Palmer Prevention, during which I made a presentation.
I am a clinical therapist who holds a master’s degree in social work along with credentials from the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board and the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board.
I never stated that ba...
School board needs to tighten its liberal policy for transfers To the Editor,
As a native of Robeson County, I am disappointed to read in The Robesonian on Sunday an article titled “Smith against moving fourth graders.”
In reading the article, I was most discouraged by Mr. Mike Smith’s comments in response to moving the Tanglewood fourth-graders, suggesting that “kids adjust easily.” It is true that children have been known to adjust much easier than adults, but children have enough struggles with gr...
Legislative Wrap Following are the North Carolina General Assembly roll call votes for May 6-9.
House
HB 9 — House Speaker and Pro Tem Term Limits: Amends the North Carolina Constitution to limit the terms of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to two general assemblies. Introduced by Rep. Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg.
Adopted 85-34. Sent to the Senate for consideration.
YES
Ken ...
The patsy in the Benghazi coverup Nakoula Basseley Nakoula deserves a place in American history. He is the first person in this country jailed for violating Islamic anti-blasphemy laws.
You won’t find that anywhere in the charges against him, of course. As a practical matter, though, everyone knows that Nakoula wouldn’t be in jail if he hadn’t produced a video crudely lampooning the prophet Muhammad.
After the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi that killed Ambassador C...
Elementary problem Mike Smith, chairman of the Board of Education for the Public Schools of Robeson County, doesn’t think the transfer of fourth-graders from Tanglewood and Rowland-Norment elementary schools to Carroll Middle School is a big deal. Should that happen, he says, the children will adjust fine.
We are sure they will.
Dwayne Smith, a member of the board and the father of a son who would attend Tanglewood as a fourth-grader in the fall, has pledge...
Poll’s numbers on leadership in Robeson Co. are powerful To the Editor,
Although The Robesonian understandably places a disclaimer that its polls are not scientific, no one can ignore the recent overwhelming one-sided response to the question of whether the county was headed in the right direction under its current leadership.
For those interested in scientific polling, you can really make accurate predictions based on small sample sizes of large populations. Big swings like the last poll make ...
Best road to funding tranportation RALEIGH — Fiscal conservatism comes naturally to me. After all, my middle name is McDonald.
But I am also persuaded by empirical evidence that fiscal conservatism is the best policy for promoting economic growth. North Carolina governments can improve our state’s competitiveness by limiting spending, finding ways to deliver core services more efficiently, and using the resulting fiscal capacity to reduce the state’s marginal tax rates on wo...
Beware of the bouncing red ball If you are driving along and suddenly see a big red rubber ball come bouncing out into the street, you might want to put your foot on the brake pedal, because a small child may well come running out into the street after it.
We all understand that an inexperienced young child who has his mind fixed on one thing may ignore other things that are too dangerous to be ignored. Unfortunately, too much of what is said and done in politics is based...
Protecting our children is cheaper than incarceration To the Editor, There was a time when constituents held their leaders accountable for their decisions. Ideally, leadership reflects individuals that display attributes such as preparation and integrity. What does our leadership reflect? Community values? Trust and credibility? If not, then why are those persons in leadership? Which of our leaders are responsible for the non-voting, non-taxpaying children? Is it the church? Local government, e...
DOT meeting could be key If you are a Robeson County resident who travels Interstate 95 routinely and are worried about the possibility of having to pay tolls, you might want to save a date.
On May 20, which is a Monday, the state Department of Transportation will hold a meeting from 4 to 7 p.m. at Robeson Community College’s Workforce Development Center during which information gathered during a recent assessment of the best way to pay for the widening of and impr...
President Obama’s red line that wasn’t Someone had to take the fall for President Barack Obama thoughtlessly drawing a “red line” threatening serious consequences if Syria used chemical weapons. It turns out that it is the president himself.
Senior officials explained to The New York Times that last August, the president’s advisers had no idea he was going to boldly issue a red-line warning. The president was “unscripted,” according to one official. In this perilously unteleprom...
Tough call, right call The Robeson County Board of Commissioners added to its growing list of critics on Monday night.
But in this instance, we believe they acted correctly — and even courageously.
Five county commissioners, acting as the county’s Zoning Board of Adjustment, reversed a decision last month by the full board to deny a conditional-use permit that a company needs to place a solar farm just outside of Rowland. Commissioner Hubert Sealey, who represe...
Simple math made hard Our county commissioners have demonstrated that they are better at addition than subtraction.
They have had no trouble incrementally adding onto their pay and benefits, specifically between 1996 and 2008. Because this was all done in the dark, out of the public purview, we don’t know if it was managed with haste and little thought or only after consideration and conversation.
When it comes to rolling back their pay, benefits and discretio...
Obama takes a pass on abortion President Barack Obama was proud to become the first sitting president to address Planned Parenthood the other day. But not proud enough to utter the word “abortion.”
The right to abortion is the sneakiest, most shamefaced of all American rights. It hides behind evasion and euphemism and cant.
So President Obama sang a hymn of praise to Planned Parenthood at the organization’s annual conference without mentioning what makes it so distinct...
