Cabarrus Cheap Seats

Just a reminder, Race week is coming up soon. Starts with All Star qualifying on the 16th, and goes through the Coca-Cola 500 on 5/25.

So, if you want to get out to the Concord Mills/Speedway end of Concord for anything at all, be sure to do it this weekend so you can avoid the traffic over the following 2 weekends.

Since I started this community blog experiment about a month-and-a-half ago: the results have been phenomenal.

In a little more than one month, traffic has nearly doubled, page views have more than doubled, the number of unique visitors is climbing steadily, and the RSS and e-mail subscriber list is growing.

The quality of the articles have been great and pretty steady. Of about sixty articles that preceded this one, about a dozen were original material from me - the majority were original articles from others and “thread holders” that I put up (many of them from threads on others’ articles) to hold comments that evolved from other discussions.

Speaking of comments, of the 1,500 plus comments left in the 16 months - 1/3 have been left in the past 7 weeks.

All that being said, there was a request about clearing up the guidelines for participating here at the Cheap Seats. Here are the five rules of the Cabarrus Cheap Seats [Read more →]

Race too close to call

Provisional ballots count could change the 2 GOP commissioner nominees

Two Cabarrus County primary races are so close that they may not be settled until elections officials count provisional ballots next week.

School board member Liz Poole led the voting Tuesday in a race to determine the Republican nominees who will compete for two seats on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners.

But incumbent Bob Carruth led candidate Holly Blackwelder by only 46 votes for the second slot on the Republican ticket, according to unofficial returns.

[READ MORE…]

And the first person to use the phrase “Dimpled Chad” gets exiled to Mecklenburg county.

More seriously, any idea why 80-90% of the provisional ballots are on the Democrat side, with only 10-20% on the Republican side? Is that normal?

Check this out:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

We have all been a little too serious lately…

Over 200 residents of Carriage Downs, Freedom Acres, and Gable Oaks showed up Tuesday evening for an information meeting regarding two planned zoning changes to property owned by Ronald Overcash near the I-85 and Poplar Tent Road interchange. The zoning changes are needed in order to accommodate a large mixed use development on the North side of the interchange and the construction of a concrete casting plant off of Shelton Rd. on the South side of Poplar Tent Road and adjacent to residential lots in Gable Oaks, Freedom Acres, and Carriage Downs.

[Read more →]

You can see the results here.

Some thoughts: [Read more →]

On primary voting day, unaffiliated voters can vote, but they have to choose sides. Democrat OR republican, not democrat AND republican. It’s ironic and quite frankly odd to be unaffiliated and still be unable to choose candidates from both sides. It feels as if some of your rights are being taken away the moment you pick sides, because your available choices instantly become limited. What is holding back a combined primary ballot for unaffiliated voters? Politics? Maybe there’s a valid reason. Please enlighten me.

UPDATE: After 7:30PM EDT - You should start seeing some results…otherwise, SCROLL PAST THESE AND DO SOME RESEARCH!!!

RESULTS - CABARRUS COUNTY - It scrolls!

RESULTS ANALYSIS - This looks pretty cool, if it works.

RESULTS - STATEWIDE 

Here are some links that might be helpful for those going to the polls (not poles) Tuesday.

ALL POSTS ABOUT THE 2008 ELECTION

ELECTION INFORMATION

Polling Locations in Concord, Harrisburg, Kannapolis, Midland, etc.

2008 Cabarrus County Primary Election Sample Ballots

CANDIDATES

The Cabarrus Neighbors - Candidate Profiles

All Posts from Bob Carruth

Exchange between Holly Blackwelder & Joy Lane

Joy Lane’s Discussion Thread

Larry Burrage’s Discussion Thread

ISSUES (candidates who commented)

Discussion of the REBIC PAC endorsement

Young Voter Thread - (Liz Poole)

Discussion on Senior’s Issues - (Larry Burrage & Bob Carruth)

Discussion of Growth Issues - (Larry Burrage & Bob Carruth )

Over the past several weeks, I have been presented with the opportunity to interview for not one, but two new positions with my employer.  In the first, both of us realized about halfway through the process that I would not be a good “fit” for the job.  The second will be occurring on May 13^th, and I will have present my credentials to several senior executives in our company, and we both feel like that I am the one for the job, then I will be picked for the position (bad news for some of you – it is based here in Charlotte.)  

In addition to this, several weeks ago I was asked to participate with about 20 other community leaders from Cabarrus and Rowan County to help conduct the initial screening for candidates to be named as the new President of RCCC. 

I have come to realize, and want you to consider, that at this point in time, six people have applied for two jobs with 156,000 bosses, with about 40,000 of these conducting the first screening, and an additional 60,000 having the final say-so in November.   Some of these bosses may have more influence than others, and will try to convince some of the others to vote for their favorites for the job. 

With the exception of you that have voted early, and the registered Democrats out there, the rest of you have the honor on Tuesday to bring this initial screening process to its end, and choose two folks you feel can do the job.

Just like with a job, some candidates plaster the community with signs, so all you see is their name.  Some spend lots of money on mailings, TV and newspaper ads, putting forth the sound bites that they think you want to hear them say. 

But that’s not the end of it.  You have a absolutely essential step in the process.  You need read about the candidates, and ask several questions.  Is this person proposing new ideas, sharing a positive vision for the county, and appear to have done their homework?  Is this person able to make independent decisions, based on individual research, not on what others may tell them, or out of fear that those who backed them can manipulate them into voting how they want them to vote? Does the candidate fully understand the constraints and limitations that county government in NC is placed under? 

Here is an exchange I had with Joy Lane a couple of weeks ago. The reason I asked Joy was because I had not heard any specifics about any of her ideas; on the contrary, I had only heard continuous pronouncements about the board of commissioners, and why she was upset with the direction we were heading in.  So I posed a simple question:

—–Original Message—–
From: Robert Carruth [mailto:carruth2008@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 12:49 PM
To: joylane@vnet.net
Subject: PlatformJoy, hope you are doing well.  Just a couple of quick questions:

Her reply -

From: Joy Lane <joylane@vnet.net>
To: Robert Carruth <carruth2008@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 1:26:52 PM
Subject: RE: PlatformBob, thanks for asking… I’ve been working on that diligently, I’ll be glad
to discuss these with you after we’re elected, maybe we can work on some
things together. Hope to see you soon.
Keep in touch.  Joy

If this was the only thing, then I would not be concerned; however, one thing I think Joy needs to answer: in light of the fact (its in her campaign report, which is public record) that she is not only supported by REBIC, but it also appears that she has received a great deal of her support from realtors and other individuals from OUTSIDE the county. How come she has never publicly acknowledged the fact she is supported so heavily by the very industry that has been the biggest obstacle to managing growth and finding ways other than the property tax to pay for infrastructure development over the past 8 years?  

 Joy, we need to hear from you – you have used some very catchy sound bites and have seemed to use phrases that get the angry people who out to vote, but what is your real plan once you are in office?  What will you cut? Will you quickly move to revoke the adequate public facilities ordinance?  You have said a lot about the things you don’t like, but what are the things that are happening good? What is your vision for Cabarrus County? Can you publicly address the questions I posed in the email to you on the 18th? You have received a lot of money from folks in your industry - and have spent a lot of money on signs and mailers.   I think you owe it to the citizens that may be considering voting for you what you real agenda is!    

It is a very important day on Tuesday.  The interview process is about over with.  It is time to make a decision.  Just make sure you know who you are voting for.  

As I have said before, I hope that you will see fit to return me for another four years on the board of commissioners.  I believe my leadership, my experience, and my integrity is needed in Cabarrus County.  More importantly, exercise your constitutional right, and obligation, to vote!

Joni Juba decided to comment on Joy Lane.

For some reason, having a sitting Commissioner who almost never comments on here be the 10th comment on the Joy Lane thread seemed wrong.

I moved the comment here.

This is Joni Juba on Joy Lane.