Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

About Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate

Much goes on in North Carolina's state capital that's important to the Council of Churches. I'm glad to have a chance to help follow the action, transitioning from my career with The News & Observer of Raleigh, where I retired in 2012 as editorial page editor. I'm originally from Virginia but have lived in Cary so long I remember the Kildaire Farm barn.

Read more of my commentary here.

‘Stop the Steal’ after-effect – voter suppression?

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 25, 2021 · 1 Comment

Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came dangerously close to the onset of an anti-democratic Trump-ocracy. The loss of more than 500,000 of our fellow … [Read more...] about ‘Stop the Steal’ after-effect – voter suppression?

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

The fraud that was election fraud

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 13, 2021 · 6 Comments

The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount challenge: How to hold President Trump properly accountable for his role in the … [Read more...] about The fraud that was election fraud

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 30, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a marriage, a graduation, success at work – Americans will remember 2020 chiefly as a showcase of conflict and sorrow. It brought of … [Read more...] about Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 10, 2020 · 1 Comment

As Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a self-aggrandizing president contemptuous of his oath of office. But voters mustered the … [Read more...] about Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Voter ID

Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 12, 2020 · 1 Comment

North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph R. Biden Jr. to be our next chief executive. At the same time, Biden’s … [Read more...] about Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Election Machinery in High Gear

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system that could have buckled under the strain of massive early voting, both by mail and in person, amidst the … [Read more...] about Election Machinery in High Gear

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government

School Quality vs. the Virus

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 18, 2020 · Leave a Comment

With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced by students in economically stressed rural communities. The big issue in … [Read more...] about School Quality vs. the Virus

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 12, 2020 · 2 Comments

It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. Much is at stake, from who will serve as the nation’s chief executive during perilous, … [Read more...] about Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections

The Virus and the Vulnerable

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 31, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its destructiveness. Perfect storm, meet COVID-19. The overall dynamic is as simple as it is terrible: … [Read more...] about The Virus and the Vulnerable

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government

Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 6, 2020 · 2 Comments

The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look at it. Formal adjournment was delayed, awaiting Gov. Roy Cooper’s response to … [Read more...] about Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Swing Toward Safer Voting

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 28, 2020 · 1 Comment

With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s election laws to meet the challenges of COVID-19 show that push is coming to shove. Those efforts … [Read more...] about Swing Toward Safer Voting

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 8, 2020 · 1 Comment

Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to rescue you as you are about to commit a major blunder – a blunder betraying long-held … [Read more...] about Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and help foil the spread of COVID-19 – they’ll confront an unprecedented tangle of complex and crucial … [Read more...] about In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 1, 2020 · 2 Comments

In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection before the voters. They will offer themselves for judgment on their performance, for … [Read more...] about Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Virus Threat’s Harsh Light

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 14, 2020 · 3 Comments

The rapidly unfolding global coronavirus crisis can’t help but get us thinking in a familiar vein:  woulda, coulda and shoulda. In the United States, if federal authorities hadn’t been hamstrung under a president who apparently thinks he knows more than professional … [Read more...] about Virus Threat’s Harsh Light

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Health

Voter ID’s Rough Ride

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of 2018: Stop complaining because it could be worse! That was the thrust of the argument mounted by GOP … [Read more...] about Voter ID’s Rough Ride

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Voter ID

‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 17, 2020 · Leave a Comment

UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report's findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations for improvements in North Carolina's public … [Read more...] about ‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 7, 2020 · 1 Comment

A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal elections. Did we say pivotal? Try crucial, momentous, fateful -- take your pick. Of course if you’re good … [Read more...] about Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 13, 2019 · 2 Comments

When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north in a prime spot on the Chapel Hill campus of the nation’s oldest public … [Read more...] about Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 25, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply won’t fly when challenged in the courts. Perhaps they’re … [Read more...] about Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Redistricting

Ambush at Override Gulch

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 13, 2019 · 3 Comments

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a host of the state’s most important policy choices but also on his own character. For weeks, the top House Republican … [Read more...] about Ambush at Override Gulch

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting, State Budget

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 6, 2019 · Leave a Comment

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic … [Read more...] about Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 12, 2019 · 1 Comment

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems these days feature a whole lot of wheel-spinning and gear-grinding in the face of epic … [Read more...] about Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Gun Violence, medicaid, State Budget

On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 1, 2019 · Leave a Comment

You have to wonder: What would U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. tell that proud North Carolina gerrymanderer David Lewis if they ever came face to face, just the two of them? OK, we can imagine the cynical answer. He’d tell his fellow conservative, most vocal defender of … [Read more...] about On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 27, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Not to belabor the obvious, but when North Carolina’s elected leaders craft a spending plan for state government, they take positions on many issues that have a moral dimension. And among the budget issues resonating on the level of morality, few if any resonate more loudly than … [Read more...] about No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Healthcare Reform, medicaid, State Budget

Gerrymandering Dooms Voter ID Amendment, Judge Says

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 25, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Editor's note: This article has been updated to specify that the court ruling does not address the status of the law enacted in December to comply with the state constitution's voter ID requirement. As of now, the law remains on the books. Perhaps we didn’t see this coming. … [Read more...] about Gerrymandering Dooms Voter ID Amendment, Judge Says

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 18, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Update: After this article was written, Gov. Cooper did veto House Bill 1029, as he was urged to do. He criticized the bill as potentially "devastating to the cause of fighting election fraud" because of the new layer of secrecy imposed on investigations into campaign finance … [Read more...] about Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government

Election Milestone on Path to Change

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 8, 2018 · Leave a Comment

The first thing Gov. Roy Cooper did after he reported for work on Wednesday, Nov. 8, was to order up a generous new supply of red ink for his veto stamp. How do we know that? We don’t. Call it a fanciful guess. But here’s how the remarkable election of Nov. 6 – remarkable … [Read more...] about Election Milestone on Path to Change

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

When It Rains Voter Suppression

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 19, 2018 · Leave a Comment

It’s a truism that weather affects elections. Yes, many of us would slosh through a downpour if that’s what it took to get to the polls. But a cold, driving rain is a disincentive. Like it or not, that’s plain old human nature. Let’s not try to forecast the weather for Nov. 6, … [Read more...] about When It Rains Voter Suppression

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Pushback Path Leads to Court

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 13, 2018 · Leave a Comment

A summer of hectic twists and turns has made it increasingly clear: The N.C. General Assembly’s ruling Republicans have been driven by desperation. They must be desperately worried that their lease on unbridled power is about to expire. So, while they still have the chance, … [Read more...] about Pushback Path Leads to Court

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly

Power Struggle has them Scrambling

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 2, 2018 · Leave a Comment

The drive by Republicans who control the N.C. General Assembly to enhance their already formidable power, often at the expense of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, has been relentless. Why is this a problem? Because legislative power for the past several years has been used to … [Read more...] about Power Struggle has them Scrambling

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly

Governor Faces a Squeeze

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 28, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Depending on the context, it could be called poor sportsmanship. Or bullying. Or a flouting of democratic principles. Or even tyranny. Consider a situation in which a group of people are found to have violated certain rules. But the violators are able to change the rules in … [Read more...] about Governor Faces a Squeeze

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Power Push’s Troubling Twists

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 22, 2018 · Leave a Comment

The current leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly – top members of the state House and Senate, all of them Republicans – rule with iron fists and aren’t squeamish about the tactics they use to hold and even magnify their power. Sadly for the rule of law and for the … [Read more...] about Power Push’s Troubling Twists

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report

Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 11, 2018 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s new state budget – now on a fast track to final enactment by the Republican-controlled General Assembly over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto – represents a miserable failure in open, accountable legislating. Apparently for the first time on record, a budget … [Read more...] about Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

Marching for Schools, and for Children

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 18, 2018 · Leave a Comment

They suited up in their red t-shirts, hoisted their homemade signs and coursed like a river through the heart of downtown Raleigh. Destination: The headquarters of North Carolina’s General Assembly. Message: Game on! Yes, May 16 was supposed to have been a school day. … [Read more...] about Marching for Schools, and for Children

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education, State Budget

Doing the School-money Shuffle

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 30, 2018 · Leave a Comment

When the N.C. General Assembly convenes on May 16, legislators will be “welcomed” by a throng of advocates for high-quality public schools – teachers prominent among them. More power to these noble loud-mouths, and may they make headway in their against-the-tide quest for better … [Read more...] about Doing the School-money Shuffle

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

School Districts: Keeping It Together

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 13, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Public education in North Carolina has its share of challenges, not the least of which has been the state’s ongoing failure to make sure that school systems in poorer communities receive the financial support they need. But in one major respect, the pattern by which most of … [Read more...] about School Districts: Keeping It Together

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 2, 2018 · Leave a Comment

It was perhaps the N.C. Supreme Court’s finest hour. In 1997, the high court held unanimously that North Carolina public school students are entitled under the state constitution to the “opportunity to receive a sound basic education.” In other words, it’s the state’s … [Read more...] about Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 19, 2018 · 1 Comment

Ordinary Americans – those of us not allowed to know the secrets of high-level espionage work – at this point find it hard to judge accurately the accomplishments of Gina Haspel as she climbed through the ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency. President Trump, in nominating … [Read more...] about On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Good Government

Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 15, 2018 · Leave a Comment

As the General Assembly wraps up its weirdly timed and generally ill-conceived winter session, it would be nice to think that the grand dispute over class sizes in North Carolina’s public schools had been resolved in a way that met valid objections to legislators’ smaller-classes … [Read more...] about Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 5, 2018 · Leave a Comment

The pattern has become familiar – and a welcome pattern it is, even if brought about by the Republican-controlled General Assembly’s relentless abuses of our democratic system. Call it, “Judges to the rescue!” Legislators have moved to make voting more difficult, to … [Read more...] about With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections

Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 22, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Progress in rooting out North Carolina’s gerrymandered voting districts hasn’t always occurred in a straight line. But the trend – thanks to federal judges honoring their duty to uphold the Constitution – bodes well for giving all voters an equal chance to help choose their … [Read more...] about Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 12, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Grand constitutional questions in this country aren’t settled until the Supreme Court has its say, either by affirming or reversing the rulings of lower-court judges or simply by declining to hear challenges to those rulings. So it’s too early to conclude definitively that … [Read more...] about U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

N.C. Judges on Trial

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 4, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Well, here we go again. If the Republican-led General Assembly in 2017 focused on trying to exert its dominance over a freshly installed Democratic governor, then 2018 could bring the climax of legislative efforts to “reform” the courts. Translated, that means efforts to stack … [Read more...] about N.C. Judges on Trial

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections, N.C. General Assembly

Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 5, 2017 · 1 Comment

The solid citizens of Johnston County, N.C. – in a fateful quirk of geography – for several years have faced an unusual dilemma: What to do about the local company whose airplanes and personnel helped the Central Intelligence Agency carry out an interrogation program featuring … [Read more...] about Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Peace

Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 17, 2017 · 1 Comment

With Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House desperate to post a big legislative win, their push for so-called tax reform – the label being used to sugar-coat costly tax changes mostly benefiting profitable corporations and the wealthiest among us – has reached … [Read more...] about Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Elections, Taxes

GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 23, 2017 · Leave a Comment

To the Republicans who run the N.C. General Assembly, the concept of judicial independence – central to our bedrock American principle of checks and balances and to the rule of law – must seem as alien as the one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater of vintage Top 40 … [Read more...] about GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment

At many levels, Americans are confronting issues of race relations and racial justice with an intensity that echoes the climax of the civil rights movement five decades ago – as well as the violent urban protests that signaled black citizens’ impatience with the pace of … [Read more...] about Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 17, 2017 · 1 Comment

When President Trump stepped to a White House lectern on Monday and rebuked the instigators of the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., that had erupted two days before, he was essentially doing what he’s said to do often on the golf course – taking a mulligan. This time, … [Read more...] about Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Race/Ethnicity, Violence

Marching Orders for New Maps

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 10, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The three federal judges could have just come right out and said it: The Republicans who rule the N.C. General Assembly have elevated foot-dragging to a fine art. Their stall tactics take the cake. Instead, the trio overseeing the legislature’s efforts to draw new voting … [Read more...] about Marching Orders for New Maps

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

Rights Advocacy At Risk

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The optics, as they say, are terrible. But in a state whose motto is “To Be Rather Than to Seem,” it’s even more important to look at the substance. And the substance is worse. Think about it: In a Southern state where the legacy of race discrimination and its attendant … [Read more...] about Rights Advocacy At Risk

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Fracking, Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity

Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Better get used to it. The N.C. General Assembly, after an all-too-brief adjournment during July, is about to reopen for business in its marble and masonry maze on Raleigh’s Jones Street. Given this legislature’s track record so far, the big question would seem to be: How much … [Read more...] about Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax burdens on the well-off while grinding opponents of legislative Republicans into the dirt, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had little choice but to wield his veto stamp. Those … [Read more...] about Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 22, 2017 · Leave a Comment

By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican chiefs to try to make a fundamentally flawed state budget appear, well, not that bad. Or at least tolerable. Or better than it could have been and perhaps even worth … [Read more...] about New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 14, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The Republicans who took control of North Carolina’s General Assembly with the elections of 2010 were, it could be said, licking their chops. They knew that when they came to Raleigh in 2011, a big prize awaited. All they had to do was seize it. And seize it they … [Read more...] about Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly

UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment

UPDATE In separate, party-line votes on June 8, the state House and Senate rejected Gov. Cooper's attempt to convene a special session for the purpose of redrawing legislative voting districts. Leaders of the Republican majority argued that Cooper's proclamation failed to meet … [Read more...] about UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Following the elections of 2010 – tilted as they were by an intense right-wing pushback against President Barack Obama midway through his first term – Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly saw themselves as large and in charge. For the first time in the state’s modern … [Read more...] about Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 19, 2017 · Leave a Comment

So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide how much money North Carolina’s state government will spend, what it will be spent on and how it will be raised must decide not only which programs and services will thrive and which will … [Read more...] about Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Food, Good Government, Health, Housing, Hunger, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Rural Life, State Budget, Taxes

Retiring Judge Stands Tall

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 27, 2017 · 1 Comment

As Shakespeare’s King Lear famously put it, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Top Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly now might well be muttering, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a Republican judge who stands on … [Read more...] about Retiring Judge Stands Tall

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 22, 2017 · Leave a Comment

How many times do we have to say it? Well, it’s worth repeating – especially in the aftermath of recent income tax filing deadlines, when the subject becomes a sore point for many: None of us should have to pay more in taxes than our fair share in financing the necessary and … [Read more...] about Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Religion & Society, State Budget, Taxes

New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 14, 2017 · 1 Comment

North Carolina’s failure under Republican leadership to improve low-income residents’ access to health care via the Medicaid program has been like a persistent, throbbing pain in the state’s civic and economic life. The pain can be literal, when people must do without the … [Read more...] about New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Health, Healthcare Reform, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly, Rural Life, Substance Abuse

Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Our national politics are in an ugly place, driven by an accelerating cycle of suspicion, accusation, blame, recrimination and retaliation. The circumstances by which Neil Gorsuch takes office as a justice of the Supreme Court sadly fit the mold – to the U.S. Senate’s discredit … [Read more...] about Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Elections, Good Government

Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Call it a head-on collision between politics and principle. Is anyone surprised that politics prevailed? Yet here’s the twist that perhaps makes the outcome somewhat understandable, if no less regrettable. Those of us committed to stamping out discrimination on the basis of … [Read more...] about Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Human Rights, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 24, 2017 · Leave a Comment

They might not care for the image, but Republican members of the N.C. General Assembly act as though they were drunk with power. They have the votes not merely to set conservative policies on spending, taxes, education, health care, protection or misprotection of the … [Read more...] about GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Domestic Violence, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 3, 2017 · Leave a Comment

The fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the law that notoriously stamps the state’s seal of approval on discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender folks – has devolved into a form of trench warfare. Republican legislators and social conservatives who support … [Read more...] about H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, Human Rights, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Politics, at least in a democracy, is competitive. The analogy to sports may be simplistic but it’s not too far off the mark. Participants seek to win, and to do so in accordance with rules constraining behavior that’s plainly unfair or dangerous. The rewards for winning … [Read more...] about N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

Governor Fights Power Shortage

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 17, 2017 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s governor gets to live in a mansion whose handsome property occupies a full city block in downtown Raleigh. He or she gets to meet with assorted dignitaries, here and elsewhere, to talk up the Old North State’s virtues. He or she gets to make congratulatory … [Read more...] about Governor Fights Power Shortage

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Big Stakes in High Court Pick

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for high office, Neil Gorsuch barely moves the needle. But that’s not to say Americans concerned about safeguarding the institutions of democracy should be heartened to see … [Read more...] about Big Stakes in High Court Pick

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Human Rights, Immigration, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 20, 2017 · Leave a Comment

For many of us, these are troubling times as Donald Trump ascends to the nation’s highest office. We can hope for the best but it’s hard not to anticipate the worst: valuable alliances trashed, environmental protections ravaged, civil rights eroded, neighbors pitted against … [Read more...] about Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Health, Healthcare Reform, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 31, 2016 · 1 Comment

As we watched the egregiously unqualified Donald Trump campaign for and win election to the White House, any good news on the government and politics front was likely to be obscured amid concerns about what Trump’s ascent could bode for the nation’s well-being. Concerns? … [Read more...] about Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Human Rights, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The ugly truth can’t be evaded or denied: North Carolina’s General Assembly, in the grip of an arrogant Republican majority, has plunged ahead with a shocking, shameful abuse of power and of the principles of open, accountable government. Yes, this is a matter of vital concern … [Read more...] about Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Action Alert, Civil Liberties, Elections, Environment, Good Government, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Religion & Society

The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

He and his supporters twisted and turned, wriggled and squirmed. But 27 days after the Nov. 8 election, Gov. Pat McCrory finally bowed to the inevitable and conceded that his bid for a second term had come up short. Yes, his contest with Roy Cooper, for 16 years North … [Read more...] about The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment

No one reading this post is likely to pull a brain muscle describing ways in which the recent elections could have consequences ranging from the unfortunate to the dire. Our incoming president sends signals that he may be willing to walk back a few of his more extreme campaign … [Read more...] about Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 18, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency was a waste-pit wallow through a sludge of fear and hate. That millions of Americans voted for him presumably without hating anyone says a great deal about the extent of the economic desperation he vows to address. As to how he’ll … [Read more...] about Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 11, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental stewardship, ample investment in public services and fair allocation of that investment’s costs. We believe that the United States … [Read more...] about A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Economic Justice, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Human Rights, Immigration, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society, Taxes

At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 27, 2016 · 1 Comment

As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8 – and with thousands of North Carolinians already having cast their ballots – we may see a familiar paradox of politics once again displayed: Things had to get worse before they could get … [Read more...] about At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Living Wage, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society, State Budget

Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 1, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Donald Trump may strike a populist, anti-big business note a la Bernie Sanders from time to time. But he also has a tendency to gloat over his own cutthroat business practices which, he claims, have made him rich. (How rich? Perhaps if he weren’t so secretive about his tax … [Read more...] about Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Taxes

Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 19, 2016 · 1 Comment

Who can blame North Carolina’s restaurant and hotel operators for wishing the whole House Bill 2 controversy would just vanish into thin air, as if it had never existed? They’d love to see the clock rolled back to that glorious time before Charlotte strengthened the city’s … [Read more...] about Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Human Rights, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

Bad Law vs. Big Games

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

When ultra-visible organizations with major economic leverage press for political change, sometimes the right thing to do is to tell them to take the proverbial long walk off a short pier. Or something more colorful. But what if the change being sought is one that advances … [Read more...] about Bad Law vs. Big Games

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

Early Voting Draws Support

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The folks in North Carolina who want to make it harder rather than easier for people to vote – a category that features top officials of the state Republican Party – lost a big battle in the federal courts. So they’ve tried to win the war by narrowing opportunities to cast … [Read more...] about Early Voting Draws Support

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Election Maps Under Scrutiny

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 12, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The Republican Party developed a national strategy to seize and hold legislative power, and in North Carolina executed it with relentless precision. Six years into that process, however, the adverse legal judgments are beginning to accumulate. Rights were violated and votes … [Read more...] about Election Maps Under Scrutiny

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Voting Rights, Redeemed

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Even for ardent voting rights advocates, there’s little comfort to be gained from a federal appeals court’s finding that the N.C. General Assembly engaged in a multifaceted scheme to discriminate against African-American voters. Think about it: A half-century after the federal … [Read more...] about Voting Rights, Redeemed

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Governor in the Glare

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

There was a time, back in the range of 2008, when Pat McCrory looked as though he probably would do a pretty good job if elected as North Carolina’s governor. At least, there weren’t any solid reasons to think that this moderate, business-oriented Republican who was the … [Read more...] about Governor in the Glare

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, LGBTQ, Prophetic Voice

Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 10, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The N.C. General Assembly’s 2016 regular session, which drew to a sudden close on July 1, will be remembered as much for what didn’t happen as for what did – sometimes for the worse and occasionally for the better. Even with Republicans firmly in charge of both the House and … [Read more...] about Scrambled Session’s Lows and Highs

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Tax Cap’s Enduring Mischief

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 30, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Sorry for the sugar-coating, but the state Senate’s attempt to enshrine its preferred tax policies in North Carolina’s constitution is arrogant, presumptuous, wrongheaded and profoundly undemocratic. Who will be penalized if the attempt succeeds? Not the high-end earners … [Read more...] about Tax Cap’s Enduring Mischief

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, State Budget, Taxes

Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 26, 2016 · Leave a Comment

There wasn’t a lot to like about what occurred the other day in a state Senate committee. First, legislative rules – notoriously rubberized – were stretched to the point where principles of orderly law-making were nailed up for mockery. Second, the travesty took place in service … [Read more...] about Immigrants as Scapegoats — Again

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Good Government, Immigration

Beyond Pulse: Vigilance, Tolerance

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Let’s face it. We, that would be all of us who proudly claim the title of American, must do more to forestall the situations and grievances and opportunities that can lead to any kind of slaughter remotely resembling the Orlando tragedy of June 12, 2016. 6/12, a new code for 21st … [Read more...] about Beyond Pulse: Vigilance, Tolerance

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Immigration, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Peace, Religion & Society

Budgeting that Tests our Values

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 3, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Let’s assume the worst, which for the moment would mean that the N.C. Senate’s version of a new state budget sails through to enactment without change or compromise. The sun, as they say, will still come up in the morning. Public school teachers will continue to report for … [Read more...] about Budgeting that Tests our Values

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, Interfaith, Living Wage, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Sour Notes, Again, in Budget Song

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 26, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Well, did anyone really expect North Carolina’s General Assembly, in finalizing a new state budget, suddenly to see the light and swerve toward more effective, fairer government? The same General Assembly that for the past five years has embraced a shrunken, warped vision of its … [Read more...] about Sour Notes, Again, in Budget Song

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 13, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Take heart, fair-minded North Carolinians. The state’s not-always-pristine but still vaguely operative image as a place where “the weak grow strong and the strong grow great” is in the process of being dragged through the mud by cynics who prefer to kick people while they’re … [Read more...] about Tar Heel Beacon of Tolerance

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Elections, Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Voter Suppression Gets a Pass

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

nc voting rights

A federal judge’s ruling that upholds changes in North Carolina election laws, despite their effect of making it harder for some citizens to vote, seems to rest on his conclusion that, well, there’s no reason to get all upset about a little inconvenience. Civil rights and … [Read more...] about Voter Suppression Gets a Pass

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 21, 2016 · 1 Comment

Here’s a funny thing about House Bill 2, the “bathroom bill” (now law) that’s causing North Carolina so much grief: The Charlotte ordinance that the General Assembly was in such a rush to block -- the one that supposedly threw the usual custom of sex-separated public bathrooms to … [Read more...] about Bathroom Drama’s Many Plots

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Gender, Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 13, 2016 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – rammed through the General Assembly and signed into law in less than half a day – manages to rope together a herd of provisions so misguided, harmful and unfair as to boggle the mind. Bathroom protocols for transgender people, as ridiculously … [Read more...] about Beyond Bathrooms: Jobs, Fairness

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Hurtful Law Sends Signals

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 1, 2016 · 4 Comments

Yes, it was a pretty neat trick -- one bill that manages to expose many vulnerable North Carolinians to unfair, hurtful treatment, that threatens to put a dent in the state’s economy, and that subjects this state to national ridicule as a redoubt of unhinged intolerance. All … [Read more...] about Hurtful Law Sends Signals

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Trump’s Campaign of Us versus Them

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

If Donald J. Trump successfully concludes his so-far-dominant push to become this year’s Republican presidential nominee, North Carolinians will have played a role. Some will view that role as a source of pride – others as an embarrassment. The chasm between those perspectives … [Read more...] about Trump’s Campaign of Us versus Them

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Elections, Immigration, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 7, 2016 · 1 Comment

After a panel of federal judges threw out North Carolina’s congressional district map because it trampled the rights of African-American voters, the General Assembly followed orders and redrew the map. The 13 districts were dramatically realigned, with major consequences both for … [Read more...] about District Challengers: ‘Oh, No, You Don’t!’ (Updated)

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

After a five-year exercise in seeking to put a lasting stamp on North Carolina government and policy, the General Assembly’s majority Republicans have provoked a parade of lawsuits challenging a number of their moves. It may be that most of those lawsuits will play out in the … [Read more...] about Legislators’ High-Court Switcheroo

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

District Drama Spotlights Power, Fairness

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 19, 2016 · 1 Comment

The Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly are determined to draw election-district boundaries favoring their party’s candidates and promoting their conservative agenda. But when Republican voters are outnumbered by Democrats, crafting favorable districts while … [Read more...] about District Drama Spotlights Power, Fairness

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Thumbs Down on Racial Gerrymanders

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

With an eye toward the battles over redistricting that have roiled North Carolina politics for the last quarter-century, once again push is coming to shove. This time, the advantage lies with voting rights and social justice advocates who have sought to keep the state’s … [Read more...] about Thumbs Down on Racial Gerrymanders

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Election Changes’ Telltale Timing

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment

It was just one little comment, perhaps ventured with the flicker of a wry smile. But we can doubt that Tom Farr saw the humor in being ribbed by a federal judge. Farr, attorney for the defendants in a challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID law, was wrapping up his case on … [Read more...] about Election Changes’ Telltale Timing

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Voter ID on Trial

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 29, 2016 · 1 Comment

The ongoing legal challenge to North Carolina’s voter ID rule, now playing out before a federal judge in Winston-Salem, could end up reminding us that it’s not the job of the courts to decide whether a law is needed or wise. It’s their job to decide whether a law violates … [Read more...] about Voter ID on Trial

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Race, Courts and Twisted Districts

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 9, 2016 · 1 Comment

Few of the decisions made by the men and women of our General Assembly are so prone to self-serving, partisan abuse as the setting of boundaries for voting districts. When legislators yield to that temptation, it’s inescapable that the rights of some voters to have a fair, equal … [Read more...] about Race, Courts and Twisted Districts

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 31, 2015 · Leave a Comment

For those of us who want to see North Carolina governed with the interests of all its residents in mind – not mainly the interests of the well-off and privileged -- 2015 amounted to yet another slog down a disappointing path. It was the third full year since conservative … [Read more...] about 2015: Our Conservatives Weren’t Kidding

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Aging, Children & Youth, Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Gun Violence, Healthcare Reform, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 14, 2015 · 1 Comment

In the game of bridge, when a trump card is played to win a trick, that’s known as a ruff. In the game of politics, when Donald Trump uses tricks to try to win votes, he plays rough. Pursuing the Republican nomination for president, the bumptious Trump has been on a roll. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Anti-Muslim Bluster

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Immigration, Interfaith, Peace, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 21, 2015 · 3 Comments

Photo by I. Prickett, UNHCR Against the toxic brew of fear and political opportunism that has enveloped America’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis stand principles of compassion and common sense. The N.C. Council of Churches is proud to embrace those principles and to … [Read more...] about Doing Right by Syria’s Refugees

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, Immigration, Interfaith, Peace, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

UNC System’s New Sheriff

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 30, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The notably dapper Thom Goolsby, member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, made a mark of sorts with his put-down of the NAACP-led Moral Monday protest movement – the movement that called the conservative-controlled General Assembly to account for a range of … [Read more...] about UNC System’s New Sheriff

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, Public Education

‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 3, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The senators and representatives who make up North Carolina’s General Assembly let their 2015 session run on far longer than it should have. Let’s be glad that the curtain has come down. There’s been enough damage. But as if our illustrious lawmakers wanted to give us the … [Read more...] about ‘We stand adjourned’ – finally!

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Death Penalty, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Gun Violence, Healthcare Reform, Hunger, Immigration, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 25, 2015 · Leave a Comment

These closing weeks, or days, of the General Assembly’s session are sometimes known as the silly season, when weirdness is the watchword at the maze-like Legislative Building on Raleigh’s Jones Street. But all too often, the results are more scary than funny. OK, scary is a … [Read more...] about Power Plays, Surprises at Session’s End

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Budget Struggle’s Bitter End

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 17, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The proverbial elephant labored and, against all hopeful expectations, brought forth a mouse. The “elephants” who run the Republican-controlled General Assembly labored and now have brought forth, if not a mouse, then a state budget that is completely underwhelming as a vehicle … [Read more...] about Budget Struggle’s Bitter End

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

The Odor Around the Lottery

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 5, 2015 · 1 Comment

When North Carolina legislators by the narrowest of margins 10 years ago approved a state lottery, capping a long debate over the wisdom of state-sponsored gaming, they set aside warnings of a slippery slope. Supporters maintained that our lottery would be, in effect, a … [Read more...] about The Odor Around the Lottery

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

Rule to Harass, or Punish, the Jobless

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 24, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Even while North Carolina was still in the grips of the Great Recession, with thousands of residents suffering the slings and arrows of joblessness because they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Republican legislators moved to make it harder to receive … [Read more...] about Rule to Harass, or Punish, the Jobless

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Tale of Two Chambers Amid Budget Conflict

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 21, 2015 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina has two legislative bodies, the 120-member House of Representatives and the 50-member Senate. They’re set up to be equal in power, although it could be said that the larger House is designed to be more reflective of the public will. Senators typically have more … [Read more...] about Tale of Two Chambers Amid Budget Conflict

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Protect Us from the ‘Protection Act’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 13, 2015 · Leave a Comment

With its misguided “Taxpayer Protection Act” scheme, the state Senate looks to put a crowning touch on its efforts to turn North Carolina into a veritable Promised Land for conservatives, where taxes are always low, the government is always small, and public services are always … [Read more...] about Protect Us from the ‘Protection Act’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Private School Vouchers, Lax Standards

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The principle of judicial restraint is a wonderful thing. It helps keep judges – as they go about their business of determining whether laws are constitutional – from horning in on the role of legislators, whose task is to make policy choices and then to enact laws reflecting … [Read more...] about Private School Vouchers, Lax Standards

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Tax Cuts, Tax Shifts, Budget Battles

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 24, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Don’t be surprised if, during the General Assembly’s closed-door negotiations to craft a new state budget, enterprising reporters manage to pry loose some of the juicy (or gory) details. Keeping tight security on a process that involves 114 legislators – fully two-thirds of … [Read more...] about Tax Cuts, Tax Shifts, Budget Battles

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Courtroom March for Voting Rights

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Republican legislators can hardly get around the fact that their 2013 overhaul of North Carolina election laws is likely to inconvenience some groups of voters more than others. For example: People working two jobs to make ends meet will tend to feel the impact of a shorter … [Read more...] about Courtroom March for Voting Rights

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly

Conflicts over Policies, Power, Pride

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 9, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Regarding the state of affairs within the N.C. General Assembly these days, one little set of numbers tells a big story: 112-0. That was the margin by which the House on June 23 rejected the Senate’s version of the annual budget bill. No, not exactly a cliff-hanger. House … [Read more...] about Conflicts over Policies, Power, Pride

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Environment, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Voting Rights Sense, in a New Light

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 29, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Over and over, we heard North Carolina’s stringent voter identification law, enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2013 over the protests of voting rights advocates, described as simply a “commonsense” measure to deter ballot fraud. We were supposed to ignore the … [Read more...] about Voting Rights Sense, in a New Light

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Scrutiny for Gun Laws, Post-Charleston

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 23, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Their timing, as it turned out, was less than impeccable. The gun-rights boosters who are pushing N.C. House Bill 562 ran up against some common-sense objections that resulted in two main elements being stripped from the bill. But more than that, later on the very evening … [Read more...] about Scrutiny for Gun Laws, Post-Charleston

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Gun Violence, N.C. General Assembly, Peace, Race/Ethnicity

Sad Signals on Tolerance, Rule of Law

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 14, 2015 · 1 Comment

Gov. Pat McCrory tried to warn his fellow Republicans who call the tunes in the General Assembly. The rule of law was at stake, McCrory said, and the state would be asking for trouble if it let public officials pick and choose which of their duties they will carry out. His veto … [Read more...] about Sad Signals on Tolerance, Rule of Law

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Human Rights, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

Veto Overriders Flex Their Muscles

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 6, 2015 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s General Assembly has muddled through many undistinguished moments since conservative Republicans took charge four years ago. Now, with an ongoing cascade of wrongheaded decisions, it’s adding to that disappointing and even destructive list. Gov. Pat McCrory, … [Read more...] about Veto Overriders Flex Their Muscles

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Domestic Violence, Gun Violence, N.C. General Assembly

Via Vetoes, McCrory Declares Independence

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 3, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Anticipation of an unpleasant event – gallows humorists usually cite the prospect of being hanged – is said to concentrate the mind. Although 17 months will pass before North Carolina voters decide whether Gov. Pat McCrory has earned a second term, the possibility that he might … [Read more...] about Via Vetoes, McCrory Declares Independence

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly

Bills Wink at Polluters, Abusers

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 28, 2015 · Leave a Comment

For a boatload of lofty, noble and wise sentiments, look no farther than the opening fanfares of Chapter 113A, Article 1, N.C. General Statutes. The reference is to a law commonly known as SEPA, or the State Environmental Policy Act. It was enacted in 1971, during the great … [Read more...] about Bills Wink at Polluters, Abusers

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Environment, Farmworkers, Food, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Rural Life

Republican Budget makes Republicans Fume — Updated

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 21, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Let’s admit it – we were fooled. We never realized that the N.C. House of Representatives, with Republicans firmly in charge, was a nest of liberals. At least that must be how Bob Luddy sees it. Luddy, a highly successful Wake County businessman (his company makes … [Read more...] about Republican Budget makes Republicans Fume — Updated

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Revenue Boosts and Tax-cut Boasts

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The rooster crowed. The sun came up. The rooster puffed his feathered chest as he beheld his magnificent handiwork. Phil Berger led the state Senate in cutting taxes. Revenues nudged up, putting the state on course to finish its budget year in the black. Berger proclaimed that … [Read more...] about Revenue Boosts and Tax-cut Boasts

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

When Lawmakers Itch to Execute

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 7, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The last person to be put to death by the State of North Carolina – in other words, put to death on behalf of all of us who live here and choose the leaders who write our laws – was Samuel Flippen, 36, who was given a lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh at 2 a.m. on … [Read more...] about When Lawmakers Itch to Execute

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Death Penalty, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

At the Legislature, a Fateful Crossing

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 30, 2015 · 1 Comment

With its self-imposed April 30 “crossover” deadline, the General Assembly can sidetrack bills that haven’t gained enough support to make them worth fussing with during the remainder of the legislative session. A bill that makes the deadline by gaining approval in either the … [Read more...] about At the Legislature, a Fateful Crossing

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Death Penalty, Environment, Gun Violence, N.C. General Assembly

High Court’s Double-Take on Districts

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 23, 2015 · Leave a Comment

There’s certainly no guarantee that the U.S. Supreme Court, in sending North Carolina’s election district scheme back to the state Supreme Court for review, eventually will find that the General Assembly has engaged in unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. However, the high … [Read more...] about High Court’s Double-Take on Districts

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly

Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 18, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The Council of Churches’ Legislative Seminar – its top-profile public event of the year – is meant to inform, and it’s meant to inspire. We’re not too bashful to say that this year’s version, held on April 14 at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary, succeeded on both … [Read more...] about Justice Advocates Convene for the Cause

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Death Penalty, Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, LGBTQ, Living Wage, N.C. General Assembly, Organized Labor, Public Education, Religion & Society, State Budget, Taxes

Tax Cuts’ Costs Becoming Clear

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 11, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Since taking veto-proof control of the NC General Assembly in the elections of 2012, members of the Republican majority have labored diligently to fix what they’ve regarded as a broken tax system. Of course, whether it really was broken is a point many North Carolinians have … [Read more...] about Tax Cuts’ Costs Becoming Clear

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Taxes

North Carolina Redistricting on High Court’s Radar

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 2, 2015 · Leave a Comment

“Racial gerrymandering strikes at the heart of our demo­cratic process, undermining the electorate’s confidence in its government as representative of a cohesive body politic in which all citizens are equal before the law.” Nicely put, Mr. Justice Scalia! Antonin Scalia is … [Read more...] about North Carolina Redistricting on High Court’s Radar

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government

Medicaid Message Packs a Punch

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 27, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Call it an exercise in futility? Well, no. There may not be a chance in the world that the General Assembly’s Republican chiefs will let the latest proposal to expand Medicaid come to a vote this year, or even receive a fair hearing in the committees they control. But by … [Read more...] about Medicaid Message Packs a Punch

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Human Rights

Universities Take a Hit with Loss of Ross

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Photo by Dan Sears, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors, in telling system President Tom Ross in January that he could serve one more year but no more, offered no specific reason other than, well, it was time … [Read more...] about Universities Take a Hit with Loss of Ross

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Public Education

Council Puts Hot Topics on the Table

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The mission of the NC Council of Churches extends into many areas that highlight the links between faith and public policies. And of the various events and activities sponsored by the Council, none is more closely focused on those links than the Legislative Seminar – giving it a … [Read more...] about Council Puts Hot Topics on the Table

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Council News, Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Living Wage, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Religion & Society, State Budget, Taxes

Doomed UNC Centers Sang the Wrong Songs

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 2, 2015 · Leave a Comment

It’s easy to imagine what the conservative Republicans who rule North Carolina’s legislative roost were thinking: “Here we’ve gone to all the trouble to take control of the General Assembly. We appoint the University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors. We set the … [Read more...] about Doomed UNC Centers Sang the Wrong Songs

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Time to Uphold UNC’s Anti-Poverty Mission

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

One can say this about UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gene Nichol without fear of contradiction: He doesn’t seem to know when to keep his mouth shut or his keyboard quiet. Good for him! Throughout his years in North Carolina, Nichol from his law professor’s perch has been a pugnacious … [Read more...] about Time to Uphold UNC’s Anti-Poverty Mission

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education

Grading the Schools: The Poverty Link

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 16, 2015 · 1 Comment

The scheme ordered up by the conservatives who hold power in the NC General Assembly to assign a single letter grade to each of the state’s public schools – ostensibly as a quality signal so simple that even a caveman could get it – has proved, well, unhelpful. Given the way … [Read more...] about Grading the Schools: The Poverty Link

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

District Lines Entangle Race, Politics

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 6, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The Republicans who rule North Carolina’s General Assembly start the new year riding tall in the saddle – and yes, we can imagine GOP legislators tipping their Stetsons to salute the state Supreme Court, which gave them an early Christmas present that must have made their … [Read more...] about District Lines Entangle Race, Politics

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

So Long, 2014: It Wasn’t all Pretty!

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Of the many decisions and activities that unfold in the arena of public affairs, the ones that tend to show up on the NC Council of Churches’ radar are those affecting the quality of social justice in our state. The Council stands for policies and their associated programs … [Read more...] about So Long, 2014: It Wasn’t all Pretty!

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Aging, Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, Living Wage, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

Keep the Light Shining on CIA Conduct

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Perhaps you can fight fire with fire, but you can’t – or shouldn’t – attempt to fight terrorism with terror. That’s an ultimate takeaway from the U.S. Senate report detailing abusive interrogations of terror suspects by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA had a heavy … [Read more...] about Keep the Light Shining on CIA Conduct

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Good Government, Human Rights, Peace

Election Explanations as the Dust Settles

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s new U.S. senator-in-waiting, state House Speaker Thom Tillis, had what appears to have been the closest scrape among winning Republican Senate candidates in last month’s election. Tillis defeated first-term Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan by 45,608 votes out of a … [Read more...] about Election Explanations as the Dust Settles

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections

Expand Medicaid? Now’s the time

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 16, 2014 · 1 Comment

The decision last year by the conservatives who control North Carolina’s state government not to expand the state’s Medicaid program has left an estimated half-million residents out in the cold when it comes to health insurance – that’s the number cited by the N.C. Institute of … [Read more...] about Expand Medicaid? Now’s the time

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Health, Healthcare Reform, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly

Conservatives, Riding High, Can Heed Cooler Heads

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 8, 2014 · Leave a Comment

There’s no getting around the fact that when North Carolinians went to the polls on Nov. 5, they gave a thumbs-up to the conservatives who’ve been in charge at the General Assembly for the last four years – doing damage that calls to mind the proverbial elephant in a china … [Read more...] about Conservatives, Riding High, Can Heed Cooler Heads

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Good Government, Immigration, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Taxes

Judgeships Crowd Ballot with Bubbles

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

For people who enjoy voting, North Carolina’s upcoming election promises to be a real treat. Federal, state and local offices are on the ballot. There’s no more straight-ticket voting for party candidates, so voters will have to (or get to) pick their favorite in each and every … [Read more...] about Judgeships Crowd Ballot with Bubbles

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Elections

Voter Suppression Highlighted From on High

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 15, 2014 · Leave a Comment

When thorny constitutional issues are being hashed out in the courts, it’s a fact of life that the show isn’t necessarily over until SCOTUS sings, or declines to sing. The acronym refers of course to the Supreme Court of the United States, which on Oct. 8 had the last word as to … [Read more...] about Voter Suppression Highlighted From on High

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Judges Give ‘The Full Bill’ Thumbs-Down

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 4, 2014 · Leave a Comment

October 9, 2014 Update: On October 8, the US Supreme Court handed down the final word about voting for this fall’s elections in North Carolina. It upheld the District Court’s decision not to put any of our new voting laws on hold and overturned the Circuit Court’s decision … [Read more...] about Judges Give ‘The Full Bill’ Thumbs-Down

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Where to Go for Voting Info

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 30, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Perhaps the N.C. chapter of Americans for Prosperity was just trying to be helpful when it mailed out a bunch of “official application forms” to prospective voters. Thanks a lot, guys. The State Board of Elections tells news organizations it has been hammered with queries … [Read more...] about Where to Go for Voting Info

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government

Judges Ponder Rules to Vote By

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s upcoming general election – Election Day is Nov. 4 – will be the first held under a revamped set of rules making it less convenient for some citizens to vote. Or, conceivably, the old rules will apply after all. That’s because the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of … [Read more...] about Judges Ponder Rules to Vote By

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

An Election-Year Call to Faith Leaders

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 15, 2014 · 2 Comments

Our time to choose North Carolina’s 2014 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 4. Although this is an “off-year” election, without contests for president or governor, many important races will be decided. The state’s voters will choose one of their two U.S. … [Read more...] about An Election-Year Call to Faith Leaders

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections

Power Surge Hits Streams, Constitution

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 21, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The N.C. General Assembly during its 2014 session – a session so rife with disputes among the majority Republicans that it smoldered on and on – has left many sour tastes in many mouths. There was, of course, the updated and unpalatable state budget, short of revenue because … [Read more...] about Power Surge Hits Streams, Constitution

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Environment, Public Education, Taxes

Revenue-starved Budget Rattles and Rolls

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 5, 2014 · 2 Comments

The debate is familiar: State government is too big. No, it’s too small. People in the too-big camp typically think government – the state agencies and institutions that North Carolinians support with their taxes -- is too expensive. That it tries to do too much in the way of … [Read more...] about Revenue-starved Budget Rattles and Rolls

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Warning Signs in Budget ‘Deal’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 29, 2014 · 1 Comment

UPDATE: After this blog was posted, the final budget was unveiled and passed by the House and Senate. The large reductions in Medicaid reimbursement rates mentioned in the blog below did not materialize. The approach of an agreement to keep North Carolina state government … [Read more...] about Warning Signs in Budget ‘Deal’

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Aging, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, People with Disabilities, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Capital Clash over Education, Health

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 15, 2014 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina legislators faced with vexing conflicts over a new state budget spent a solid week pawing and snorting at each other without a lot of movement on the main sticking points. Another case of partisan gridlock? Well, one could say so – except this is a standoff … [Read more...] about Capital Clash over Education, Health

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Twists, Turns on Teacher Pay

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 8, 2014 · Leave a Comment

If this year’s session of the N.C. General Assembly were a work of drama for stage or screen, the plot would be coming to a head. And we in the audience would be perched on the edge of our seats as the actors resolved the mystery: Will the state’s public school teachers get a … [Read more...] about Twists, Turns on Teacher Pay

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Public Education

Cy King’s Noble Example

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 3, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Cyrus Baldwin King, a gentle spirit with an iron resolve, was a hero of North Carolina’s peace and justice movement. The Council of Churches is honored to join in the many tributes that have come his way at his passing. Cy died on June 25 at the age of 91 – after a life of … [Read more...] about Cy King’s Noble Example

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Equality & Reconciliation, Peace, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Protesters’ Last ‘Salute’ as Legislators Wrangle

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 26, 2014 · 1 Comment

With one final gathering that on June 25 drew more than 1,000 people to the heart of North Carolina’s state government, the NC NAACP and its allies say they have concluded the latest round of Moral Monday protests that focused national attention on policies of the General … [Read more...] about Protesters’ Last ‘Salute’ as Legislators Wrangle

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, State Budget

Council Spotlights Education, Opportunity

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 20, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The NC Council of Churches aims to exert a positive influence on public policies that have implications for what is commonly known as social justice. What this often boils down to is spotlighting areas of decision-making in which the interests of ordinary residents – people … [Read more...] about Council Spotlights Education, Opportunity

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society, State Budget

Choices, Conflicts Amid Budget Squeeze

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 13, 2014 · 2 Comments

First it was Gov. Pat McCrory who tried to fashion a state budget giving teachers a badly needed raise while hamstrung by large tax cuts. Then the N.C. Senate took its turn. Yes, teachers willing to give up their job security could get a pay boost. But the proposed Senate budget … [Read more...] about Choices, Conflicts Amid Budget Squeeze

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Taxes

Health Crunch for the Vulnerable

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · June 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

For most North Carolinians, the myriad choices that comprise the state budget may affect the quality of their children’s education, or whether their favorite state park is kept in good shape, or whether the DMV has enough employees to keep wait times to a minimum. Then there … [Read more...] about Health Crunch for the Vulnerable

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, People with Disabilities, Public Education, State Budget

Senate Budget, Fracking Roar Through

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 31, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Say this much for the leaders of the North Carolina Senate and House: When they make up their minds on a course of action, they don’t mess around. The General Assembly was in only the second full week of its 2014 session. But already the Senate, marching quick-time to the … [Read more...] about Senate Budget, Fracking Roar Through

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Environment, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

Fracking and “Reform”: Senate’s Shaky Start

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The North Carolina Senate could have gotten its 2014 session under way with a show of resolve to repair some of the damage from last year’s debacle. Just as one friendly suggestion: Senators could have reversed course and moved at the outset to expand the state’s Medicaid … [Read more...] about Fracking and “Reform”: Senate’s Shaky Start

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Environment, Fracking, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Tax Cuts’ Sour Notes

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 20, 2014 · Leave a Comment

If a session of the NC General Assembly can be compared to an opera -- comedy, farce or tragedy yet to be determined – then the governor’s recommended budget might amount to the overture. It introduces main themes and sets a mood. But there’s no guarantee that the governor and … [Read more...] about Tax Cuts’ Sour Notes

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Looming Battles Over the Schools

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 15, 2014 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina legislators may think they have their hands full trying to defuse the hot political issue of the moment – the state’s woeful pay levels for its public school teachers, now averaging 46th in the nation – while also closing budget shortfalls aggravated by unwise tax … [Read more...] about Looming Battles Over the Schools

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Buckle Up – Here Comes the Legislature

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · May 10, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The motto of North Carolina’s General Assembly during the past few years could well have been something like “Never a dull moment!” That’s especially been the case as the economy has muddled through various slumps, none so damaging as the Great Recession from which the state … [Read more...] about Buckle Up – Here Comes the Legislature

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Taxes

Education Events on Tap

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 30, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The turmoil in North Carolina’s public schools, caused by budget cuts and ill-advised policy choices, has gotten people’s attention. On Saturday, May 3, there’ll be an opportunity to take a closer look at where things stand and what the stakes are for all involved – which, when … [Read more...] about Education Events on Tap

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Teachers Feel the Strain

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 25, 2014 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s public school classrooms these days seem to be running short of happy campers where they’re most needed -- among the teachers whose noble job it is to lead the way toward learning. Teachers in this state have been put through a professional and career wringer, … [Read more...] about Teachers Feel the Strain

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Lutherans Sponsor Conference to Ponder Justice and Faith

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 15, 2014 · 3 Comments

When the line to check in at a church-sponsored conference on a beautiful Saturday morning in April stretches out the door, it’s a sign that the event has generated an impressive level of buzz. For the North Carolina Lutherans, their faith partners and other friends who turned … [Read more...] about Lutherans Sponsor Conference to Ponder Justice and Faith

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Children & Youth, Christian Unity, Civil Discourse, Economic Justice, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Moral Mondays, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Religion & Society, State Budget

Deadline for Voters — April 11

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 9, 2014 · Leave a Comment

There’s an election in the offing, and over the next few weeks candidates and their allies will be ramping up the rhetoric. North Carolinians settling in to watch some television might want to buckle their seat belts while they ride out the onslaught of campaign … [Read more...] about Deadline for Voters — April 11

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Scrambling for the Bench

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · April 8, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Are judges politicians? And why – even in a state such as North Carolina, where judges are elected by the public – does the concept of judges who also function as politicians seem curious, if not troubling? Beyond honesty, intellect and knowledge of the law, perhaps a … [Read more...] about Scrambling for the Bench

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Out of the Ashes – Creation Care?

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 25, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Living in harmony with the world of nature has never been all that simple for us humans. One could say that the reported misadventures of a couple of folks named Adam and Eve, who had it made until they were laid low by pride, showed as much from the get-go. Our species … [Read more...] about Out of the Ashes – Creation Care?

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Environment, N.C. General Assembly

Crossroads for Teacher Pay

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 17, 2014 · 1 Comment

The gory details are right there, laid out in columns of cold hard data compiled by the National Education Association. Each year, the national teachers’ group provides a comprehensive, state-by-state look at the financing of public education, with a focus on funding for … [Read more...] about Crossroads for Teacher Pay

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Public Education

Teacher Pay: Leaping, then Looking

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 9, 2014 · Leave a Comment

He hasn’t put it quite this way, but what Gov. Pat McCrory seems to be saying – and who among us hasn’t offered the same excuse? – is that it sounded like a good idea at the time. Sure it did, for those who want to see our underpaid public school teachers forced to scrabble … [Read more...] about Teacher Pay: Leaping, then Looking

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Those Who Do Without – From Our Social Justice Study for Lent

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · March 7, 2014 · Leave a Comment

In recognition of our faithful call and of this time in history, the Council’s annual Lenten guide focuses on poverty and the ways we can respond to our sisters and brothers of low-income. We hope you and your family will find cause for reflection and inspiration for action as … [Read more...] about Those Who Do Without – From Our Social Justice Study for Lent

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Economic Justice, Worship

Two Churches Talk About Race

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 26, 2014 · Leave a Comment

A newcomer to Raleigh sooner or later comes up against a riddle: How can the city have two First Baptist Churches? Here’s a non-surprise: The answer is rooted in the history of a community in which, just as elsewhere throughout the South, white citizens did not mix on equal … [Read more...] about Two Churches Talk About Race

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Election Law’s Racial Twist

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 24, 2014 · 3 Comments

It’s easy to imagine the response from legislative leaders to a new scholarly look at the impacts of North Carolina’s recent election law changes: “Get over it!” Those same Republican legislators would be hard-pressed to argue that the changes won’t hold down vote totals among … [Read more...] about Election Law’s Racial Twist

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Race/Ethnicity

The Stakes with Teachers’ Pay

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 17, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Whether anecdotal or empirical, the evidence is clear: North Carolina has done a poor job of furnishing its public school teachers with adequate salaries. By “adequate,” we should mean pay that’s good enough to attract competent, motivated people into the teaching profession, … [Read more...] about The Stakes with Teachers’ Pay

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

Seeking Smooth Elections

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · February 7, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The election law changes approved last year by North Carolina’s General Assembly face court challenges on grounds of voter suppression and racial discrimination. However the courts rule, it’s hard not to conclude that the changes will have the biggest impact on groups tending to … [Read more...] about Seeking Smooth Elections

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government

Boosts for Voters, Protestors

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 27, 2014 · 2 Comments

By the time last year’s edition of the NC General Assembly finished its work, it was as though the laws and policies by which this state is governed had been run through a conservative wringer. Taxes and budgeting. Health care. Unemployment benefits. Public schools. … [Read more...] about Boosts for Voters, Protestors

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Taxes

King’s Voice for Voters

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 17, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Our country’s annual salute to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. honors him as the foremost crusader in the grand civil rights movement of the mid-20th century – the movement that finally broke the shackles of legally imposed racial segregation. What King and his countless … [Read more...] about King’s Voice for Voters

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Voting Rights and Faith

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · January 6, 2014 · 2 Comments

Elections in the United States must be carried out in line with rules meant to ensure honesty and accuracy, and to expose candidates to timely judgments about their merits. But those rules cannot be used to set up unreasonable barriers to the polls – barriers that serve the … [Read more...] about Voting Rights and Faith

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Council News, Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

A Year of Setbacks, Pushbacks

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 29, 2013 · Leave a Comment

At the close of a momentous year for politics and public policy in North Carolina – a year that challenged many people of faith to act on their beliefs -- we again might find ourselves wondering whether things have to get worse before they can get better. That “things” got … [Read more...] about A Year of Setbacks, Pushbacks

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Civil Liberties, Death Penalty, Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Fracking, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

District Lines and Lions

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 14, 2013 · 3 Comments

The “peaceable kingdom,” where lions lie down with lambs amid other unlikely combos, turns out to be not so far-fetched when it comes to one of North Carolina’s most vexing policy challenges. While there are holdouts who enjoy their status as predators – or who don’t want to risk … [Read more...] about District Lines and Lions

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Mandela Led the Way

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 8, 2013 · Leave a Comment

As so often happens, the occasion of a person’s death becomes a time not only for mourning the end of a life but also for celebrating a life well-lived. When the departed is counted among the greatest advocates for human rights in all of modern history, a figure who inspired … [Read more...] about Mandela Led the Way

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Prophetic Voice

Momentum, Maybe, on Teacher Pay

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · December 2, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Perhaps they’re hearing footsteps – the footsteps of all those teachers who have turned out in recent months to call for better pay and more generous overall support for North Carolina’s public schools. Perhaps they’re anticipating the footsteps of thousands of teachers, … [Read more...] about Momentum, Maybe, on Teacher Pay

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

Costs of Election Changes

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 26, 2013 · 1 Comment

It’s ghoulish to think about, but everyone has heard of dictatorial regimes that will execute a democracy-minded dissenter and then supposedly make the martyr’s family pay for the bullets. Then there’s the N.C. General Assembly, which hires its own private lawyers to defend … [Read more...] about Costs of Election Changes

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Crossroads for Food Aid

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 13, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Does hunger cause people to work harder, or to make better decisions as to how to spend what little money they may have? OK, let’s say the pangs of an empty stomach – or the thought of one’s children enduring those pangs – might engender focus on doing what one needs to do. “Les … [Read more...] about Crossroads for Food Aid

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Food, Good Government, Hunger, Religion & Society

Teachers Walk the Talk

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · November 7, 2013 · 1 Comment

Most people would agree that a young person’s success in school tilts the odds in favor of success in life. Most people would agree that students are more likely to succeed when they’re guided by skillful teachers. So how to explain the stark reality that public school teachers, … [Read more...] about Teachers Walk the Talk

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget

Trapped in the Coverage Gap

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 24, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Isn’t the federal Affordable Care Act supposed to help low-income Americans obtain the health insurance coverage that has been out of reach for millions? To be sure, that’s the idea at the heart of the law everyone now refers to as Obamacare. And despite frustrating hang-ups in … [Read more...] about Trapped in the Coverage Gap

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Health, Healthcare Reform, N.C. General Assembly

Shutdown’s Pain Spreads

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 15, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Once the budget snarl in Washington finally is untangled and the federal government is back up and running – hopefully in time to avoid a perilous default on the country’s debt – some of North Carolina’s poorest residents will be among those sighing with relief. But what happens … [Read more...] about Shutdown’s Pain Spreads

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Food, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Hunger, State Budget

Shutdown Scenario: The Hunger Brink

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · October 11, 2013 · Leave a Comment

The political stakes and motives are plain to see. President Obama and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill are locked in a desperate struggle with the Republicans who control the U.S. House. Neither side wants to be painted as villains in the sorry saga of the partial federal … [Read more...] about Shutdown Scenario: The Hunger Brink

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Aging, Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Food, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Human Rights, Hunger, People with Disabilities, Religion & Society

Tragic Combination: Guns and Mental Illness

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 26, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Let’s hope this isn’t the case, but recent history suggests that President Obama is not done with a duty that surely is among the most difficult and heart-wrenching aspects of his job. When groups of innocent Americans are gunned down in the all-too-familiar pattern we refer … [Read more...] about Tragic Combination: Guns and Mental Illness

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Good Government, Gun Violence, Mental Health

Health Law Navigators and Naysayers

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 16, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Many Americans without health insurance coverage look forward to the coming weeks and months. Starting Oct. 1, they’ll be able to enroll for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care initiative. Folks who don’t make much money – strangely and … [Read more...] about Health Law Navigators and Naysayers

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Healthcare Reform

Capital’s End-of-Summer Fallout

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · September 6, 2013 · 1 Comment

Call it the year of North Carolina’s Big Right Turn. A conservative General Assembly, with a conservative governor in tow, veered away from the moderate consensus that had set the tone of Tar Heel politics for decades. Taxes were cut for high-end earners. Public schools were put … [Read more...] about Capital’s End-of-Summer Fallout

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Farmworkers, Good Government, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Rural Life, Taxes

Heed the Governor on Drug Tests

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 30, 2013 · Leave a Comment

When the General Assembly during its recently concluded session turned out one misguided bill after another – to hold down the racial minority vote, weaken environmental rules, cut taxes for the well-off, squeeze spending on schools – Gov. Pat McCrory went along for the ride. He … [Read more...] about Heed the Governor on Drug Tests

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Health, N.C. General Assembly

Back to School Amid Tight Times

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 28, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Of the many public policies North Carolina has followed across the decades, none has brought greater dividends than the state’s commitment to invest in education at all levels. No other policy has done more to support the state’s economy by attracting and nurturing businesses … [Read more...] about Back to School Amid Tight Times

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Court Tests for New Election Law

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

North Carolina’s new voter ID law also cuts the period for early voting and makes other changes in election rules. Does the law discriminate against some voters on the basis of their race? Or is it targeted at Democrats, with any downside for African-Americans simply reflecting … [Read more...] about Court Tests for New Election Law

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Moral Mondays, Race/Ethnicity

Elections bill: Return to senders

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 12, 2013 · 1 Comment

Gov. Pat McCrory has said he’ll soon dispose of the 30 or so bills remaining on his desk following the General Assembly’s July 26 adjournment. He can either sign them into law, let them become law without his signature or veto them. Will the Republican governor take a hint from … [Read more...] about Elections bill: Return to senders

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government

Three for the Governor’s ‘No’

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 3, 2013 · 1 Comment

If Gov. Pat McCrory goes along with the General Assembly’s partial “disassembly” of state environmental rules – and if North Carolina loses significant ground in the battle against pollution, as likely would be the case – he won’t be able to say he wasn’t warned. Fourteen of … [Read more...] about Three for the Governor’s ‘No’

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government

Short Rations for Schools

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · August 1, 2013 · Leave a Comment

The teachers were upset. And with North Carolina now embarked on a program of aggressive backsliding in its commitment to public education, who could blame them? Teachers, many of them wearing distinctive red t-shirts, helped swell the crowd of several thousand at the July 29 … [Read more...] about Short Rations for Schools

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Moral Mondays, Public Education, State Budget

More Damage as Session Ends

Steve Ford, Volunteer Program Associate · July 26, 2013 · Leave a Comment

The General Assembly has adjourned its 2013 session after a final cascade of disappointing and disturbing bills that now await review by Gov. Pat McCrory. Among the bills approved are ones that will make it less convenient for many citizens to vote and that weaken regulatory … [Read more...] about More Damage as Session Ends

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Elections, Environment, Fracking, Moral Mondays, Public Education, State Budget, Taxes

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

Latest Tweets

Just last week, our Governing Board adopted a resolution calling for the removal of Confederate symbols in public squares. As people of faith & conscience, we believe such monuments are a constant reminder of prejudice against black and brown people. >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/iGCX…

About 2 days ago

"Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem 'The Hill We Climb' begins with the lines: 'When day comes we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?'" Read more of this 2nd Sunday lenten reflection from Elizabeth Brewington >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/pgge…

About 2 days ago

"Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came dangerously close to the onset of an anti-democratic Trump-ocracy." Read more from Steve Ford >> ncchurches.org/2021/…

About 2 days ago

FACT: Countries where maternal mortality rates have significantly dropped (~ -50%) in the past few decades (e.g., France, Germany, Sweden), have generous paid leave laws. #BlackHistoryMonth #Paidleave #BlackHealth pic.twitter.com/PgWW…

About 3 days ago

Call your Member of Congress and tell them paid leave is crucial to public health and economic recovery. Text paidleave (one word) to 844-955-2880 or visit bit.ly/39PWQde to begin. #AmericanRescuePlan #PaidLeave #BlackHealth

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

About 2 days ago

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

About 3 days ago

RT @MAHECwnc There has never been a better time to quit smoking and vaping. Protect your health by keeping your lungs healthy! #quitlinenc #covid19 #asheville pic.twitter.com/bKlC…

About 3 days ago

Check out this new resource from @DrugPolicyOrg challenging us to dig deeper and work together to uproot the drug war. uprootingthedrugwar.… #harmreduction #mindfultogether

About 3 days ago

Dr. Julian's work was instrumental to the public health community. We carry his passion as we continue reckoning with our past so that we may continue building the beloved community. Learn more about Dr. Julian's legacy at pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ju…. #BlackHistoryMonth @novapbs pic.twitter.com/JJsm…

About 4 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

About 2 days ago

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

About 2 days ago

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

About 2 days ago

RT @EPA EPA is proud to join our agency partners as we tackle the climate crisis and build a healthier, cleaner, more equitable future for all. Let’s do this! whitehouse.gov/brief…

About 5 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine