Author Archives: Matt Richardson

N.C. Republicans Gasping For Power

June 26, 2018 By in NC Politics Tags: 1 Comment

If you ever fish a blackwater river in Eastern North Carolina this time of year, you’ll come across an interesting phenomenon.  Bowfin (aka blackfish, dogfish, or grindle) are a prehistoric fish that can survive in hot, oxygen-starved water by inhaling air into a swim bladder that works like a lung.  In short, they can breathe if they have to.

Pull your boat into any oxbow on a really hot summer day, turn off the motor and sit still.  You’ll soon see and hear the bowfin rising to the surface, holding onto life, one gulp at a time.  Pull up on Jones Street on a hot day this week.  Listen.  You’ll hear something similar.

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Do Downtown Stadiums Create New Growth?

June 22, 2018 By in Fayetteville Politics Leave a comment

400-06208163c_998_380According to the City of Fayetteville’s website:

“The baseball stadium is expected to be an economic home run for the local Fayetteville area.”

The UNC School of Government has cited a recent study that suggests that it may not be.  The study tracked the economic impact in sixteen cities that placed minor league stadiums in their downtown areas.  A summary of the findings:

Stadiums can revitalize a city’s downtown, but data suggests they merely concentrate development around the new stadium and don’t create new growth. 

The gist is this:  a new downtown stadium works like a magnet, drawing people in from other parts of the city and leaving vacancies where they once lived and worked.  There is little net impact to a city’s economy as a whole.

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Judicial Election Preview (Cumberland)(UPDATED)

June 18, 2018 By in Fayetteville Politics 2 Comments

AR-170529089UPDATE:  On June 29, the last day of the filing period, District Court Judge Lou Olivera withdrew from the race for Cumberland County’s multi-seat Superior Court District 12C.  Olivera backed out after a change in the law forced him to choose which sitting Judge to challenge, Jim Ammons or Mary Ann Tally.

Not wanting to face either in a head to head match, Olivera packed it in.

There will be no Republican candidate in District 12C.

Fox News or the Fayetteville Observer???

June 11, 2018 By in Fayetteville Politics, NC Politics Tags: Leave a comment

Where do you get your political news?

FiveThirtyEight has an interesting article up about the nationalization of our news sources and the increasing partisanship and polarization of our politics.  In short, even the smallest of local issues is now examined through a national, partisan lens.

The article even gives a shout-out to the Fayetteville Observer:

Americans today are far more engaged with and knowledgeable about national politics than state or local politics, a gap that has been growing in recent decades. And it turns out that the changing media environment is a key engine of today’s nationalization. More and more, Americans are turning away from the media outlets that are most likely to provide a modicum of state or local coverage. They are substituting Fox News (or maybe FiveThirtyEight) for the Fayetteville Observer, and The New York Times’ website for the Nevada Appeal.

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Washed-Out Dams, Parking Decks, and Double Standards (Fay. City Council)

June 5, 2018 By in Fayetteville Politics 6 Comments

Hurricane Matthew wiped out dozens of dams in Cumberland County and Eastern North Carolina.  Many Fayetteville residents with empty community lakes have called on the City of Fayetteville to assist with repairs.  After all, the city is spending thousands on storm-water maintenance and collecting fees from taxpayers to address flooding issues.

The city has declined direct assistance to the affected residents, stating repeatedly through its leadership that it can’t use public money to repair their private dams:

City staff emphasized that its hands were tied as far as how much the city could do.

Deputy City Manager Kristoff Bauer emphasized that the city could not spend public money on private dams.

Councilman Jim Arp, who represents Loch Lomond, said he wants to find a solution to restore the lake. But he and Crisp said they are concerned about spending city money on private dams.

“It has to benefit all the taxpayers of Fayetteville,” Arp said.

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