We've looked at Jennifer Balkcom's decisions and overarching support for the majority GOP in Raleigh that hurt Democrats, Republicans and UNAs in Henderson County. Her decisions on behalf of only a part of Henderson County would be greatly amplified if she is elected to represent NC 11. > Balkcom voted lockstep with GOP state colleagues for private school vouchers at the expense of public schools. North Carolina is now ranked 50th in the nation in public per-student spendin

Thank an Election Worker Voting in America is the foundation of our democracy. And it is a safe and secure process thanks to the poll workers, staff and elections officials who safeguard our right to vote. Oct. 20 is Election Hero Day. This is a non-partisan effort to simply say "thank you" to those who work on elections. This includes our state and local officials, paid poll workers and the observers and greeters that you see when you go to the polls. When I first heard abou

As we mark the two years since Hurricane Helene devastated WNC, we can acknowledge that there has been progress. And recently we've seen the promise of more money and more recovery. However, our impacted communities and neighbors have been neglected for the last two years at the national and state levels by our elected leaders, who voted to provide money but then were either too incompetent or too slow to actually get the money out to the communities that needed it. Note that

Property tax amendment: we don't need it

Voter fraud, the SAVE Act, and the insanity of it all

A cap on income tax rates could have negative impacts

Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress – along with the NC State General Assembly – are doing all they can to prevent anyone but MAGA supporters from voting in the 2026 midterms. Continuing the big lie about mail-in vote fraud as justification, the Republicans are imposing barriers to the ability to vote by mail. But an analysis by the Brookings Institute, using conservative Heritage Foundation data from the 2016-2022 general elections, shows that only 4 out of 10 mill

We deserve better than a leader who doesn't think about anybody.

Remember 'Reaganomincs'? Explore this history of tax cuts for the rich and their impact on the rest of us.

School vouchers: learn the truth about who benefits and what you can do about it.

Hunt for 'illegal aliens' on Medicaid shows there's nothing there

Millions of our most need are losing health insurance benefits.

The SAVE Act needs to be stopped now!

Trump's tax cuts for the rich will save the top 1% of income earners more than $1 trillion in the next 10 years, more than $75,000 annually for the richest households. To offset this give away, the Republicans slashed an estimated $700 billion in funding for Medicaid over the next decade. They also cut $186 billion for SNAP (food stamps) benefits. And they have allowed insurance premium tax credits relied upon by some 22 million Americans to expire in the Republicans late

Trump's Economy is Not for Us - Layoffs Reach a 22 Year High

Here I come again with those pesky facts. I have been looking at the President’s deployment of National Guard troops in LA, Washington, DC and (soon) Chicago.

Quick quiz: How much of the US budget do you think was going to USAID? Find out Now.

One of the most confusing topics of these turbulent times is tariffs.

New Medicaid rules are coming — but not until after the 2026 midterms . That timing is no accident. Here’s what you need to know about the changes quietly passed by the GOP in Congress — with full support from Chuck Edwards — and what they could mean for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. 🔹 1. Delayed Accountability The changes passed in the so-called “one big beautiful bill” won’t take effect until 2027 , long after the 2026 mid-term elections . That delay conveni

Attending Henderson County Board of Commissioners’ meetings can often be sleep-inducing. At other times, the normally somber proceedings are punctuated with tiny bomblets of “what did they just say?” moments. The sound system in the Historic Courthouse is not always up to the task, and the Commissioners sometimes use its inadequacy to render their comments inaudible to much of the audience. Auditory challenges aside, the July 23rd meeting was notable for a challenge by the tw