Our Three Voices in Raleigh Are Failing Henderson County Our three voices at the North Carolina General Assembly— Senator Tim Moffitt  and Representatives Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson —all voted for SB 382 , twice . In fact, Mr. Johnson was one of three sponsors of the bill. Described as “disguised as disaster relief”  by a Hendersonville Lightning  editorial, SB 382  has significantly weakened local zoning control , making it harder for cities and counties to protect fa

Our Henderson County Public Schools are under attack. Leadership We have seven members on our HCPS School Board. All are registered Republicans. Three of the members, including the Board Chair, are reasonable. The other four have an agenda that includes: Introducing some form of Bible instruction during the school day. Eliminating “woke” instruction (and presumably “woke” teachers). Guarding against instruction using Critical Race Theory. Banning books deemed inappropriate (t

I over-consumed media before the election. I was glued to my phone all day and late into the night, reading everything and diving into endless rabbit holes. What was I looking for? A glimmer of hope that the outcome would be something I could live with. My spouse called me neurotic. I muttered under my breath, "You won’t think I’m neurotic when everything I’m afraid of comes true." Yep, that sounds neurotic. After the election, like many others, I went on a media-free diet. C

Did you or anyone you know vote for Elon Musk for any office? Yet, some Republicans are now referring to Musk as “Prime Minister.” I think of him as the “Puppet Master in Chief.” He is certainly exercising a lot of control over the incoming Trump administration (and the President-Elect himself). This is an unelected man with no federally mandated position in our national government. He is accountable to absolutely no one—except, presumably, Donald Trump. He certainly is not a

Our state reps are disrespecting us. Reps. Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson, along with Senator Tim Moffitt, are part of the current Republican supermajority in Raleigh. They vote in lockstep with Republican leadership and agendas. Recently re-elected to new terms, their actions make it clear they prioritize party power over the people they represent. A Sham of a Relief Package These representatives voted to overturn Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the Hurricane Helene relief pack

It looks like Trump is serious about deporting undocumented immigrants. His choice of leadership for this task includes a former head of...

As a young teen, I read Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. I watched women fighting for equality and the right to govern their own lives....

The Scorecard I’ll make a prediction right now that might not seem bold or visionary: Whenever Donald Trump’s economic strategies start...

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Those Crazy MAGA Republicans In an email to Republican voters, the NC Republican 11th Congressional District Chairwoman admitted, “I...