[quote=“MeanJoeGreen, post:19, topic:29625”]Voter ID laws, if that is what was being referenced, is so that no person can vote more than once, or without being legal citizens. As for the other issue, Mayor Pat said he would cut some education program funding and fund more that is more or less science and engineering related. This is no shocker to me, but only one program from UNC CHA CHA CHA is another obvious jab, especially given their current education issues. Had it been us with the constant bad-press for bad-education, we would have been punished as an “example”. I do believe there is a big difference in being pro-state and pro-state-government, just like being anti-state and anti-state-government. Cutting government spending is not anti-state in my opinion. Giving our money, representation and freedom to a foreign entity cannot get anymore anti-state, which I hope is investigated in great detail by the FBI on all levels here. If there is not in-state corruption regarding this project and others, then they should have nothing to hide.[/quote]I don’t like the toll roads either, but how are they taking away our freedom? :o
You’re paying a 2nd time for toll roads that already pay for taxes. There would never be a toll road anywhere near Raleigh. Funding is going overseas. An extra expensive toll at that, so no one will use, so 77 will still be stuck in traffic on the free lanes that can’t be added to for 50 years. Need anymore anti-freedom examples?
The 50 year restrictions is complete garbage and the fact that all the local government wanted to hold off on final approval for further dialogue and review and the state pushed it through anyway. If I live up around the lake I would be beyond pissed.
[quote=“ninerID, post:3, topic:29625”]there are simply too many degrees. My sister got her degree at UNC Charlotte, was a math teacher at a high school. Her degree wasn’t in “Mathematics Education”.
We’ll close these degrees and probably not one student will be turned way. This is just simplification I would imagine.[/quote]
I’m as liberal as they come, but I think this is dead on. I have tons of issues with the way the state is handling education at nearly every level, but this isn’t one of them. There is real value in a liberal arts education imo. Its important to us as a culture. But we have to many of them. And to many of them are funded on the backs of borrowed money.
We need to rethink the way we look at education.
[font=arial][size=14px]“It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”[/size][/font]
[font=arial][size=14px]There is a toll road near Raleigh, I think, but I never use it. [/size][/font][font=arial][size=14px]A 50 year non-compete agreement is insane and is a restriction of freedom. I do not see how courts could enforce such an agreement, but that might be a double-handed game being played out. [/size][/font]
The 50 year restrictions is complete garbage and the fact that all the local government wanted to hold off on final approval for further dialogue and review and the state pushed it through anyway. If I live up around the lake I would be beyond pissed.[/quote]
There was always some local opposition to the toll lanes, but most of the elected leaders did not start actively fighting the lanes until it was too late.
[quote=“stonecoldken, post:22, topic:29625”]You’re paying a 2nd time for toll roads that already pay for taxes. There would never be a toll road anywhere near Raleigh. Funding is going overseas. An extra expensive toll at that, so no one will use, so 77 will still be stuck in traffic on the free lanes that can’t be added to for 50 years. Need anymore anti-freedom examples?[/quote]There are already many toll roads in the Raleigh area.
The reason for the toll roads is because we don’t have money to expand 77, so clearly the gas tax is either poorly managed or insufficient to properly manage all our roads.
77 isn’t a federal priority road, so it doesn’t get federal help for widening like 85 does. With some areas of 77 approaching a cost of $100 million per mile for widening (the areas in the middle of the city), I doubt we’ll see it expanded any time soon.
None of your examples are anti-freedom. They’re bullshit and a bad deal for NC residents for sure, but they’re not anti-freedom. Anti-freedom would be taking away taxpayer funded lanes and going 100% toll lanes.
The toll roads suck, but there is a difference between bad policy and “anti freedom”.
The only part that is anti freedom I see is locking in an excessively long contract so that regardless of people’s feelings and changes in the dynamics the details of the contract are locked for half a century. So no matter how people vote or what people say nothing can change. That part to me seems antifreedom, other than that just seems bad decision making from the government and I am soooo shocked by that.
[quote=“casstommy, post:24, topic:29625”][quote=“ninerID, post:3, topic:29625”]there are simply too many degrees. My sister got her degree at UNC Charlotte, was a math teacher at a high school. Her degree wasn’t in “Mathematics Education”.
We’ll close these degrees and probably not one student will be turned way. This is just simplification I would imagine.[/quote]
I’m as liberal as they come, but I think this is dead on. I have tons of issues with the way the state is handling education at nearly every level, but this isn’t one of them. There is real value in a liberal arts education imo. Its important to us as a culture. But we have to many of them. And to many of them are funded on the backs of borrowed money.
We need to rethink the way we look at education.[/quote] So universities have run amok and need to be reigned in?
Can we start with cutting funding to support big time athletics, then? Wonder how the oh-so-frugal BOG would vote on that?
I’m NOT making fun of your argument, it’s just that I doubt saving money is their real motive here.
Well, if they’re a monumental flop (and I believe they will be), maybe the foreign entity will eventually just turn control of the roads over. If you don’t make back your initial investment, you don’t continue dumping money into maintenance.
147 is a toll road. it runs into Rtp.
[quote=“Niner National, post:31, topic:29625”]Well, if they’re a monumental flop (and I believe they will be), maybe the foreign entity will eventually just turn control of the roads over. If you don’t make back your initial investment, you don’t continue dumping money into maintenance.[/quote] You think our politicians are smart enough to insure they don’t have to pump tax money into buying out the contract? As it now stands, more state funded lanes can not be built for 50 freakin’ years, regardless of whether or not the toll lanes get used.
How is I-77 NOT federal. I thought the whole point of the Eisenhower Interstate System was that all interstates are fed.
And if there are toll roads near Raleigh, they’re probably minor. They’re not going to put I-40 on a toll road.
[quote=“stonecoldken, post:34, topic:29625”]How is I-77 NOT federal. I thought the whole point of the Eisenhower Interstate System was that all interstates are fed.
And if there are toll roads near Raleigh, they’re probably minor. They’re not going to put I-40 on a toll road.[/quote] Interstate highways are not exempt from tolls.
The newer section of the outer loop (540) of Raleigh has a toll and I drive it more than I like (Cary/Apex area). There’s talk the only way to improve the old section is to expand the toll area. I think all road projects like this will be tolled in the future.
Making I-77 a toll road from Mooresville to Charlotte is like converting I-40 to a toll road from Durham/chapel hill to Raleigh. That will not happen. I-40 was widened with tax dollars. The plan for I-77 calls for converting some lanes already built and paid for to toll lanes.
[quote=“49r9r, post:37, topic:29625”]Making I-77 a toll road from Mooresville to Charlotte is like converting I-40 to a toll road from Durham/chapel hill to Raleigh. That will not happen. I-40 was widened with tax dollars. The plan for I-77 calls for converting some lanes already built and paid for to toll lanes.[/quote] Refresh my memory. Which area has the capitol city?
[quote=“49r9r, post:37, topic:29625”]Making I-77 a toll road from Mooresville to Charlotte is like converting I-40 to a toll road from Durham/chapel hill to Raleigh. That will not happen. I-40 was widened with tax dollars. The plan for I-77 calls for converting some lanes already built and paid for to toll lanes.[/quote]Interstate widening projects typically are at least co-funded by federal dollars. All interstates are not equal and thus do not receive the same priority from the federal government for funding.
I77 is not considered a high priority interstate highway. It connects Columbia SC with Ohio.
I85 on the other hand connects Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh to I95 and the Northeast. A vital transportation and shipping hub.
I40 spans the entire continent and is a very important piece of national infrastructure.
This isn’t simply a case of the folks in Raleigh giving Charlotte the shaft. Not saying anti-Charlotte bias isn’t happening at all, but there is more at play than just a conspiracy against Charlotte. I77 simply isn’t a vital highway for commerce. If traffic backs up on 77, that isn’t negatively impacting interstate commerce to nearly the degree that traffic backed up on 85 or 40 does.
[quote=“Niner National, post:39, topic:29625”][quote=“49r9r, post:37, topic:29625”]Making I-77 a toll road from Mooresville to Charlotte is like converting I-40 to a toll road from Durham/chapel hill to Raleigh. That will not happen. I-40 was widened with tax dollars. The plan for I-77 calls for converting some lanes already built and paid for to toll lanes.[/quote]Interstate widening projects typically are at least co-funded by federal dollars. All interstates are not equal and thus do not receive the same priority from the federal government for funding.
I77 is not considered a high priority interstate highway. It connects Columbia SC with Ohio.
I85 on the other hand connects Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh to I95 and the Northeast. A vital transportation and shipping hub.
I40 spans the entire continent and is a very important piece of national infrastructure.
This isn’t simply a case of the folks in Raleigh giving Charlotte the shaft. Not saying anti-Charlotte bias isn’t happening at all, but there is more at play than just a conspiracy against Charlotte. I77 simply isn’t a vital highway for commerce. If traffic backs up on 77, that isn’t negatively impacting interstate commerce to nearly the degree that traffic backed up on 85 or 40 does.[/quote]
I don’t always agree with n n but he is right. I hadn’t looked at it this way but it makes a ton of sense. That said, lots of major metres that connect to minor metres or burbs still get funding either through local initiatives and or state funds. That’s not even an option now for the next 50 years.
If the residents at the lake wanted to agree to a 1 cent sales tax to fund a road, they would be precluded. That is the absurdity.
The state, not the federal government has tied the hands of a local community. These are not republicans like I understand.