StopNCAnnexation Update
The next meeting of the Joint Commission is this coming Thursday. The location is different from where the last three meetings were held.
Meeting details:
Day: ThursdayTime: 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Date: January 22nd
Location: Room 1027 - Legislative Building
Address: 16 West Jones Street, Raleigh, 27601
Directions: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/help/directions.html
The final meeting is less than five days away. It is critical that the Joint Commission members hear from hundreds of people from across NC while they hammer out the details of the recommendations they plan to unveil on the 22nd.
I hope that you realize the impact that your input has had on the direction of the conversation in this Joint Commission.
When the Senate decided to get involved in studying the annexation issue, all the signs were there that some Senate members were more interested in taking control of the conversation than in allowing the citizens and the growing number of pro-reform legislators to continue to control it. It looked like some pro-city Senators were stepping in to rescue the cities from the outcry of the people. But that hasn't happened thanks to the strong committment by so many people to stick together and keep writing, calling and doing whatever it took to be at the commission meetings.
The comments coming back from the commission members to some of the calls and letters has been encouraging to say the least. It appears that the legislators are listening to the people and are recognizing that there are serious problems with how city initiated annexation has been used. And they seem to realize that the people of this State are not going to rest until the laws are made right with the American principle of protecting individual rights.
No matter how much the city lobbyists would like to transform this wonderful State into the "Soviet Socialist Republic of North Carolina", that is not what the people will accept and that is not the kind of place we want to live in.
Please take the time to remind the Commission members that 'we the people' want to see real meaningful changes made to the annexation laws_"no more tweaks". We want change that restores just rights and protections to the property owners.
1. Meaningful oversight of city initiated annexation
2. Meaningful services defined and required
3. A meaningful voice in the final decision to join a city or not
Here are the email contact addresses for the Commission Members for your convenience:
vernonm@ncleg.net; Rcsoles@ncleg.net; Austina@ncleg.net; danielc@ncleg.net; done@ncleg.net; tonyf@ncleg.net; Steveg@ncleg.net; malcolmg@ncleg.net; joeq@ncleg.net; tonyr@ncleg.net; Bruceg@ncleg.net; Paull@ncleg.net; Larrybr@ncleg.net; nelsond@ncleg.net; Earlj@ncleg.net; louishomeofo@bellsouth.net; Edgars@ncleg.net; Fredst@ncleg.net; Russellt@ncleg.net;
bhcampen@bellsouth.net; Tina.Hall@rowancountync.gov; spfd1301@nc.rr.com; beth.trahos@smithmoorelaw.com; gbarrett@co.cumberland.nc.us; dmccarley@ci.charlotte.nc.us; judith_wegner@unc.edu; DAITKEN@nc.rr.com
(Trudi Walend is no longer receiving email at the General Assembly)
I have also attached a text document that lists the home addresses and phone numbers of all the Legislators on the Commission. You can also find this information online @ ttp://www.stopncannexation.com/Joint_Committee.htm
A couple of other things that you could do, that would raise the public discussion of the issue and help keep the annexation issue in the media, would be to write letters to the editor and call into radio talk shows. These two actions can be done for the next few months and will help the progress of the issue through the 2009 Legislative Session.
One thing that is very clear from the statements from the Legislators and the reaction of the NCLM during this study of the annexation laws; we are all being heard and taken seriously. This is unprecedented in all the past studies.
Let's keep the pressure up and take this issue to a successful resolution this year.
You can find this information and more on the StopNCAnnexation website: http://www.stopncannexation.com/ See you in Raleigh on January 22nd!
Catherine Heath
StopNCAnnexation Coalition
919 649-9154
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them." abolitionist Frederick Douglass
