NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2, 2011

Meeker and other critics of the Republican board members have on more than one occasion accused them of being outsiders and made fun of three of them having lived in New Jersey.

N&O - October 9, 2010

Wonder what Meeker thinks about all those "outsiders" from New Jersey spending millions at hockey games.

UNITY DAY 2011

Mayor Meeker's final "Unity" Day will take place tomorrow at the Raleigh Convention Center. Raleigh's Human Relations Commission will present and discuss the recommendations and responses resulting from the 2010 Community Dialogues Report - "Many Faces, One Community."

The report is based on suggestions from 100 people of whom only 61% say they always vote in municipal elections.

In Part III, Section F, of Recommendations, it states:

1. Develop diversity training for its employees, including officers of the Raleigh Police Department.

3. Embrace and accept the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Participants recommended that the City of Raleigh become more involved with LGBT issues and develop collaborative partnerships through the LGBT Center of Raleigh and the Center at N.C. State University. Adding gender identity and expression to the City’s nondiscrimination policy and providing domestic partner benefits to City of Raleigh employees would show a commitment to this community. Participants also voiced the hope that the City will formally recognize the contributions of its LGBT community by developing initiatives, offering statements of support, sponsoring events and making appointments to boards and commissions. The LGBT community adds to the economic vitality and culture of our city, and its members are active in every part of Raleigh’s economy.

DAILY JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 21, 2011

KEVIN HILL AND INCOMING MAGNET SCHOOL BOOSTER BOARD MEMBERS BEGIN ROLLBACK DECEMBER 7

WITH TWO WEEKS LEFT OF A TEN YEAR SERVICE, MEEKER BEGINS JOBS FOCUS

PETTY PULLEN'S LATEST JOHN 2:16 EVENT

EVANS: IF WE JUST BUS THOSE BLACK STUDENTS THEY'LL BE SMARTER

MEEKER'S PAYOFF TO NAACP?

City Council Agenda

DAILY JOURNAL - OCTOBER 30, 2011

MEEKER CONCERNED ABOUT PROTESTORS, BUT NOT COST OF THEM

SUSAN "CPA" EVANS PROFESSIONALISM

DEBT DEBATED IN HOLLY SPRINGS

HOLLY SPRINGS BOND RAISES TAXES

MORRISVILLE CANDIDATES DISCUSS ISSUES

DAILY JOURNAL - OCTOBER 27, 2011

MEEKER POST MAYOR: TAX INCREASES FOR TRANSIT

MEEKER'S MINI-ME: ON THE RECORD

OCCUPY RALEIGH COSTS TAXPAYERS $40,000 AND COUNTING

YEVONNE BRANNON - PROPONENT OF CHOICE?

FINAL WORDS FROM WAKE FOREST CANDIDATES

WENDELL CANDIDATES ADDRESS TOWN TAX WOES

HOLLY SPRINGS CANDIDATES ADDRESS BONDS

UNITY DAY 2011

9-11 HEROES?

THANK GOODNESS IT WASN'T DOWNTOWN

Or this might actually be a problem.

RALEIGH WIDE OPEN:

RALEIGH -- One person is dead after a shooting near the intersection of Capital and Crabtree Boulevards. It happened Monday around 9 p.m.

Police say the victim has been identified as 18-year-old Francisco Aurelio Kelly of Rocky Mount. Three other juveniles, including a 15-year-old male, a 15-year-old female and a 14-year-old female, were transported to WakeMed with gunshot wounds that are not life-threatening. If you have information into this shooting, you are asked to call Raleigh police at (919) 996-3555.

Related link

SO MAYOR "JOE FRIDAY" MEEKER

Sent out a nice glossy campaign mailer for his election talking about public safety. Problem? This is from 2003. Six years later and he manages to talk about a new public safety center.

RALEIGH PD TO USE SOUP CANS TIED TOGETHER WITH STRING AND SIT ON THE FLOOR

It appears that our illustrious Mayor "I really care about law enforcement but instead funded new public art coordinators but not police raises" Meeker has cut over $65 million in costs from the proposed Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center Building.

Don't believe me? Just read this from the Meeker's PR department with the City of Raleigh:

"Now is the time to lead, he said, not stagnate in the sluggish wake of this recession. Now is the time to move on the $140 million Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center ..."

Related Link

Sadly it appears Meeker has cut all but the costs of building the Taj Mahal - once again depriving law enforcement of the resources they need.

If that's not the case, Meeker's PR machine at town hall might want to be more truthful in their write-ups.

HOW TO LOSE AN ELECTION - MARY ANN BALDWIN STYLE

How do you lose an election? Well pretty much drag yourself into matters that do not even pertain to Raleigh governance and make thousands of parents across the city loaded for bear. Parents will vote on one issue this fall and that's school reassignment. Period.

That's what Mary Ann Baldwin did at the March 17, 2009 meeting of the Raleigh City Council. Not only did Mary Ann Baldwin vote for the resolution, but she also presented the resolution to the council.

Another school diversity flavor aid drinker, Councilman James West, praised the socio-economic diversity experiment, stating "diversity and those kinds of things proven that they have worked." Of course, he does not offer any proof of this - just like his buddy Chuck Delaney over at WCPSS.

You can watch the video here. Go to E 3 on the menu.

Also, you should send an email to Councilman Isley, thanking him for his no vote. He appears to be on the sole voice of reason on the Raleigh City Council. He can be reached at pisley@boyceisley.com. The resolution passed with 7 members (including Mayor Meeker) voting in favor of the resolution with Isley casting the lone no vote.

Any parents that would like to "thank" the Raleigh City Council for turning their backs on you in your battles against an unresponsive school bureaucracy, you can reach them here. I personally recommend you thank them on October 6, 2009.

Here's the resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. (2009) 842

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SUPPORT
OF THE RALEIGH CITY COUNCIL
FOR THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

WHEREAS, the Wake County Public School System has consistently provided our citizens with one of the best school systems in the state and the nation, providing a solid educational foundation for our children and contributing to our County's economic prosperity; and

WHEREAS, the upkeep of our Wake County schools is imperative for our continued educational, economic, and cultural sustenance and growth.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA THAT:

Section 1. The City supports the current district elections of the Wake County Board of Education as a means of ensuring minority and district representation, and controlling campaign costs, and the City supports the school's diversity policy to ensure a balanced and equal education for all our City's children.

Adopted: March 17, 2009

REMOVING A LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIAL

After an inquiry as to how to remove a locally elected official, we did some checking.

It's the ballot box. Nothing more.

Sorry.

MEEKER - THE FISCAL CONSERVATIVE

"It is one of those things you probably wouldn't do even if you had the extra money.”

Mayor Charles Meeker, WRAL - February 17, 2009

Yes, Mayor Meeker, I agree that extending Crabtree Valley Avenue at a cost of $30 million is a crazy idea.

So what does Meeker do when you don't have any money?

Spend what will inevitably be millions of dollars on public art while you neglect essential police services.

Now, that's fiscal insanity.

MAYOR CHARLES "BENIGN NEGLECT" MEEKER FINALLY SPEAKS ON CRIME...

And what did he have to say?

More police? More investment in community programs? Crackdown on gangs?
Faith based initiatives?

NOPE.

He blame shifted. It's not his fault he says.

From Sunday's News and Observer:

Meeker agrees that there are too many guns on Raleigh's streets, but he says state and federal laws bar the council from doing anything about it.

"We really don't have any authority there," he said. "We're left policing after terrible incidents have occurred."Meeker agrees that there are too many guns on Raleigh's streets, but he says state and federal laws bar the council from doing anything about it.

News and Observer, 2-15-09

That's it. That's literally all he had to say.

So Meeker takes the standard guns kill people excuse. This is the best he could do to explain crime and address solving the problem.

After an almost 50% increase in murders in Raleigh last year and this is the best answer he could muster.

Raleigh's well on its way to besting that number this year.

Don't blame me. It's Bev Perdue and Barack Obama's fault says Mayor "benign neglect" Meeker.

SIR WALTER WALLY

Sir Walter Wally saw his shadow today.

After having Wally held close to his ear, Mayor Meeker announced six more million dollars for downtown Raleigh. (Don't get your hopes up Bragg Street.)

As if we could be so lucky......

(Of course this is satire, Mayor Meeker would never come this cheap.)

DEAR DONNIE:

Sheriff Harrison,

We at Wake Community are disappointed. Haven't you learned? You've been through these budget processes with Wake County Commissioners before.

Recent news reports state you might have to get rid of the ICE program and 61 deputies.

We know you're a pretty sharp fellow and would think you had observed our Wake County School System in action.

Your solution? Why Donnie just cook your attendance numbers. The Wake County Public School System does it every year and seems to get away with it.

Just inflate your prison population figures above what you actually think will occur.

Heck with the dropout rate in Wake County Public Schools and Mayor Meeker's failure to speak a word about crime in his "State of Fayetteville Street" address, you might actually be right on target. They might inadvertently help you along.

Your being far too honest Donnie. The Wake County Commissioners seem to expect it from Del Burns. Give it a go!

MAYOR MEEKER'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

What perhaps was fascinating about Mayor "downtown first" Meeker's State of the City speech was not all that was in it, but what was lacking.

What he avoided talking about.

Mayor Meeker went through a litany of items - lavish spending for Fayetteville Street, Raleigh's new Convention Center, etc. All things that are not basic functions of local government.

But addressing crime is. And it was completely absent from his remarks. Not a single word said.

NOTHING.

Just think about the high profile murders that have occurred this year. Crime remains rampant along Tarboro Road and Bragg Street. Just this past week found yet another violent murder committed on Camden Street - just blocks from where Mayor Meeker has pushed multi-million dollar public investments along Fayetteville Street.

Raleigh saw a 48% increase in murders in 2008. One might think that would be worthy of discussion among the Mayor's overview of the "State of Raleigh."

Raleigh's violent crime went against national trends last year and saw a substantial upswing.

So the next time you personally experience theft of your personal property or are the unfortunate victim of violent crime, remember what Mayor "benign neglect" Meeker had to say about it........

NOTHING.

LATEST INCIDENT IN MEEKER'S "UNLIVABLE STREETS"

Here's your weekly murder in Mayor Meeker's "Livable Streets/Raleigh Renaissance."

Murder in 300 block of Camden Street in downtown Raleigh.

Not exactly a "mint" of an area.

What would $1 million do to revitalize this area with increased police protection and strategic social services? Instead it was used to revitalize a building into a plush restaurant.

IF THIS HAPPENED ON FAYETTEVILLE STREET WITH THE CLOCKWORK FASHION OCCURING AT THE ENLOE HIGH SCHOOL AREA ...

What would Charles "Livable Streets" Meeker do?

Yet another violent crime has been committed at/in the Enloe High School area.

Of course this area around Tarboro Road, Raleigh Boulevard, Glascock Street, etc. doesn't fall within Mayor Meeker or Mitch Silver's vision for livable streets.

They've dumped millions onto Fayetteville Street and in the process completely neglected areas of Raleigh desperately in need of true social services and more importantly police protection.

Police moral is low. The Raleigh Police Department is understaffed. Ask some of Raleigh's finest off the record and they'll tell you how disappointed they are in Meeker and City Manager Russell Allen.

Maybe you can tell folks at the MLK celebration tomorrow how much you've neglected their community in favor of pouring millions into upper crust "white-collar" restaurants on Fayetteville Steet.

Maybe an apology is more in order....

Or maybe you can just blame President Bush's "human rights" record for the problem as you did recently. After all you're just a Mayor and this is your city.

Anne McLaurin - could you please talk to your husband and ask him to fix the problem? He is the Mayor and you are on the school board.

THE 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - RALEIGH'S NC BUDGET DOCUMENT

Anyone involved with politics of any persuasion in North Carolina knows how both sides utilize the NC budget as a political weapon.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle anxiously await the week before elections to know what type of mail attacking them will arrive in voter mailboxes.

Likewise, Raleigh's Comprehensive Plan has 460 pages of goodies.

Maybe Meeker, Koopman, Stephenson, Baldwin and McFarlane would like to explain this one to irate Raleigh parents.