Opinion
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OPINION: The ‘Rucho Strategy’ Failed North Carolina
Blair Reeves is the executive director of Carolina Forward, an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit policy organization that advocates for ideas, policies and values to build a stronger North Carolina that works for all its people. Ten years ago, on the heels of a fresh legislative supermajority engineered by aggressive partisan gerrymandering,…
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OPINION: In NC, Democracy Is Throttled and Left for Dead
Harry Taylor is a longtime Charlotte-area activist and founder of the Flush GerryMander blog. On Sept. 28, I drove to Hickory, North Carolina to testify at yet another redistricting/map-making hearing. Yes, we’re at it again. When the GOP won a 5-2 majority in the state supreme court in November, that…
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OPINION: If Democrats Don’t Engage Latino Voters, Republicans Will
We’ve all heard the statistics: Latinos make up 15% of our area’s current population, and maybe more importantly, they make up 30% of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ student body. There is no doubt that the future of Mecklenburg will be heavily influenced by Hispanic thought-leaders. Still, there exists an even more compelling…
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OPINION: I Am a Product of Affirmative Action
Like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, I am a product of affirmative action. And like Justice Thomas, my parents and grandparents were born in Georgia. Like Justice Thomas, I attended Catholic elementary and high schools during the 1950s & 1960s, prior to being admitted to college as a direct result…
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OPINION: An Open Letter to Tricia Cotham
Former allies, friends and colleagues of N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham — who in April announced she would switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party — gathered in Raleigh on Tuesday to support newly proposed legislation that would penalize elected officials who switch parties in the middle of their…
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Politicians Are Lying About Transgender Health Care for Children
For over 25 years, I have worked as a cardiologist serving the Charlotte community. As a parent of two sons, I have learned that nobody knows our children’s health care needs better than loving parents do. That’s why it’s heartbreaking to see parents have to stand before politicians to fight…
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OPINION: The Gift That Tricia Cotham Gave Us
Over the past two weeks, many Democrats have expressed shock and anger over House District 112 Tricia Cotham’s April 5 announcement that she would be officially switching to the Republican Party. Many have felt deceived and betrayed. There are, however, also quite a few others who are completely unshocked, as…
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OPINION: What Made Michael Jordan a Great Player Makes Him a Bad Owner
Was there ever a more perfect ending than Michael Jordan’s final shot for the Chicago Bulls in 1998 against the Utah Jazz — the dagger as he sealed the deal on a second three-peat for the Bulls, posing after letting the ball go while it dropped ever so perfectly through…
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OPINION: Don’t Put a Target at Eastland Yards
Ask any Charlotte native born in the 1990s or prior about the Eastland Mall, and you’ll likely get caught in a sweeping wave of nostalgia. With a twinkle in their eye, they’ll share stories about how that’s where they got their ears pierced, or it’s where they took their kids…
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OPINION: Back the Bipartisan 2023 Government Transparency Act
A newly sworn-in North Carolina General Assembly and a fresh legislative session present an opportunity to significantly advance government transparency and the people’s right to know. Coinciding serendipitously with Sunshine Week 2023 — March 13-19 — a bill has been filed that would vault our state from the bottom of…
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OPINION: Don’t Bury the City’s Public Transportation
The onset of COVID — and the short-term reduction in traffic that it brought — delayed the realization for a couple of years that we cannot accommodate all the cars that our growing population brings. We are projected to grow by 500,000-700,000 new residents in the next 20 years, and…
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OPINION: Road Widening Is Never the Answer
Mecklenburg County’s population is growing rapidly, and the transportation system isn’t keeping pace with the needs of the people who live and work here. With the city pursuing a $13.5-billion transportation plan, there’s been much discussion locally around how that money could be best spent to make the most impact,…
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OPINION: Mecklenburg’s Bad Voter Turnout Was No Surprise
The low Democratic voter turnout in Mecklenburg County in 2022 has been the subject of recent headlines, but it was not a surprise to many Democrats in the county. In fact, the turnout rate was consistent with a pattern that set off alarm bells two years ago for several members…
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OPINION: Mecklenburg County Democrats Owe Cheri Beasley an Apology
We as Mecklenburg County Democrats owe Cheri Beasley an apology. If you live in Mecklenburg County, you may be confused by this statement, as many local Democrats — particularly those with direct ties to the party — often brag about how “blue” Mecklenburg is. Yes, it’s true that most local…
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OPINION: Moore v. Harper Could Give N.C. Lawmakers Absolute Power Over Elections
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, North Carolina’s legislative leaders will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to give them absolute power over federal elections. That’s when the nine Justices will hear arguments in Moore v Harper, the N.C. redistricting case being called the gravest threat to American democracy. In Moore, lawmakers make it…
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OPINION: Pat Cotham Is a Republican and It’s Time Democrats Admit It
[Editor’s Note: The following is an op-ed sent in by an outside contributor and should not be seen as an endorsement or pronouncement by Queen City Nerve’s editorial staff in the lead-up to the November election. Jennifer De La Jara currently serves as an at-large representative on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board…
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