December 16, 2020
On an episode of Locked In with Algenon Cash, I took a moment to discuss the acquisition of NCPoliticalNews.com as well as the importance of social media for business branding. Algenon was too kind when he called me “the Rupert Murdoch of Digital Media in North Carolina” and while I’m not at that level today, I believe that the actions our team has set in motion will lead to continued momentum and growth.
November 23, 2020
Defunding the Police has been one of the most controversial topics of 2020, stemming from the wake of high-profile cases involving concerns of racial profiling or cases of police brutality. While some calls for Defunding the Police mask redistributing money from police budgets to social programs, others are a bit more blatant by defunding police departments altogether.
Fast forward to this past week in La Grange, where 31 policing agencies descended on our area. They came with helicopters, heat-seeking devices, K-9s, SWAT teams, armored vehicles, and more. Tax dollars well spent to protect our community from harm. Imagine living near Kennedy Home or Banks School Road in an era where Defunding the Police wasn’t a phrase but a policy.
November 8, 2020
The nation is probably as divided as it has been since the American Civil War in the 1860s. The supposed blue wave tsunami that was predicted by the media and pundits did not materialize in the numbers that they proclaimed. The White House may be changing parties, but Republicans picked up several House seats and look to maintain a Senate majority come January.
Despite COVID, lockdowns, a battered economy, partisan hoopla, racial issues, social unrest, riots, and a huge backlash against Trump, the nation is still bitterly divided, almost down the middle of its population. The polls were wrong–again, and many are losing faith in journalists, news, media, and the entire political system.
November 1, 2020
At the October 5th Kinston City Council meeting, the elected members unanimously approved two motions allowing city employees new vacation days for June 19 and Election Day. With roughly less than five minutes of discussion, both motions passed.
The City of Kinston has 378 positions on payroll and have about 350 positions filled at this time. Let’s assume all 350 are eligible to vote. If 70% take the time to vote, that will equate to approximately 245 employees exercising that right. If 61.2% have already cast their ballots in our area, it would mean about 214 employees have already done so.
Based on historical numbers, the cost per vote on Election Day (31) is roughly $1,729, plus time and a half for our police, fire and other essential employees.
October 25, 2020
One of the unique ideals of our country is that we’re able to express views and beliefs without fear of reprisal or censorship. And the internet has brought forth a plethora of opportunities to distribute information through a multitude of platforms and websites. But with the acceptance of differing voices came also the silencing of dissenting opinions by those with a monopoly on power and information…namely Facebook, Google and Twitter. These tech giants have created amazing platforms for people to connect, yet now have the undaunting task of policing those platforms in the scope of free speech without sacrificing what their ad dollars crave – your attention and engagement.
October 12, 2020
Councilman Sammy Aiken and I served together for 6 years. We probably disagreed on only about 5% of matters before our board. I’d attest it was largely because we rarely got caught up in national politics on a local level.
September 25, 2020
While TikTok has been all over the news after President Trump drew attention to the potential theft of data from Americans and the endangerment of officials, a silent giant has put the hard work and talent of local entrepreneurs and workers on display without permission or a conversation. News Break, created by Chinese media veterans, is a news aggregator application that is robbing small American businesses of their intellectual property, infringing upon copyrighted material, and denying them the potential for revenue.
September 21, 2020
COVID-19, economic issues, social unrest, wildfires, natural disasters, and explosive “gotcha” books will help shape the political landscape. Technological advances like geo-targeting and social media will provide new means of communicating candidates’ messages in local and national elections. The old cliche that “all politics is local” continues to ring true, but how do local candidates stand out in the noise of presidential election year rhetoric?
August 30, 2020
While reporters and TV talking heads continue to refer to North Carolina as a swing state, they are largely mistaken. We do not “swing” between Republicans and Democrats for president and governor much to the media’s chagrin. Our selection of US Senators, however, would qualify for that designation. The reality is that NC tends to vote for Republican presidents, Democratic governors, and flip flops on US Senators.
August 23, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected everyone in 2020 and will affect us for years to come. I will leave some of the national debate about the economic stress, masks, hydroxychloroquine, or other issues to the pundits. On a local level, the recent potential 18-week decision by the Lenoir County School Board exposed a servant leadership deficit catching parents, teachers and even administrators by surprise.
