Latest news with #RobSchofield
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Counties must address biased and unjust property tax assessments
(Photo: Clayton Henkel) It's a universal rule of local government that nobody likes their property tax bill or the way their property is assessed. By any measure, the assessors have a tough and thankless job. That said, it's also true that there are unjust assessments and sometimes they're the byproduct of historical bias and discrimination that affect large numbers of property owners. And right now, that appears to be the case in some North Carolina communities. As NC Newsline reported last week, advocates in Orange County recently provided compelling evidence that residents of some historically Black neighborhoods are experiencing this injustice. The advocates say newer larger homes in those neighborhoods – typically owned by white investors — are undervalued while older homes owned by longtime Black residents are systematically overvalued. And that results in genuinely unjust tax bills. The bottom line: To their credit, Orange County officials say they will review the data. Let's hope they do so quickly and carefully and that the work inspires other counties across the state to follow suit. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State, federal budget bills will help worsen a destructive national trend
(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) It's a trend that's been advancing at a breakneck clip for years now, but according to a new report from the global nonprofit OxFam, the vast and immoral inequality that dominates the U.S. economy has reached truly stunning levels. As the report notes, over the past year, the richest ten Americans increased their wealth by 365 billion dollars. It would take ten average U.S. workers a staggering 726,000 years to make that much money. But wait, it's about to get worse. Under Republican budget bills advancing in Congress and the North Carolina legislature, new and regressive tax cuts along with big reductions in services will assure that the gap between the super-rich and everyone else grows even wider. It's a situation so corrupt and toxic that it's quickly undermining the fabric of a country founded on the premise of equal opportunity. The bottom line: Elected leaders must confront and reverse these trends right away lest our once great nation soon becomes unrecognizable. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
New Helene documentary provides another wake-up call
Repair vehicles from the North Carolina Department of Transportation repair a partially cratered road in western North Carolina amid the recovery from Hurricane Helene. (Photo: NCDOT) North Carolina hardly needs any more wake-up calls about the devastating impacts of climate change, but a new, must-see PBS/NPR documentary provides another powerful reminder on the subject of dealing with the extreme weather that climate change is spawning. The documentary is entitled 'Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning,' and in it, NPR's Laura Sullivan exposes a wasteful and vicious cycle that has come to dominate how our state and nation deal with natural disasters. It's one in which the federal government spends more than $50 billion every year to help communities recover from disasters, but that frequently includes properties that have already flooded repeatedly. This cycle is now on full display in western North Carolina where politicians and the construction industry are resisting common sense rules that would govern how new buildings are sited and constructed. The bottom line: 'Hurricane Helene's Deadly Warning,' should be required viewing and listening for all elected leaders and average Americans. Look for it online at PBS or NPR. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislature's cruel attacks on transgender rights will endanger lives
A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Trans Kids Belong" at a March 2024 rally outside the North Carolina Legislative Building. Republican state senators have introduced a bill in 2025 that would enact new restrictions on the rights of transgender people. (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline) Why are so many conservative politicians obsessed with denying the existence of transgender people? Several years ago, it was the infamous bathroom bill that sought to micromanage the public restrooms trans people used. Now, the same forces are at it again with bills targeting transgender youth. Under legislation approved by the state House last week, charges of abuse and neglect against parents who refuse to acknowledge their child's gender identity would be barred. Supporters say the bill is about validating parental rights, but if that's so, why did they defeat an amendment that would protected parents who acknowledge and support their transgender kids? After all, some politicians have promoted attacks of precisely this kind on parents who love and celebrate their trans children. The bottom line: Gender dysphoria is a long-established medical condition for which gender transition frequently amounts to lifesaving care. By denying this reality, lawmakers are assuring that some young people will be denied care and that their lives will be cruelly and needlessly endangered. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Duke Energy helps lead a cowardly corporate retreat
Image: AdobeStock While it's no surprise that President Donald Trump is undoing years of hard won national progress in combating discrimination, the decision by many corporations to cowardly follow suit is shameful. Take North Carolina-based Duke Energy. As researchers at the Energy and Policy Institute recently reported, Duke once held itself out as a leader in fighting injustice. Its former CEO led her presentation at a 2020 earnings call by stating quote 'issues surrounding racial equity and social justice are front and center, as they should be.' 'Now, more than ever' she continued, 'we are relying on these values to cultivate a workplace rooted in diversity and inclusion.' What a difference a few years make. Today, the report notes, Duke has been busy scrubbing numerous references to diversity and inclusion from important corporate documents. The bottom line: While some corporations are proudly reenforcing their commitment to fight discrimination, Duke bosses have sadly but predictably folded like a cheap suit. One suspects it's a sign of their true colors. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
