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Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

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About Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Much goes on in North Carolina's state capital that's important to the Council of Churches. I'm glad to have a chance to help follow the action, transitioning from my career with The News & Observer of Raleigh, where I retired in 2012 as editorial page editor. I'm originally from Virginia but have lived in Cary so long I remember the Kildaire Farm barn.

Read more of my commentary here.

Veto Showdowns and Voter ID

January 19, 2023 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. General Assembly gathered on Jan. 11 amid trappings of ceremony and good cheer to kick off its 2023 session. Then reality reared its head: At least in the […]

Veto Showdowns and Voter ID

January 19, 2023 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. General Assembly gathered on Jan. 11 amid trappings of ceremony and good cheer to kick off its 2023 session. Then reality reared its head: At least in the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Policy, Voting Rights

High court faces school funds switcheroo

November 14, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. Supreme Court – or at least a slim majority of its members – invoked its solemn duty to uphold constitutional rights when it agreed in a Nov. 4 […]

High court faces school funds switcheroo

November 14, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The N.C. Supreme Court – or at least a slim majority of its members – invoked its solemn duty to uphold constitutional rights when it agreed in a Nov. 4 […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Who decides on ‘sound basic’ spending? Stay tuned

August 11, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Like it or not – and there are plenty of reasons to worry amid the familiar end-of-summer bursts of excitement – another school year will soon get under way. The […]

Who decides on ‘sound basic’ spending? Stay tuned

August 11, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Like it or not – and there are plenty of reasons to worry amid the familiar end-of-summer bursts of excitement – another school year will soon get under way. The […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

‘Independent’ legislature: Fair elections at risk

July 5, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The U.S. Supreme Court, as if rushing to settle old grievances, in recent weeks has thrashed about in a virtual frenzy of “originalism” – never mind the consequences for America’s […]

‘Independent’ legislature: Fair elections at risk

July 5, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The U.S. Supreme Court, as if rushing to settle old grievances, in recent weeks has thrashed about in a virtual frenzy of “originalism” – never mind the consequences for America’s […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Policy, Voting Rights

School Spending, Quality at Stake

April 11, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The colossal dispute over the proper financing of North Carolina’s public schools that has played out over 28 years is heading to a showdown before the state Supreme Court – […]

School Spending, Quality at Stake

April 11, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The colossal dispute over the proper financing of North Carolina’s public schools that has played out over 28 years is heading to a showdown before the state Supreme Court – […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Map Showdown: Rights on the Line

March 1, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Four months after the N.C. General Assembly enacted a new alignment of the districts in which our state’s congressional representatives are chosen, the gavel has come down: That district map […]

Map Showdown: Rights on the Line

March 1, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Four months after the N.C. General Assembly enacted a new alignment of the districts in which our state’s congressional representatives are chosen, the gavel has come down: That district map […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Redistricting

Decision points on districts, schools

January 24, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Among all the issues and challenges confronting North Carolina as 2022 gets under way – overcoming the pandemic, easing rural poverty, alleviating environmental threats, improving access to health care, on […]

Decision points on districts, schools

January 24, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Among all the issues and challenges confronting North Carolina as 2022 gets under way – overcoming the pandemic, easing rural poverty, alleviating environmental threats, improving access to health care, on […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education, Redistricting

Democracy in distress? Check the maps

January 6, 2022 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Americans this first week of January are recalling how close to the brink of disaster our nation’s democratic system came one year ago, when a violent mob seeking to keep […]

Democracy in distress? Check the maps

January 6, 2022 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Americans this first week of January are recalling how close to the brink of disaster our nation’s democratic system came one year ago, when a violent mob seeking to keep […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured

Help for schools: Courts to the rescue

November 12, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In the rough and tumble realm of politics, it can be a hard call as to whether someone is standing firm on worthwhile principle or simply obstructing out of plain […]

Help for schools: Courts to the rescue

November 12, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In the rough and tumble realm of politics, it can be a hard call as to whether someone is standing firm on worthwhile principle or simply obstructing out of plain […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Public Education

Now at stake: money, schools, power

October 26, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Here in the last week of October, almost four months after a new state budget was supposed to have been in place and with multiple plot-lines coming to a head, […]

Now at stake: money, schools, power

October 26, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Here in the last week of October, almost four months after a new state budget was supposed to have been in place and with multiple plot-lines coming to a head, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Push, shove on public school spending

September 10, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A momentous clash between North Carolina’s General Assembly and the state’s judicial system looks to be coming to a head. At stake is the ability of the state’s public schools […]

Push, shove on public school spending

September 10, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A momentous clash between North Carolina’s General Assembly and the state’s judicial system looks to be coming to a head. At stake is the ability of the state’s public schools […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

Democracy Fights Infections

August 6, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The coronavirus – now rekindled in a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” – is forcing us yet again to adjust our daily routines and recalibrate our expectations of normalcy. Even people […]

Democracy Fights Infections

August 6, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The coronavirus – now rekindled in a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” – is forcing us yet again to adjust our daily routines and recalibrate our expectations of normalcy. Even people […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Sad Twists on Election Integrity

June 11, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina legislators – offering what amounts to a snappy salute in the direction of Mar-a-Lago – are well on their way toward fixing an election law that’s anything but […]

Sad Twists on Election Integrity

June 11, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina legislators – offering what amounts to a snappy salute in the direction of Mar-a-Lago – are well on their way toward fixing an election law that’s anything but […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Voting Rights

Now in play: Pro-voter pushback

April 5, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Say this much, at least, for those legislators who favor making it easier, not harder, for North Carolinians to vote: They’re not ready to surrender to their vote-suppressing foes. Even […]

Now in play: Pro-voter pushback

April 5, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Say this much, at least, for those legislators who favor making it easier, not harder, for North Carolinians to vote: They’re not ready to surrender to their vote-suppressing foes. Even […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Politicians’ fear: Too many votes

March 24, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With Republican lawmakers throughout the land making “election integrity” a favorite cause and rallying cry, it likely was just a matter of time before some of their North Carolina counterparts […]

Politicians’ fear: Too many votes

March 24, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With Republican lawmakers throughout the land making “election integrity” a favorite cause and rallying cry, it likely was just a matter of time before some of their North Carolina counterparts […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Voter ID

‘For the People’ – or for whom?

March 11, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When an ambitious bill designated as H.R. 1 was approved by the newly empowered Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives back on March 8, 2019, perhaps a fitting […]

‘For the People’ – or for whom?

March 11, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When an ambitious bill designated as H.R. 1 was approved by the newly empowered Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives back on March 8, 2019, perhaps a fitting […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Redistricting, Voter ID

‘Stop the Steal’ after-effect – voter suppression?

February 25, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came […]

‘Stop the Steal’ after-effect – voter suppression?

February 25, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps it’s the pandemic that offers a fitting analogy to the condition of our politics as Americans try to recover from the trauma of Jan. 6 – when we came […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

The fraud that was election fraud

January 13, 2021 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount […]

The fraud that was election fraud

January 13, 2021 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

December 30, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a […]

Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

December 30, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

December 10, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a […]

Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

December 10, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Voter ID

Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

November 12, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph […]

Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

November 12, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Election Machinery in High Gear

October 22, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system […]

Election Machinery in High Gear

October 22, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government

School Quality vs. the Virus

September 18, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced […]

School Quality vs. the Virus

September 18, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

August 12, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. […]

Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

August 12, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections

The Virus and the Vulnerable

July 31, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its […]

The Virus and the Vulnerable

July 31, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government

Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

July 6, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look […]

Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

July 6, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Swing Toward Safer Voting

May 28, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s […]

Swing Toward Safer Voting

May 28, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

May 8, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to […]

Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

May 8, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

April 22, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and […]

In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

April 22, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

April 1, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection […]

Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

April 1, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Voter ID’s Rough Ride

February 22, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of […]

Voter ID’s Rough Ride

February 22, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Voter ID

‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

January 17, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report’s findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations […]

‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

January 17, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report’s findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

January 7, 2020 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal […]

Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

January 7, 2020 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

December 13, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north […]

Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

December 13, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

October 25, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply […]

Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

October 25, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Redistricting

Ambush at Override Gulch

September 13, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

September 13, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting, State Budget

Ambush at Override Gulch

September 13, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

September 13, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting, State Budget

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

September 6, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

August 12, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

August 12, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Gun Violence, Medicaid, State Budget

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

August 12, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

August 12, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Gun Violence, Medicaid, State Budget

On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

July 1, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

You have to wonder: What would U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. tell that proud North Carolina gerrymanderer David Lewis if they ever came face to face, just the two […]

On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

July 1, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

You have to wonder: What would U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. tell that proud North Carolina gerrymanderer David Lewis if they ever came face to face, just the two […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

June 27, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Not to belabor the obvious, but when North Carolina’s elected leaders craft a spending plan for state government, they take positions on many issues that have a moral dimension. And […]

No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

June 27, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Not to belabor the obvious, but when North Carolina’s elected leaders craft a spending plan for state government, they take positions on many issues that have a moral dimension. And […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Medicaid, State Budget

Gerrymandering Dooms Voter ID Amendment, Judge Says

February 25, 2019 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to specify that the court ruling does not address the status of the law enacted in December to comply with the state constitution’s […]

Gerrymandering Dooms Voter ID Amendment, Judge Says

February 25, 2019 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to specify that the court ruling does not address the status of the law enacted in December to comply with the state constitution’s […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

December 18, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Update: After this article was written, Gov. Cooper did veto House Bill 1029, as he was urged to do. He criticized the bill as potentially “devastating to the cause of fighting election […]

Elections Oversight: No Place for Secrecy

December 18, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Update: After this article was written, Gov. Cooper did veto House Bill 1029, as he was urged to do. He criticized the bill as potentially “devastating to the cause of fighting election […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government

Election Milestone on Path to Change

November 8, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The first thing Gov. Roy Cooper did after he reported for work on Wednesday, Nov. 8, was to order up a generous new supply of red ink for his veto […]

Election Milestone on Path to Change

November 8, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The first thing Gov. Roy Cooper did after he reported for work on Wednesday, Nov. 8, was to order up a generous new supply of red ink for his veto […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

When It Rains Voter Suppression

September 19, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s a truism that weather affects elections. Yes, many of us would slosh through a downpour if that’s what it took to get to the polls. But a cold, driving […]

When It Rains Voter Suppression

September 19, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s a truism that weather affects elections. Yes, many of us would slosh through a downpour if that’s what it took to get to the polls. But a cold, driving […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report

Pushback Path Leads to Court

August 13, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A summer of hectic twists and turns has made it increasingly clear: The N.C. General Assembly’s ruling Republicans have been driven by desperation. They must be desperately worried that their […]

Pushback Path Leads to Court

August 13, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A summer of hectic twists and turns has made it increasingly clear: The N.C. General Assembly’s ruling Republicans have been driven by desperation. They must be desperately worried that their […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly

Power Struggle has them Scrambling

August 2, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The drive by Republicans who control the N.C. General Assembly to enhance their already formidable power, often at the expense of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, has been relentless. Why is […]

Power Struggle has them Scrambling

August 2, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The drive by Republicans who control the N.C. General Assembly to enhance their already formidable power, often at the expense of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, has been relentless. Why is […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly

Governor Faces a Squeeze

June 28, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Depending on the context, it could be called poor sportsmanship. Or bullying. Or a flouting of democratic principles. Or even tyranny. Consider a situation in which a group of people […]

Governor Faces a Squeeze

June 28, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Depending on the context, it could be called poor sportsmanship. Or bullying. Or a flouting of democratic principles. Or even tyranny. Consider a situation in which a group of people […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Power Push’s Troubling Twists

June 22, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The current leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly – top members of the state House and Senate, all of them Republicans – rule with iron fists and aren’t squeamish […]

Power Push’s Troubling Twists

June 22, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The current leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly – top members of the state House and Senate, all of them Republicans – rule with iron fists and aren’t squeamish […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report

Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer

June 11, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s new state budget – now on a fast track to final enactment by the Republican-controlled General Assembly over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto – represents a miserable failure […]

Voter ID Follows Budget Bulldozer

June 11, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s new state budget – now on a fast track to final enactment by the Republican-controlled General Assembly over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto – represents a miserable failure […]

Filed Under: Blog, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, State Budget

Marching for Schools, and for Children

May 18, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

They suited up in their red t-shirts, hoisted their homemade signs and coursed like a river through the heart of downtown Raleigh. Destination: The headquarters of North Carolina’s General Assembly. […]

Marching for Schools, and for Children

May 18, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

They suited up in their red t-shirts, hoisted their homemade signs and coursed like a river through the heart of downtown Raleigh. Destination: The headquarters of North Carolina’s General Assembly. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education, State Budget

Doing the School-money Shuffle

April 30, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When the N.C. General Assembly convenes on May 16, legislators will be “welcomed” by a throng of advocates for high-quality public schools – teachers prominent among them. More power to […]

Doing the School-money Shuffle

April 30, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When the N.C. General Assembly convenes on May 16, legislators will be “welcomed” by a throng of advocates for high-quality public schools – teachers prominent among them. More power to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

School Districts: Keeping It Together

April 13, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Public education in North Carolina has its share of challenges, not the least of which has been the state’s ongoing failure to make sure that school systems in poorer communities […]

School Districts: Keeping It Together

April 13, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Public education in North Carolina has its share of challenges, not the least of which has been the state’s ongoing failure to make sure that school systems in poorer communities […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All

April 2, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It was perhaps the N.C. Supreme Court’s finest hour. In 1997, the high court held unanimously that North Carolina public school students are entitled under the state constitution to the […]

Public Schools’ Call to Quality – For All

April 2, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It was perhaps the N.C. Supreme Court’s finest hour. In 1997, the high court held unanimously that North Carolina public school students are entitled under the state constitution to the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Public Education

On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

March 19, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Ordinary Americans – those of us not allowed to know the secrets of high-level espionage work – at this point find it hard to judge accurately the accomplishments of Gina […]

On the Hot Seat, Where She Belongs

March 19, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Ordinary Americans – those of us not allowed to know the secrets of high-level espionage work – at this point find it hard to judge accurately the accomplishments of Gina […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Good Government

Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale

February 15, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As the General Assembly wraps up its weirdly timed and generally ill-conceived winter session, it would be nice to think that the grand dispute over class sizes in North Carolina’s […]

Class Sizes and More: An Awkward Finale

February 15, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As the General Assembly wraps up its weirdly timed and generally ill-conceived winter session, it would be nice to think that the grand dispute over class sizes in North Carolina’s […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall

February 5, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The pattern has become familiar – and a welcome pattern it is, even if brought about by the Republican-controlled General Assembly’s relentless abuses of our democratic system. Call it, “Judges […]

With Rights at Stake, Judges Stand Tall

February 5, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The pattern has become familiar – and a welcome pattern it is, even if brought about by the Republican-controlled General Assembly’s relentless abuses of our democratic system. Call it, “Judges […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections

Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts

January 22, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Progress in rooting out North Carolina’s gerrymandered voting districts hasn’t always occurred in a straight line. But the trend – thanks to federal judges honoring their duty to uphold the […]

Thumbs-up to Fairer Districts

January 22, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Progress in rooting out North Carolina’s gerrymandered voting districts hasn’t always occurred in a straight line. But the trend – thanks to federal judges honoring their duty to uphold the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly

January 12, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Grand constitutional questions in this country aren’t settled until the Supreme Court has its say, either by affirming or reversing the rulings of lower-court judges or simply by declining to […]

U.S. Court: Those Districts Won’t Fly

January 12, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Grand constitutional questions in this country aren’t settled until the Supreme Court has its say, either by affirming or reversing the rulings of lower-court judges or simply by declining to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

N.C. Judges on Trial

January 4, 2018 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Well, here we go again. If the Republican-led General Assembly in 2017 focused on trying to exert its dominance over a freshly installed Democratic governor, then 2018 could bring the […]

N.C. Judges on Trial

January 4, 2018 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Well, here we go again. If the Republican-led General Assembly in 2017 focused on trying to exert its dominance over a freshly installed Democratic governor, then 2018 could bring the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections, N.C. General Assembly

Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home

December 5, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The solid citizens of Johnston County, N.C. – in a fateful quirk of geography – for several years have faced an unusual dilemma: What to do about the local company […]

Torture Inquiry Hits Close to Home

December 5, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The solid citizens of Johnston County, N.C. – in a fateful quirk of geography – for several years have faced an unusual dilemma: What to do about the local company […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Peace

Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates

November 17, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House desperate to post a big legislative win, their push for so-called tax reform – the label being used to sugar-coat […]

Tax Plan Twist: Churches, Charities, Candidates

November 17, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House desperate to post a big legislative win, their push for so-called tax reform – the label being used to sugar-coat […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Elections, Taxes

GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench

October 23, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

To the Republicans who run the N.C. General Assembly, the concept of judicial independence – central to our bedrock American principle of checks and balances and to the rule of […]

GOP’s Goal: A Tilted Bench

October 23, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

To the Republicans who run the N.C. General Assembly, the concept of judicial independence – central to our bedrock American principle of checks and balances and to the rule of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

September 30, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

At many levels, Americans are confronting issues of race relations and racial justice with an intensity that echoes the climax of the civil rights movement five decades ago – as […]

Defenders of Rights; Defenders of Privilege

September 30, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

At many levels, Americans are confronting issues of race relations and racial justice with an intensity that echoes the climax of the civil rights movement five decades ago – as […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When

August 17, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When President Trump stepped to a White House lectern on Monday and rebuked the instigators of the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., that had erupted two days before, he was […]

Post-Charlottesville: What Trump Said, and When

August 17, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When President Trump stepped to a White House lectern on Monday and rebuked the instigators of the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., that had erupted two days before, he was […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Race/Ethnicity, Violence

Marching Orders for New Maps

August 10, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The three federal judges could have just come right out and said it: The Republicans who rule the N.C. General Assembly have elevated foot-dragging to a fine art. Their stall […]

Marching Orders for New Maps

August 10, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The three federal judges could have just come right out and said it: The Republicans who rule the N.C. General Assembly have elevated foot-dragging to a fine art. Their stall […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Redistricting

Rights Advocacy At Risk

August 3, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The optics, as they say, are terrible. But in a state whose motto is “To Be Rather Than to Seem,” it’s even more important to look at the substance. And […]

Rights Advocacy At Risk

August 3, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The optics, as they say, are terrible. But in a state whose motto is “To Be Rather Than to Seem,” it’s even more important to look at the substance. And […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Fracking, Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity

Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

July 27, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Better get used to it. The N.C. General Assembly, after an all-too-brief adjournment during July, is about to reopen for business in its marble and masonry maze on Raleigh’s Jones […]

Uh-Oh – It’s the Legislature, Again

July 27, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Better get used to it. The N.C. General Assembly, after an all-too-brief adjournment during July, is about to reopen for business in its marble and masonry maze on Raleigh’s Jones […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, State Budget, Taxes

Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

June 30, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax burdens on the well-off while grinding opponents of legislative Republicans into the dirt, Democratic […]

Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws

June 30, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax burdens on the well-off while grinding opponents of legislative Republicans into the dirt, Democratic […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

June 22, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican chiefs to try to make a fundamentally flawed state budget appear, well, not that […]

New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short

June 22, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican chiefs to try to make a fundamentally flawed state budget appear, well, not that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, State Budget, Taxes

Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now

June 14, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The Republicans who took control of North Carolina’s General Assembly with the elections of 2010 were, it could be said, licking their chops. They knew that when they came to […]

Gerrymander Remedy: Redraw, Now

June 14, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The Republicans who took control of North Carolina’s General Assembly with the elections of 2010 were, it could be said, licking their chops. They knew that when they came to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, N.C. General Assembly

UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

June 8, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UPDATE In separate, party-line votes on June 8, the state House and Senate rejected Gov. Cooper’s attempt to convene a special session for the purpose of redrawing legislative voting districts. […]

UPDATE — High Court to NC: Draw Those Districts Fairly

June 8, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UPDATE In separate, party-line votes on June 8, the state House and Senate rejected Gov. Cooper’s attempt to convene a special session for the purpose of redrawing legislative voting districts. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

May 25, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Following the elections of 2010 – tilted as they were by an intense right-wing pushback against President Barack Obama midway through his first term – Republicans in the N.C. General […]

Lines of Influence: Justices Zap Voting Map

May 25, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Following the elections of 2010 – tilted as they were by an intense right-wing pushback against President Barack Obama midway through his first term – Republicans in the N.C. General […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

May 19, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide how much money North Carolina’s state government will spend, what it will be spent […]

Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core

May 19, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide how much money North Carolina’s state government will spend, what it will be spent […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Economic Justice, Food, Good Government, Health, Housing, Hunger, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Rural Life, State Budget, Taxes

Retiring Judge Stands Tall

April 27, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Shakespeare’s King Lear famously put it, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Top Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly now might well […]

Retiring Judge Stands Tall

April 27, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Shakespeare’s King Lear famously put it, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Top Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly now might well […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

April 22, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

How many times do we have to say it? Well, it’s worth repeating – especially in the aftermath of recent income tax filing deadlines, when the subject becomes a sore […]

Tax-Cut Fever Threatens Services

April 22, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

How many times do we have to say it? Well, it’s worth repeating – especially in the aftermath of recent income tax filing deadlines, when the subject becomes a sore […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Environment, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Religion & Society, State Budget, Taxes

New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health

April 14, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s failure under Republican leadership to improve low-income residents’ access to health care via the Medicaid program has been like a persistent, throbbing pain in the state’s civic and […]

New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health

April 14, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s failure under Republican leadership to improve low-income residents’ access to health care via the Medicaid program has been like a persistent, throbbing pain in the state’s civic and […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Health, Healthcare Reform, Mental Health, N.C. General Assembly, Rural Life, Substance Abuse

Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

April 8, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Our national politics are in an ugly place, driven by an accelerating cycle of suspicion, accusation, blame, recrimination and retaliation. The circumstances by which Neil Gorsuch takes office as a […]

Shock Waves from High Court ‘Nuke’

April 8, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Our national politics are in an ugly place, driven by an accelerating cycle of suspicion, accusation, blame, recrimination and retaliation. The circumstances by which Neil Gorsuch takes office as a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Elections, Good Government

Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

April 1, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Call it a head-on collision between politics and principle. Is anyone surprised that politics prevailed? Yet here’s the twist that perhaps makes the outcome somewhat understandable, if no less regrettable. […]

Swallow Hard: H.B. 2’s Less-than-Ideal ‘Repeal’

April 1, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Call it a head-on collision between politics and principle. Is anyone surprised that politics prevailed? Yet here’s the twist that perhaps makes the outcome somewhat understandable, if no less regrettable. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Human Rights, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

March 24, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

They might not care for the image, but Republican members of the N.C. General Assembly act as though they were drunk with power. They have the votes not merely to […]

GOP Mantra: Party Hearty!

March 24, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

They might not care for the image, but Republican members of the N.C. General Assembly act as though they were drunk with power. They have the votes not merely to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Domestic Violence, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education

H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

March 3, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the law that notoriously stamps the state’s seal of approval on discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender folks – has devolved […]

H.B. 2 ‘Compromise’ Must Protect Rights

March 3, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the law that notoriously stamps the state’s seal of approval on discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender folks – has devolved […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Economic Justice, Good Government, Human Rights, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

February 25, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Politics, at least in a democracy, is competitive. The analogy to sports may be simplistic but it’s not too far off the mark. Participants seek to win, and to do […]

N.C.’s Reckless ‘Party Time’

February 25, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Politics, at least in a democracy, is competitive. The analogy to sports may be simplistic but it’s not too far off the mark. Participants seek to win, and to do […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

Governor Fights Power Shortage

February 17, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s governor gets to live in a mansion whose handsome property occupies a full city block in downtown Raleigh. He or she gets to meet with assorted dignitaries, here […]

Governor Fights Power Shortage

February 17, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolina’s governor gets to live in a mansion whose handsome property occupies a full city block in downtown Raleigh. He or she gets to meet with assorted dignitaries, here […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Big Stakes in High Court Pick

February 1, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for high office, Neil Gorsuch barely moves the needle. But that’s not to say Americans […]

Big Stakes in High Court Pick

February 1, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for high office, Neil Gorsuch barely moves the needle. But that’s not to say Americans […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Healthcare Reform, Human Rights, Immigration, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Race/Ethnicity

Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start

January 20, 2017 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

For many of us, these are troubling times as Donald Trump ascends to the nation’s highest office. We can hope for the best but it’s hard not to anticipate the […]

Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start

January 20, 2017 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

For many of us, these are troubling times as Donald Trump ascends to the nation’s highest office. We can hope for the best but it’s hard not to anticipate the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Health, Healthcare Reform, N.C. General Assembly, Religion & Society

Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

December 31, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As we watched the egregiously unqualified Donald Trump campaign for and win election to the White House, any good news on the government and politics front was likely to be […]

Seeds of Change in a Momentous Year

December 31, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As we watched the egregiously unqualified Donald Trump campaign for and win election to the White House, any good news on the government and politics front was likely to be […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Environment, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Human Rights, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society

Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

December 15, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The ugly truth can’t be evaded or denied: North Carolina’s General Assembly, in the grip of an arrogant Republican majority, has plunged ahead with a shocking, shameful abuse of power […]

Post-Election Travesty Targets the Governor

December 15, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The ugly truth can’t be evaded or denied: North Carolina’s General Assembly, in the grip of an arrogant Republican majority, has plunged ahead with a shocking, shameful abuse of power […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Action Alert, Civil Liberties, Elections, Environment, Good Government, Interfaith, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Religion & Society

The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand

December 9, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

He and his supporters twisted and turned, wriggled and squirmed. But 27 days after the Nov. 8 election, Gov. Pat McCrory finally bowed to the inevitable and conceded that his […]

The Path to McCrory’s Last Stand

December 9, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

He and his supporters twisted and turned, wriggled and squirmed. But 27 days after the Nov. 8 election, Gov. Pat McCrory finally bowed to the inevitable and conceded that his […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly

Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

December 5, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

No one reading this post is likely to pull a brain muscle describing ways in which the recent elections could have consequences ranging from the unfortunate to the dire. Our […]

Maps Again Key to Power, Rights

December 5, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

No one reading this post is likely to pull a brain muscle describing ways in which the recent elections could have consequences ranging from the unfortunate to the dire. Our […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

November 18, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency was a waste-pit wallow through a sludge of fear and hate. That millions of Americans voted for him presumably without hating anyone says a […]

Plots Thicken in Election’s Aftermath — UPDATED

November 18, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency was a waste-pit wallow through a sludge of fear and hate. That millions of Americans voted for him presumably without hating anyone says a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, N.C. General Assembly

A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

November 11, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental stewardship, ample investment in public services and fair allocation […]

A Troubling Choice, Yet Glimmers of Hope

November 11, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental stewardship, ample investment in public services and fair allocation […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Economic Justice, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Human Rights, Immigration, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society, Taxes

At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

October 27, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8 – and with thousands of North Carolinians already having cast their ballots – we […]

At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule

October 27, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8 – and with thousands of North Carolinians already having cast their ballots – we […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Children & Youth, Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Good Government, Health, Healthcare Reform, Immigration, Interfaith, LGBTQ, Living Wage, Moral Mondays, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Public Education, Race/Ethnicity, Religion & Society, State Budget

Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

October 1, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Donald Trump may strike a populist, anti-big business note a la Bernie Sanders from time to time. But he also has a tendency to gloat over his own cutthroat business […]

Trump, Business Values and H.B. 2

October 1, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Donald Trump may strike a populist, anti-big business note a la Bernie Sanders from time to time. But he also has a tendency to gloat over his own cutthroat business […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Good Government, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Taxes

Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

September 19, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Who can blame North Carolina’s restaurant and hotel operators for wishing the whole House Bill 2 controversy would just vanish into thin air, as if it had never existed? They’d […]

Proposed H.B. 2 Deal Falls Short

September 19, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Who can blame North Carolina’s restaurant and hotel operators for wishing the whole House Bill 2 controversy would just vanish into thin air, as if it had never existed? They’d […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Human Rights, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

Bad Law vs. Big Games

September 17, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When ultra-visible organizations with major economic leverage press for political change, sometimes the right thing to do is to tell them to take the proverbial long walk off a short […]

Bad Law vs. Big Games

September 17, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When ultra-visible organizations with major economic leverage press for political change, sometimes the right thing to do is to tell them to take the proverbial long walk off a short […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Civil Discourse, Civil Liberties, Elections, Equality & Reconciliation, Gender, Good Government, Interfaith, LGBTQ, N.C. General Assembly, Prophetic Voice, Religion & Society

Early Voting Draws Support

September 9, 2016 By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The folks in North Carolina who want to make it harder rather than easier for people to vote – a category that features top officials of the state Republican Party […]

Early Voting Draws Support

September 9, 2016 by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The folks in North Carolina who want to make it harder rather than easier for people to vote – a category that features top officials of the state Republican Party […]

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured, Raleigh Report Tagged With: Elections, Good Government, Race/Ethnicity

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