Joe Stack's suicide screed chafes and exposes a raw wound this country does not know what to do with.

Liberals are dismissing Stack's rant as a brutal anti-government battle cry -- "Tea Party on steroids." Conservatives are dismissing it as the petulant whine of a "victim" who couldn't hack capitalism.

The tortured manifesto cannot be credibly labeled as left- or right-wing. Rather, it's a non-partisan screed against problems roiling the Republic -- and Stack's head -- for years. A crippled economy dominated by political and corporate potentates. A campaign and election system rotted by special interests and money. Byzantine tax laws that baffle small business owners and individuals.

Read the complete story at Alternet.org

A recent scam is using the domain name albemarleweb.com to trick the un-suspecting. No mail has been sent to any registered or un-registered user.

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK!!!!!

Forging a domain name on an email is easy to do. Be alert and suspicious and do not respond or comply to the requests of any email that requires you to open an attachment or directs you to a website that requests any information. No reputable organisation will use email for this purpose.

Click For More Information

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is under investigation for possible violations of the law in a letter and robo-call campaign it launched to oppose health care reform. As Raw Story reported last month, the insurer -- the largest in the North Carolina market -- sent out letters to its customers informing them of an [...]

Click to read the entire article...

Many of us received a mailing from NC BlueCross/BlueShield urging us to send their prepaid post card to our Senator, Kay Hagan. The message on the card requests the Senator to oppose true reform of our deeply troubled health care insurance system.

To me this indicates that Senator Hagan is not fully committed to the "for profit" lobby line.

I have experience with Government run health care insurance - Medicare. It works well and efficiently for me and 39 million Americans (another 36 million receive Medicade). And it does it with a much lower overhead.

I believe it is impossible for American industry to regain any semblance of its former economic status under the current system. We can not compete with the rest of the world while carrying the 'for profit health insurance industry' on our backs. Private health insurers have had over half a century to get it right for the American people. The only people they have gotten it right for is their own executives and shareholders. Leaches were once considered a cure-all, but not today. It is truly time for a change.

I have mailed my post card in, but with a few changes. Above the return address I wrote "SINGLE PAYER NOW" Likewise in the lower right hand corner. On the back "SINGLE PAYER NOW" was written boldly with a Sharpie and our names and signatures written in the appropriate spaces.

Thank you Blue Cross for providing me with this free post card. You have helped me to express what polls show the overwhelming majority of Citizens want and need - A health care system that is not for the enrichment of the few, but one that has the health and well-being of the nation at its foundation.

A Speakers Forum, "The 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse", will be hosted by the Edenton Historical Commission on Thursday, October 22nd. Mark Williard, architect for the restoration and historian Harry Thompson, Curator of the Plymouth Museum will be speaking in the panel room of the old courthouse from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. A reception will be held in the Barker House at 7:30 p.m. There is no charge for the event. Attendance is limited to 89. Please call the Barker House if you would like to attend 482-7800.

Troubling not to be “troubled”

from The Daily Advance

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Issue: Edenton Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton admits knowing but not telling her board about a lobbying firm working on local economic development projects.

Our position: The board should be looking at punitive actions as well as ways to ensure future accountability.

Read the entire Daily Advance editorial

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Have you noticed? The same folks that are fomenting the noise against a single payer health insurance had no problem with taxpayer funded Federal Flood Insurance.

The following links and commentary were sent to me by an acquaintance. They are presented here with the hope they can help us better understand this vital issue. A clearer understanding will enable you to inform our elected representatives of your informed views.

The Edenton Little Theater recently came out of retirement. After about 15 years of dormancy, the members came forward to be counted, and elected officers. Even before that, the members became excited and began planning a production of Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite,” in October. I plan to direct the play. I say “plan” because at the moment we have an incomplete cast. All the roles, save one, are filled. The exception is a much needed attractive young woman in her twenties or thirties to play the paramour in Act One. A small but significant role.

Congress appears bound and determined to reform our health care system. Maybe I overlooked it, but I cannot find any reference to health care in my copy of the Constitution, which every member of Congress has sworn to uphold. Conveniently ignored is the 10th Amendment, which reserves for the States and the people any powers not specifically delegated