Last night my wife and I attended a reception for Bruce Stewart, the former Head Of School for Sidwell Friends in Washington DC, a well regarded private school that’s best known for the President’s children who attend, including President Obama’s.

Bruce spoke in support of the Friends School of Charlotte, a K-3 private school in the Friends tradition. What sets a Friends Education apart? Respect for each student, “a spark of the Divine that is in each child,” Peace, Compassion, Justice, Equity, Service- the Quaker tradition of teaching children to question authority and to think… Giving a child’s natural curiosity and creativity room to grow, nurtured and developed daily, is part of the Friend’s School of Charlotte’s daily mantra.

These are values that can make American education great again. Visit the Friends School of Charlotte online or in person704.567.9445  Watch for Bruce as he speaks about a National Teachers Academy, and the need for private school vouchers so that every American child has the same chance. I’ll have an interview with the Head of School in the coming weeks.  tm

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Anthony Foxx the New Mayor, D’s Advance

The election last week left Democrats firmly in control of City Council, with former (D) Councilman Anthony Foxx becoming Charlotte’s Mayor, and adding seats for an 8-3 voting margin in the Council. After 14 years of (R) Pat McGrory, a centrist Republican, this is a minor switch leftward, a center -right to a center-left proposition.  Unlike the national scene, the election was about issues and approaches to governing by two respected candidates.

CMS Superintendent Gorman Announces Pay For Performance for CMS Teachers

In a first in the state move, Superintendent Pete Gorman of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced that with in 4 years, the teaches will move from their current pay structure, which rewards advanced degrees with higher pay, to a pay for performance model still to be worked out. Knowing there will be opposition, he plans to work with teachers to arrive at sensible performances standards.

This is good news. There is no correlation between teachers with advanced degrees and quality of outcome for students. None. Nationally, Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan recently called US schools “drop-out factories”… maybe he is right, 1/3 of CMS students won’t graduate, and that isn’t acceptable.

Rt 485 to Complete 5 Years Ahead of Time

Governor Perdue came to Charlotte last week  to follow up on a campaign promise announcing that the final leg of Rt 485 connecting Rt 77 and Rt 84 with 8 lanes. It will begin next year, 5 years ahead of time, completing by 2014 or 2015… without delaying Independence Blvd and the widening of I-85, two other long overdue Charlotte road projects.

There is more, I’ll add to this later in the week, have to go sell some real estate.

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I really think spring is Charlotte’s best time of year- the city is so greeeen,  it is lush and verdant… but some prefer fall and it is easy to see why. The colors have been great the last 2 years, these photos taken from Dilworth, Myers Park and across South Charlotte, and a pic from Lake Norman too… do you have one to add?

Charlotte, The Queen City,  The Heart of the New South

All the above photos were personally taken and are available free of charge with attribution

©Terry McDonald 2008-2009

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It is official. President Obama signed the bill Friday. The bill extends the existing first home buyer credit through April 30-and creates a new credit, I call it the “Move Up” home buyer tax credit of $6500 credit for qualifying “move up” buyers, and it  increases the income limits to qualify… welcome changes and a shot in the arm for home Buyers and Sellers.

The bill extends the current $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit (which was due to expire at the end of November) through April, 2010-however this is a “contracted by” date and you must close by July 1, 2010.

It also includes a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified move up buyers- you must have used the home as your primary residence for 5 of the last 8 years- and increases the borrower income limits for both credits to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for couples.

Home buyers will qualify for the full credit as long as they have entered a binding contract by April 30, 2010 and they close the transaction by June 30, 2010.  The tax credit is limited to homes with a purchase price of $800,000 and below.

More details as we learn them but this is more that we had last February… lets go buy a home!!!

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Charlotte NC

Anthony Foxx is Charlotte’s new Mayor, defeating John Lassiter in a close, 51%-49% election Tuesday.  Foxx, the first Democrat, and first African-American to be elected Mayor since Harvey Gantt, takes over from popular 14 year incumbent   Pat McGrory (R) In an era of highly partisan elections, this one wasn’t as both candidates took the high road, and Charlotte is the better for it.

Congratulations to the new Mayor, his staff and family. Full story at the Observer Democrats sweep city council, now 8-3 majority. Thanks Cltblog for the Foxx picture.

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Two big “gets” for Charlotte area University’s this week, Paul Krugman and Tom Friedman! Uptown’s CPCC had Nobel Prize winner for Economics Paul Krugman speak Monday morning, and yesterday at Davidson college, Tom Friedman of the New York Times spoke about the Green challenge to America.  Thanks for bringing these speakers to Charlotte.

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Speaking of North Carolina, Green, and green jobs, I was reading a detailed report from the Pew Charitable Trust, on Green energy jobs through out the US, but here are the NC highlights:

Between 1998 and 2007, jobs in North Carolina’s green economy grew at a rate of 15.3%, while overall jobs grew at 6.4%…nationally green jobs grew at a rate of 9.1% and total jobs grew at 3.7%”

I find this fascinating- first our overall jobs statewide were growing at 6.4%, nearly double the national average growth of 3.7%, and when it comes to Green Jobs, NC is 50% ahead of the national 9.1%.  This explains the health economy we’ve enjoyed in North Carolina over the last decade, 2009 excepted.

This study was a hard count of actual numbers- not projections, and the jobs ranged in wages from $21,000 to $111,000.  While these numbers are exciting, North Carolina would be ranked 16th,  so there is room for improvement!!! and that means more jobs for NC.  Full story at www.pewtrusts.org/cleanenergyeconomy

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Charlotte saw the new Art in front of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art yesterday, I’ll have pics and more coming soon. tm

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yes I know but the post below is a lot more serious…

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The Stimulus Plan and Charlotte- State Politics at Work Again AS Charlotte Receives $34.09 PP, Lenoir County $744 PP

Everyone is familiar with the national brouhaha behind The Economic Recovery Act, aka the stimulus plan…   Is it possible that, at the State level, the funds could have been politically hijacked,  and sent to primarily rural political   strongholds in the state? It is possible that the rural interests gain once again at the expense of the cities that pay the state’s bills?

Most of us remember the loud political fight over the Stimulus plan, the denial that it would improve anything, that it was all just a boondoggle, and that is now credited with the 3.5% 3rd quarter growth in US GDP. The same bill that  not a single Republican supported.

The Stimulus invested $563,065, 282 in North Carolina, and of that $512,689,234 is “Under Contract”, or allocated presumably with “shovel-ready ” projects and contractors from around the state. Much of this data comes from ProPublica*

How was it decided who would get what?

North Carolina, 10th largest state in the nation, was treated fairly by the Federal Government. It  has received the 9th largest State Stimulus Check at $563,065,282.

Where have the Federal Stimulus funds been allocated in North Carolina?

Since the Charlotte area is, by far, the largest county by population in NC , the largest contributor to state GDP, it is logical to assume we are receiving the largest amount for stimulus funding, right? No, not exactly.

Surely it is Raleigh? No, not Raleigh either.  Have a look for your self:

Mecklenburg County, with a larger population that Cumberland, Lenoir and Iredell combined, receives21% of their Total spending. There were 25 counties who received nothing, $0, so technically they are the biggest losers, but at $34.09, Mecklenburg County would have had to work to do worse.

Mayor McCrory was right when he feared, out loud in the Spring, that Charlotte wouldn’t get its fair share of stimulus spending.

Let’s look at spending in NC Congressional Districts, maybe that will shed some light…

The NCs 5th Congressional District, the former district of now Senator and chief NC stimulus critic, Senator Richard Burr, collected  $95,506,098 of Stimulus spending. The 5th District seat is currently held by Virgina Foxx, Republican Congress woman, best known for her rants that the  killing of Matthew Sheppherd in Wyoming  wasn’t a hate crime.

In 2nd place, NC-01, at $44,066,742 in the swarming metropolis of East NC,  held by Democrat George Butterfield. This is the area around Rocky Mount and Elizabeth city, Oxford and … New Bern. Anyone special live in New Bern?

In 3d place, NC-11, Democrat Heath Shuler’s district, covering the western area of Franklin, Murphy, Asheville

In  4th Place, NC-04, at $31,263,844 -the 4th is held by Democrat David Price, and covers the area around Chapel Hill, Mebane, and east to Cary.

In 5th place, NC-08, at $25,7904,268 Democrats Larry Kissell, is the first to come Charlotte’s way, includes East Charlotte, Concord, on to Fayetteville and Laurinburg

Sue Myrick’s 12th District? $0 so far, along with NC-13.

Are you getting the picture here?  I ask the question again, “Who Decided?”

tm

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* Spending information came from the public interest ProPublica

** Population estimates cam from US-Places

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The US economy in 2009- 1st Quarter 6.4% loss, 2nd Quarter 0.7% loss, 3rd Quarter 3.5% gain

Inflation was annualized 1.6%. that is outstanding as well.

What’s left, we are done on the economy, right?

No, not done, not even close with more than 10M jobs lost, and over 12 M unemployed, and a Still shaky financial system.

It is ALL about Creating new jobs. Obama said it, and I couldn’t agree more. Waiting on those unemployment numbers to trend DOWN.  Details here at the New York Times

But in Charlotte we are making progress:

If you saw my last post you know Charlotte IS creating new jobs, 20% ahead of the pace in 2008, and unemployment is falling in Charlotte and Charlotte real estate prices have risen in 4 of the last 6 months, and homes sold were up 23% in August over a year before…

Still, if we want the good times rolling here in Charlotte, we have to create jobs- jobs for May grad’s, for mid-level managers, in finance, in manufacturing, in the service sector…

Question of the day? How can Charlotte, and North Carolina Grow more jobs here? Without the cross-state bribery going on in South Carolina?

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Buying or Selling your home, we are here to help. Visit us online at Charlotte Real Estate or “meet me” online at the  #1 Video on You Tube for Charlotte NC. More urgent? Call me direct at 704-351-1519

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