The Bull in Full

Sure, we'll take those roads, for a nominal fee..

I'm just catching up on reading some newspaper articles (my Herald-Sun subscription, which I suspended to go on vacation, appears to have never come back), and noticed today's Gronberg article in which the "21st Century Transportation Committee," which reports to the NC General Assembly, recommends that North Carolina's cities take on a greater share of the funding of the state-owned roads in their jurisdiction. Specifically, the GA wants to transfer those roads that don't constitute part of a state, US highway, or Interstate road.

Now, predictably, this didn't go over too well with numerous representatives of local cities, including our own Tom Bonfield. The state would essentially be dumping the responsibility for maintenance on the municipalities, nicely taking that particularly large line item off the state budget. And as a general Durham booster, I have of course a predictable take on this:

I agree completely with the state. Well, that is, with a catch.

A brief comment on the McCain campaign robocalls

If the robots win, we'll have to listen to techno.

Ralph Stanley (yes THAT Ralph Stanley) records Obama radio ad for Virginia

I'm in a bit of awe at the moment.  With the polls in Virginia showing Obama with a decent lead, this might be the nail in the coffin.  Ralph Stanley has recorded a radio message endorsing Barack Obama.  (TPM has the audio.)

Obama's problem with older white voters in the mountains is partially about race, of course, but I think a bigger problem is the general mistrust of outsiders, and Obama looks like such a stranger people have trouble supporting him.  That said, having RALPH STANLEY, the co-creator (with the late Bill Monroe) of bluegrass, vouching for him has to be worth something.  He'll still lose southwest Virginia by a good margin, I'm sure, but my guess is this makes the margin smaller.