10
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005
EDITORIALS
PROCEED WITH CARE
Local residents should not automatically reject the idea of a Wal-Mart
in Chatham County, but developers should listen to various concerns.
Kirk Bradley probably wasn’t sitting in a field
in Chatham County, hearing a voice whis
per, “If you build it, they will come.”
When his company decided to develop a plan
for a shopping center outside of Chapel Hill, the
idea probably came to him in a less schizophrenic
and cliched way, but Bradley, the CEO of Lee-
Moore Oil Company, probably wasn’t banking on
a movie-like struggle to build a Wal-Mart.
The company has filed papers with the N.C.
Department of Transportation to build a large
shopping center off of U.S. 15-501 between Chapel
Hill and Pittsboro, causing some Orange County
and Chapel Hill-Carrboro leaders to become uneasy
and drawing complaints from local residents.
Despite the concerns, a shopping center could
be a positive addition to the area. The division
between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill is being bridged
slowly, but surely, especially after the popularity
of Southern Village and the growth of the Chapel
Hill town limit.
Many Chapel Hill residents are moving south,
and many of the people who work in Chapel Hill are
commuting from the Pittsboro area, especially given
the challenges of affordable housing in Chapel Hill.
These people could benefit from a shopping plaza to
WE STILL TRUST ROY
UNC fans should support Coach Roy Williams despite media reports
that have unfairly portrayed his tenure at the University of Kansas.
Many Duke fans and jaded Jayhawks were
happy with the news last week. Popular
opinion was taking a stab at the man,
myth and legend Roy Williams.
On July 15, the University of Kansas announced
the findings of its athletic department’s most
recent internal review, which negatively men
tioned men’s basketball coach Roy Williams, who
was at Kansas for 14 years before coming to UNC
in 2003.
Williams allegedly gave three athletic boosters the
green light to reward former players with gradua
tion gifts in 2001,2002 and 2003. Asa result of this
news, national hysteria has turned its attention to Roy
Williams. Media coverage has painted him as a sneaky,
corrupt coach, and those who believe such hype should
be just as ashamed as the people reporting it.
The news story should have been that the University
of Kansas announced it was imposing probation on
itself due to errors in the football and women’s bas
ketball programs that included unauthorized test
preparation for athletes and violations in recruiting
practices.
The basketball infractions were far less important
in comparison, and they probably would not have
made major news tickers at all if Roy and the boys
SETTING A NEW BAR
Guest columnist feels that N.C. lawmakers should continue restricting
lobbyist spending to ensure that the legislative process remains fair.
Money doesn’t necessarily buy votes in North
Carolina, and there are very few legislators
who will change their votes based solely on
donations and lobbying spending. However, organi
zations with money behind them have an undeniable
advantage in the media and in drawing the attention
oflegislators.
For example, there are 193,000 students in
the UNC system, but, according to news reports,
there are about 100 donors to Citizens for Higher
Education, a small group of UNC alumni with large
bank accounts. Yet the big-spending organization has
clearly gained the attention of many N.C. legislators
donating over $360,000 in the last election cycle
and attaching their platform to the state budget.
Until recently, North Carolina has been slow in
regulating spending by lobbyists. Direct expendi
tures on campaign contributions and issue-related
lobbying must be reported, while unlimited “good
will” spending goes unreported. Its use is extensive
and applies to most dinners and entertainment to
build relationships and support with legislators.
And there’s a reason why membership in the N.C.
Professional Lobbyists Association comes with a half
off guest discount at the Raleigh Country Club.
Although lobbyists have expressed various posi-
EDITORS’ NOTE: The above editorials, with the exception of the guest column, are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board,
which were reached after open debate. The board consists of three board members, the editorial page editor and the DTH editor. The 2005
summer DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials.
liiniEiiS' vmm
Action for workers' rights has
not stopped during the summer
TO THE EDITOR:
Our campus could not function with
out the workers in Lenoir Dining Hall, the
Ram’s Head Center and the other campus
dining facilities. Therefore, we as students
have the responsibility to make sure that
workers are fairly treated and can work in
a place without fear of harassment, dis
crimination or intimidation.
Aramark Corp., the company that man
ages dining hall employees, has a long
history of worker mistreatment, which is
why employees and students have been
pushing for the establishment of a union
to enable them to negotiate for improved
working conditions.
Work relations in the dining halls have
not improved this summer. Workers are
overworked and underpaid. Also, it has
been reported that workers who have been
temporarily laid off for the summer are
not getting proper unemployment com
pensation due to administrative error.
A union would give workers a voice,
and the workers deserve to be treated
with dignity and respect.
Together, we can make a difference.
Students can talk to workers about their
concerns, educate the campus, and par-
make life more convenient.
The complaints from residents are mixed. Some
are expected, such as Wal-Mart destroying the char
acter of downtown. The Wal-Mart in Hillsborough
has not destroyed the character of that town, and the
one on the Durham-Chapel Hill border has not hit
Franklin Street as much as The Streets at Southpoint
in Durham did.
Other concerns include scrutiny of the low-price
retailer’s treatment of workers, but even the University,
the lifeblood of this area, has had problems with that
for generations. Plus, all of these issues are coming up
across the nation with Wal-Mart.
However, Lee-Moore and any other developers
need to take other concerns seriously. The company
needs to be sure that 15-501, which has been under
construction for years, can handle the traffic such
a center would bring. Also, they should be sure to
reject traditional Wal-Mart design models and opt
for tasteful architecture that complements the his
toric nature of this area.
The debate surrounding this shopping center
and Wal-Mart, in particular, is just brewing. In
fact, most students will not be here to see the reso
lution. However, it has the potential to enhance
the experience for both students and residents.
hadn’t won the national championship.
Williams admits that mistakes were made, and if
you read his statements and the report itself, you’ll
see they were just that. He didn’t know the rule was
“once a student-athlete, always a student athlete.”
The real blame lies with Kansas’ compliance office,
which should have mentioned this to Williams.
Also, the report lists a violation that occurred
before Williams even went to Kansas in 1988. You
can’t blame the man for something that happened
before he even got there.
But if the honor of Roy isn’t defended by the
facts, his actions after the fact are remarkable. He
admitted his mistakes, put them in perspective and
even mentioned minor infractions that the media
has avoided, including the fact that one recruit got
overpaid 14 cents for travel reimbursement.
UNC Chancellor James Moeser and Athletic
Director Dick Baddour have stuck behind Roy dur
ing this controversy, and all students and fans of
Tar Heel basketball should join them in doing the
same.
We shouldn’t let jealousy destroy how we think of
our storied program and its humble, but successful,
At least he’s not on television selling credit
cards and mediocre cars.
GINNY FRANKS
GUEST COLUMNIST
tions on this issue, according to Christie Barbee with
the state lobbyists group, the over-arching message
from is “Tell us what the rules are and we will comply.
Just make the rules apply across the board.”
Setting a standard gives everyone the same rule
book to play by. Requiring the reporting of gifts and
lobbying expenditures and setting definite boundar
ies is the best way to restore voter faith in the legisla
tive process. It also improves the public perception of
the advocacy profession and provides a level playing
field for all organizations and lobbyists.
Legislators, lobbyists, the public and the legisla
tive process benefit the most when the process is
fair, accountable and transparent. In making major
changes to goodwill spending, and adding a “cooling
off” period for former legislators becoming legislative
consultants, N.C. lawmakers have shown a willingness
to bring the state up to the standard set by others and
expected by North Carolinians.
Money may not buy votes in North Carolina, but
just as important is that money doesn’t even seem
to buy votes.
ticipate in solidarity actions.
If you are interested in joining the
campaign to end the mistreatment of the
dining hall workers, you can join Student
Action with Workers.
Meetings are held this summer each
Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Campus
Y, and you can visit our Web site for more
information at www.uncsolidarity.org.
Faith Everett
Junior
African and Afro-American Studies
Issue of slavery more complex
than popular history depicts it
TO THE EDITOR:
I would like to respond to Jon
Albrecht’s comments in the July 7
Readers’ Forum. Mr. Albrecht asked that
people know the facts before suggesting
North Carolina joined the Confederacy
to fight for freedom. He should consider
that there is more to the issue than he
may be aware.
The preservation of slavery was not the
only issue being contended on the battle
field. If it were, we might expect that the
U.S. would have immediately abolished
slavery in the four slave-holding states
that remained in the Union.
Editorial Pago
ON THE DAY'S HEWS
Closing time every new beginning comes from some other
beginning’s end.”
SEMISONIC, AMERICAN ROCK GROUP
EDITORIAL CARTOON
COMMENTARY
Six things I wanted to write
on but never got around to
In seven months as a columnist
for The Daily Tar Heel, I have
tried to share bits of my admit
tedly complex views on the intel
lectual, moral and social life of the
University and nation.
However, 17 columns have only
allowed me to scratch the surface
of what I’ve wanted to share with
you, so in this, my last appearance
as a columnist in the DTH, I pres
ent the things I was dying to write
about but never got around to:
■ Deciding not to run for
student body president was the
best decision I’ve made. Student
politics is nothing but a den of bi
polar politicos, fragile people who
nurse their self-esteem through
megalomaniac actions.
Most of the so-called student
leaders could care less about
improving the University or the
community; it’s all about them,
their popularity with administra
tors and their resumes.
Those who are genuinely pas
sionate and talented encounter
difficulty finding a niche on cam
pus. They don’t usually have the
low morals to win elections, and
they have too much backbone to
get “yes man” appointments.
So, these humble servants toil
in the background, completing
groundbreaking projects with
little to no recognition.
This is why I want to salute the
most overlooked but true lead
ers of UNC during my time here
former Student Body Vice
President Rebekah Burford; Anup
Dashputre, founder of the Safe
Ride Program— which has saved
countless lives in Chapel Hill; and
Emran Huda, my former Spanish 3
classmate who took time from his
studies to serve our country in Iraq.
They don’t get the accolades,
but the poor saps who are plan
ning runs for student body presi
dent should take note from these
folks, as opposed to the so-called
leaders in office.
■ Being firm is one thing, but
being mean is a bad way to be a
leader, no matter what. I had to
learn that the hard way, and I’m
still apologizing.
■ Love is completely irrational,
and trying to make sense of it is
Northern states and cities might have
welcomed blacks from the South rather
than forbid them from settling there —as
was done in numerous locations. Before the
war, President Lincoln himself proffered to
protect slavery. Can we say the U.S. fought to
abolish slavery when the U.S. Constitution
sanctioned it until after the war?
Yes, slavery was an abomination, North
and South; I did not intimate otherwise.
But given numerous inconsistencies with
today’s “slavery only” school of thought, to
suggest North Carolina fought for freedom
against oppressive government is not mak
ing a “watered-down” claim. Nor does such
a claim make light of the sufferings of slaves,
North or South.
David Robinette
Employee
Microbiology and Immunology Dept.
TO SUBMIT A LETTER: The Daily Tar Heel welcomes
reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no
longer than 300 words and must be typed, double
spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people.
Students should include their year, major and phone
number. Faculty and staff should include their title,
department and phone number. The DTH reserves the
right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity.
Publication is not guaranteed. Bring letters to the DTH
office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O.
Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to:
editdesk@unc.edu.
HHHHI
DERWIN DUBOSE
FROM THE DIRT ROAD
foolish. True, it can elude you for
years, but those who are patient
realize it can change your life.
But since love is crazy, you have
to be prepared for the rough parts.
She may tell you she’s too busy
when she’s actually with a junior
varisty athlete. She might not
respond to your three-page letter or
10-minute, love-confessing oration
in Players.
Although you’ve treated her like
a queen, she might not ever see
you outside of the purgatory that
is the “friend zone.” And if all else
fails, you may be simply not good
enough for her friends and family.
Regardless, you can’t become
jaded, cynical or crotchety. You
can’t let fear of failure cripple you.
A wonderful opportunity could
be staring at you with the most
beautiful smile you’ve seen in
ages. This could very well be the
one that ends happily, ladies and
gents, but it’s already failed if you
don’t forget the past and go for it.
■ No matter what a liberal tells
you, Barack Obama will not be
the first black president. In fact,
there will never be an African
American commander in chief in
our lifetimes.
Face it; the black community has
tons of work to do if we are going
to ever gain true political leverage.
We can start by telling the Rev.
A1 Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse
Jackson to stop embarrassing us.
Instead of pushing the “blame
whitey” rhetoric, calling for repa
rations or boycotting, we need to
accept the harsh reality that it
is up to blacks to fix most of the
problems within our community.
How powerful could blacks be
if we could harness the Sharpton-
Jackson hot air to create nation
wide programs that deal with the
fact that a quarter of blacks have
no health insurance?
(The Sathj (Bar Heel
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By Philip McFee, pip@email.unc.edu
What if we supported more
black-owned businesses and lob
bied for a living wage and more
attractive options for affordable
housing?
What if we asked our kids
to pull up their pants, use cor
rect English and realize that
Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell
are bigger heroes than Jay-Z, 50
Cent and even Raymond Felton?
What if we actively tried to
find an alternative to affirmative
action, which probably hurts us
more than it helps?
Call me a black conservative,
but I believe we can’t expect to
have immense political success
until we clean our own closet.
■ The friendships you make in
college will change your life forev
er. I thank God for people like Josh
Patterson and Susan Hallman, my
personal editorial board, who have
helped me reach my full potential.
■ Columnists are people too. I’ve
gotten officially dissed by a sorority,
received at least 50 nasty e-mails,
had random profanity hurled at me
during parties and dragged into
Honor Court by a bitter former stu
dent body president candidate just
because I’ve expressed my opinions.
I admit my thoughts may have
seemed crazy throughout the
months. I’m a political moderate
with a hot temper, so you never
know what I’m going to say next.
Hell, that’s even true in real life
ask my roommates.
But regardless, don’t be too
harsh on us folks. We’re people just
like you —with the same hopes,
fears, problems and feelings.
We just want to share our opin
ions with you each week because
writing is our passion. If you don’t
like it, we understand. After all, the
point of the editorial page is dis
course. If someone didn’t disagree
with us on the important issues,
what’s the point of this newspaper,
this University or higher educa
tion, for that matter?
I might as well drive back to
that closed-minded, backwater
dirt road in Alabama. Grandma
says the lumber mill is hiring.
Contact Derwin Dubose at
denvin.dubose@gmail.com.
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BRIAN HUDSON "
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DERWIN DUBOSE
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