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gmopinionHeadline[0]='Just like Stephan Curry'
gmopinionDescription[0]='"We wish he would stay just a little longer. But it was three great years and we wish him well as he takes on an even bigger assignment." That is what folks at Davidson College said last year when Stephan Curry opted out of his senior year and a chance for one more year with the Wildcat basketball team.'
gmopinionURL[0]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/one_on_one/dg-just-like-stephan-curry-100831.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[1]='Chatham Coalition can’t stand a honest debate'
gmopinionDescription[1]='I am glad to see that Bunkey’s opposition respects the first amendment so vigorously. When the Chatham Coalition rants and floods the chatlist, media, blogs, surveys and polls everything is fine. Another point of view and the debate becomes limited to approved dictums.'
gmopinionURL[1]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/chatham-coalition-cant-stand-a-honest-debate-100829.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[2]='Chatham County liberals call for opponents to be banned'
gmopinionDescription[2]='It’s funny! When certain people express their opinions, there is immediately a call for them to be banned. Yet, when other people rant and rave like lunatics, no one says a word!'
gmopinionURL[2]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/chatham-liberals-wish-to-ban-opponents-100829.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[3]='Do commissioners need another excuse for not paying employees the increase they earned?'
gmopinionDescription[3]='On June 21, 2010 the Chatham County Commissioners told me there were not enough funds to honor the employee\'s pay increases promised on the PFP Agreements for the FY2008/2009 work period. During the period in question property values increased from $7.4 billion to $8.6 billion. The property tax income increased $4.8 million and the commissioners increased many fees. The county\'s fund balance, savings account, increased by $695,000 this last year even after having to make up budget cuts by the General Assembly. So there was enough revenue to meet the county\'s obligations.'
gmopinionURL[3]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/myopinion/commissioners-not-paying-county-employees-the-increase-they-earned-100822.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[4]='Hypocritical Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities group promotes the Major Corridor Ordinance while opposing US 64 plans'
gmopinionDescription[4]='For anyone that’s interested in the US 64 proposal I strongly recommend going to the NC DOT website to view all the details about the plan, not just the talking points that Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities (CCEC) and our current Board of Commissioners have been promoting lately. I was very disappointed to see that CCEC did not list the North Carolina Department of Transportation web site in their links for more information although it was mentioned in one of their bulletins at least.'
gmopinionURL[4]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/ccec-hypocrites-about-major-corridor-ordinance-vs-us-64-100822.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[5]='Pittsboro\'s City Tap noise not music to all ears'
gmopinionDescription[5]='Last month two articles have appeared in The Chatham Record newspaper regarding complaints that “music” being played at Pittsboro’s City Tap Bar and Restaurant is too loud. Local residents complained to Pittsboro city fathers to do something about it. Well, lots of luck local residents. History of such situations has you on the losing end. Walnut Creek Raleigh, Shakori Hills, Sports Arena - they are still going strong and still making life miserable for residents unfortunate enough to be living near by.'
gmopinionURL[5]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/city-tap-noise-not-music-to-all-ears-100822.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[6]='North Carolina DOT considers Superstreet concept for US 64'
gmopinionDescription[6]='The DOT presentation on the Superstreet concept to the planning board was complete. The timeline is twenty to thirty years for implementation of Superstreet, with long range option to change to a limited access highway, like US 421 to Greensboro. A necessary and needed improvement. The NCDOT has always been proactive in soliciting public input. Thorough traffic counts are done continuously. For the Pittsboro by-pass project, meetings were held years in advance. One of our former commissioners sat on the highway project board at DOT. What a great highway and relief for Pittsboro traffic it has been. Newcomers do not realize that around half the traffic during weekdays and nights was heavy trucks negotiating the circle, limited to traveling through Pittsboro.'
gmopinionURL[6]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/superstreet-concept-for-us-64-100822.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[7]='Perhaps the NC Department of Transportation just sees Chatham as a bump in the road'
gmopinionDescription[7]='I live in Chatham and work in Cary so this Route 64 Interstate project will affect me superficially for my commute. However, it affects me most deeply in what could be lost for Chatham County. This will affect you too. How will EMT/Fire gain access to your house quickly? Where will travelers spend money in Chatham County if they can\'t easily pull into your business? How it will impact Jordan Lake, your drinking water and the wildlife?'
gmopinionURL[7]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/chatham-is-a-bump-in-a-road-100821.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[8]='Final grade for the Chatham Coalition? A big fat F'
gmopinionDescription[8]='Dear Chatham citizens, and especially, John Hammond, Jan Nichols, Jefferey Starkweather, Sally Kost, and Mark Barroso. What I am about to say isn\'t going to be easy. I\'ve been asking myself for days, is this the right thing to do? In the end, I believe it is. Why? Because if this county is to be led by individuals stating they will hold others accountable, then they themselves must ultimately face being held accountable.'
gmopinionURL[8]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/letters/chatham-coalition-gets-a-final-grade-of-f-100819.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[9]='Civitas releases poll results for the NC House District 54 race'
gmopinionDescription[9]='A recent poll of 350 voters in NC House District 54 revealed some interesting trends. The seat has been a Democratic stronghold for thirty years by one individual, Rep. Joe Hackney. There was little concern regarding the seat in 2008 as Mr. Hackney enjoyed a 70% approval rating as well as a budget surplus. However, times have significantly changed. Mr. Hackney, along with Governor Beverly Perdue and Senator Marc Basnight, have rubberstamped the largest deficit in North Carolina history. This has caused Mr. Hackney’s approval rating to drop 19 points. The other difference this time is the emergence of a serious and legitimate contender for his seat in Republican candidate, Cathy Wright.'
gmopinionURL[9]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/Columns/poll-results-for-nc-house-district-54-race-100819.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[10]='Chatham Coalition candidates should immediately renounce the Coalition'
gmopinionDescription[10]='I do not think George Lucier, Tom Vanderbeck, or Carl Thompson can necessarily ask for John Hammond and Jan Nichols resignation, but the other steering committee members of the Chatham Coalition can, and should. It is not that the Coalition endorsed commissioners are actual members of the coalition. If you read commandment seven, it states only actual steering committee members can make official statements. It\'s a nifty little loophole, but it\'s done so that the Chatham Coalition can\'t be held accountable for what others say. Basically, you, the individual, can volunteer, and they darn sure want your money, but keep your mouth shut.'
gmopinionURL[10]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/letters/chatham-coalition-candidates-should-immediately-renounce-the-coalition-100817.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[11]='Chatham Commissioners say "drop dead" to current county employees'
gmopinionDescription[11]='The commissioners and their Chatham Coalition friends keep saying the funds were not available to honor the employee pay increases promised on the PFP Agreements for the FY2008/2009 work period. Our first question should be: did the county have enough funds to meet these obligations in the recently budget process and the two prior budgets?'
gmopinionURL[11]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/letters/chatham-commissioners-say-drop-dead-to-current-county-employees-100816.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[12]='Success at the Chatham Social Health Council\'s Burrito Bash'
gmopinionDescription[12]='Chatham Social Health Council would like to thank all the sponsors and supporters at the Burrito Bash this past Tuesday night. It was a great turnout!'
gmopinionURL[12]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/letters/burrito-bash-100808.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[13]='Maybe the Chatham school board should have considered the timing of the AP exams'
gmopinionDescription[13]='The school administration presented a draft calendar at the January 11 board meeting. I think the board should have considered the timing of the AP exams more - there was a little discussion, but the board unanimously decided to go with this calendar because the administration recommended it and the plurality of survey respondents chose it. (That detail isn\'t in the minutes, but I was at the meeting and remember the discussion.) As the mother of sons who took many AP exams, I understand that this is a bad idea - I would have moved spring break a week earlier.'
gmopinionURL[13]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/boards-should-have-considered-timing-of-ap-exams-10808.shtml'
gmopinionHeadline[14]='Chatham County\'s talking bread machine'
gmopinionDescription[14]='I read with geat interest the post regarding another talking bread making machine in Chatham county. I also have a bread maker that has always seemed to be saying something too. My machine seems to say "Whose Gonna Win?" Whose Gonna Win?" It sometimes almost drives me insane. But my machine has never changed and said anything different.'
gmopinionURL[14]='http://www.chathamjournal.com/weekly/opinion/chatlist/chatham-talking-bread-machine-100808.shtml'
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