WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Clergy to right wing lawmakers: Let’s talk beforeBy Herb L. Whiteshort middlesession class. Barber is the archi- RIBUNE tect of the Moral Mondays move- [email protected] TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE ment that brought thousands of Progressive ministers are asking protesters from across the state to North Carolina’s Republican politi- the N.C. capitol last year. VOLUME 16 NO. 5 WEEK OF MAY 4, 2014 $1.00 cal leaders for a meeting before the “Over the course of the last year, General Assembly you and your col- meets next month. leagues made several Durham’s Rodney The Forward unpopular policy Together Moral decisions,” the letter Rogers to be Movement led by N.C. written on NAACP let- NAACP President Rev. terhead reads. inducted to N.C. William Barber is ask- “These decisions cut ing Gov. Pat McCrory, resources from an Senate President Pro already over- Barber McCrory Sports Hall of Fame Tem Phil Berger and stretched K-12 budg- House Speaker Thom et; they rejected health insurance Tillis to meet its leadership before for more than a half million of our the short session opens on May 13 poorest; and they rejected insur- to discuss how the state’s conser- ance payments that would have vative tilt impacts the poor and Please seePROGRESSIVES/3A Durham ACA is a candidates law, not a present dreamBy Bonitta Best case to [email protected] RALEIGH – Dr. Cedric Bright wants some folks to wake up votersBy Latisha Catchatoorian and stop dreaming. The [email protected] Patient Protection Affordable DURHAM – A full house of Care Act is not going away. baby boomers listened to “The ACA is a law, it’s not a Durham candidates state bad dream for those trying to their case as the May 6 pri- repeal it,” Bright mary draws near. said last week at District attorney, sheriff The Sen. Jeanne and district court judge H. Lucas candidates were invited on Luncheon. “The a panel at the Durham most important Center for Senior Life to part of the ACA speak to senior citizens are those two about what they hope to P’s: Patient Bright accomplish if elected. Protection. That’s Then, the seniors got to what it’s all about.” return the favor. Bright, assistant dean at “What I would like to see UNC School of Medicine and is more of the stuff that president of the National they’re already doing, but Medical Association, was the more in depth,” Barbara keynote speaker at the event McPherson said. “Working honoring the late Lucas. For PHOTO/OURTRANSITFUTURE.COM with children, working the first time, the luncheon (against) gangs, I think the The future light rail will merge Durham and Chapel Hill closer as neighbors. was added as a part of the main thing is crime preven- N.C. Black Summit, which ran tion.” April 24-26 at the Sheraton In fact, the future of Imperial Hotel. Durham’s youth, and fight- The beloved Lucas was an ing violence and crime advocate for the disenfran- were recurring themes. chised. She was the first “I’m here for you all, I’m black woman to be appoint- here for our children,” said ed to the N.C. Senate in 1993. Doretta Walker, who is run- Debate rages over Lucas died in 2007 from ning for district court breast cancer. The Jeanne judge. Hopkins Lucas Education Patricia Evans, who is also and Wellness Center is a part running for a judgeship, of the CAARE clinic at 214 said children and young Durham light rail jobs Broadway St. in Durham. black males are the most Proposed train project would link to Chapel Hill By Latisha Catchatoorian cational, medical, employment 2.9 million. Within the projected “She was a champion for important issue in our com- [email protected] and other important activity cen- rail corridor (UNC to East quality education and health munity. DURHAM – Chapel Hill and the ters, park-and-ride lots, transfer Durham), the population is care for everyone,” “We need to take control Bull City will become more con- centers, the Durham Amtrak expected to double.” Edgecombe County of our community, espe- nected than they already are – lit- Station and the Durham Station.” The Federal Transit cially young people, Commissioner Viola Harris erally. The project update newsletter Administration approved because they’re the ones said. “It is Planning is underway on a on the site states that “growth Triangle Transit’s request to appropriate that are going to run it,” she between Chapel Hill and Durham enter project development in said. “We have to work Durham-Orange light rail transit that our theme system that will run from UNC continues to outpace national February and will enter the Draft is ‘Health care together and say enough is rates, despite a historic reces- Environmental Impact Statement enough.” Hospitals in Chapel Hill to Alston and our com- Avenue in East Durham. There sion,” and the high growth rates phase later this year. The esti- munity’ for that Roger Echols, who is run- in the region are expected to con- mated cost is $1.4 billion. ning for district attorney, are 17 planned stations along the was what Sen. tinue over the next 20 years N.C. Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. (D- said prevention is key. If 17-mile railway, including Lucas stood adding to “existing strain on our Durham) wants to make sure the elected, he hopes to change Meadowmont, New Hope Creek, for.” transportation system.” public knows that the project is Lucas the trajectory of young peo- Duke Medical Center, Ninth With the N.C. “Long-term regional growth contingent upon adequate fund- ple’s lives and the trajecto- Street and more. The estimated General Assembly passing forecasts show population in the ry of the criminal justice travel time from the first to the ing and will not begin for a while. one of the strictest voting Triangle will increase by 80 per- system. last stop, including station stops, “We still have to go through a laws in the country and “The increase in violent is 39 minutes. cent between 2010 and 2040,” rigorous review by the federal refusing to expand Medicaid crime and the violent crime According to said Brad Schulz, communica- government for this project to for low-income families, Sen. being committed by young ourtransitfuture.com, the light tions officer for Triangle Transit. become a reality,” he said. Floyd McKissick said Lucas people and how it affects rail will “connect a range of edu- “In numbers, that’s from 1.6 to Please seeDEBATE/ 2A would be “ashamed.” their future and the com- “Sen. Lucas would have munity,” is a big problem, been fighting against every- he said. thing,” he said. “She was a Clarence Birkhead, who is champion for civil rights, for running for the sheriff’s women’s rights, for office, said he plans to Durham’s rights, for voting implement targeted State workers’ pay a budget priority rights. The recent voter sup- enforcement on repeat lawmakers on May 14, opening Assembly leadership pledged. pression laws, she would By Herbert L. White day of the short session. Yet to Starting teachers would get an offenders like gang mem- [email protected] have been ashamed by it. We bers. be determined are Medicaid immediate bump to $33,000 in must continue to fight and “We must acknowledge RALEIGH – For the second payments, tax revenues and the 2014 and $35,000 in 2015, a challenge lawmakers and not that we have a gang issue straight year, North Carolina’s scope of employee pay. The plan that teachers – who haven’t let them turn back the clock and face it head on,” he proposed budget will try to state’s Medicaid expense is gotten a raise since 2008 – five decades.” said. Pope increase teachers’ pay. expected to be $120-$140 mil- slammed for ignoring experi- For Bright, the refusal to Many candidates said State Budget Director Art Pope lion more than revenues, a pro- enced classroom veterans. expand Medicaid is a major they are aware that law said the budget submitted last jection that is smaller than pre- “He thought that was a high bone of contention. enforcers and the Durham year by Gov. Pat McCrory vious years. priority in order to attract and “Five hundred thousand community have a tense We are included a 1 percent raise for “We do not have the full retain better teachers from the North Carolinians are left relationship, especially in working as teachers and other state Medicaid numbers as of this get-go,” Pope said. without insurance because the past few months. employees, but was cut out, in date,” he said. “In fact, the A census, of state employees of the denial of Medicaid “Law enforcement in gen- hard as we part due to shortfalls in (Department of) Health and and pay structure was submit- can to reform,” he said. “They can’t eral has lost the faith and Medicaid payments. With a Human Services is making a ted by state agencies in March, get health insurance because trust of the community, make it smaller gap anticipated for the presentation to the Legislative which the budget office is ana- they make too little money. and we first have to get that happen. 2014-15 fiscal year, Pope antici- Oversight Committee on this lyzing it for potential pay alter- When have we ever turned back,” said Richard pates a better result when the year’s Medicaid shortfall and natives.