Checked and couldn't find any threads dedicated to the various localities throughout the state. Not sure how many TWW'ers we have in the greater Charlotte area, but figured this might be a good way to highlight local issues that don't get discussed elsewhere. I'm a Wake County native but I have lived in Charlotte for the past three years.

First up, a number of local elected officials attended a Louis Farrakhan event last weekend, and some even tweeted effusive praise for Farrakhan, and this has now come to light and is being discussed on a local blog.

http://goqnotes.com/18208/gay-council-member-others-attended-anti-gay-louis-farrakhan-events-in-charlotte/comment-page-1/#comment-47336

Apparently the Charlotte Observer failed to notice their attendance and support of Farrakhan, or either decided it was a non-story. Is publicly supporting Farrakhan acceptable now? Mayor Foxx and two other city council members have spoken out against him and condemned his past remarks. The city council elections occur in odd years so it will be interesting to see if this is still a story come election season next year.

10/20/2012 10:45:41 AM

My husband is from there, and my in-laws live there, so I hear a little bit about Charlotte politics sometimes. I don't follow Charlotte politics closely, but I have seen this groups endorsements come up my in facebook feed from time to time:

http://www.meckpac.org/

Quote :

"Mecklenburg Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Political Action Committee (MeckPAC) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization registered with the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. Our mission is to mobilize the LGBT community and its many allies in Charlotte/Mecklenburg to vote and participate in city/county elections, to educate city/county elected officials about issues of importance to the LGBT community, and to hold city/county elected officials accountable for their votes on such issues."

Here's their County Commission endorsements. Looks like they endorsed Dems & a Libertarian, but no GOPs fully responded to their questionnaires.

Keith Bradford
Vilma Leake
George Dunlap
Paula Harvey
Connie Green-Johnson
Pat Cotham
Trevor Fuller
Kim Marie-Ratliff
Jason Bateman

That's about the extent of my Charlotte politics knowledge. Well that, and this happened there:

10/20/2012 12:03:18 PM

So this happened earlier this week http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/16/3789951/charlotte-city-council-backs-carolina.html

Any thoughts on public financing of stadiums and whether this is inevitable here in Charlotte? Apparently there are only 4 NFL stadiums remaining that have not received public financing in some form.

1/16/2013 8:55:46 AM

renovating the stadium is not going to make the Panthers suck less, that's the problem

1/16/2013 10:08:52 AM

http://goqnotes.com/20373/local-lgbt-community-members-to-march-in-mlk-parade-saturday/

Quote :

"Local LGBT community members to march in MLK parade Saturday CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the seventh year, members of the local LGBT community will join in on the festivities commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day."

I've seen LGBT groups at the big HKonJ march in Raleigh that happens every February. It's cool that they're at some of the smaller MLK marches too.

1/17/2013 11:42:21 AM

^^^it will happen...the city can afford it...i'm wondering how the hell they are gonna spend a quarter billion dollars on renovating it though...it probably cost less than that to originally build, though the newest stadiums are in the billion dollar range

1/21/2013 5:34:12 PM

Quote :

"the city can afford it..."

Are you just making a bald assertion or do you have some data to back up your statement? Or are you just trying to make the point that the city council can increase the food and beverage tax and raise the money?

The $125 million is primarily to be used for video monitor upgrades and improvements to the ramps leading to the upper bowl. The renovations will cost more than $125 million, this is only the amount they've requested from the city.

1/22/2013 9:38:57 PM