The Early Voting Line at AppState, 1st Day

 

This photo is time-stamped 12:15 p.m. today. The line continued behind the photographer and down a long hallway.

NC's GOP Commissioner of Agriculture Says Trump's Tariffs Will Be Terrible for NC

 

Steve Troxler, right; Sarah Taber, left

Steve Troxler, the popular Republican Commissioner of Agriculture -- who put the "ol" in "good ol boy" -- told Cory Vaillancourt of the Smoky Mountain Times that he knew Trump's plans to slap tariff's -- even 100% tariffs! -- on many products coming into the country, to punish and torment nations he wants to punish and torment -- that those tariffs would end up hurting the markets for North Carolina farmers. Those farmers are some of Trump's most dependable supporters. (Why? Because of God and guns? Abortion? Queer-fear? Whatever. They support Trump, not their own best interests.).

Trump's proposed tariffs "would amount to a 20% tax on American consumers and likely prompt retaliatory tariffs by trading partners." How do we know? Two days after Trump's effing inauguration in January 2017 -- two days later -- Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement with Pacific Rim producers. And started a trade war with China which soon cost North Carolina farmers (tobacco growers, particularly) collectively $1.8 billion (Carolina Forward). Sarah Taber, Troxler's Democratic opponent, calls that "a bad deal that cannot be recovered from.”

But here's Troxler on Trump's newest bad deal:

“We have the most efficient system for the production of agricultural products anywhere in the world, but tariffs do get in the way, and we went through the trade war and retaliation with China, and that is not beneficial to us. There’s no question,” he said. “But the question becomes, how do you get fair trade? A lot of our products going into these other countries are hit with very high tariff rates to be protected, and so you got to negotiate to the point that is fair on both sides. And in many cases, we’re being slapped with these tariffs, and it kills us.” (Emphasis most assurdedly added)

As Agriculture Commissioner, Sarah Taber will be a more current authority on all kinds of profitable, alternative crops not being grown here, including legal cannabis (if the NCGA ever catches up with the rest of the country and the 21st Century). Taber is an educated and experienced expert in alternative aquaculture and greenhouses, and she's full of the energy it'll take to sell innovations to the most traditional cohort of our very diverse society. 

Taber has interesting things to say about saving North Carolina farmland from disappearance, which even Steve Troxler thinks is our number one problem going forward. Says Taber,

“It is not population growth that’s causing our farmland to go under. That’s what happens to farmland after farms go out of business. When farms go out of business, it’s that they’re not making as much money as they should be,” she said. “Farmers here in North Carolina are often making as little as half as much per acre as their peers in Georgia and Virginia. That’s us not putting our land to work effectively.”

If North Carolina’s farms were more profitable, Taber says, "developers would have fewer tracts available for development."

Rachel Hunt Promises To Clean Out Mark Robinson's Office with Hydrogen Peroxide

 

I'm Trying to Say "No!" To Doomscrolling

 

I left my computer yesterday afternoon, went downstairs, and said to Pam, "I've got to stop the doomscrolling! It's beginning to disarray my equilibrium."

It's not just the New York Times and other national outlets dedicated to making sure Democrats don't feel good about anything. It's Democratic candidates too. I get somewhere in the neighborhood of 300-400 emails a day (no lie!) from panicky Democratic candidates in virtually every state -- Sherrod Brown, running for reelection to the U.S. Senate in Ohio, emails me a dozen times a day -- fundraising emails from campaigns that obviously think poor-mouthing is the best way to get my sympathy and unclasp my purse. "It's All Over!" screamed one this morning. Jon Tester from Montana just told me seconds ago, "The odds against my campaign are stacking up!" 

If it's all over, guys, if the odds are simply impossible, get out of my in-box and stay outta my head!

Here are headlines from this morning, along with their sub-heads, collected in 10 minutes of scrolling:

Harris Has Raised $1 Billion. Can She Get Donors to Give More?

The sheer amount of money Kamala Harris has raised in her run for president has had unintended consequences.

As Black Voters Hesitate on Harris, Democrats Race to Win Them Over
With a frenzy of activity, the vice president and her allies are trying to strengthen her support with Black voters, whose growing alienation the party’s leaders had not confronted directly until now.

A Pro-Trump Ad Looks to Turn Harris’s Record as a Prosecutor Against Her
The spot from one of the biggest super PACs backing Donald Trump portrays Kamala Harris as a radical leftist, especially on crime — channeling a G.O.P. law-and-order message that dates back to Nixon.

‘Pennsylvania is such a mess’: Inside Team Harris’ unusual levels of finger-pointing
Many of the state’s most well-connected Democrats have been worried about the operation for months.

Hurricane fallout threatens to hinder voting

Opinion
Democracy woes: When getting indicted wins votes

Kamala Harris is warning Polish Americans not to vote for Donald Trump. Many will.
Harris’ invocation of a war 5,000 miles away seems to be missing the target in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.

Laundering lies: Glenn Youngkin shows how easily media is manipulated to sanewash Donald Trump

They just beat the hell outta you. Guess I should be more like the MAGA crowd, read nothing, depend on my favorite broadcasters and podcasters and radio yakkers to keep me anesthetized and insulated from any news that questions my private reality, or just go watch Judy Justice all day until this goddamn election is over.

Wesley Harris 30-Sec. Spot

 

Wesley Harris is the Democrat running for NC State Treasurer. He's out with a new ad attacking his Republican opponent. First TV spot I've seen this fall -- and admittedly, I don't watch Network TV -- that uses humor.

The excellently researched PamsPicks makes a point of Republican Brad Briner's stupid parroting of MAGA bullshit, particularly promising to get "woke" awareness out of the state's investments. WTF does that even mean?

The Helene Flood in Watauga County--Video

 

This reality about roadways is true all across the 13 NC counties in the Helene Flood of 2024.

Early Voting Hours Shortened, But Days Are Added

 

Kara Haselton, The Appalachian

Last evening the Watauga County Board of Elections -- given leave by the General Assembly to do so -- shortened early voting hours from the previously mandated 8-7:30 p.m. down to 9-5, classical banker's hours which do working people no favors. Especially in a flood zone

But to make up for that slight to inclusiveness, the Watauga BOE added early voting on two additional Saturdays, 9-5, and two Sundays, 1-5. (After all these centuries, we still genuflect to the Church.)

But that being said, get thee to a polling place! Five early voting sites will be operational: 

The Watauga County Administration Building at 814 W. King Street.

Blowing Rock American Legion Building at 333 Wallingford Street, Blowing Rock.

Deep Gap Fire Department at 6583 Old 421 S, Deep Gap.

Plemmons Student Union at 263 Locust Street.

Western Watauga Community Center at 1081 Old US Highway 421, Sugar Grove.

Jeff Jackson For the Win

 

...against the extremist, "bathroom bill authoring," election-denying Dan Bishop! One of the most important races on your ballot ... for Attorney General of North Carolina.

Even Virginia Foxx Voted for FEMA Funding

 

But who didn't from North Carolina? Dan Bishop, who now wants to be our state's top law enforcement official, and Sen. Ted Budd. Looking for people to blame if there's not enough FEMA money to help all of Western North Carolina? I suggest you start with Bishop and Budd. 

(Foxx is famous for being only one of 11 U.S. House members who refused to vote for Katrina aid in 2005. She was criticized roundly for that vote.)