In North Carolina, corporations are people, my friend

Reading the N.C. public records law the other day I saw a reference to this definition:

"Person" means an individual, corporation, government, governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, or any other legal or commercial entity.

That's N.C. 66-152(2), part of the Commerce and Business Chapter in state law. It seems to have been written in 1981 under Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt and a Democratically controlled state legislature.

Something to remember this year when/if North Carolina Democrats bash Mitt Romney for an off-hand remark the state codified 30 years ago.

Update: Some have noted other sections in NC and federal law identifying corporations as people, including Gerry Cohen, the NC General Assembly's head of legislative drafting. It was not my intent to portray this post as a comprehensive review of this issue, nor was I looking to assign blame.

My point is simply that Democrats have signed off on the idea that the law should treat a corporation like a person, much as Republicans have.

For Google AdSense, competition

Google's stock took a 9 percent hit in after hours trading today because the company committed the gravest of sins: Generating $8.13 billion in net revenue over 3 months when Wall Street analysts wanted them to generate $8.4 billion.

In the aftermath analysts remained fairly bullish on Google, but cited a few chinks in the Internet's behemoth's armor. But something they didn't cite sticks out to me: There has been a sizeable increase recently in the number of companies offering online ad services to small and medium-sized Web sites, a la Google AdSense.

Granted that's just one part of Google's revenue stream. Their search engine dominates the paid-search ad business. They're behind Android phones and apps. They own YouTube, and who knows what Google+ will turn into.

But I run a family of SEC-focused college sports Web sites, including the UGA version, The Dawgbone. We've been contacted over the last few months by three different entities offering the same services as Google AdSense - user-targeted advertising, paid-by-impression revenue sharing and ad performance tracking.

It used to be that Google, and only Google, offered this service, as best I could tell. Believe me, I looked.

Yahoo! has had their own ad service and a partnership with newspapers for years, but they don't work with amateur and semi-amateur content providers. This recent proliferation of companies that do creates competition in a segment Google didn't just dominate, they essentially owned in full.

Is this micro analysis of a macro issue? Granted. A small piece of Google's pie? Maybe. Worth noting that Google saw total ad clicks rise 34 percent last quarter anyway? Absolutely. But the point is, when you're an innovator you have to keep innovating, or the pack starts to catch up.

And it ain't easy.

Conrad Fink, UGA and AP great

Conrad C. Fink, the foreign correspondent, Associated Press vice president and newspaper executive who taught journalism at the University of Georgia for 28 years, died Saturday, according to numerous media outlets and the university's Grady College.

He was something else. He had bushy eyebrows that inspired a range of emotions most easily categorized as "fear." He was quick to the point, usually with a red pen.

He taught generations of reporters and editors the right way to do it, and his lessons will live on, not just through his students, but through theirs.

I was told as an undergraduate that Fink was the only professor at the University of Georgia without a masters or doctorate. He once pointed to a column in The Wall Street Journal's stock listings and told me, "See that? I told them to put that in."

He was a U.S. Marine in the 1950s. He was, as Barry Hollander told The Red & Black, "old school in all the good ways about what journalists should do, and how they should act, and the way they should pursue a story."

Trouble a Brewin'

You can say, "don't worry," or you can say, "we don't know what's happening." You can't say both. From Our Amazing Planet, about a rapidly expanding volcano in Bolivia:

"It's one of the fastest uplifting volcanic areas on Earth," de Silva told OurAmazingPlanet."What we're trying to do is understand why there is this rapid inflation, and from there we'll try to understand what it's going to lead to."

The peak is perched like a party hat at the center of the inflating area. "It's very circular. It's like a big bull's-eye," said Jonathan Perkins, a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who recently presented work on the mountain at this year's Geological Society of America meeting in Minneapolis.

Scientists figured out from the inflation rate that the pocket of magma beneath the volcano was growing by about 27 cubic feet (1 cubic meter) per second.

"That's about 10 times faster than the standard rate of magma chamber growth you see for large volcanic systems," Perkins told OurAmazingPlanet.

However, no need to flee just yet, the scientists said.

"It's not a volcano that we think is going to erupt at any moment, but it certainly is interesting, because the area was thought to be essentially dead," de Silva said.

Uturuncu is surrounded by one of the most dense concentrations of supervolcanoes on the planet, all of which fell silent some 1 million years ago.

Supervolcanoes get their name because they erupt with such power that they typically spew out 1,000 times more material, in sheer volume, than a volcano like Mount St. Helens. Modern human civilization has never witnessed such an event.

Borrowed Lewis

Let's move heaven, earth for this angel
BYLINE: By Lewis Grizzard
SECTION: LIVING; Section C; Page 1

Melissa Segars is a doll, a pretty little doll with a face taken from an angel.

She sits there across from me, the 70 or so pounds of her, and she breathes from a tube that is attached to an oxygen tank sitting on the floor.

We talk shop, Melissa and I. We both were born with what doctors called heart murmurs. Melissa, in 1968. Me, an eon earlier.

We've both had teams of doctors do a great deal of carving upon us. Melissa, 25, has had heart surgery and has had a lung removed. She's even had gall bladder surgery.

I've had three heart surgeries.

Melissa is a transplant candidate. I was one, too, for an awful week back in March when my own heart decided it wouldn't beat anymore after my third surgery.

That's where our similarities end. My heart started doing its job again, and I was taken off the transplant list.

Melissa still needs a new heart and a new lung. If she doesn't get them, a doctor has been quoted as saying, she is "at great risk of dying."

A call came as early as last week. Melissa was at a movie.

Her mother explained the call came from the St. Louis Children's Hospital. They said they might have a heart and a lung for Melissa.

Why are there always catches in life? The one here was there was another young person in the hospital with a higher priority than Melissa. If that child could use the heart and lung, they would go to that child.

If not, Melissa would get them.

Melissa Segars speaks in a soft little squeak.

"Mama got me on the phone and told me to come home quick," she said. "I kept asking her, 'Is this it? Is this it?' She just said, 'Get home quick.' "

The jet was ready for the trip from Atlanta to St. Louis.

Then the hospital called back. The heart and lung went to the other patient. The wait continues.

Insurance won't pay for Melissa's surgery when it comes. (And too many people have worked and prayed too hard for it not to come.) That's because her surgery is classified as experimental. Don't you just know some bureaucrat-type is responsible for that?

So, for months now the Fayette County community, where Melissa and her family live, has been trying to raise the money to pay for what it will cost to try to save the young woman's life.

Soaring health care costs? How's the fact the surgery and post-op care will cost a million?

Helluva thing. The Fayette County community, which used to be dirt roads before it soared to metro Atlanta status, has come forward with $ 550,000.

There have been auctions, rallies, barbecues, concerts, pancake breakfasts, and Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers is coming this fall for a fund-raiser.

And there has been the flood of printed pleas for help for Melissa. And, you guessed it, here's another. Hey, we're brothers and sisters in the scalpel.

Melissa used to want to be a veterinarian. Now, she says, "I guess I'm too old to go to all that school now."

A friend says, "You've got your whole life ahead of you. You can do what you want to."

If she can get that million. If she can get and survive that surgery.

I wish you could all see her. I wish you could look upon that little face and see those eyes. I wish you could sense the courage in her as I have.

Make checks payable to "COTA for Melissa." Mail to Fayette County Bank, 150 West Lanier Ave., Fayetteville, Ga. 30214.

We don't have enough angels as it is.


For my money, that's the best column Lewis Grizzard ever wrote. Happy Birthday, sir.

I've borrowed one of your columns from The AJC to mark it. Hope you don't mind.

A good read: The W-S Journal

People may not think much of the newspaper industry, but individual newspapers are still pretty good. You really can't beat the medium yet, it's just that you can come close enough to really, really mess it up.

These stories were all in the Winston-Salem Journal today:

PETA plans porn site

Iraq: 40,000 more U.S. troops home this month

4.2 million have classified security clearance. That's nearly the population of metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Bomber kills leader of Afghan Peace Council; Karzai cuts U.S. trip short.

Hell, I didn't even know Karzai was in the states. That's pretty good story selection.

Google: World's most "gets it" company

From Google Adsense, via email:

"In the next month, we'll introduce the +1 button and personal recommendations to display ads. ... Soon, your users will be able to endorse specific ads and make the ads more likely to appear to their social connections."

Continued brilliance.

For random comparison's sake, I went to Harris Teeter tonight. Their "application" for one of those savings cards lists your drivers license number as "required information."

It didn't make me want to shop at Harris Teeter.

Ashley Henderson-Huff: A soldier 5 years gone

Even though I wrote myself a note, even though the University of Georgia honored her last week, I almost forgot today was the anniversary of my friend Ashley's death in Iraq.

I saw a reminder on Facebook, through a friend of mine that I didn't know knew her.























That is how life is.

Forbes Rankings: From Worthless to Worth Quoting

Since I showed up in North Carolina last year, I've been fascinated by the adamance state GOP leaders have displayed in arguing that the state is, in fact, a terrible place that hates capitalism and lies in ruin solely due to decades of Democratic control of the state government.

And I kept saying, "Then how come you and 9 million other people live here? How is it the state does so well each year in Forbes' ranking of best states to do business? How have all these America-hating North Carolina commies managed to fool Site Selection Magazine into naming the state No. 1 in business climate 9 out of the last 10 years?"

And I learned that Forbes was just "some magazine." That taxes are far too high. That outsiders don't fully understand the problems Democrats have created for North Carolina businesses.

Which is why I was surprised today when I came to the fourth paragraph in House Majority Leader Paul Stam's press release on the General Assembly move to prohibit gay marriage:

"According to Forbes Magazine ranking of best business climates, eight out of the top 10 states have defined marriage in their state constitution."

Interestingly, of the other two states in the Forbes' top 10, 50 percent of them are North Carolina.

Gay marriage: You sure we need a law?

California Gov. Jerry Brown put out a quotable veto message last week, rejecting fines for kids who won't wear a helmet while snowboarding:

The measure would impose criminal penalties on a child under the age of 18 and his or her parents if the child skis or snowboards without a helmet.

While I appreciate the value of wearing a ski helmet, I am concerned about the continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state. Not every human problem deserves a law.

While the specifics of this particular issue are fairly ... specific, the theory Gov. Brown worked from put me in mind of the gay marriage question before the N.C. General Assembly during the special legislative session starting today.

Does the disagreement over gay marriage deserve a law? And not just a law, but a place in your state constitution?

Note: I'm not labeling marriage or sexuality of any kind as a "human problem," beyond the fact that it's something we don't all agree on.

May Flights of Angels

The University of Georgia honored Ashley Henderson-Huff and Noah Harris during half time of Saturday's South Carolina game. Both died serving their country, and their families were given framed University of Georgia jerseys.


























I'm very proud to say Ashley was a friend of mine, and my thoughts this weekend are with the people whose lives have been so horribly changed by the events of Sept. 11.

Post Office double dealing with employees on leases, contracts

This was my last freelance story before moving to Winston-Salem. Basically, the U.S. Postal Service has all these longstanding relationships with local postmasters, who make extra money by renting space to the post office, particularly in rural areas.

The USPS also contracts with former, and in some cases current, employees to handle rural mail delivery routes. It's not clear whether any of this is really costing the post office which has major financial problems, more money. In some cases it seems to save money, because the rent hasn't gone up that much in 40 years.

The Post Office Inspector General's Office breaks much of this down in a report you can download here. Auditors determined federal and postal regulations were violated. They also questioned the wisdom of renting from and contracting with employees, particularly since, in some cases, postmasters helped make the decision to rent their own building.

Also, the names of the contractors are being kept secret for reasons that don't sound like good reasons to me.

At any rate, read the story. I also have databases of the leases and contracts that weren't included in the Inspector General's report. If you want them, let me know and I'll email them, save you a FOIA request.

Reporter, Hired

I started a full-time job with the Winston-Salem Journal today.

I suspect the blog "Lucid Idiocy (Politics)" will continue here, but it's url will almost certainly change from www.reportingforhire.com.

Aah, accuracy. You've hassled me yet again.

Lawyers: Dotting t's in 'not a contract'

Just finished signing a 13-page lease that required my wife and I to initial the bottom of nearly every page. About halfway through, the lease noted that it "shall not be strictly construed against either the landlord or the tenant."

Then I can't help but think it could have been condensed.

Update:
To be fair, the phrase "this is not a contract" appeared only once in 13 pages, on a document from the state REALTORS (TM) Association. It's got a real "required by state law" feel to it, but I do not see a code sight.

Voting Mitt Romney's pocket book

Click image to enlarge.

Turned out this car belongs to a young man (19) who was home schooled and listens to Rush Limbaugh while he delivers pizza. So, while the car inspired my headline, it wasn't the example I might have hoped for.

It still reminds me of something my dad says, which has been a political truism for many years: People vote their wallet.

But I don't think that's true for a lot of people right now. Many vote their philosophy. Some are so frustrated by the size of social welfare programs and the evident impossibility of slowing government spending that they've said, "Enough, period."

Others, I don't think they know when they're screwing themselves. Manipulated correctly, they'll do it with a passion.

Wake schools spokesman: $126K a year

My goodness: The chief communications officer for the Wake County public school system, who resigned Friday, made $126,000 a year.

That's about 3 years salary for me in my last full-time newspaper job. It's three starting teacher jobs, with enough left over for a teacher's assistant.

It's $40,000 more than a high school principal with 34 years experience makes. It's double what teacher with a masters degree, national board certification and 20 years experience makes.

Buffet in the NY Times

If you haven't seen it yet, you should read Warren Buffet's piece this morning in The New York Times. He calls for spending cuts, but also an increased tax rate on income above $1 million a year, including income from dividends and capital gains.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, tax rates for the rich were far higher, and my percentage rate was in the middle of the pack. According to a theory I sometimes hear, I should have thrown a fit and refused to invest because of the elevated tax rates on capital gains and dividends.

I didn’t refuse, nor did others. I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone — not even when capital gains rates were 39.9 percent in 1976-77 — shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain. People invest to make money, and potential taxes have never scared them off. And to those who argue that higher rates hurt job creation, I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what’s happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation.

Georgia redistricting: Senate map aids Macon-Bibb consolidation effort

The Georgia General Assembly released proposed new House and Senate district maps Friday, which you can download here.

The AJC picked up on a clear stacked deck in Fulton County, where the new map would give Republicans a good shot at breaking off the northern end to recreate Milton County, something that's been discussed for years.

Something of the opposite strategy is at play in Macon and Bibb County, where city-county consolidation has been blocked in the Senate because there were only two Bibb senators in the body. Such local legislation generally needs a majority vote from local legislators to pass.

With only two senators of opposing parties, that's difficult to come by. The proposed new map would solve that by drawing a third district into a northern sliver of Bibb, as seen in this closeup:

















Based on the demographics of the 18th, 25th and 26th Senate districts, you're likely to see** two Republicans and one Democrat (from the 26th - Robert Brown's old seat) in Bibb's local Senate delegation. That doesn't guarantee a successful vote to put city-county consolidation before local voters in a referendum, because local Republicans have their own issues with consolidation.

But it helps, particularly as state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, continues to push the issue from his north Bibb County House seat. More broadly, the new map would do away with a fundamental difficulty in the way the districts have been drawn: That one man could block local legislation in the Senate.

**Update: After talking to Bill Knowles, a Republican activist/writer/operative in Bibb County, "likely" may have been too strong a word when it comes to the 26th remaining a Democratic district. Bill says a couple of highly Republican precincts shifted to the 26th. Enough to move the district? Hard to say.

An honest newspaper job posting

In the year I spent as a freelance reporter looking for full-time work, I learned to translate the optimism of newspaper job postings into the likely truth on the ground at the paper. Then I threw in some hyperbole for fun.

To readers who aren't journalists: This post might not be for you. To my fellow reporters: I feel your pain. To newspaper companies: I kid because you're driving me insane.

AWARD-WINNING DAILY SEEKS BULLDOG REPORTER FOR THE BEST BEAT IN (INSERT STATE)!!!

Are you looking for a journalism job you're massively over qualified for? One that will force your kids to eat government cheese? If so, we've got the gig for you, because we have no intention of paying what this job's worth. Our corporate executives need that cash for themselves on the off chance shareholders realize we don't have a plan for "The Internet."

We're an award winning daily in (INSERT CITY), though if you visit us you might not see any actual awards dated later than 2007. We can't really afford to frame them anymore, or to send someone to the ceremony and pick them up. But we're a great place to work, particularly if you like covering 2-3 beats at once, staring at empty desks, multi-week furloughs announced at the last possible second and various other soul-crushing moral killers that pop up every two-to-three weeks.

We need a bulldog reporter - someone who's familiar with open records law, investigative techniques and computer assisted reporting. Someone who doesn't just go to meetings and wait for press releases, but really develops sources, breaks stories and balances daily coverage with longer-term reporting.

Now you might think, "that sounds like what any good reporter should be able to do." Far from it, my friend. Roughly translated to the hire we'll actually make it means, "we want someone who thinks he/she is too good for this job and who'll end up just sitting on his or her ass all day, selling their worthless crap on eBay and talking about how they've never been given time to do that five-part series on sack-lunch theft at City Hall."

Or a minority. Then we'll have diversity in our newsroom for the 3 months it takes a larger paper to hire that reporter away, leading us to freeze the job and spread the work among the four reporters we have left.

We'd like someone with 4-6 years experience. Any more and we'd have to pay too much. At least two years of that experience should be at The Wall Street Journal or, in a pinch, The New York Times.

Please send a cover letter, resume, references and 5 clips to (INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS). Better yet, use our automated system, which will ask you to input the exact same information two or three times, repeatedly reject your clip packet as too large or improperly formatted, then time out and force you to start over.

We can't be bothered to let you know we've received your application, and please don't call to check. We're also not going to give you anyone's name, so you may feel like an jackass writing this letter to no one, or combing around on our poorly designed web site in a vain attempt to match an email address with an actual human being.

You shouldn't worry about that too much, though. Chances are good corporate will force us to eliminate this job by the time you apply.

When applying, mention you saw this opening listed at JournalismJobs.com.

Aug. 24 update: Nothing here should reflect on my new employers at the Winston-Salem Journal. There are still people in this wonderful, frustrating, dying industry who do things the right way.

Beer in a bag: No such law

I turned the North Carolina portion of this post into a piece for the Winston-Salem Journal. The Georgia section remains below.

In Georgia, where I lived 10 years before moving to North Carolina, the state Department of Revenue oversees alcohol sales through its Alcohol and Tobacco Division.

"There is no State law or regulation requiring merchants to put alcohol in any kind of bag," Carter Leverette, the division's assistant chief of operations, said in an e-mail. "Cities and counties may have local ordinances that require that alcohol be bagged."

There are 159 counties and more than 500 municipalities in Georgia, and I only checked with Bibb County, where I used to live. No such law, according to Bibb County Sheriff's Office Spokesman Sgt. Sean DeFoe.

Maybe it's a small thing. Probably just a silly custom, born of the notion that it's OK to drink, as long as you hide it. But think of all those wasted plastic and paper bags, used simply because someone thinks they have to.