As Congressman Heath Shuler stood behind the podium yesterday, Aug. 25, at a luncheon sponsored by the Council of Independent Business Owners, he used a story to explain the biggest challenge he sees in Washington: finding compromise for the federal budget regardless of politics.
Tag: CIBO
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Carney replaces Carter
Delegates to the Buncombe County Democratic Party’s annual convention elected Emmet Carney their new chair on April 9, marking a quick and peaceful end to a race that had shifted rapidly in recent weeks. Several candidates had thrown their hats into the ring and then removed them, including Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell, former […]
Local Matters: WNC Union history, Ingles versus City Council and NC budget woes
In this week’s Local Matters podcast, Xpress News Editor Margaret Williams talks to reporter Jake Frankel about the coming cover story on new perspectives on the “Marion Massacre” union strike, and with reporter David Forbes about Asheville City Council’s recent back-and-forth with the Ingles grocery chain, as well as their recent conversation with NC Treasurer Janet Cowell at a CIBO luncheon.
County’s newest legislator, Tim Moffitt, gives CIBO his take on the work ahead
It’s all about the economy . . . and the budget deficit and job development, says Buncombe County’s newest legislator, Tim Moffitt, who predicts a “philosophical shift” from a spending philosophy to one of saving at the state level.
photo by Margaret Williams
We’re sorry
In a perhaps unintended act of irony, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representatives offered bottled water, chocolates and rubber squeeze balls in the image of the Earth to neighbors of the contaminated former CTS site during a Sept. 9 community meeting. Don Rigger, a key official from the Region IV office in Atlanta, apologized for the […]
Carl Sandburg’s Connemara
“It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, ‘Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?’” — Carl Sandburg From Big Glassy overlook at Connemara (now the Carl […]
Blue Dogs rule?
At an Aug. 26 luncheon sponsored by the Council of Independent Business Owners, Rep. Heath Shuler emphasized his credentials as a moderate "Blue Dog" Democrat who’s willing to buck both parties to do what he thinks is best for the country. Touting his efforts to bring jobs to the region, lower the deficit and reinstate […]
CIBO discussion: Property values and the state of the local economy
About 50 local business owners gathered over grilled chicken yesterday for a discussion about property values and the state of Asheville’s economy. The monthly “Power Lunch Meeting” was sponsored by the Council of Independent Business Owners and featured a panel of city, county and business leaders, including County Tax Collector Gary Roberts, County Attorney Michael Frue, Asheville City Manager Gary Jackson and the owner of Spake Real Estate, John Spake.
Immigration, budget hot topics at CIBO breakfast
City Council member Cecil Bothwell defended his “Sanctuary City” immigration proposal while city and county officials explained their respective budgets at a Council of Independent Business Owners breakfast this morning. A compilation of live tweets.
CIBO: Chicken biscuits and familiar faces
The faces seem to stay the same at the Council of Independent Owners. They’re just older than they were almost 10 years ago — which is about the last time I attended one of their monthly, 7-a.m. breakfast meetings. On March 12, as members and guests (including me and fellow Xpress journalist David Forbes) chowed […]
An interview with Sen. Martin Nesbitt
This morning, Sen. Martin Nesbitt of Buncombe County — recently named majority leader — talked with Xpress about clout, the Sullivan Acts and pulling North Carolina (and its cities) back from the brink of another Great Depression.
Nesbitt, Durant and Gibson talk economics at today’s CIBO meeting
Without federal stimulus funds, North Carolina “would have had no choice but to close public schools. … We would have had a Great Depression; we were that close to the brink,” said N.C. Sen. Martin Nesbitt at today’s issues meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners. And the city of Asheville’s CFO Ben Durant warned that the city’s credit will be limited for years to come, noting that the city has reduced an estimated $5 million deficit in the next fiscal year’s budget to $3 million. Warren Wilson College’s Phil Gibson joked with the sometimes hard-nosed CIBO crowd, “I know many consider us the hippie, granola-munching college, but we are a business.”
City, county officials ruminate on budget “sugar” and economic peril
Early this morning, in the food court of the Biltmore Square mall, members of the Council of Independent Business Owners gathered to hear elected officials from Buncombe County and the city of Asheville summarize their situations and goals.
Sheriff Duncan touts office’s efforts on immigration, drug seizures
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing better coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify fugitives, Sheriff Van Duncan said today. The office is also stepping up its drug-seizure efforts.
Shuler opposes health care legislation, but says “we’ve got to have reform”
Rep. Heath Shuler was in Asheville yesterday, fielding questions from citizens on the radio and speaking to local businesspeople. He reaffirmed his opposition to health care reform legislation currently before the House of Representatives, but said “we’ve got to have reform.”
Gov. Perdue’s speech (The Twitter report)
Gov. Beverly Perdue spoke about the economy to more than 200 people on Thursday at a CIBO meeting. Here is a compilation of Xpress’ live coverage, transmitted via Twitter.
CIBO TV ad sparks more development debate
Local development debates are drawing creative responses from several quarters. A Council of Independent Business Owners TV ad is one of the latest salvos.
CIBO’s last-minute stand
Leaders of the Council of Independent Business Owners have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the formation of the WNC Regional Air Quality Agency’s proposed Clean Air Community Trust Fund, calling the body illegal and objecting to its funding source. CIBO leaders have also sent letters asking state officials to delay their approval of the […]