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(04/22/08 4:00am)
Greg Doucette's election as president of the UNC-system Association of Student Governments has caused concern as to whether he will be able to handle that job and his role as president of the N.C. State University Student Senate.
"It is kind of a hairy pickle," departing ASG president Cody Grasty said of the situation.
ASG, a student-run advocacy group that seeks to serve the needs of students at the 16 UNC-system universities, received about $190,000 in student fees last year.
Doucette is faced with trying to repair the group's reputation, especially after the last elected ASG president, Cole Jones, was forced to resign after being convicted of criminal assault in August.
ASG bylaws don't bar a president from holding a student government position other than student body president.
However, Jeff Nieman, ASG president from 1998-2000, said he believes the position of president calls for too much time and energy to try to split between two jobs.
"The ASG president is the closest thing to a statewide student government leader," he said. "To do that and at the same time have a major leadership role on campus, it's just too much for one person."
But Doucette said the ASG job doesn't rest solely in his hands.
"At the end of the day there's a whole team of student leaders here to represent the students' voice."
Doucette said he is within ASG bylaws, adding that he has already held the NCSU senate presidency for a year, which will make the weight of his two jobs lighter.
As senate president, Doucette is also student body vice president and, as such, would have to take over for the N.C. State student body president should he be unable to fulfill the position's duties.
Here Doucette could potentially hit a brick wall, because he cannot serve on both the Board of Governors as ASG president and the N.C. State Board of Trustees as student body president.
Doucette said he would relinquish his N.C. State office should an irreconcilable conflict emerge.
"I think he would be doing a great deal of damage to the association if he didn't immediately step down," Grasty said of a possible conflict. "I think he would make the right choice."
Nieman, who worked in NCSU student government with Doucette, said he doesn't question his leadership ability, only his priorities.
"By accepting both roles, it could appear that the ASG presidency position is one that could be held as a side position," Nieman said. "And it is most assuredly not."
Yet Doucette expressed confidence. "As long as I am fulfilling the obligations of both jobs," he said, "I really don't think it's going to be that big of an issue."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(04/21/08 4:00am)
The recent East Carolina University election controversy illuminated an issue campuses face across the state: how to run a legitimate student government election.
Whether it's a technology glitch, inappropriate use of campaign funds or fliers in off-limits library bathrooms, the UNC system has seen its share of election flukes.
But the most notable of the recent hiccups were more like belches. In addition to the recent contested election at ECU, N.C. Central University and UNC-Pembroke had their names added to the list of schools that have recently experienced woes in student government.
The charges against the ECU board of elections included improper swearing-in of election poll workers, candidates campaigning in the 25-foot off-limits box around polling stations and the withholding of candidates' names and pictures from the elections Web site.
Abey Dessie, departing ECU Student Government Association attorney general, said the student judicial board upheld three of the charges against the elections board in a hearing two weeks ago but voted against holding another election.
"They felt that those three violations wouldn't have had that much of an effect," Dessie said of the board's decision, adding that the decision was largely influenced by the fact that the judiciary board felt that candidates were affected collectively, rather than one being singled out.
"Everyone is really glad the situation was resolved now," he said. "Now we can look ahead to the future."
Such incidents are not isolated to a few campuses.
In February 2007, N.C. Central University Junior Class President Edmund Lewis was impeached and removed from office, disqualifying him from running in the upcoming student body president elections.
At the time, many students protested the impeachment charges, claiming that the charges' proximity to the elections smelled of foul play.
Last fall at UNC-P, there was an unsuccessful movement to impeach Student Body President Dwight Humphrey on charges of misconduct such as using inappropriate language, missing meetings and not submitting a budget. Humphrey resigned shortly after.
UNC-Chapel Hill experienced its own disruption in February 2004, when student body president candidate Lily West was accused of employing her boyfriend in inappropriate canvassing in the last minutes of a very close election runoff.
The BOE heard of the possible violation minutes before results were announced, forcing the board to nullify the results and hold a hearing. West was allowed to run in the re-election, but her campaign funds were reduced to a penny.
The other candidate, Matt Calabria, won the re-election.
Jim Brewer, former chairman of the board of elections at UNC-CH, said there is a way to prevent such incidents.
"I think it begins with clear election laws," he said, adding that the complexity of the laws themselves might deter more frivolous candidates from running.
Todd Delp, assistant dean of students at UNC-Charlotte, echoed the need for detailed plans outlining how to handle any situation.
"I think it is crucial to have those processes in place," he said.
UNC-C Student Body President Justin Ritchie said candidates often consider challenging an election when it doesn't turn in their favor.
"Someone considered challenging it this year, and I just had to sit him down and say, 'What do you have to gain?'" He added that election results are rarely overturned and that what candidates have to lose by challenging results is actually more important: integrity and respect.
The one problem UNC-C did have with its elections this year was with technology. Because of a technological error, no votes in the Health and Human Services College were counted, forcing the campus to hold re-election.
Greg Doucette, president of the senate at N.C. State University and Association of Student Government's president, said he thought it was important for all the schools to meet up and exchange ideas for how to run governments.
"I think the main thing is making sure every school knows what every school is up to," he said, adding that he would like to see another statewide ASG conference like the one held two years ago.
Doucette said he hoped that such an event would allow different university governments to learn from each other while still catering to their particular institution.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(04/10/08 4:00am)
CORRECTION: Moses Carey is misidentified. Carey is a former chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Barry Jacobs is the current chairman. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes.
A debate Wednesday night between two candidates for N.C. Senate District 23 failed to shed much light on the differences in the candidates' platforms and left attendees puzzled at where the two actually split on policy.
(03/28/08 4:00am)
North Carolina's May 6 primary could significantly impact the Democratic nomination for the first time in 20 years, especially with Florida and Michigan delegates still in contention.
Florida and Michigan, which ran afoul of party rules, are petitioning to get their delegates reinstated. Following Pennsylvania, which votes April 22, North Carolina is the only state left with a triple-digit total of Democratic delegates.
"In this kind of a campaign where it's this close, I think every single delegate counts," UNC journalism professor Leroy Towns said. "There's no question that North Carolina is now a major prize for either candidate."
The state hasn't played a large role in the nominating process since 1988, when it was part of the southern bloc of Super Tuesday states.
"The fact that we have a primary in North Carolina that will make a difference for the first time in 20 years is really exciting people," said Jack Sanders, chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party.
The state received 25 percent more delegates for the 2008 election cycle because it agreed to not move its primary earlier. North Carolina now has the seventh-largest number of delegates in the country: 115 delegates and 19 superdelegates.
The Democratic National Committee's 2008 rules allowed only Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to hold contests before Feb. 5. Michigan and Florida held primaries in January, and the committee stripped both states of their delegates to the nominating convention in August.
"If the rules, as they were established, are actually followed . it would make North Carolina's delegation more influential," Sanders said.
The Florida Democratic Party has already ruled out the possibility of holding another primary to appease the DNC but is arguing that its delegates should be seated to be fair to its voters, who turned out in record numbers in January.
Florida has appealed to the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which convenes in April, said Alejandro Miyar, press secretary for the Florida Democratic Party.
"We're hopeful that we'll find a remedy," he said, adding that an appeal to the DNC's credentials committee would be the next step.
The Michigan Democratic Party is predicting that turnout would be four times higher if another vote was held, one reason the state is not yet prepared to take that step.
There was talk of holding a state-run, privately funded primary, but Liz Kerr, spokeswoman for the Michigan Democratic Party, said that would be logistically difficult.
"Basically, right now we're back at the negotiating table," she said.
Despite the desire of each state to have their delegates seated, many Democrats are worried that a protracted fight about delegate allocation that extends to the convention might erode support for the party in the general election.
"I think there certainly is an urgency to get this resolved," Miyar said, adding that he hopes the nominating process will be done by June.
Kerr echoed the importance of swiftly choosing a nominee. "We need a united Democratic Party to beat John McCain next fall."
Senior Writer Elizabeth DeOrnellas contributed reporting
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(03/18/08 4:00am)
Nationwide legislation intended to redistribute military resources will bring tens of thousands of newcomers to North Carolina.
By 2011, the state's strong military presence will be augmented by a relocated Army command post and an influx of 35,000 to 45,000 military personnel and contractors.
The Army command post will be relocated from Fort McPherson in Georgia to Fort Bragg.
North Carolina will also receive personnel from bases that are closing in surrounding states, a realignment determined by the most recent installment of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in 2005.
"We're very fortunate in that we didn't shut down any bases," said Paul Dordal, executive director of the N.C.-based BRAC Regional Task Force, a commission designed to help communities adjust to changes brought about by the legislation.
Will Austin, executive director of the N.C. Military Foundation, said the projected economic impact of the base realignment will be more than $1 billion.
"Yes, there will be billions of dollars of construction coming, but longer-term it's the impact you'll see in strategies to support the installations," he said.
As to whether the state can handle such a large influx of people, Dordal said that the challenges will be significant but that the economic benefits will outweigh the negatives.
"One of our goals is to ensure that the quality of life in this region doesn't decrease as we see the large increase in population at Fort Bragg."
He said concerns include potential strains on housing, schools and public transportation.
Sara Vanderclute, a Cumberland County government spokeswoman, said the county - the site of Fort Bragg - welcomes the relocation.
"It is a challenge for the receiving community, but it's also a blessing," she said. "The military presence here is the foundation of our economy."
Vanderclute said Cumberland County is currently planning to build a new library, school and public health center in the western part of the county to accommodate the newcomers.
The effort to prepare North Carolina for the base realignment is a bipartisan, statewide effort, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue said in an e-mail.
"Preparing for BRAC-related growth is about economic development and not at all about politics," she stated, adding that she believes the state will be prepared.
Austin said the expansion of North Carolina's bases will allow the state to continue its long-standing support of the military.
"North Carolina has hosted these major installations for a long time," he said. "They are very much the fabric of our communities."
Dordal added that North Carolina isn't the only state receiving headquarters and personnel from BRAC closings. Thirteen other military-growth communities, including those around Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Knox in Kentucky, are experiencing the same phenomenon.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(02/21/08 5:00am)
Among N.C. voters, Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are creeping up on Republican frontrunner John McCain with the help of strong youth support, according to survey data released Monday.
Although the state has not voted Democratic in a presidential election since 1976, the survey, released by Public Policy Polling, indicated McCain might not win easily.
The poll used an automated dialing system to question N.C. voters about possible candidate matchups in the November general election. It asked 686 "likely general election" voters questions.
"Both Clinton and Obama are behind McCain by only five points, a gap that is smaller than expected," said Tom Jensen, communications director for the company.
"Certainly (McCain) is the favorite to win the state, but traditionally in the state the Republicans have tended to win by 12 or 13 (percentage) points in the presidential race," he said.
Last month, the same poll showed Obama a full 14 points behind McCain.
Jensen said the youngest bracket - 18 to 29 years old - had the biggest impact.
"Obama has just really been capturing the hearts and minds of people across North Carolina," he said.
"These young people are what it would take to turn the state blue for the first time since 1976."
But UNC journalism professor Leroy Towns said it would be wise to remain skeptical of the polling data.
"It's way too premature to discuss North Carolina winners and losers before we've even had a primary in this state."
Towns said automated dialing is unreliable and generally distrusted in political circles.
"A 12-year-old kid could pick up the phone and push the buttons," he said. "It provides interesting tidbits for political junkies, but little else."
Junior Vivek Chilukuri, director of UNC Students for Barack Obama, said people are paying more attention to Obama as he continues to gain primary and caucus wins.
"I think when candidates start winning elections and competitions, they're viewed by people all over the country as more credible and viable."
Chilukuri also said Obama's campaign is attracting young people because he offers a change.
"It's because his message represents something that our generation is hungering for."
Amanda Vaughn, director of Heels for Hillary, echoed Chilukuri's optimism.
"We haven't been as active in past elections, and I think the youth can have an impact in '08," she said.
"Even if we don't turn blue, the fact that (Clinton) can close the gap more than past candidates shows her appeal."
Jensen said the numbers indicate that Republicans might lose local contests because of the lagging support for the party's leadership.
"It could be good news for Democrats down the ballots as well," he said.
"The Republican presidential candidate needs really strong coat-tails to pull the rest of the ticket along."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(02/14/08 5:00am)
In the aftermath of a court settlement that seeks to assist college athletes financially, universities are concerned that extra funds could prove to be more of a burden than a blessing.
After student athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in February 2006, complaining of too many out-of-pocket expenses, the association agreed to allot more money to help athletes from all sports pay for expenses not covered in full athletic scholarships.
Through the 2012-13 school year, the NCAA will cover expenses such as traveling home to visit a sick relative, buying clothes and acquiring dental insurance.
In a recent press release, the NCAA stated, "By adjusting the rules regarding access to the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid . it is the NCAA's intention to help meet any true additional needs of its student athletes."
The idea of more funds for needy athletes might sound good now, but some said they are uneasy about where the financial burden will fall after the NCAA's promised years of support are up.
"The concern is that eventually funds to support this initiative may have to come from general college funds," said Carole Browne, a co-chairman of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics.
She said there was a general concern that if colleges have to pick up athletes' out-of-pocket expenses, other programs could suffer.
"If most institutions have to support athletics programs out of the general budget, it could take money away from academics," she said.
For student athletes who receive a full scholarship, UNC already foots the bill for tuition, room and board and student fees and books, said Amy Herman, UNC assistant athletic director for compliance.
Other expenses an athlete encounters, including health care, emergency travel and dental insurance, can be paid for through two funds financed by the NCAA, the Student Athlete Opportunity Fund and the Special Assistance Fund.
The new funding will be in addition to those programs, and it should help student athletes succeed academically, Browne said.
"It's a positive for the student athletes," Browne said. "Anything that allows the student athletes to be better prepared for college is a good thing."
But Herman said it wasn't clear how the new funding will impact UNC.
"I'm trying to find how this could ultimately be an issue for us," she said. "It's hard to know how it would affect us."
While the program would also allow Division I programs to offer year-round health care to student athletes, Herman said the UNC athletics department already buys plans from BlueCross BlueShield for students who don't have insurance or whose insurance doesn't work in North Carolina.
"We already offer health insurance to those who need it and things of that nature," Herman said.
The University of Michigan athletics department operates in a similar fashion, said Judy Van Horn, associate athletics director at Michigan.
"While the NCAA's lawsuit settlement will permit us to provide year-round, comprehensive health insurance to student athletes, at this time I do not anticipate any changes in current procedures," Van Horn stated in an e-mail.
A final hearing to approve the new funds is scheduled for June 30.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(01/31/08 5:00am)
DURHAM-Enthusiastic Durham residents crowded into a small room in a public library Wednesday night for the "Raucous Caucus." The nearly 80 attendees enjoyed cookies and apple cider while discussing the merits of each of the remaining Democratic nominees.
The event was sponsored by the Durham County Democratic Women. The organization invited residents to share their opinions and knowledge about the Democratic nominees.
Diana Palmer, first vice chairwoman for the Durham County Democratic Party, said the mock caucus was an opportunity for people to come out and be heard.
"It's to give people in Durham a chance to have their preferences known, since the N.C. primary isn't until May," she said.
The caucus was set up Iowa-style, which meant that each corner of a room was dedicated to a certain candidate's supporters, including a corner for undecided voters.
The evening began with one-on-one discussion among the event attendees. With John Edwards out of the running as of Wednesday, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Mike Gravel supporters came together to try to convince one another of their candidate's merits.
"It looks like chaos, but it's not," said Katy Munger, president of Durham Democratic Women. "I think it's great that this many people really cared enough to be here and make a thoughtful decision."
Lynette Hartsell, an Orange County resident, said she is an avid Clinton supporter.
"I believe she is the most powerful woman to rise in our time," she said. "I hope to convince everyone here tonight to vote for her."
But Alex Phillips, a senior at Jordan High School in Durham and a member of the Jordan High School Democrats Club, said he's putting his faith in Obama.
"This general election is going to make or break America," he announced to the room. "This is a time for us to step up."
Phillips said he likes Obama's straightforwardness and education platform but encouraged the group to find out for themselves.
"It's your responsibility as voters to be educated and to find out about these platforms and what it means to you," he said.
In the end, Gravel did not have the support of 15 percent of the Durham caucus-goers, so the race came down to Clinton and Obama.
Munger said that if neither candidate pulls ahead on Super Tuesday, the primary in North Carolina might make a difference. "It could very well come down to our state."
Judging from the night's results, if the Democrats present at the Raucous Caucus have anything to do with it, Obama will run away with the N.C. primary. He won 56 percent of the vote to Clinton's 26.8 percent.
"It's to bring people together and get them excited," Munger said. "Rather than accepting what the media tells us about the candidates, we're here to make up our own minds."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/28/07 5:00am)
Faced with a statewide nurse shortage, N.C. community colleges are protesting a rule meant to address quality rather than quantity.
Members of the State Board of Community Colleges expressed their unhappiness last week about a state rule that would require all nursing instructors employed after December 31, 2014, to have a master's degree. Nursing faculty currently must hold only a baccalaureate degree.
"We're looking to provide the state with the best educated and most highly qualified nurses possible," said David Kalbacker, a spokesman for the N.C. Board of Nursing, which proposed the rule in June.
But Renee Batts, program coordinator for health services at the N.C. Community College System Office, said the stricter requirements for faculty could widen the state's nursing shortage.
She said state estimates have put the nursing shortage at about 8.9 percent, a figure that could climb to 29.6 percent by 2020.
And since the community colleges' clinical settings are required to have a small student-to-teacher ratio, losing those instructors could decrease enrollment, Batts said.
"We would not be able to utilize them as instructors, which would force us to enroll fewer students," she said. "If the proposed rule passes, then this could negatively impact our recruitment of part-time staff, especially clinical instructors."
While requiring a master's degree might not be a problem for full-time employees, it might drive part-time employees out of the picture, said Kathy Weeks, the department head for the associate degree nursing program at Wake Tech Community College.
She said that many clinical instructors, who help students care for actual patients in health care facilities, often hold jobs at hospitals and instruct only part time.
"There's some concern with the faculty shortage that we already have, (this rule) would make it more difficult," she said. "I don't think we have an adequate number of master's-prepared people out there to supply our needs."
But Kalbacker said the N.C. Board of Nursing is working to make sure the transition would be smooth, especially for current instructors.
He added that the state has set aside $1.2 million in scholarship money for nursing faculty, which would include prospective master's degree holders.
"There are so many more ways to get advanced degrees now than there were years ago," he said.
The nursing board's proposed rule has to be approved by the General Assembly in the 2008 session.
Batts said that she doesn't think the rule would increase the quality of N.C. nurses, 60 percent of whom graduate from community colleges.
"We know that the students we graduate are quality practitioners."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/27/07 5:00am)
Western Carolina University researchers, faced with a growing and globalizing state economy, are considering the possibility of an inland port in the mountains of North Carolina.
WCU senior policy fellow Alan Thornburg said the feasibility study, which received $100,000 from the N.C. General Assembly, will survey potential customers for the inland port. He cited seaports, shipping lines, N.C. businesses and other businesses looking to relocate near the as yet nonexistent port.
"Our ports are overburdened right now," Thornburg said of the seaports on North Carolina's coast.
The inland port would take goods from export customers farther inland, package the goods and transport them to the coast by truck or rail.
Thornburg said the study would be a combined effort of several WCU economics and business professors, as well as organizations such as AdvantageWest Economic Development Group and the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Scott Hercik, a transportation adviser to the ARC, said commodities moving through the Southeast are increasing in both volume and diversity as the U.S. economy becomes more global.
"The folks down in Western Carolina are doing exactly the right thing, and that is recognizing that the world is changing."
One of the main advantages of having an inland seaport in North Carolina's mountains would be the establishment of a transportation hub and the subsequent creation of jobs, Thornburg said.
A nearby inland port in Virginia is the basis for that assumption, Hercik said.
Joe Harris, a spokesman for the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal, said the port has drawn people and jobs to a previously rural area. "It's taken time over the years to build it, but it has become an asset."
Hercik said more than 7,000 jobs have been created in the 15 years that the Virginia port has been in operation.
Because the feasibility study isn't expected to be finished until the end of 2008, Thornburg said he could not predict the cost of building the port or where it might go, but he said the state would try to utilize existing infrastructure.
Dale Carroll, the executive director of AdvantageWest, said infrastructure is key for connecting to the global economy.
"From a logistics and distribution standpoint, the possibility of an inland port excites us as economic developers," Carroll said.
"It would be a magnet that would help attract prospective businesses to this part of the state."
But Dallas Woodhouse, the state director of Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots organization that supports limited government, urged caution.
"That is always what is said when there is a big proposal to do something," he said of proponents' claims. "Studies like these are usually designed to come up with pre-ordained conclusions."
Woodhouse said the state would be better off spending those dollars on infrastructure improvements.
But Carroll said he thinks an inland port would be beneficial for everyone involved.
"It would be good for the region; it would be good for the state; it would be good for this part of the country."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(11/20/07 5:00am)
Once local farmers have harvested everything they need, volunteers go in and take what is left over - usually food that doesn't meet market standards.
On any Saturday, the Society of St. Andrew could have as many as 100 volunteers out in the fields, said Dianne Bittikofer, program coordinator for the N.C. regional office.
"We partner with a lot of people to help us get food out of the fields," she said.
Similar hunger-relief organizations around the state often partner to help glean, transport or distribute fresh produce to low-income families, soup kitchens and homeless shelters, said Jill Staton Bullard, co-founder and director of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, which sometimes assists St. Andrew in transporting produce.
An amendment of the farm bill proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., would provide tax incentives for companies that loan out their trucks to help hunger-relief organizations.
Those groups need help moving excess produce to the estimated 1 million hungry N.C. residents, or 11 percent of the state population.
"In the land of prosperity and plenty, some people have the misconception that hunger plagues only faraway, undeveloped nations," Dole said on the floor of the U.S. Senate last week in an effort to garner support for the bill.
The farm bill is stalled in the Senate and has been threatened with a presidential veto.
One of the biggest costs for the Society of St. Andrew is finding and hiring trucks to transport the produce.
"We shouldn't throw away good food when people can't feed themselves," Staton Bullard said.
"No one organization can do it all. We depend on each other to make sure that people in need get the broadest and deepest resources available to them."
Dole told the Senate that she hopes her legislation will support companies that donate their resources to transport food to the needy.
"This bill would provide a little extra encouragement for trucking companies to donate space in their vehicles to help more food reach more hungry people," she said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 49 million people could be fed annually by the food lost at the retail, consumer and food service levels nationwide.
Staton Bullard said that people can do easy things on an individual level to help alleviate hunger, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating money or buying canned goods for a food drive.
"When you do what's in front of you and easy, you get more and more engaged," she said. "When we see each other as neighbors, it changes our community."
St. Andrew relies almost completely on volunteers who donate their time on a weekly basis, Bittikofer said.
"Spread the word that this is the issue - volunteer, contribute. It really does make a difference," she said.
"Every day is Thanksgiving. Every time we give produce to people in need, that is a day of thanks."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/24/07 4:00am)
Sales for a nonprescription weight-loss drug have skyrocketed since June, when its Research Triangle Park company released it with the purported goal of curbing American obesity.
GlaxoSmithKline has sold 2 million starter kits of its drug alli. The company has touted it as a potential tool in the fight against the obesity epidemic, which affects an estimated 30 percent of Americans and 25 percent of North Carolinians.
Tom Keyserling, a UNC School of Medicine professor, is more skeptical. He said he believes the medicine is safe but minimally effective.
"I don't think it's going to have a meaningful effect on the obesity epidemic in this country."
Alli is the only nonprescription, FDA-approved drug to assist weight loss. The company claims that alli can help increase weight loss by 50 percent when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.
"Because it is over-the-counter, a greater number of people will have access to the medicine," said Malesia Dunn, director of communications for consumer health care at GlaxoSmithKline.
Clinical trials have concluded that Orlistat, the active ingredient in alli, contributes to a larger initial weight loss and a slower weight regain.
But the trials also indicate that the weight-loss advantage is minimal - those on the drug lost about 6 pounds more than those trying to lose weight without it.
Dunn said that the medicine is not a miracle pill but that it is a major commitment to lifetime health.
"It's not about the hype and unproven methods that you see on late-night TV. It is a proven medicine available to help people who are truly committed."
According to the drug's Web site, that commitment involves a low-calorie and low-fat diet, smaller food portions and increased physical activity.
But Keyserling said continued weight loss is the result of a change in lifestyle - including exercise and better nutrition - and not of a pill.
Keyserling said alli is not worth the price or the bowel-related side effects.
The drug's main side effect is loose stools and diarrhea. The Web site also recommends that users wear dark pants during their initial use period to avoid showcasing another side effect: gas with oily discharge.
Brian Jones, vice president of communications for consumer health care at GlaxoSmithKline, said the company is emphasizing education.
"We're doing everything we can to tell consumers how and why alli works."
Dunn said the high traffic on the alli Web site is proof that people are hoping to learn more. She said one of the drug's main appeals is that it comes with a built-in support system in the form of message boards on the alli Web site.
"People are very interested, and talking about their successes and challenges," she said. "It becomes a support program in addition to a weight-loss pill."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/23/07 4:00am)
With the end of the first fiscal quarter nearing, things are looking good for the N.C. budget, but some analysts are questioning whether the state's surplus is for real.
North Carolina surpassed its projected revenues by about $75 million during the past three months, even as surrounding states are being forced to dip into reserve funds.
North Carolina still has about $800 million in its rainy day fund.
"It's a little bit of a mystery," said Meg Gray, a policy analyst with the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, of the apparent surplus.
Gray attributed some of North Carolina's relative success to the state's heavy reliance on income tax rather than sales tax. "In times of economic downturn, states that rely on sales tax suffer losses of revenue."
Gray said that she believes there might not be reason to celebrate and that she remains cautious about the validity of the surplus estimate.
Chris Fitzsimon, executive director of N.C. Policy Watch, said the surplus is a result of several factors.
"It's a combination of conservative revenue estimates and wise investments by the General Assembly," he said, adding that Gov. Mike Easley, legislators and investment advocacy groups all contributed to the revenue increase.
Brent Woodcox, communications director of the N.C. Republican Party, said that although the state is running a surplus, the leadership in Raleigh is spending it just as fast.
"It can be a good thing to run a surplus, but when spending increases, you have to wonder when the money is going to go back to the taxpayer."
He said that North Carolina has the fastest growing budget in the Southeast and that the tax system might have to reform to keep up.
"The wisest decision we can make in our tax policy is to make sure that businesses want to come here," he said, citing a strong educational system as a pull for businesses.
Kerra Bolton, communications director for the N.C. Democratic Party, said education is a clear priority for the state.
"More than half the state's budget is dedicated toward education," she said. "In tough economic times, N.C. Democrats have supported education when other states have made drastic cuts to the classroom."
Gray said the period of budget surplus probably won't last because the state is still catching up from previous investments.
For now, analysts are waiting to see what happens to the state of the budget in North Carolina.
"It's just the first quarter," Gray said. "Anything could happen."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/17/07 4:00am)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Gregory Jaczko traveled to Raleigh on Tuesday to meet with groups concerned about the safety of the Shearon Harris nuclear plant, located about half an hour from Chapel Hill.
State and national organizations have been trying to draw attention to the Wake County plant's unsatisfactory fire safety regulations for 15 years, said Mary Olson, director of the Southeast Office of Nuclear Information and Resource Service.
If a fire reached the plant's hundreds of miles of what she termed inadequately insulated electrical cables, the plant would face the risk of a nuclear meltdown.
"I'm very happy that Commissioner Jaczko is putting a spotlight on this issue," she said.
Despite the concerns raised by nuclear safety groups, Jaczko said after the meeting that Shearon Harris' fire barriers are only slightly below regulation.
Jaczko said that he primarily called the meeting in order to hear some of the concerns of local officials and national groups and that he will continue investigations.
"It was a very good discussion, and I took away some very good information," he said. "I will take it back to Washington, (D.C.), with me while I continue to work on this."
Advocacy groups have been unhappy with what they consider to be the commission's lack of attention and lax enforcement of regulations.
On Tuesday representatives from the Union of Concerned Scientists, N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, and Beyond Nuclear convened to talk with the commissioner.
Officials from those groups said Shearon Harris' fire barriers warrant national attention because they're among the worst in the country.
"The NRC has taken no enforcement action," said Paul Gunter, director of the Reactor Oversight Project with Beyond Nuclear. "It undermines the NRC's credibility."
Jim Warren, executive director of N.C. WARN, said he is glad the commissioner is taking an interest. "Nuclear plants are inherently dangerous as it is, and you simply cannot cut corners on these regulations."
Warren predicted that the meeting will spur investigation by federal agencies, including the Government Accountability Office. He said no one knows what steps are being taken now - either by Raleigh-based Progress Energy or the government - to reduce hazards at the plant.
Olson said the NRC should take steps to improve the backup plans Shearon Harris workers are expected to follow in case of an emergency.
Because the insulation doesn't meet regulations, she said, a "manual backup" would be enacted if a fire broke out - a group of people would have to manually shut down the reactor, a complex and difficult process performed under conditions of extreme heat and radioactivity.
"What's at stake here is the ability to shut down the reactor," she said.
Jaczko said the NRC has been examining the issues and hopes to modernize facilities where fire barriers do not quite meet the standards.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/16/07 4:00am)
In 1999, when former Sen. Zell Miller served as the governor of Georgia, he was a Democrat, but not in the way most people think now.
More than 150 students assembled Monday to hear Miller, whose conservative values throughout his career have aligned him with the modern-day Republican party. In the Great Hall, Miller delivered his lecture titled "America's Enemies: Here and Abroad."
The UNC College Republicans sponsored the speech, which focused on the Middle East, immigration and the 2008 election.
"I think Hillary Clinton, with all of her baggage and negatives, will be the Democratic nominee," Miller predicted, adding with a laugh that the nation's most popular bumper sticker would read, "Run, Hillary, Run."
"The Democrats will put it on the back bumper, and the Republicans will put it on the front," he said to uproarious laughter from students.
On the Iraq war, Miller pleased the conservative crowd with a show of big-stick politics.
He said that America should stay in Iraq until "the Islamic fanatics know that they are defeated."
Miller lamented the country's lax border policies and the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
"Personally, my heart goes out to them . but that's not the point," he said. "They are here illegally."
He also spoke about tax cuts and the national budget, as well as the need for education to combat poverty in America.
The politician received a standing ovation from the predominantly student crowd when he ended his speech, calling for divine influence to play a role in America's policy decisions.
John Eick, a freshman political science major, praised Miller's delivery.
"I think it's a great presentation by the senator. I think he's a man true to his beliefs and true to his word."
Garrett Kemble, a senior communication studies major, acknowledged Miller's ability to work a crowd but said he took what the politician had to say with a grain of salt.
"I don't agree with a lot of his stances on issues, but I think he knows what he's talking about," Kemble said. "I think some of his predictions about the coming election are right in line with what I was thinking."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/26/07 4:00am)
The court battle regarding a contentious Missouri law has drawn national attention to state regulations that make it difficult for abortion clinics to stay in business.
A federal judge decided Monday to suspend the regulations in Missouri clinics, pending the outcome of a case brought against them by a local Planned Parenthood chapter.
Abortion-rights activists call the regulations - enforced in 20 states during all stages of pregnancy - TRAP laws, or Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers. They argue that the strict regulations are expensive to implement and are aimed at forcing free-standing abortion clinics to close.
Susan Hill, president of the National Women's Health Organization, said these laws have been around for more than a decade and include 24-hour waiting periods and mandatory counseling. "I find it insulting to women because it implies that they haven't thought about what they are doing and that the government knows better," she said.
According to a briefing paper by the Center for Reproductive Rights, examples of TRAP law demands include clinically unnecessary testing of patients, access of state health officials to clinics' offices and records and excessive regulation of facilities - including width of hallways and types of furniture and landscaping.
Greg Scott, a spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the Missouri Health Department in the case, said state laws require abortion clinics to abide by merely the same laws that regulate all outpatient surgical centers.
"All this law does is make sure that we have maximum protection for women and girls making the tragic decision to have an abortion."
Those against the law claim that it presents another obstacle to women who have already made a decision.
"I've not seen it change anyone's mind. It is just one more impediment to getting the surgery," Hill said.
She said that North Carolina has had abortion regulation laws since 1975 but that the state is careful to protect the health and safety of women, along with their right to abortions and contraceptives.
Barbara Holt, president of the N.C. Right to Life Organization, an affiliate of the National Right to Life political action committee, said such regulations are essential in protecting women who are having abortions.
"In some cases, it has come to our attention that the doctors performing these procedures don't have malpractice insurance or hospital privilege," she said. "Women die during abortions. They need to be aware."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/19/07 4:00am)
Four years after the Navy proposed building a landing field in North Carolina, the issue is still a hot topic for officials and residents.
A study group reactivated by Gov. Mike Easley met in Raleigh Tuesday to discuss 21 potential locations for the proposed Outlying Landing Field, an aircraft carrier pilot-training site.
The Navy's 2003 proposal of an OLF site in Washington and Beaufort counties met consolidated resistance from a range of citizens and organizations.
"I am glad to hear that there are other locations being considered that might not have such an inflammatory effect," said Sid Eagles, the study group's chairman and a retired chief judge of the N.C. Court of Appeals.
Negotiations between the Navy and N.C. officials prompted the re-evaluation of the proposed site.
The panel members - including military personnel and people from N.C. environmental groups, local governments and state agencies - will present their suggested site to Easley when they reach a decision, which could take up to two years.
Rear Admiral David Anderson, who represented the Navy on Tuesday, estimated that 52 civilian jobs will be created by the arrival of the OLF in North Carolina. These jobs could range from grass cutting to security.
The main concerns regarding the landing field are the economic and environmental impacts on the communities near it.
The OLF, as a training device for teaching pilots how to land on aircraft carriers, would have a jet landing every half hour for almost 24 hours per day.
Residents and environmentalists are troubled about noise levels at homes, schools and hospitals, as well as the landing site's effect on the wetlands and migratory waterfowl.
Environmentalists argue that the OLF is a threat not only to wetlands but also to agricultural areas and forests where many species of wildlife live.
The Navy is bound by the National Environmental Policy Act and is subject to legal scrutiny that requires intense research regarding the effects on wildlife.
Eagles said the economic impact to the N.C. community that ultimately houses the OLF is estimated at $18 billion.
The Navy is trying to situate the OLF in northeastern North Carolina because that area is largely rural and close to other Navy bases.
Wherever the OLF goes, the Navy has agreed to buy the houses - at market value - of residents who are within 60 decibels to 75 decibels of noise.
But Anderson acknowledged that no matter where the location, some people will be dissatisfied and others will be supportive.
"I am trying to address those in the middle," he said.
Anderson said he believes that the dialogue brought to the table Tuesday is a step toward an agreement beneficial for both North Carolina and the Navy.
"We owe this to the next generation, to the taxpayers, to the state of North Carolina," he said.
"We're going to find that win-win."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(09/12/07 4:00am)
The U.S. surgeon general will speak today at N.C. State University after helping to introduce a new underage drinking prevention program aimed at the state's middle schoolers.
The visit is part of N.C. State's Millennium Seminar Series forged by N.C. first lady Mary Easley in August 2005 to attract engaging speakers to the school.
Easley, a lecturer of law-related courses at N.C. State, invited Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu to the university after working with him in Washington, D.C., to combat underage drinking.
"Dr. Moritsugu has been very excited and pleased to visit North Carolina because of the work Mrs. Easley has done there," said Rebecca Ayer, director of communications for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Public Health and Science.
Moritsugu will speak at 2:30 p.m. today in N.C. State's Stewart Theatre. The seminar is open to the public and free.
The idea to begin underage drinking education in middle school followed research - gathered according to standards set by Moritsugu's Call to Action issued in March - that studied the relationship between underage alcohol use and adolescent development.
Easley's efforts are meant to decrease alcohol dependency that can develop at an early age and to prevent damage to developing brains.
The program is one of several state alcohol education efforts, which receive a total $7 million from N.C. liquor sales.
Moritsugu's speech today will concentrate on "Three Guides to Action for Underage Drinking," a follow-up to his Call to Action, which identified six goals to address underage drinking.
Easley invited him to North Carolina after speaking at his Call to Action press conference on behalf of Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, a national organization of 33 states' first ladies.
Sara Clark, assistant press secretary for the governor's office, said that Easley and Moritsugu share a commitment to preventing underage drinking.
"This has been an issue that has been important since soon after she came into office," Clark said.
Julia Jarema, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, stressed that the problem of underage drinking isn't an isolated problem.
"No part of the state is immune to the problem of underage drinking," she said.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.