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Thinking before you vote is always a good idea

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by Margaret Dickson

By the time you read this, voting will likely be underway for our state and nation’s much anticipated midterm elections. It began Oct. 15. North Carolinians will elect a United States Senator, and the outcome of that race will affect not only us but the rest of the nation as well for at least the next six years. We will also choose state legislators and various local officials, all of whom will make decisions that affect us and our families.
In short, elections have consequences.
Also on our ballots, though less talked about than candidates, are three proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution.
Do not be tempted to support them.
They are legislative stunts designed to bring out certain voters, many of whom do not understand what the amendments would actually do.
Legislative proponents of the first two proposed amendments say they will lower taxes by capping state income tax at 3.5% and by stripping cities and counties of the ability to set their own property tax rates, a blatant power grab from the elected officials closest to their communities and giving it to those in Raleigh.
We would all like to pay less in all sorts of taxes, but instead of a collective “Whoopie, let’s pass this law,” let’s put on our personal thinking caps. A tax reduction as in the first proposed amendment sounds terrific on its face, but we North Carolinians also like our professional law enforcement agencies, our public schools, and our world class university system, all of which are funded in large part by the state. There is no way around the reality that less revenue means reduced services. Our state income tax rate is already capped at 7%, and a further reduction would give an even bigger break to higher income earners while expecting lower income earners to pick up the slack.
A number of communities across North Carolina drew the ire of residents in what was perceived as unfair tax revaluations in recent years that resulted in significantly higher property taxes. But taking the power of taxation away from on-the-ground local officials who see their constituents daily at the grocery, schools, and church and know first hand of their needs and desires is not the answer. It would merely put big government, not the locals, in charge. Ask yourself what a legislator from Murphy or Manteo knows—or cares—about the people of Cumberland County. Do you want that legislator deciding local tax rates for communities he or she has never visited and may never have thought about at all?
The third proposal is yet another effort to restrict our right to vote in free and fair elections. It would require that mail in votes also include photo identification. No one is asserting that this is a major problem in North Carolina, and it certainly is not. What it is a problem is erecting one more hurdle on the road to voting. It is intended to keep the increasing numbers of mail in voters in our state away from the polls, not heading to the post office.
If you look carefully at these three proposed amendments, you will likely see them for what they are—legislative sleights of hand to bring out certain voters susceptible to knee jerk words like “tax relief” and “election reform” without investigating and thinking through these proposals.
Don’t be one of those voters being led by the nose.
Up and Coming Weekly readers are smarter than that.

Fun with artificial intelligence and Oedipus Rex

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Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Written by Pitt Dickey

You know what is really fun? Ignore warnings. See how far your car can go on empty. Play refrigerator roulette and eat the crusty casserole hidden at the back of the Kelvinator. Live on the edge. Trust and obey the High-Tech Oligarchs. They know what is best. They care. Our Tech Bros recently met with Trump at the White House to decide that the dangers of AI are best left to be handled by themselves. They had previously warned AI could lead to the end of humanity. After consulting themselves, they decided they alone should regulate themselves. Whew. What a relief. After all, if you can’t trust Billionaires, who can you trust? What could go wrong?
Greek mythology left us a note about why ignoring warnings might not be a good plan. But those guys are all dead now. What did they know, anyway? However, let us ponder the story of Oedipus to see if happy days can be here again despite ignoring warnings to the contrary.
When Oedipus was born to the King and Queen of Thebes, they asked the Oracle of Delphi to conjure up his future. The Oracle made kind of a dark prediction: Oedipus would kill his father, marry his mother, and bring big trouble to Thebes. Yikes! To avoid this future, they sent baby Oedipus into the forest to be killed by a servant. The servant left Oedipus hanging by his ankles in a tree to be eaten by the wild things. Fortunately for Oedipus, a shepherd came along and pulled him out of the tree. The Shepherd gave Oedipus to King Polybus of Corinth, who raised Oedipus as his own son. As a young man, Oedipus kept hearing rumors he was adopted. He went to see the Oracle, who told him he was fated to kill his father, marry his mother, and bring trouble to his city.
Oedipus freaked out and decided to roam the Earth to avoid his bleak future. He found himself at a crossroads where a Herald ordered him to give way to an old rich dude in a chariot. Oedipus, raised as a Prince, refused to budge. A big ruckus ensued. Oedipus killed the chariot dude and his entourage. Unknown to Oedipus, the chariot dude was his biological father, the King of Thebes. Oops. Oedipus went into Thebes and learned their King was dead. Making matters worse, a Sphinx was outside the city walls eating everyone who could not answer a riddle. The citizens promised whoever got rid of the Sphinx could be the new king and marry the Queen.
The Sphinx’s riddle was “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?’ Oedipus said it was man who crawls on all fours as an infant (morning); walks on two legs as adult (afternoon), and uses a cane for three legs in old age (night). The Sphinx was so distracted about Oedipus solving the riddle that she inadvertently let Oedipus kill her. The people of Thebes celebrated like New Yorkers after the Knicks won the NBA championship.
Oedipus was crowned King, married his Mom the Queen, and had two sons and two daughters with her. Then a plague came to Thebes. Oedipus asked the Oracle what would end the plague. He was told the murderer of the former King must be punished. He ordered an investigation by the Thebes CSI unit which determined Oedipus was the killer of the King.
Oedipus was so distraught he blinded himself. He made his daughter Antigone abandon him in the dark forest where the Furies lived. He was never seen again. His Mother/Wife killed herself. His two sons fought a civil war over succession to be King of Thebes. All of this because of an ignored warning.
Is there a moral in this story that might apply to ignoring the warnings about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on humanity? Of course not, trust the Tech Oligarchs. They warned us but then changed their minds, deciding to regulate themselves because Trump renamed Artificial Intelligence as Super Intelligence. With a nice abbreviation like “SI” instead of AI, all our troubles will be so far away. Even though SI is used by mental health professionals as an abbreviation for Suicidal Ideation. A mere coincidence. Learn to love Data Centers. Learn to drink sand. Learn to enjoy rolling electrical blackouts. Billionaires and SI must be fed.
Maybe an even nicer name for SI would be SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS INTELLIGENCE. Renaming things makes the medicine go down in the most delightful ways. Wear your blinders. Warnings are for sissies. Inflation and Middle East wars are good. Have a nice day.

(Illustration by Pitt Dickey)

We should challenge the Imperial City

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Written by John Hood

Over the past decade and a half, North Carolina’s policy environment has become increasingly favorable to growth, development, and progress. State lawmakers have improved how government taxes, regulates, budgets, and funds such services as transportation and education. Our universities are more efficient and friendlier to free speech. Our community colleges are better at targeting high-demand occupations and hard-to-serve populations. North Carolina ranks seventh in economic freedom, 13th in educational freedom and tax competitiveness, and 15th in economic growth (GDP adjusted for inflation over the past decade).
Many challenges remain, however. We overregulate healthcare, raising its cost by restricting competition. Our state budgets are increasingly stuffed with pork. Education reform hasn’t gone nearly far enough. And North Carolina has not been a leader in the fight against the federal government’s unwise and unconstitutional centralization of power in Washington.
That last fact, in particular, should trouble history-minded Carolinians. During the Founding Era, our state was a champion of constitutionalism and decentralization. We were the only state to hold a ratification convention and then refuse to ratify the original constitution, which left America’s third-most-populous state out of its first presidential election in 1788. Why? Because the constitution didn’t contain a bill of rights, as the constitutions of North Carolina and many other states already included.
Back then, our leaders believed in belts and suspenders. They recognized that the design of the U.S. Constitution would limit abuses of power by creating checks and balances among the three branches and enumerating a limited number of topics about which Congress should legislate. These were necessary safeguards, they reasoned, but not sufficient ones. North Carolina leaders insisted that the document should also specify individual liberties that even duly elected presidents and congresses could not restrict (what became the 1st through 8th Amendments), that specifying those liberties should not be construed as leaving other liberties unrecognized (the 9th Amendment), and that powers not specifically granted to the Feds would be retained by the previously constituted states and the people themselves (the 10th Amendment).
To embrace federalism (in the original, decentralized sense of the term) was not to deny the importance of an effective national government. It was, however, to affirm that self-government grew harder at a distance and at scale, and that what would become a continent-spanning republic should leave room for states and communities to choose differing paths so that Americans could themselves choose to live in polities most consistent with their own preferences.
Over the ensuing 250 years, Americans have amended our constitution to remove some matters from state-by-state discretion — and properly so. No state or locality should be permitted to deny the franchise or equal protection under the laws based on race, ethnicity, sex, or creed. In many other areas of public policy, however, Washington has supplanted the proper role of states. In some instances, Congress has done it by legislation. In others, presidents have done it by executive orders or administrative “guidance” that, their appointees strongly suggest, states and localities must heed in order to avoid litigation or retain access to federal funds.
The State Policy Network’s Center for Practical Federalism has been urging states for years to resist these and other national encroachments on their constitutional powers. They’ve urged state administrators to question so-called guidance and challenge other usurpations. They’ve urged legislative committees to investigate and hold hearings on these abuses. And they’ve created a tracker for evaluating how effectively states are pushing back against Washington’s excesses.
In SPN’s most-recent federalism scorecard, the six states with the highest ratings were Utah (86.9), Vermont (56.7), Tennessee (53.95), Idaho (50.15), Wisconsin (48.8), and South Carolina (42.45). North Carolina was in the middle of the pack, with an unimpressive 13.25.
I think the General Assembly, the Stein administration, other state executives, and local governments should make this a priority in 2027 and beyond. Forbid the automatic acceptance of federal grants and the strings that come with them. Challenge the Imperial City. It’s the Carolina way.

Editor’s Note: John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His books Mountain Folk, Forest Folk, and Water Folk combine epic fantasy with American history (FolkloreCycle.com).

Publisher's Pen: Congratulations to Robert Edwards and Fayetteville Liberty

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Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Written by Bill Bowman

Wins and losses, attendance figures, and championships often measure success in professional sports. Those accomplishments matter, but the organizations that make the greatest impact are the ones that leave a lasting mark beyond the scoreboard. By that measure, Robert Edwards and the Fayetteville Liberty have already found success.
With their first official season now in the rearview mirror, the Liberty have proven they are more than just a basketball team. They have delivered quality sports entertainment while demonstrating a genuine commitment to Fayetteville and Cumberland County. In just one season, Edwards and his organization have become one of the region's most inspiring community success stories.
As a friend, entrepreneur and dedicated community leader, Edwards brought more than professional basketball to Cumberland County when he launched the Fayetteville Liberty. He brought a vision centered on opportunity, inspiration, and hometown pride. He created something local families could rally around and call their own.
From opening night to the final buzzer, the Liberty showed that their mission extends far beyond the court. Their guiding philosophy, "Building Hope in the Community One Possession at a Time," has been evident every step of the way. Through youth outreach, school partnerships, community engagement programs, and positive role modeling, the organization has demonstrated a sincere commitment to making a difference in the lives of young people and families throughout our area.
Now, the Fayetteville Liberty are preparing for an exciting new chapter. The announcement that the team will move into the Crown Coliseum for the 2027 season marks a significant milestone, not only for the organization but for our entire community. The Crown Complex has long been home to some of the region's biggest events, concerts, competitions and celebrations. Bringing Liberty basketball into the Crown Coliseum elevates the fan experience while reflecting the tremendous growth and momentum the organization has generated in such a short time.
This move speaks volumes about the future of the franchise. It signals confidence, ambition, and long-term sustainability. More importantly, it demonstrates that the Fayetteville Liberty are building something that Fayetteville and Cumberland County can embrace and support for years to come.
For fans, the move means larger crowds, greater energy, improved amenities, and an even more exciting game-day atmosphere. For Edwards and his team, it provides a stage worthy of the hard work, determination and commitment they have shown since day one.
At Up & Coming Weekly, we are proud to serve as the Liberty's official community publication, and we look forward to being part of their continued growth and success. Robert Edwards and his team have done their part. They have invested in our community, supported our youth, and worked tirelessly to build a first-class organization. Now it's our turn.
Fayetteville and Cumberland County have always supported people, businesses and organizations that invest in the community. The Liberty have earned that support through authenticity, consistency and a genuine desire to make a difference. Their commitment to serving others, encouraging young people, and bringing families together reflects the very best of what community is all about.
We congratulate Robert Edwards, the players, coaches, staff, sponsors, and volunteers on a successful first season and wish them continued success as they prepare for their debut at the Crown Coliseum in March 2027.
The future looks bright for Liberty basketball. Up & Coming Weekly will be there cheering every possession, every victory, and every milestone along the way. Tickets and season passes go on sale this week, and we encourage the entire community to get behind Fayetteville's hometown team.
We hope to see you in the stands on opening day as the Fayetteville Liberty begins an exciting new era at the Crown Coliseum.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

(Photo: The Fayetteville Liberty finished their inaugural season and is looking forward to the next, which will take place at the Crown Coliseum. Photo courtesy of Fayetteville Liberty)