Ten years

by | Mar 16, 2023 | Editor's Blog | 4 comments

PoliticsNC is ten years old this month. I didn’t know where it would go when I started writing. I’m just glad that we’re still standing today. We’ve been through a lot together. Thanks for reading and sharing.

Back in the spring of 2013, Republicans had taken control of both the state legislature and Governor’s Mansion for the first time since Reconstruction. They were wreaking havoc, defiantly refusing to expand Medicaid and rejecting setting up a state exchange. One Republican legislator proposed a state currency. Two more proposed a state religion. They demonized public school teachers and our university system. They wanted to require food stamp recipients to be drug tested. They tried to write discrimination into our state constitution. They rewrote the tax code to shift the tax burden from the rich to the middle class. Across the country, newspapers and magazines were asking, “What’s happening to North Carolina?”

Nobody seemed to know how respond. The Democrats in the legislature had not learned how to be an opposition party. The news coverage seemed to lack substance and analysis. And I was sitting in my office increasingly frustrated that nobody was firing back. So, I started writing a blog, every day, to blow off my steam and to quit screaming into the darkness of my own office.

I let loose on Republicans who were attacking our legacy as a progressive Southern state. I took aim at a Democratic Party that seemed feckless and disorganized. I offered analysis and opinion, but I never held back. Apparently, I struck a chord. In March I had fewer than 500 readers. By July, I had more than 30,000.

Today, ten years later, we’re still going strong. I’m proud of the work that we have done and believe we have influenced the political debate in North Carolina. If you’ve enjoyed reading PoliticsNC over the years, or even if you’ve just discovered it, I’m asking you to help us keep going with a donation. I’m still paying our bills and the site is still a labor of love. Anything you give is much appreciated.

I’m also thankful for the feedback some of you have sent. It helps us know we’re still being heard. If you can chip in a little today, it will give us the ability to keep putting up strong content.

I thank all of you for reading, whether you’ve been around for the whole ride or are just getting on board. With your support, we’ll keep writing and we’ll keep holding people accountable, whether it’s Republicans for bad government or Democrats for bad politics. And we’ll always remember that hubris and stupidity are bipartisan.

You can donate through PayPal or mail a check to:
PoliticsNC
1301 N. Greensboro Street
Carrboro, NC  27510

Thanks for any support you can give. Here’s to the next ten years.

4 Comments

  1. Anne McLean

    You’re well worth that small donation I just made. Wish I could make it a lot more. Keep writing, Thomas. Keep fighting.

  2. Rick Gunter

    Thomas, you have crafted the most thoughtful and spot-on blog around. Thank you for what you do. I am an old-fashioned newspaperman, a lifer, I call myself. I know good stuff when I read it. You write good stuff.

    • Thomas Mills

      Thanks, Rick. I appreciate your comments and encouragement.

  3. Rich Taylor

    Keep rocking Thomas!

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