Merits & Demerits: NC community colleges stand out; NC legislator objects to being corrected

MERIT: To the state’s community college system. We learned recently that six of our community colleges earned a spot in the Top 10 in the country, in a list compiled by SmartAsset, an online financial advice company. Pamlico County in Grantsboro was ranked second on the list. Other North Carolina community colleges earning spots are Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory (3rd); Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock (5th); McDowell Technical Community College in Marion (6th); Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville (9th); and Johnston Community College in Smithfield (10th). The rankings are based on graduation and transfer rates, student-to-faculty ratio and tuition costs. The state’s 58-campus community college system has experienced a decline in enrollment that state officials are still trying to figure out. Sounds like a lot of North Carolina residents are missing out on a good local, college experience. We need a team-lift to make sure that doesn’t continue to happen.

DEMERIT: To state Rep. Chuck McGrady, of Henderson County, who profanely castigated a reporter Wednesday night for correcting McGrady’s own inaccuracy on legislative power. In a Twitter exchange on the state’s bitter budget impasse, McGrady, a Republican, challenged an assertion by someone else that “Republicans in North Carolina got used to veto-proof majorities” and thus are failing to negotiate with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. (The party currently needs Democratic legislators to help break the stalemate.) McGrady responded that the party had only had veto-proof majorities for two years.

He was corrected by a tweet from WRAL’s government coverage account, which noted the party had such majorities dating back to the 2013-14 session (when Republican Pat McCrory was governor.) Another person weighed in: “I believe Rep. McGrady intended this to be about a veto-proof majority with a governor of the opposite party.” To which McGrady agreed and added the point he made was “not clear to some dumb-a-- WRAL reporter.”

First of all, and most importantly, WRAL’s tweet was accurate and McGrady’s was not. The implication that veto-proof power only counts when the governor is of the opposite party is just spin - especially since North Carolina’s GOP majorities overrode McCrory at least two times. Second, McGrady’s dissing the reporter with profanity is just the kind of tone that is poisoning politics these days. It is also beneath a generally respected member of the N.C. General Assembly. We wonder if McGrady should heed the advice of another person who weighed in on McGrady’s profane tweet, which happened at 11:20 at night: “Fond of you & respect you. Friendly advice. Don't hit 'send' after ten.”

MERIT: To NBA point guard and Fayetteville native Dennis Smith Jr. who received the key to the city on Tuesday. Mayor Mitch Colvin presented Smith, who is 21, with the key in a ceremony at Tera Gardens Apartments off Ramsey Street, during National Night Out. The mayor noted that Smith, who plays for the New York Knicks, is known for coming back home and contributing to the community. One visible example is the top-shelf refurbishment of outdoor basketball courts that Smith helped make happen in February at Smith Recreation at Seabrook Park. Smith, who was a standout star for Trinity Christian Academy, played pickup ball on those same courts. Colvin noted that Smith had helped “one of the most underserved areas in the city” with his gesture.

MERIT: To everyone who participated in National Night Out, which involved the Fayetteville Police Department and multiple community partners, who came out from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The event spread out over 18 locations across the city. It was a reminder that creating livable communities is not just about what public safety officials can do but what neighbors can do to take control of their own destinies.