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A loss for North Carolina

Not all Americans who serve their country overseas are in the military. Burlington native Emily Balog, 26, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. She was killed there in an auto accident Nov. 27.

She was the daughter of Steven Balog, a former Alamance County district attorney and Superior Court judge.

In Paraguay, Emily Balog “served as a community development volunteer where she worked with a local women’s cooperative to improve business practices, improve sales and market local goods,” the Peace Corps said. She also taught in three different schools.

Road conditions in the area where the accident occurred are said to be poor, as is often the case in Third World countries. Dangers of this kind have contributed to 280 deaths of Peace Corps volunteers during their time abroad. Like military personnel, these Americans also take risks while serving their country. Balog’s death is a sad loss for the United States and for North Carolina.

High above it all

During her 2008 run for governor, Bev Perdue was high above the nitty-gritty details of campaign finance — sometimes literally. But indictments last week of three people who worked for her campaign showed she should have paid more attention.

One of those, attorney and family friend Trawick “Buzzy” Stubbs Jr., is accused of providing campaign flights and not disclosing them on finance reports.

Another figure is Peter Reichard, a former president of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce who went on to become deeply involved in state politics — too much so, it might appear.

Perdue disclaims personal involvement in the questionable activities, and she’s probably telling the truth. But the 2008 campaign was her third run for statewide office. She should have understood campaign finance laws very well and should have impressed on everyone working for her that she expected full compliance. A candidate never should fly so high above her campaign organization that she can’t see what people below are doing.

Musical chairs

We’d hoped that the City Council was headed toward a more constructive and productive future. Now we’re not so sure.

Even before the newly elected council takes its seats it is bickering — over its seats.

Mayor-elect Robbie Perkins wants to shuffle the order to avoid grouping all the African American council members on one side of the dais. That would mean Councilwoman Trudy Wade would have to give up her current seat. She’s not having it, accusing Perkins of playing the “race card.”

Perkins says he’s concerned about the message sent by a board whose seating appears racially segregated.

That might be true, but how effectively and respectfully the council members work together matters more.

It would help if there were one established and time-honored tradition to how these folks are seated. There isn’t. Sometimes the mayor decides; sometimes seniority rules.

We say pull the names from a hat and get on with the people’s business.

Gambling gambit

The state’s video sweepstakes industry sees an opening in Gov. Perdue’s negotiations with the Cherokees.

The tentative agreement would give the tribe the right to add live, Vegas-style gaming tables in exchange for giving the state a cut of the revenues.

“As the Governor and Legislature look at new gaming rights for the Cherokee, we want them to take a second look at the video sweepstakes industry. The Internet Based Sweepstakes Organization continues to support legislation that would regulate the industry and provide a new stream of reliable tax revenue to the state of North Carolina,” Chase Brooks, president of the Internet Based Sweepstakes Organization of North Carolina, said in a statement sent to media.

Here’s hoping that won’t happen. But the more deeply the state becomes immersed in “gaming,” the harder it will be to pull back.