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Chapel Hill Slogan


dmccall

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The N&O has an article about Lex Alexander's (Wellspring's ?founder?) proposal for a new town motto:

Left of Center, Right at Home".

What a monumentally stupid move if they adopt this. I have no problems with some areas leaning one way or another politically, but to officially alienate half of the country, read: half of the potential business owners and new residents, is dumb. It's never a good business move to intentionally shut out half of your potential customers.

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The N&O has an article about Lex Alexander's (Wellspring's ?founder?) proposal for a new town motto:

What a monumentally stupid move if they adopt this. I have no problems with some areas leaning one way or another politically, but to officially alienate half of the country, read: half of the potential business owners and new residents, is dumb. It's never a good business move to intentionally shut out half of your potential customers.

I thought the same thing.

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Don't kid yourself. The state of NC is probably 20-30% liberal politically, yet the political culture of most areas of the state are markedly more conservative than the general population. (at least in the cities) There are a lot of people who would like to live in a more progressive place.

Why hide what you are when you can be proud of it?

I go out of my way to spend money in Carrboro businesses because of the type of people who live here. Franklin St is over 95% leased, with a few notable exceptions due to some absentee landlord from Fayetteville who is out to lunch.

What if Raleigh did the same thing in regards to slogans?

"Right-leaning moderates uncomfortable with admitting we need taxes to pay for the things we need, but still fumbling towards a better downtown while trying not to offend anti-tax zealots in North Raleigh."

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go out of my way to spend money in Carrboro businesses because of the type of people who live here. Franklin St is over 95% leased, with a few notable exceptions due to some absentee landlord from Fayetteville who is out to lunch.

His name would be Joe Riddle. I believe he has some legal troubles that are most likely affecting his ability to run a competent business. The town needs to do something about this guy though.

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Don't kid yourself. The state of NC is probably 20-30% liberal politically, yet the political culture of most areas of the state are markedly more conservative than the general population. (at least in the cities) There are a lot of people who would like to live in a more progressive place.

Why hide what you are when you can be proud of it?

I go out of my way to spend money in Carrboro businesses because of the type of people who live here. Franklin St is over 95% leased, with a few notable exceptions due to some absentee landlord from Fayetteville who is out to lunch.

What if Raleigh did the same thing in regards to slogans?

"Right-leaning moderates uncomfortable with admitting we need taxes to pay for the things we need, but still fumbling towards a better downtown while trying not to offend anti-tax zealots in North Raleigh."

After attending college at UNC for 5 years, I can tell you that nobody in Chapel Hill/Carrboro needs reaffirmation that this is a liberal area - which is all this slogan is. By publicly and officially dubbing the town with this slogan is just as likely to offend as many people as it will "reaffirm".

I love Chapel Hill, yet I'm a fairly conservative person. Why throw liberal pride in my face - which again, is all this slogan serves to accomplish.

Part of being liberal is being diversified. It makes no sense to alienate political minorities in the town, and potential visitors or investors.

And last, Chapel Hill already has a well established reputation. There isn't a need to "brand" the town, as its image speaks for itself. On the other hand, Raleigh could definitely use some branding help as our image is all over there place.

Just my 2 cents.

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Why hide what you are when you can be proud of it?

I go out of my way to spend money in Carrboro businesses because of the type of people who live here. Franklin St is over 95% leased, with a few notable exceptions due to some absentee landlord from Fayetteville who is out to lunch.

It's great that you can spend your money the way you want to, however from the business' point of view, they'd be smart to leave the politics out of the services and goods they offer.

What if your doctor's office had a giant autographed picture of Ronald Reagan in the lobby? Would that sway you to go to another doctor or make you stay there? Either way it is irrelevant to the point of growing the business. This is one of the key points in How to Win Friends and Influence People

Of course, if Chapel Hill wants to effectively put a sign at the edge of town saying "People on the Right need not enter", they certainly. However slogans for cities are simply advertising hooks - FOR BUSINESSES. Therefore they'd be smart to keep the politics out of their slogan. A Left-only attitude will on the whole hurt the town and the University in the pocketbook. There are plenty of right-leaning people who live-in or pay for-the-their-child-to-be-in - Chapel Hill. (remember that, what is it, something like 95% of UNC students come from households in the top 25th percentile of wage-earning NC households - can't recall the true numbers, but you get the idea - the point is that there are a LOT of people in CH who aren't working their way though school - parents are funding the whole thing)

BTW, "progressive" is not a synonym for the left. It's not an accurate term because one could easily argue that a larger government is, in fact, a regression to a state the British imposed on America. There are plenty of people on both sides of the fence who are "progressive", and there are plenty on both sides who are "regressive".

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The N&O has an article about Lex Alexander's (Wellspring's ?founder?) proposal for a new town motto:

What a monumentally stupid move if they adopt this. I have no problems with some areas leaning one way or another politically, but to officially alienate half of the country, read: half of the potential business owners and new residents, is dumb. It's never a good business move to intentionally shut out half of your potential customers.

It is indeed imprudent to do this from a business standpoint, but not much sleep is going to get lost over this in Chapel Thrill.

I always found slogans like that annoying from both ends of the political spectrum, though.

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Thanks!!! It only proves that we haven't had a conservative in Washington in 20 years! ha ha :D

Last political post....I am assuming you are laughing at all politicians and you yourself would like to actually see smaller government? Thats cool. The typical right and left labels are all wrong as the graphs show. In regards to larger government being regressive, that depends on which side of the boom and bust cycle, that unrestrained capitalism causes, you are looking from.

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I always found slogans like that annoying from both ends of the political spectrum, though.

Oh absolutely. I meant my point to apply to both sides of the fence!!

(just in case you all are wondering or assuming, there is not a political party that fits well with me ;) Hey! It looks like Morrissey and I have something in common. I still can't get over seeing him as a middle-aged man. His face has really filled out. That last CD impressed me, though)

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All good points. I mean, I'm a fairly left-leaning (ok, I'm a typical "Massachusetts liberal") so I naturally dig the CH slogan...BUT, if I were a conservative, I don't think I'd really appreciate it. I like the kinds of slogans that are more about city pride, not how the citizens tend to vote or act. Stuff like, "Progress, Innovation, History, Pride". That's a pretty "universal" town slogan.

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