Here is an early look at the full version of a guest column running in Sunday's Chapel Hill News. Please tell us if you support the half-cent sales tax for mass transit at editor@newsobserver.com or below (with your name if you'd like your comments published in the newspaper.). Thanks.
By Bejamin Haven and James Carnahan
Orange County has a clear and urgent need for the additional transit services that would be funded by the half-cent sales tax now under consideration by the County Commissioners for a fall referendum.
Whether you live in town or a rural area, we all have an obligation to create a sustainable legacy for those who will come after us – to curtail our carbon footprint, establish a resilient economy and make Orange County affordable to a diverse population. Public transit is an indispensible tool for achieving these goals.
The Piedmont is still growing at an extraordinary pace; the Triangle Region alone is expected to add more than one million people over the next 20 years [U.S. Census]. By 2030, an additional 40,000 people are projected to make their home in Orange County [NC Office of State Budget, Planning, and Management]. This growth will tax our transportation infrastructure, contributing to longer traffic delays and more carbon emissions. Already, the Triangle wastes 12.7 million gallons of fuel annually due to congestion [Texas Transportation Institute]. We can’t continue to rely on fossil fuels and sprawl-oriented development patterns, and our current transportation system is inadequate for the population boom that we face. It’s time to invest in a real transit plan to meet our current and future needs.
The added half-cent sales tax would specifically fund public transportation. The Federal Government will not kick in matching funds to get transit projects off the ground unless Orange County can prove that it is capable of raising capital to finance part of these ventures. In other words, we will not see transit improvements, including bus service expansion, a light rail line from UNC Hospitals to Downtown Durham, or a Hillsborough Intercity rail station, unless we get this tax referendum on the ballot and passed by a simple voting majority.
Durham is already on board, putting a similar referendum on the ballot and voting to fund transit last year. However, they can’t do it alone, and a potential light rail line connecting Orange County to Durham depends on us sharing in the cost. It’s time for Orange County, too, to invest in transit to support the future health of our community.
So, we offer "Warehouse 13," Season Two packed with 12 episodes of the show that has a quirky crew chasing fantastical artifacts across the globe and through time. If you've never watched the show, I'm guessing more than 8 hours of sampling, plus special features like video blogs and episode commentaries should give you more than a sense if you want to go further.
Not only that, the DVD features a crossover episode with another Syfy show "Eureka." And, because we're that organized, we've got "Eureka" Season 4.0 for you. It has more that 7 hours of viewing of the show about a small town where big things seem to happen regularly. Plus it has one of my favorite actors on it: Joe Morton!
Fringe (9pm, Fox) - The Fringe teams work together when a serial killer "over there" builds an impressive body count. But the case takes an interesting turn after the murderer's alternate history "over here," a forensic psychologist, is brought into the investigation, which opens up the possibility of transporting civilians from one universe to the other.
Ringer (8pm, CW) - It's a good time to catch "
Unleashed by Garo (9pm, Sundance) - In this new series, fashion designer Garo Sparo (left) gives fashion makeovers in his New York City studio. Tonight, a newcomer to New York asks for his help, and a rock drummer requests a pair of wings to signify his flight from past demons. Also, drag queen Hedda Lettuce wants something special to mark her 10th anniversary as a performer. 
Haven (10pm, Syfy) - Violent crimes are traced back to a mild-mannered banker (Christian de la Fuente), who seems to have spawned a darker, unhinged copy of himself, who is bent on doing things the original won't do. Audrey, Nathan, and Duke step into a deadly trap while trying to figure out the copy's mission.
Rat Busters NYC (10pm, Animal Planet) - If you're seeing rats / running through your bed / Who ya gonna call? Rat Busters! This new six-part reality series follows colorful New York City exterminators Jimmy Tallman and Michael Morales as they fight infestations of rats, roaches, raccoons, bedbugs, and pigeons. In tonight's premiere, a Bronx business and a Brooklyn musician are in danger of being overrun by pests.
Tanked (9pm, Animal Planet) - In the premiere of this new reality series about a family-owned Las Vegas company that specializes in building custom aquariums, owners Wayde and Brett try to avoid sleeping with the fishes when they design a 1000-gallon, mob-inspired tank. Meanwhile, Wayde's wife Heather is persuaded to walk among sharks, and the team works on a phone booth aquarium for a homesick New York family.
Flashpoint (8pm, CBS) - A new recruit joins the team on Valentine's Day, which is notorious for hostage and suicide sitations.
Whale Wars (9pm, Animal Planet) - The Bob Barker and Gojira attack and disable the harpoon ship that has been trailing them. Later, the Barker continues to hunt for the Nisshin Maru.
