Former US Attorney Tom Ashcraft sketches out his prescription for actual political change in Mecklenburg here. To my knowledge this represents the most detailed attempt to draw distinctions between the candidates on the November ballot yet put forth.

I certainly know that I waited in vain for county Republicans to pounce on County Manager Harry Jones’ bizarre lament the other night that if only — if only! — the county had adopted a more measured, conservative fiscal stance sooner, the county would not now be closing down libraries, stiffing veterans etc.

I mean, what the hell people? Harry Jones — and Jennifer Roberts — completely got away with acting like they just walked on the job six months ago to find this horrible fiscal mess not of their making. And I particularly liked the kabuki theater part where the county has been insisting that all the changes and tightenings of financial practices for county staff have nothing whatsoever to do with a federal investigation with resulted in a guilty plea on embezzlement charges from a former county employee.

Increasingly I feel like I am missing some crucial decoder ring which will render everything that goes on around here sensible and coherent.