The Moore County Democratic Party will host a roundtable discussion Monday to highlight President Obama's health-care initiative.

The roundtable will begin at 7 p.m. at the Southern Pines Civic Club at 106 S. Ashe St. and is open to the public without charge.

Party Chairman Jim Heim said the roundtable is designed to clarify the health care reform principles that the president is promoting. The health care measure is currently under consideration by Congress.

"At least 2.8 million North Carolinians are uninsured and countless others have inadequate coverage," Heim said. "Families across Moore County and North Carolina are struggling to pay for skyrocketing health-care costs. Our health-care system is broken and the time to fix it is now. That's why we are coming together to call for reform and stand behind the call for meaningful health care reform. We can't wait any longer."

BOLES -- State Rep. Jamie Boles places the blame for budgeting delays in the hands of the governor and the Democratic leadership of the state House and Senate.

Boles is the Republican representing most of Moore County in the state House.

In a news release this week, Boles says the legislature is a full month overdue in adoption of a balanced budget.

"The drama being played between Gov. Perdue and the Democrats in the legislature is pointing to ineptitude by those in charge to deal with the real cause of the budget deficit," Boles said in the news release.

Boles says the governor supports "a huge regressive sales tax increase" but claimed to be stunned by revelations that legislative leaders were proposing an income tax surcharge. Boles says legislative Republicans have proposed millions of dollars in spending cuts and in sources of revenue that would help to balance the budget without raising taxes, "but Democrats have taken these issues completely off the table for discussion."

The legislature has adopted two continuing resolutions to extend the current budget while deliberations continue on a new budget. If lawmakers do not reach agreement on a budget by the end of the week, they are expected to adopt another continuing resolution.

The new budget was supposed to be in place by July 1, the start of a new fiscal year.

CLOSED -- The Moore County Board of Commissioners held an unusual called meeting Tuesday night with nothing on the agenda except a closed session.

After their ceremonial opening events, the commissioners closeted themselves to discuss a legal matter. Upon returning to open session, they announced that there was no action to be taken.

MCTS HEARING -- The Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday to consider a proposed application to the N.C. Department of Transportation/Public Transportation Division for operational funding for Moore County Transportation Services.

The county is applying for $237,796 through NCDOT's Rural Operating Assistance Program.

The commissioners called the hearing during their July 20 meeting.

At the same meeting, the board held a public hearing on a Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $10,555 for the Sheriff's Department. The sheriff was previously notified that the U.S. Department of Justice had already approved the grant, but a hearing was required before the county could officially accept the money.

No one spoke in opposition, clearing the way for the department to accept the grant, which is to be used to buy equipment for four additional deputies if the new positions are funded by the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at 693-2479 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.