Category: NC Stateline
by Tom Campbell Sometimes it feels that just one more problem will overwhelm us, but there is one that needs immediate exposure and urgent attention: the growing problem of human trafficking, defined as the illegal trade of humans for purposes of reproductive slavery, sexual exploitation, forced labor or other modern-day forms of slavery. Trafficking has [...]
Democrats did it. Republicans did it. Gerrymandering of legislative and Congressional districts has reached an art form, but hopefully there are enough fair-minded legislators who understand the importance of a need for a better way to carve out election districts in our state. The maps drawn following the 2010 census were so blatantly partisan that [...]
by Tom Campbell March Madness is the moniker given the NCAA basketball tournament championship, but this year in North Carolina it is taking on new meaning. Seems like everyone is mad about something. Local governments are mad at the legislature, the legislature is mad about the Dorothea Dix deal, the Racial Justice Act and a [...]
Here’s our bottom line on the Dix property feud. Governor Perdue was wrong on several levels to have committed the state to an agreement over the Dorothea Dix property, but so is the legislature wrong in reneging on the deal. For starters, Perdue and just about everyone else seemed to have forgotten the Master Agreement [...]
Governor Pat McCrory presented his first budget proposal and it was pretty consistent with what he advocated while running for governor, emphasizing economy, education and efficiency. I’ve sat through many budget presentations and have to admit McCrory acquitted himself well. We saw the moderate McCrory, cautious about wild spending sprees but also cognizant of the [...]
NC SPIN’s Tom Campbell speaks to members of Carolina’s AGC about our public infrastructure needs. Transcript of Tom Campbell’s Speech: It was the Spanish philosopher Jorge Santyana who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So before we begin any discussion about public infrastructure in North Carolina let us examine [...]
You cannot dispute the fact North Carolina’s leaders have not spent enough time reviewing and revising state government. We’ve devoted more time to adding to and less time paring from so it is totally reasonable and desirable for our legislature to consider the makeup of boards and commissions. Senate Bill 10 was a comprehensive attempt [...]
by Tom Campbell Last November North Carolina voted for change. We are certainly getting it. At the current pace and expectations state government will undergo the biggest changes most of us have seen. In charge of both the executive and legislative branches of government for the first time since Reconstruction, Republicans feel the wind at [...]
by Tom Campbell Contrary to what you may have thought manufacturing is not dead in North Carolina, but it is quite different from our old perceptions of textile and furniture mills and tobacco factories. Some were surprised when The Emerging Issues Forum announced this year’s theme: “Manufacturing Works.” We’ve learned over the past 28 years [...]
Amy Shaw wanted to do something different on her 51st birthday so she decided to celebrate it performing 51 acts of kindness to others. The News and Observer reported Amy collected bags of unwanted clothing and took them to the area in Raleigh where the homeless gather, admitting she and her girlfriend were a bit [...]
The arrogant power-grabbing continues on Jones Street
by Chris Fitzsimon The General Assembly is always chaotic during the week of the crossover deadline and this session is no exception with rushed committee meetings, late night sessions, and supplemental calendars issued for the House and Senate floor listing what will be debated and voted on. Even for legislative insiders like lobbyists, reporters, and [...]
by John Hood Decisions made by the North Carolina General Assembly over the next two weeks will likely determine not only the political fate of its Republican majority but also how the core functions of state government will operate for years to come. Some analysts have chosen not to wait to assess these matters. Liberal [...]
By Jim Ahler Already this year, seven different tax reform bills have been introduced in the General Assembly, and countless organizations on both sides of the aisle have staked out a position on the highly complex issue. So it’s understandable that many North Carolinians feel overwhelmed by the partisanship, unsure about where to turn for [...]
