NC SPIN episode #1154 Air Date 12/25/2020
The Year in review, Tar Heel of the Year, Closing comments Watch NC SPIN Previous Episodes
Balanced Debate For The Old North State.
My Spin by Tom Campbell
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There's never been a better time to invest in North CarolinaOur state is poised to make great gains as we recover from the pandemic, but we can never achieve our 21st century goals with a 19th century infrastructure. Read More |
Partisan reading bill passes easily
Media outlets have blasted the reading bill as partisan. Legislative votes reflect just the opposite. Who is right? Read More
NC Democrats push for common sense voting reforms
There’s no reason to think that shoring up access to the polls has to pave the way for cheating, or worse, that it’s meant to do so. Read More
Senate’s tax cut would help everyone, especially lower-income families
The name “flat tax” contributes to the problem. The label implies that everyone – rich and poor — pays the same tax. But it’s not a flat dollar amount of tax. It’s a flat tax rate. Read More
Expand rural broadband without burdening rural people
Rural communities have waited for high speed broadband a long time because for-profit providers have been unwilling to invest into sparsely populated areas. A cost-shifting proposal now being considered in the legislature would shift the costs of provision to the people who need the most help. Read More
UNC governing boards fiddle while Rome burns
Jay Schalin writes in the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal about a major change in academia's underlying belief system. Read More
Was popping the mileage fee baloon a good read?
We all directly or indirectly rely on roads, but paying for them is controversial. The gas tax has developed several cracks. Read More
Lt. Governors can be governors' nightmares
History shows that governors and lieutenant governors in North Carolina often don’t like each other. This is especially true now. Read More
Political fantasies can be costly
Politicians like to brag about the "multiplier effect" of project they tout. Sadly, they don't know enough about the matter to be lying. Read More
Did a North Carolinian cause the Suez Canal back-up?
A North Carolinian designed the first container ship. It started the business model used by ships all over the world AND in the Suez Canal. Read More
State has too much debt already
Politicians make some of their worst decisions in the best of times. This is not the time to borrow more money. Read More
NC House takes party line vote to limit governor's powers
The pandemic has become a political football. The question is who should call the plays. Read More
Gospel truth? Or heresy?
How big a factor will loyalty to Trump be for Republicans in the next election? Read More
Parties revving up election engines
Rick Henderson, in the Deregulator blog says Georgia's new voting overhaul bill is generating a lot of passion. The consequences may backfire on Republicans. Read More
Ready to deal
We haven't passed a state budget since 2017 and nobody wants to be blamed for failing to do so this year. Read More
Former federal election official delivers dire warning about H.R. 1
Even those who have nothing to do with political ads and policy debates should be concerned. Read More
Will voting rights battles come to North Carolina - again?
North Carolina has a storied history on voting rights. Are we about to make more history? Read More
North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond
For 52 years a law proclaimed the Monday after Easter as a state holiday. Why that happened is an interesting story. Read More
GOP legislative leaders should let voters have their say on proposal to end gerrymandering
Should voters choose their leaders or should leaders choose their voters? Read More
No, inequality isn't increasing
Conservatives and progressives usually disagree because they don't accept the same sets of facts. Read More
Ignoring my Asian friend's question - a big mistake
Do you think North Carolina doesn't have a risk of violence to Asians? Read More
Let's head off labor shortages
North Carolina employers may soon be chasing too few, capable and dependable workers. Read More
Everyone’s entitled to her own opinion, but ...
With so many viewers relying on ideological media as their primary information sources, silence on the right fuels confusion and distrust. Read More
Hunger soars in North Carolina in the wake of the pandemic
Non-profits are stepping in to assist the hunger that is accompanying the pandemic tragedy. Read More
How government efforts to lower prices can lead to increased costs
Regardless of the price charged to the consumer, all goods and services involve costs, and those costs have significance because of the opportunity costs involved. Read More
Governor's budget proposal is a cautious step toward rebuilding NC
State dollars alone won't get us to the North Carolina we could be. Federal dollars are needed to meet the scale of hardship and priority investments. Read More
