Fiscal issues divide Republicans
Now that Gov. Pat McCrory has released his budget proposal for the 2015-17 biennium, there are at least two fiscal issues dividing North Carolina Republicans this year. Before discussing them, however... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Ideologues drive the train
by Thomas Mills, Politics NC, March 3, 2015. The GOP’s makers-and-takers narrative is alive and well in North Carolina. Ned Barnett’s profile of state Senator Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg... Read More
McCrory's budget: Gas tax hikes, billions in new debt
Gov. Pat McCrory yesterday released his budget proposal for the next biennium. In odd-numbered years like this one, the legislature passes a two-year budget plan, and the following year will make... Read More
The follies of McCrory's forgettable budget
The summary released this week with Governor Pat McCrory’s budget recommendations for the next two years starts out with a falsehood. The first sentence in the first section of the highlights of the... Read More
High Court strikes down anticompetitive regulation in dental case
Last August, I wrote about an important case that had reached the Supreme Court. It concerned the legality under antitrust law, of a state board using its power to stifle competition that would have... Read More
All the reasons for NC to expand Medicaid
In recent years, North Carolina hospitals have been cutting back on services and staff. The smaller hospitals especially in the rural counties are struggling to survive economically. Expanding patient... Read More
The health care CON in North Carolina
Good news: The number of students attending North Carolina’s medical schools reached a new high of 2,129 enrollees for the 2014-15 school year. Bad news: When these men and women become doctors... Read More
Effort to "right-size" the UNC System in the works
Significant changes may be on the horizon for the state’s higher education network, as the University of North Carolina’s governing board considers “right-sizing” the 17-campus system. “The... Read More
Second fiddle to South Carolina
This is about as good a tale of conniving as I’ve heard: I can’t remember why but forty years ago back in 1976 the state legislature moved our Presidential primary up from May to March – then... Read More
The next phase of the unaccountability movement in education
If lessons from other states are any indication, get ready for scandals, the wasting of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, dreadful student achievement and maybe even fraud next fall as North... Read More
