N&O desperate to manufacture 'revenue crisis'
The N&O is at it again, trying desperately to drive the narrative that somehow the tax cuts enacted in 2013 are wreaking havoc on the state budget – which in the eyes of the N&O is far more... Read More
NC Spin Articles
School grades just one step in improving schools
by June Atkinson, NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, printed in News and Observer, February 12, 2015. Regarding the state’s first round of A-F School Performance Grades released last week... Read More
Moral Monday protests a waste of time
Editorial by Lenoir News-Topic, reprinted in News and Observer, February 12, 2015. We have noted before the pointlessness of the Moral Monday protests at the General Assembly in Raleigh, which... Read More
NC forecasts budget surplus for year beginning July 1
Legislators head into budget talks with a surplus – estimated at about $540 million – for new budget priorities in the coming fiscal year, according to an analysis from the legislature’s fiscal... Read More
Senate's action on gas tax a step in right direction
Opinion Article by Marc Finlayson We commend the NC Senate for its passage of Senate Bill 20 to address the anticipated drop in transportation revenue this summer. This proposed legislation will lower... Read More
The slippery matter of news credibility
Editorial by Burlington Times-News, February 11, 2015. TV news has been debated, scrutinized and lambasted by those in the print side of the media business for decades. Concerns about the slide by TV... Read More
Signs of spring
Sunday morning, Joe Neff’s story ran on Page 1A of the N&O. Tuesday at 2 pm, Dana Cope held a 90-second news conference (no questions, please) to resign. As WRAL’s Laura Leslie said on Facebook... Read More
One test, many tests or zero tests?
Last year, the General Assembly created the N.C. State Board of Education Task Force on Summative Assessment. The group began their review of the state's testing program in October and will report... Read More
Budget shortfall: Panic or continue the path?
The latest revenue projections and forecasting report from the NC General Assembly’s fiscal research division say NC will experience a $271 Million shortfall this year, a small fraction of the... Read More
A hole in the boat?
Before the sun set, the day the legislature returned to town, the Bull Mooses in the Senate had locked horns with Pat McCrory. The Bull Mooses are a gregarious lot but they’re dangerous when... Read More
