Presidential stakes in state economies
I’ve long believed that governors or other former executives make the best presidents. Although several of my favorite occupants of the White House had legislative or congressional experience, as... Read More
NC Spin Articles
WRAL headline at best misleading, at worst a flat-out lie
WRAL is reporting that “NC education spending on decades-long slide.” What they really mean is that education spending, as a percentage of the total state budget, has decreased due to the demands... Read More
What newspapers won't say about anti-election reform lawyers
Much has been written about the attorneys the Governor and the legislative leaders have hired to defend the Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA) against lawsuits brought by the NC-NAACP, the ACLU... Read More
Triangle business leaders call for immigration reform
Several Triangle business leaders participated in the National Day of Action on Wednesday, as groups nationwide called on Congress to push forward on stalled immigration reform measures. Although... Read More
How to craft a teacher pay plan
Editorial by Charlotte Observer, July 9, 2014. It may be both exhilarating and excruciating this week to be an N.C. teacher watching N.C. lawmakers decide how much of raise you might finally get. The... Read More
Humane intent, chaotic result
Suppose the sheriff breaks up a human trafficking ring. A gang has kidnapped girls in Central America, smuggling them into the United States and forced them into prostitution. It's happening in our... Read More
Oregon Inlet jetties: The unjustifiable sequel in NC
Like a shambling zombie reanimated from the grave, a proposal to build Oregon Inlet jetties is once more with us. This, after an almost three-decade-long debate that ended with the “final... Read More
House drops increased lottery ads from state budget proposal
Another budget logjam broke Wednesday afternoon after state House negotiators agreed to abandon their plan to raise about $30 million by selling more lottery tickets. The House plan to increase... Read More
Obamacare doomed? Don't bet on it
The world was supposed to end in 2012 according to various misinterpretations of Mayan culture. Then, when time kept ticking along into 2013 the doomsday preachers had to recalculate. Recently, there... Read More
Uncertainties
Locked in a wrestling match with the Governor over Medicaid (and how much it will go over budget) the Old Bull Mooses invited Art Pope (the Budget Czar) over to the Senate for a cordial visit then... Read More
