New pay plan for teachers sows confusion
Joe Barley-Maloney was miffed last week when he saw the new state salary schedule for teachers leveling off at $50,000 a year for those with 25 years of experience and more. Barley-Maloney, a U.S... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Things are good
Things are good! Sometimes, like the other day, I want to get up and shout it out. For instance, last week at a Rotary club meeting, Frank Hill, leader of The Institute for the Public Trust, was... Read More
Who said this would be easy for Republicans?
Lawmaking ain't easy, even with strong Republican majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican in the Executive Mansion. That emerged crystal clear last week from what was expected to be the... Read More
Short session resembles a family fight
This legislative session has reminded me of watching my in-laws fight. It was loud, boisterous, impassioned, argumentative, at times totally unreasonable, accusatory, crazy, painful, and yet sometimes... Read More
North Carolina's legislative session won't end, and neither will big problems
Editorial by Fayetteville Observer, August 3, 2014. It was a legislative version of a "Terminator" movie, with members of the General Assembly warning us, "I'll be back." After a "short session" that... Read More
Judge's ruling to dismiss 'Moral Monday' cases could have sweeping affect
by Anne Blythe, News and Observer, August 3, 2014. A Wake County judge is expected to issue an order this week for five “Moral Monday” protester cases that could have much wider implications. Last... Read More
Time to rebuild state reserves
We don’t know what the composition of the North Carolina General Assembly will look like after the November election. Republicans are favored to hold their majorities in both legislative chambers... Read More
Another chaotic legislative session
Editorial by Charlotte Observer, August 2, 2014. In a perfect political world, N.C. lawmakers would move to stem the introduction of last-minute budgets, bills and amendments at legislative sessions... Read More
The disingenuous budget
There are two pieces of good news about the final state budget agreement released this week. One is listed explicitly in the budget document. The other is how legislative leaders are presenting the... Read More
Budget was worth the wait
It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters most -- or so we have been assured by deep thinkers ranging from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Steven Tyler. When it comes to North Carolina’s revised... Read More
