Stop playing politics on backs of the poor
Editorial by Rocky Mount Telegram, September 19, 2013. As Congress reopens its debate on the nation’s farm bill – a measure that before this year had enjoyed overwhelmingly bipartisan support... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Lottery goes brazen
For North Carolina lottery officials, it is quite the turn of events. Just a few months ago, some state legislators appeared to want to all but shut down the lottery. State Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam... Read More
McCrory's yes-but approach
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, September 22, 2013. Gov. Pat McCrory took a yes-but approach to some of the regulatory reforms enacted by the legislature this year. He signed the 59-page... Read More
Tea party Republicans disregard middle class
The United States is within two weeks of facing government shutdown, six weeks of hitting the debt ceiling, and four months of repeating the thoughtless budget-cutting process known as sequestration... Read More
Our gambling policies are just insane
The winners: 7-10-22-32-35 plus a Powerball of 19. You didn't have those numbers. Neither did I. But someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Lexington, S.C., did. One winner, $400 million richer... Read More
College sports are money trees
Like baby birds with yawning beaks, college football fans clamor to be fed. So fasten the chin strap on your helmet – ignore the warning label on it (“No helmet system can protect you from serious... Read More
DHHS paid chief of staff $37,000 'severance' after month of work
The Department of Health and Human Services paid Thomas L. Adams $37,227.25 as "severance" after he served just one month as chief of staff at the department. His is the latest high-dollar salary to... Read More
By the Numbers: The Incredibly Shrinking American Middle Class
A typical American household made about $51,017 in 2012, according to new figures out from the Census Bureau this week. That number may sound familiar to anyone who remembers George H. W. Bush’s... Read More
Run, Forest, Run
I’m always looking for something nice to say about a Republican. But Dan Forest? Sorry, I’ve got to do it. Monday, I posted a blog (Let Teachers Teach) saying we should pay teachers $100,000 a... Read More
Underwhelming performance of North Carolina labor market in 2013
In August, employers in North Carolina eliminated 1,700 more payroll positions than they added (+/- 0.0 percent). That drop was driven almost entirely by a net reduction of 6,400 jobs (-1.5 percent... Read More
