Special Interests Hamper Economy
Both the federal and state constitutions protect the right of North Carolinians to petition their government for redress of grievances. Perhaps you think I’m about to opine on the Moral Mondays... Read More
NC SPIN Posts by John Hood
Tax Debate Heading the Right Way
Life, the old saying goes, is best thought of as a journey, not a destination. When it comes to reforming North Carolina’s tax code, however, I’d say the reverse is true. The journey may have been... Read More
House Raised Taxes? No Sale
When is a sales-tax increase not really a sales-tax increase? If you want to make sense of the contrasting claims about tax reform in North Carolina, this is one of the many questions you have to... Read More
House Offers Broad Tax Cut
If reforming North Carolina’s tax code were easy, one of the many tax-reform efforts of the past 20 years would have succeeded. Didn’t happen. There isn’t just one obstacle for would-be tax... Read More
Carolina Needs Capital Ideas
Just about every political cause in Raleigh is being pitched as a spur to economic growth. It’s easy to see why. North Carolina continues to post one of the worst unemployment rates in the country... Read More
When Liberals Love Privatization
Remember Where’s Waldo? Imagine for a moment that he had the word “privatization” stitched on his colorful little cap, and see if you can spot him in this word picture: North Carolina spends... Read More
A Pivotal Two Weeks
Decisions made by the North Carolina General Assembly over the next two weeks will likely determine not only the political fate of its Republican majority but also how the core functions of state... Read More
Not All Politics Is Local
If there was a national prize for rhetorical incoherence, one could find several excellent nominations among the ranks of North Carolina politicians and political commentators. For an example, you... Read More
In the Absence of Argument
People generally quarrel,” G.K. Chesterton once wryly observed, “because they cannot argue.” To the extent North Carolina politics looks increasingly quarrelsome at the moment, it is because of... Read More
Why the Energy Bill Matters
In a legislative session featuring proposals to rewrite the tax code, take important next steps on regulatory reform, give parents more school choice, and restructure the state’s transportation and... Read More
