Leaving Rural North Carolina
Throughout its history North Carolina was a rural state; farming was the principle source of income. The improvement of transportation in the 20th century made possible successful textile and... Read More
My Spin by Tom Campbell
High Ground or High Horses
I went to this week’s Moral Monday protest to learn what all the rancor is about and gained some insights from the experience. I didn’t find a bunch of lefty loonies, morons or outsiders. Because... Read More
Tax Reform or Tax Tweaking?
Before the January start of this legislative session leaders of both houses proclaimed major overhaul of North Carolina’s tax codes to be among their highest priorities. Three weeks before the July... Read More
Protecting Our Rights to Assemble and Petition
One of the inalienable rights of citizenship in this nation is the First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and to petition for a governmental redress of grievances. Recent events at our General... Read More
Picking Gnats from the State Budget Elephant
You have to hand it to North Carolina’s Republican Senators. They relish going, as Star Trek proclaimed, “Where no man has gone before.” They appear to enjoy painting bull’s-eyes on themselves... Read More
Human Trafficking In North Carolina
Sometimes it feels that just one more problem will overwhelm us, but there is one that needs immediate exposure and urgent attention: the growing problem of human trafficking, defined as the illegal... Read More
NC Moving Forward
Government is nothing more than a social contract. An essential function of government is to provide infrastructure for the common good that is too costly, too big or impractical for individuals to... Read More
Tax Reform Requires Wisdom and Courage
For weeks we’ve heard the legislature will present details of a significant tax reform package. Lawmakers agree they want to lower personal and corporate income tax rates while expanding the tax... Read More
What Have You Got to Lose?
North Carolina’s official toast boldly proclaims that ours is a state where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great. But we can never be that great state as long as so many of us are so... Read More
Slow Down and Get it Right
Both Governor McCrory and our General Assembly reached milestones this week and, as we pundits are prone to do, they warrant marking and remarking about. Pat McCrory reached 100 days in his tenure as... Read More
