There has to be a better way to run a state
Exhausted legislators finally saw the closing gavel and heard the fat lady sing the “sine die,” followed quickly by the Hallelujah chorus striking up the perennial tune, “There has to be a... Read More
My Spin by Tom Campbell
We can simplify our elections
The special election in November to fill a Court of Appeals judgeship illustrates how complicated, costly and difficult we’ve made elections and how we might simplify voting. The Court of Appeals... Read More
Guarding the henhouse, feeding the beast and real tax reform
North Carolina legislators have been to school in the complications and frustrations resulting from tax policy changes. Some of this session’s conflicts were a result of changes made to the state... Read More
Sometimes the best option is to cut your losses and move on
If you’ve ever made a bad deal you understand how people in the 51 North Carolina public power communities feel. In the 1970’s, fuel prices were rising faster than July temperatures and OPEC was... Read More
What the legislature isn't telling you about 2015
Our lawmakers have been embroiled in contentious debates about teacher pay and Medicaid, among other issues, as they struggle to revise our $21 billion state budget. While these are undoubtedly... Read More
Dog Tired and barking
They call this time of year the “dog days” of summer, long days filled with heat and humidity. When our legislature is still in session lawmakers get dog-tired, resulting in a lot of barking due... Read More
Stupid hats or thinking caps?
Governor Pat McCrory’s admonition for people not to put on their “stupid hat” during Hurricane Arthur was easily understood, timely and right on target. It started us thinking where else we... Read More
Separation Anxieties
The governor of North Carolina is widely acknowledged to be the weakest and least powerful of any in the nation. Governor Pat McCrory is right in being concerned about possible further erosion of that... Read More
The 2014 Legislative Summer Olympic Games
Senator Jerry Tillman says getting accurate Medicaid budget numbers is like trying to nail Jell-O© to a tree. His statement, both accurate and amusing, doesn’t reflect this week’s entertainment... Read More
The money is fungible
All our lives we’ve heard aphorisms about money. Truisms like, “the love of money is the root of all evil,” “a penny saved is a penny earned,” “a fool and his money are soon parted,” and... Read More
