State Rep. Deb Butler’s epic September 11 outburst on the floor of the General Assembly is a reminder— to some at least—that North Carolina is governed in a perpetual state of ... Keep Reading
Economics
State lottery stacks odds against the poor
By Mark Steckbeck As the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for president debate the merits of taxing the wealthiest Americans, maybe we should instead focus on ... Keep Reading
Thanksgiving – a time to thank NC farmers
As our minds turn to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we generally begin to think about the food associated with them. Agriculture is North Carolina's largest industry, and ... Keep Reading
N&O swings and misses with tax cut critique
Editors mislead readers with rhetoric on teacher pay and state revenue Figures they cite reveal that NC’s economic performance has actually improved since the tax cuts relative ... Keep Reading
Medicaid expansion – A silver bullet for rural hospitals?
Advocates claim that Medicaid expansion will save rural hospitals They point to data showing non-expansion states have the most rural hospital closures But rural hospitals ... Keep Reading
Who would really bear the burden of the hospital tax to pay for Medicaid expansion?
Roy Cooper and other advocates want you to believe Medicaid expansion will place no financial burden on North Carolinians Cooper’s own budget proposal, however, recommends using ... Keep Reading
Why corporate welfare is not only unfair, but bad for the economy
It’s easy to see the new projects rewarded by government handouts But what about the “unseen,” i.e. the foregone opportunities society is deprived of? When politics, and not ... Keep Reading
Medicaid expansion bill passes House committee (again); still a bad deal for North Carolina
After months of remaining on the daily House calendar, House Bill 655 was sent back to the House Health Committee last week for additional amendments. Bill sponsor Rep. Donny ... Keep Reading
How North Carolina conservatives brought state debt under control
While the federal government continues to rack up massive debt, North Carolina state government has seen a trend of declining state debt After decades of rapidly building up ... Keep Reading
On Medicaid, North Carolina should learn lessons from Louisiana — don’t expand
by Daniel Erspamer and Donald Bryson The ongoing impasse surrounding North Carolina’s budget has at its root Medicaid expansion—Gov. Roy Cooper supports it, while legislators ... Keep Reading
