Nationalizing politics was a mistake
If Californians want to make their government the monopoly payer of all medical bills, why should North Carolinians be able to tell them they can’t?
John Hood
Too many workers are sidelined
The latest federal job report is out — and it shows North Carolina’s employment recovery stalling out a bit during the first quarter of 2021.
It could be years before students recover from COVID-era learning loss
Epidemiologists and infectious disease experts have consistently maintained that the risk of spread of the COVID-19 virus among young children is low. But that hasn’t stopped policymakers like N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper from — for most of the past year — keeping in-person instruction closed for all K-12 students. Many families have suffered as a result.
Bigger government isn’t the answer
Is it the job of government to make you happy? While it may seem like a straightforward question, there are some important subtleties packed into those few words.
Corporate tax should be priority
North Carolina state government is headed into the 2021-22 fiscal year with nearly $5 billion in unanticipated revenue and unencumbered savings. Even after making critical deposits into the state’s rainy-day fund, reserve for repairing and renovating state buildings, and other accounts, there’ll be enough money left on the table to start a fight.
“Partisan” reading bill passes easily
On March 31, the North Carolina Senate passed the hugely controversial SB 387, titled the Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021, by margin of 48 senators in favor, none opposed.
Political fantasies can be costly
It’s hard not to play along when children come up with cute untruths. Unfortunately, many politicians have yet to grow out of the toddler phase when it comes to spotting and discarding spurious correlations. The most naïve and destructive examples stem from misusing the concept of the multiplier effect.
State has too much debt already
Thanks to the fiscally responsible policies of the North Carolina General Assembly, state government has some $5 billion in unspent funds and unanticipated revenues in its General Fund
No, inequality isn’t increasing
Every argument has three parts: definitions, premises, and logical reasoning. When conservatives and progressives disagree about a specific issue, each side often leaps to the conclusion that the other side is being illogical (or dishonest, or stupid).
Let’s head off labor shortages March 24, 2021
It may sound preposterous at the moment, with North Carolina’s unemployment rate still significantly above its pre-COVID rate, but I think our leaders should be talking about the state’s coming labor shortage.
Suburban voters form largest bloc
If you think about regional differences in North Carolina politics, economics, or culture in terms of urban blue and rural red, you are missing a thick slice of the story: the suburbs. And, no, you can’t just paint the suburbs purple. That’s an oversimplification.
Liquor business should be private
North Carolina governments shouldn’t be in the liquor business. Two recent stories illustrate this story well.