RALEIGH — North Carolina is in a mess. It was an entirely predictable mess. Indeed, I and others have been predicting it for more than two years. But former Gov. Roy Cooper, coming soon to a U.S. Senate race near you, and lawmakers of both parties didn’t listen. They expanded Medicaid to include hundreds of thousands of childless, able-bodied North Carolinians — without a realistic means of paying the bill.
RALEIGH — Are today’s elected leaders incapable of addressing public problems in a serious, respectful, bipartisan manner? If your answer is yes, I’ll concede that you have a strong case. Congress just enacted a sweeping reconciliation bill by the narrowest of margins, with no Democrats in favor. Neither party exhibits any serious intention to close our yawning federal deficits. Current and would-be officeholders seem more interested in talking up conspiracy theories than talking down political tensions or taking on tough issues.
RALEIGH — It was 250 years ago this week that Patriot militiamen carried out the first military operation of the Revolutionary War in what became the Tar Heel State. There was no pitched battle. No one died. But the Patriots made their point: reasserting British control over North Carolina would be no easy task.
RALEIGH — If I didn’t believe public-policy research mattered, I wouldn’t have spent so much of my career commissioning and funding it.
RALEIGH — When we commemorate the formal birthday of the United States of America, we don’t just celebrate a place, a set of governmental institutions, and a shared history that binds together people with differing backgrounds, faiths, and aspirations. We celebrate a revolutionary act.
RALEIGH — Artificial intelligence is coming to public transit. In fact, in some functions and places, it’s already here. But can AI elevate transit into a major mode of daily travel in North Carolina cities and towns? Sorry, the answer remains no.
RALEIGH — Fiscal negotiations between the North Carolina House and Senate appear to have stalled out for now, with the two chambers too far apart on the timing and magnitude of future tax cuts to strike a budget deal before the July 1 start of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
RALEIGH — Nonviolent protests have a venerable history in North Carolina and beyond. Violent protests — that is, riots — have an ignominious one. A broadly recognized distinction? You might think so. Alas, you’d be wrong.
RALEIGH — Ever written your congressman? I have. I always get a prompt and cordial, if bland, reply. Back in 1988, I actually spent a few weeks as a Capitol Hill intern reading and drafting responses to constituent correspondence. I’ve never written more boring prose (although longtime readers of mine might well disagree).
RALEIGH — After North Carolina conservatives won control of the General Assembly in 2010, they began a systematic application of supply-side principles to state policy. It’s been a phenomenal success — although I admit others might disagree if their definition of “supply side” differs from mine.
RALEIGH — The North Carolina House and Senate have enacted very different versions of a 2025-27 state budget, even though two plans would authorize virtually the same amount of spending. The differences are so vast, in fact, that some insiders predict no comprehensive budget will pass this session.
RALEIGH — There are good reasons to criticize the “Big, Beautiful Bill” the U.S. House just sent to the Senate. But its imposition of work requirements for able-bodied recipients of Medicaid — and more-comprehensive work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — are not among them.
