-
COPs and Robbers
Imagine this: you’ve just had your credit card stolen. What do you do? Naturally, you would inform the credit card company so that the thief cannot max out your credit line. Most would agree that a thief running up your credit card bill without your consent would be committing an immoral act. But this scenario [...]
-
State Worker Benefits and the Budget Crisis: What Do the Voters Say?
The political battles carried out between government workers and budget hawks in state capitols across the country have made national headlines for months. From the massive public union protests in Madison, Wisconsin to the Minnesota state government “shutdown” resulting from failure to pass a state budget, state government workers and their salaries and benefits have [...]
-
Debt Downgrade – Is North Carolina Next?
The recent Standard & Poor’s downgrade of federal debt instruments sent waves of fear across indebted government agencies across the nation. Just days after the federal downgrade, S&P issued downgrades for thousands of municipal and other local bonds, including a series of bonds held by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. [...]
-
Brian Balfour on Viewpoints Radio
-
Public financing of political campaigns: Sinful and tyrannical
“To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson said these words roughly 200 years ago. Sadly, however, modern-day North Carolinians have been subjected to this “sinful and tyrannical” practice for the last nine years in the form of taxpayer-financed political campaigns. [...]
-
Historic State Budget Battle Focuses on Taxes, Jobs
The 2011 North Carolina state budget is an historic one; it is the first state budget to be vetoed by the governor. Adding to its historic nature, the governor’s veto was overridden by the required three-fifths vote in both the state House and Senate, making it only the second veto to be overridden in state [...]
-
Bad Bill of the Week: SB 558 – Unhealthy Government Intrusion
Senate Bill 558 Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Days (McKissick D-Durham) offers up an unhealthy dose of government intrusion into voluntary labor agreements. (There is an equivalent House Bill, HB 223 sponsored by Alma Adams, D-Guilford). The bill would mandate a certain threshold of paid sick days, and also detail what qualifies as a paid [...]
-
HB 884: Because Working Families Have Too Much Money!
Anyone who has gone to the grocery store or the gas station in recent months has likely felt the pain of rising prices. No doubt, those having the most difficulty reaching deeper into their pockets to pay more for these goods are the poor and working families trying to make ends meet. With this as [...]
-
N.C. House Budget Plan Spends $600 M Less Than Perdue’s Plan; Includes No New Taxes
The North Carolina State House of Representatives released their budget proposal for the coming biennium earlier this week. With a notable change in leadership in the General Assembly, and a multi-billion dollar deficit facing the state, the House spending plan is sure to receive much scrutiny. There are a number of notable differences between the [...]
-
High Speed Rail Funds Race Ahead
House Bill 422, No High-Speed Rail Money from Federal Government, has been under attack by major media outlets, special interest groups, and big-spending politicians in Raleigh. True to its name, the bill would prevent North Carolina’s Department of Transportation from spending federal grant money it receives designated for high-speed rail projects without approval of the [...]
-
A Taxpayer Bill of Rights for North Carolina: Examining Misleading Claims about Colorado’s TABOR Experience
Likely North Carolina voters overwhelmingly favor a measure to restrain the growth rate of state spending. According to the April 2011 Civitas Institute poll, 67 percent of respondents support the ideas contained in HB 188 – which would limit the growth rate of the state budget to a formula based on recent changes in state [...]
-
SB 35: That Dog Won’t Hunt (Literally)
Dogs are often referred to as “man’s best friend.” Apparently, they aren’t a friend of Rep. Ellie Kinnaird. SB 35, Orange Co./No Deer Hunting with Dogs, sponsored by Kinnaird (D-Orange) would criminalize anyone attempting to “hunt deer or attempt to take deer with the aid of dogs at any time” in Orange County. Hunting deer [...]
-
Golden LEAF: A Web of Political Cronies and Corruption
When Golden LEAF was created, then-Governor Mike Easley (D) declared that the foundation will be “one that operates outside the grasp of political pressure.” Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand (D – Cumberland) stated: “A charitable trust shouldn’t have anything to do with politics.” These proclamations quickly proved to be a sham.
-
House Bill 188 Introduces Much Needed Spending Reform
A constitutional amendment to restrain spending would smooth out state spending over business cycles, and help avoid painful, unpredictable budget crises. Leading up to the current recession, state budget increases outpaced the expenditure limit in HB 188 by more than $10 billion in just five years If North Carolina had passed HB 188 and used [...]
-
Perdue’s Budget Breaks Tax Promise, Nearly Doubles State Spending From 15 Years Ago
Gov. Perdue released her budget proposal earlier this week. Because of the daunting $2.4 billion deficit, Perdue’s recommendations were highly anticipated. Following is an overview the Governor’s proposed budget plan: TOTAL SPENDING STILL UP NEARLY 90% IN 15 YEARS Perdue’s budget proposal would spend $19.9 billion for fiscal year 2011-12 Total spending in the current [...]
Weekly Newsletter
@NCCivitas
- NC to Seek Federal Waiver to Pursue Medicaid Reform http://t.co/Uj6pBnDUwF #ncpol
- Why do liberals hate eagles? http://t.co/xCfCb058GK #nccivitas #eaglekillers http://t.co/SSFob4zRCc
- House unveils tax plan – less significant than the Senate plan. http://t.co/7HACM0Q1gx #ncga #ncpol
Loading ...