Defending a battered state agency
No one in state government jumps for joy at a 15-or 20-percent cut in their budget. But when that happens, especially to a small agency with a limited mission, legislators might be sending a message... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Excerpts from JFK's inaugural address
Editorial by Winston-Salem Journal, November 22, 2013. On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, we offer these excerpts from the Inaugural Address he... Read More
NC must not permit fracking secrets
North Carolinians who value safe drinking water, clean air and quality of life take note: Fracking could soon put all of this in jeopardy. This heavy industrial process has sparked controversy as it... Read More
Democrats vote to curb filibusters on appointees
Sweeping aside a century of precedent, Democrats took a chunk out of the Senate's hallowed filibuster tradition on Thursday and cleared the way for speedy confirmation of controversial appointments... Read More
Rural Center refuses $242,000 severance payment to former president
Leaders of the nonprofit N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, largely funded with taxpayer money for almost three decades, voted Thursday to deny the agency’s former president a special severance... Read More
A lacklluster decade in education
During the 1990s, North Carolina’s public schools posted some of the strongest performance gains in the country on independent reading and math tests. Democrats and Republicans took pride in the... Read More
The great divide
How often does some well-meaning soul say, “Democrats and Republicans should put aside their differences and just do what’s right for the country.” That sounds perfectly reasonable. But it... Read More
Legislative report conflicts with state audit over Medicaid costs
Administrative costs in the state Medicaid program are relatively low compared to other states, according to a report by the state legislature’s Fiscal Research Division. The report contradicts... Read More
NC Tracks problems reflect lapses in leadership
Editorial by News and Observer, November 21, 2013. Dr. Aldona Wos, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, told a General Assembly health oversight committee Tuesday something... Read More
Metros dominate NC economy
North Carolina is a vast state, nearly 54,000 square miles from Manteo to Murphy. But most of its economy is jammed into a handful of metropolitan cities and counties, like Raleigh. The seven largest... Read More
