Taming high healthcare bills
Skin in the game.” The phrase pops up frequently in health insurance discussions, as it did twice in the recent Charlotte Observer article about high deductible policies (“A Growing Risk: High... Read More
NC Spin Articles
McCrory wants bond referendum in November
Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration wants the legislature to schedule a special election this November to let voters decide on a pair of proposals to borrow up to $2.8 billion to build new roads and... Read More
2013 tax changes now showing up on NC returns
As people scramble to meet the April 15 deadline for filing tax returns, many in North Carolina are seeing the impact of the state tax overhaul lawmakers passed in 2013. While Republicans say most... Read More
Energy costs matter
Energy is necessary for just about everything we do. And when the cost of energy goes up, we pay more over and over and over. Residential customers pay more to keep the lights on and the refrigerator... Read More
Thousands of seniors anxiously await lawmakers' budget decisions
When state lawmakers return next week from their unusual spring break, debate over the budget will take center stage as the House puts together its spending plan for the next two years. Most of the... Read More
Wrong way to help rural areas
Editorial by Wilmington Star-News, April 7, 2015. Harry Brown of Jacksonville, the majority leader of the N.C. Senate, is right when he notes that the state's rural areas are lagging their urban... Read More
Does NC need a new department of Information Technology?
In Governor McCrory's Recommended Budget for the 2015-17 biennium, he suggested the creation of a cabinet-level department, the Department of Information Technology (IT). Whenever the government... Read More
Supporting Duke, not legislators
48% of North Carolinians say they're rooting for Duke to win the national championship tonight, compared to 30% who say they aren't pulling for them to win. What might be most interesting is that for... Read More
The graying of North Carolina
Call it the "graying of North Carolina." The state is getting older, a phenomenon that will bring with it many issues and problems for government to address in the coming years and decades. Some... Read More
Mind your own business
Recent events lead me to restate an argument I made several years ago in response to a belligerent correspondent: mind your own business. No, I wasn’t giving him the brush-off. "Mind your own... Read More
