I’m a fiscally conservative North Carolinian — and I think state taxes should be significantly higher. No, I haven’t lost my head, or my spine. And while I’m a committed supply-sider, I’m not referring here to projected revenues from a fast-growing economy. I truly mean North Carolina ought to levy higher state taxes. But only...
As North Carolina keeps growing, so will the need for our governments to ensure the adequate provision of an essential service: mobility. As they tackle the problem, policymakers need to keep two facts in mind. First, while the state legislature has enacted several necessary reforms of how we fund highways and streets, the job is...
Hace casi una década, el ex político canadiense Michael Ignatieff argumentó en el New York Times que la democracia sólo puede prosperar cuando quienes la practican respetan la diferencia entre adversarios y enemigos. “Un adversario es alguien a quién quieres derrotar”, escribió. “Un enemigo es alguien a quien tienes que destruir”. Ignatieff se basaba en...
North Carolina has an official state bird (the Northern Cardinal), an official state reptile (the Eastern Box Turtle), an official state insect (the honeybee), an official state mammal (the Gray Squirrel), an official saltwater fish (the Channel Bass), an official freshwater fish (the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout), an official state marsupial (the Virginia Opossum, which...
Nearly a decade ago, former Canadian politician Michael Ignatieff argued in the New York Times that democracy can only thrive when its practitioners respect the difference between adversaries and enemies. “An adversary is someone you want to defeat,” he wrote. “An enemy is someone you have to destroy.” Ignatieff was drawing on personal experience. He...
Just months ago, the housing market was blazing hot. Now median prices are dropping, even in states like North Carolina that continue to attract new residents. The Federal Reserve isn’t done pushing up interest rates to combat inflation. Consumers are responding to higher prices by cutting back on expenses. Are we on the cusp of...
The victors are crowing. The vanquished are moaning, or spinning, or deflecting blame. Pundits and campaign professionals are scouring the precinct-level results or exit polls for evidence that validates their strategies or proves their favorite theories. That’s all fine with me. I’ve long been fascinated with the art and science of campaigns myself, though as...
The science fiction pioneer H.G. Wells once observed that “human history is, in essence, a history of ideas.” This is a wise observation — and it speaks to the political debates we’ve been having here in North Carolina. Wells himself was an influential purveyor of ideas. Some were praiseworthy, such as his exploration of the...
It matters whether Republican Ted Budd or Democrat Cheri Beasley wins the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Richard Burr. It matters whether the Republicans win legislative supermajorities. It matters whether Democrats can cut into the GOP’s increasing domination of local elections in rural and suburban areas, or whether Republicans can make inroads in county...
In 2019, 28% of North Carolina eighth-graders lacked even basic reading skills and 29% lacked basic skills in math. Only about a third were proficient in these core subjects. Regardless of region, sector, party, or ideology, no one was satisfied with the 2019 results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the gold standard...
Suponga que está a punto de graduarse de una escuela secundaria de Carolina del Norte. Tus calificaciones son buenas pero no excelentes, y tu objetivo principal después de graduarte es obtener la educación que necesitas para una carrera satisfactoria con un buen potencial de ganancias. ¿Debería ir a la universidad o inscribirse en su colegio...
Suppose you are about to graduate from a North Carolina high school. Your grades are good but not great, and your primary goal after graduation is to get the schooling you need for a fulfilling career with good earnings potential. Should you head off to university or enroll in your local community college? For many...