Joseph Harris

Joseph Harris is the fiscal policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation. He previously worked in education, teaching economics and public policy courses at numerous colleges in North Carolina.

Content featuring Joseph Harris

Opinion

NC leaders should pay attention to fiscal warning sign from DC

With the federal debt now equaling the size of the entire national economy, NC can no longer assume that Washington’s money will keep flowing freely.

Joseph Harris

Opinion

Slow the post-COVID spending surge with a leaner budget

Policymakers should reduce the FY 2025–26 budget to $32 billion, which would still mark a 31% increase since FY 2019–20. Doing so would make a compromise far easier.

Joseph Harris

Opinion

Bridging the divide on personal income taxes

Perhaps a middle ground can be found between the House and Senate tax plans, like replacing the three 0.5 percentage point reductions with six 0.25 percentage point reductions spread over the same eight-year period.

Joseph Harris

Opinion

Flashy but flawed: The myth of the sales tax holiday

Despite being touted as a pro–working-class policy that spurs economic activity, sales tax holidays fail to increase economic growth while imposing burdensome compliance costs on small businesses and disproportionately benefiting affluent individuals. From 2002 through 2013, North Carolina offered a back-to-school sales tax holiday during the first weekend in August, for which eligible items, such as school supplies and...

Joseph Harris

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