Cover

• Beach Plan Bingo: Experts say one big storm could collapse program
• Liberal advocacy groups compete for millions in bailout funds

North Carolina

• Vehicle project wants $18 million jump start from taxpayers, Page 4
• Air quality official recruited for nonprofit on taxpayers’ dime, Page 5
• JLF: Annexation reform should include services, oversight, Page 6
• Report: N.C. teachers have fared better than other state employees, Page 6
• Mileage taxes: New highway funding or smart growth proxy? Page 7

Education

• Charter schools at disadvantage when dealing with budget cuts, Page 9
• Kristen Blair commentary: Capping charter school successes, Page 9
• State lunch program funding jump questioned, Page 10
• Questions surround Guilford strategic plan’s implementation, Page 11
• Busing for diversity in Wake not making the grade, Page 12

Higher Education

• UNC System finding it hard to put on brakes after starting new programs in flush times, Page 13
• Jenna Ashley Robinson commentary: A letter to prospective students, Page 14
• Issues in Higher Education: Let’s hear both sides of the story from NCSU’s speakers, Page 15

Local Government

• Annual JLF report shows increase in cost of government, Page 16
• State high court rules in Raleigh zoning dispute, Page 17
• Chad Adams commentary: A quagmire for local governments, Page 17
• Local Innovation Bulletin Board, Page 18
• Durham looks to election scheme to save money, Page 18
• Court weighs in to fix imprecise wording in trucking statute, Page 19

Learning Curve

• Movie review: Sam Hieb reviews “Milk,” Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: North Carolina was early leader in effort to curb government, Page 21
• Short Takes on Culture, Page 22
• Book review: Russell Roberts’ The Price of Everything: A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity, Page 22
• Book review: Michael Medved’s The 10 Big Lies About America, Page 23

Opinion

• David Bass commentary: The giant flushing sound, Page 24
• Editorial: Kicking the can down the road, Page 24
• Editorial: Statistics and students, Page 25
• Editorial: Education reform, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: Personal responsibility: Is it good or evil? Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: What’s the exit strategy? Page 26
• Andy Taylor commentary: North Carolina and the stimulus, Page 27
• Becki Gray commentary: Snuff out the smoking ban, Page 26

Parting Shot

• N.C. to lead federal Crayola job-coding project (a CJ parody), Page 28