August 2009
Cover
• Teacher Paradise: As systems shed jobs, state funds mountain training center
• Wake school board: Don’t take away fines
North Carolina
• Highway Patrol cracks down on apple cores, other fruit, Page 4
• N.C. anxious to jump onto Obama’s high-speed rail bandwagon, Page 5
• Critics: Internet sales tax hurts business, Page 6
• N.C. Briefs, Page 6
Education
• Classroom teacher group gives N.C. teachers nonunion option, Page 9
• Terry Stoops commentary: The charter school question, Page 9
• N.C.’s charter school cap could affect education, stimulus grants, Page 10
• Survey details spending gap between public, private education, Page 11
• Times getting tough for public-employee pensions, Page 12
Higher Education
• New research from Pope Center says lack of incentives prevents efficiency in higher ed, Page 13
• Campus briefs, Page 13
• For-profit college advocates finding their model a hard sell, Page 14
• David J. Koon commentary: A yellow light for online education, Page 14
• George Leef commentary: Ward Churchill decision raises questions of academic integrity, Page 15
Local Government
• Beach plan bill could enhance competition, Page 16
• Town and County, Page 16
• New JLF Web site grades government transparency, Page 17
• Michael Lowrey commentary: The science of arts, Page 17
• The clock doesn’t run out on parking tickets, court says, Page 18
• Local Innovation Bulletin Board, Page 18
• State Supreme Court defends whistleblowers in gov’t agencies, Page 19
Learning Curve
• Movie review: Some Public Enemies viewers might feel robbed, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Science czar’s writings recall ugly legacy of eugenics in N.C., Page 21
• Book review: Taylor pins the economic blame, Page 22
• Short Takes on Culture, Page 22
• Book review: Powell’s Emancipations shows timelessness of arguments for liberty, Page 23
Opinion
• Editorial: Welfare for politicans on hold, for now, Page 24
• Becki Gray commentary: The state and Alcoa’s Lazarus legislation, Page 24
• John Hood commentary: New territory for N.C. governor, Page 25
• Editorial: High-speed rail, Page 25
• Editorial: Theory vs. practice, Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: What will recovery look like?, Page 26
• Editorial briefs, Page 26
• Andy Taylor commentary: A bad summer for tobacco, Page 27
• Marc Rotterman commentary: Is Obama’s honeymoon over?, Page 27
Parting Shot
• State kicks off Prisoner-Incentive Transfer Program (a CJ parody), Page 28