Several local governments in North Carolina are drawing attention – and criticism – for getting actively involved in providing information to voters about tax and bond questions that appear on the ballot. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson analyzes several examples that raise the issue of whether the “information” is really electioneering, which is against the law. Turning to state politics, not too long after North Carolina Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue generated headlines by making disparaging remarks about Mississippi, her Mississippi counterpart — Phil Bryant — stumped for Republican candidates in Wilmington and Perdue’s hometown of New Bern. Bryant is a fan of performance pay for public school teachers. You’ll hear highlights from his pay-for-performance plan, along with reaction from Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies. Next are highlights from a recent spirited debate about the proper role of government in managing health care in the United States. Fox Business Channel host and libertarian author John Stossel debated former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean on that topic recently at UNC-Chapel Hill. You’ll hear their contrasting answers. That’s followed by an interesting look at North Carolina history. If you’ve spent any time learning about pirates, you’ve likely heard of Blackbeard. But Kevin Duffus, author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, says much of what you think you know about that famous scoundrel is wrong. He offers a historical corrective. And finally, Carolina Journal Publisher Jon Ham explores the emergence in this election cycle of so-called “fact checkers.” Ham says most are actually partisans masquerading as verifiers of fact who simply spin an opponent’s views as incorrect. He gives examples of several bloggers, however, who engage in actual fact checking of both political parties.