Opinion
Cost curve bends, but not enough
Medical spending in the US as a share of gross domestic product was 15% lower than projected 14 years earlier, and indeed was only “marginally higher” than in 2010.
Opinion
Federal crash will hurt North Carolinians
America’s ship of state is huge, ornate, cluttered, and bound for calamity. Will North Carolinians just go along for the (perilous) ride? Or will we demand action before it’s too late?
Opinion
Balance the federal budget Year 1
The question isn't whether we can afford to balance the budget immediately; it's whether we can afford not to.
Opinion
The protectionist trade delusion: fearing trade while the debt grows
The US remains strong because it embraces trade, not because it restricts it. Those obsessed with trade deficits ignore the real crisis — $36.22 trillion in debt.
Opinion
States should reclaim responsibility
Under no circumstances should the ordinary operation of state and local government be contingent on federal funding (or borrowing).
Opinion
It’s time to get serious about the federal budget deficit
Polling shows 52% of NC likely voters consider addressing federal deficit “very important,” more than foreign policy or climate change.
Opinion
A peak beneath the hood of the ‘strongest economy in modern history’
There is ample evidence to point to the incoming Trump administration being confronted with a stagnating economy — or worse.
Opinion
Resolve to fight wasteful government spending in 2025
As we prepare to ring in the new year, many Americans will set resolutions to improve their lives—to get healthier, save money, or spend more time with loved ones. But what if we applied the same principle to our government? For 2025, let’s resolve to confront the rampant waste in government that is driving us into deeper debt and burdening future generations.
Opinion
Helene shows value of fiscal restraint
The devastation wreaked on North Carolina by Hurricane Helene will take weeks to assess, months to clear out, and years to repair or rebuild. Second only to the value of the lives lost will be the exorbitant fiscal and economic costs of our recovery. Our state government is reasonably well-prepared to shoulder its share. Our...
Opinion
Don’t let Tax Cuts and Jobs Act success expire
Key tax breaks and spending controls will be expiring all at the same time, rushing us toward a fiscal cliff. It’s the biggest issue no one is talking about right now.
Opinion
Federal funds are going away
Remember last year when state leaders said the federal government would cover 90% of the cost if North Carolina expanded Medicaid? Forget about it.
Opinion
A rebate to taxpayers? Let’s pay down debt instead
Some legislators have proposed that the General Assembly send some tax money back to us. That sounds like fun. I have another idea: Use whatever money is in mind to pay down state debt. State debt currently stands at $8 billion. This would not change the state balance sheet. It would reduce the chance of...
