RALEIGH — Medicaid reform is likely to end up with much better results in North Carolina than in Kentucky. A new joint Policy Report from the John Locke Foundation and the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability explains why. The report's co-author speaks at noon today at the John Locke Foundation office in Raleigh.
RALEIGH — Debate between the North Carolina Association of Realtors and an alliance of government and other interests over a proposed real estate transfer tax has evolved into a battle over tactics, who is spending more money lobbying on the issue, and where the money is coming from.
RALEIGH — Less than two months remain before the elections in November, and while Republicans nationally worry how scandals and spending could lessen their prospects for maintaining power in Congress, in North Carolina it’s the reverse — Democrats fear that corruption might be their undoing.
RALEIGH — Longtime consultants for the state-funded Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission, and the associated agency North Carolina's Northeast Partnership, continue to work for both entities despite an apparent conflict of interest similar to one that helped cost former president and CEO Rick Watson his job. Related Northeast Partnership Articles: Panel: Disable, don't dissolve, Partnership CJ: Groups circumvented records law Partnership puts brakes on CEO search CJ: Organizations defy records request CJ: Audit critical of NE Partnership
RALEIGH — North Carolina's Northeast Partnership was formally separated from the state-created Northeastern North Carolina Economic Development Commission in 2003 in order to evade state Public Records Act requirements, according to documents obtained by Carolina Journal and confirmed by a Commission director. Related Northeast Partnership Articles: Partnership puts brakes on CEO search CJ: Organizations defy records request CJ: Audit critical of NE Partnership
RALEIGH — State Auditor Les Merritt yesterday released a scathing report on the activities of the North Carolina's Northeast Partnership, and the closely associated Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission, alleging that both organizations' directors "relinquished too much authority" and insufficiently exercised "their fiduciary responsibilities." Related Northeast Partnership Articles: NE Partnership paid big bonuses; Why? 'Looks like the whole damned crowd needs to be replaced' Partnership board failed to exercise oversight Report: Norris had vague contract with Partnership Norris's P.R. job puzzles some Partnership ends contract with Watson Norris called legislator a 'nutcase' Partnership says it's not subject to records law Organizations defy records request Commerce payments to Partnership unauthorized
RALEIGH — Despite the removal of its president and CEO, as well as its legal counsel, the Northeastern North Carolina Economic Development Commission and North Carolina's Northeast Partnership are withholding documents requested by Carolina Journal pursuant to the state's Public Records Act. Related Northeast Partnership Articles: Report: Norris had vague contract with Partnership Norris's P.R. job puzzles some Partnership ends contract with Watson Norris called legislator a 'nutcase' Partnership says it's not subject to records law Commerce payments to Partnership unauthorized
RALEIGH — The board of the North Carolina's Northeast Partnership terminated the contract of its president and CEO, Rick Watson, on Monday, after a longtime disagreement among the partnership's county members about his contract and his personal business dealings. Related Northeast Partnership Articles: Report: Norris had vague contract with NE Partnership
RALEIGH — A legal opinion permitting state-funded economic developer Rick Watson to simultaneously work for Randy Parton's entertainment company, which he recruited for a Roanoke Rapids project, appears to be based on the faulty assumption that Parton's company would receive no funds from Watson's state-funded organizations.
RALEIGH — Boosters of an automotive research center planned for Northampton County, who were hoping for $30 million in taxpayer funding over the next two years, are trying to get their pet project back on track after it was left out of the budget recently approved by the state Senate. Named the Advanced Vehicle Research Center, the project would be located off I-95 north of Roanoke Rapids and would provide automotive testing services at a facility that would include a 2.5-mile closed loop test track, laboratories, garages, and office space.
RALEIGH — The state Department of Commerce, apparently for several years, paid a private nonprofit organization for economic development funds that by law should have been paid to a state-established regional commission. Until June 2003, Commerce's fiscal department issued checks that, by statute and under the biennial state budget laws, should have gone to the Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission. Instead the "pass-through" payments were made to North Carolina's Northeast Partnership, a non-profit organization established by some of the same board members as the Commission.
