Johnlocke - johnlocke.org - John Hood's Syndicated Weekly Column
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Legislature Gets A- on Growth 23 Aug 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - When it comes to addressing North Carolina's most-pressing challenge, our lackluster economy, the state legislature deserves a grade of A- for its 2013 session. Here's how I computed th...
When Education and Politics Collide 16 Aug 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - When educational statistics and state politics collide, the results can be cringe-inducing. A memorable example dates back to March 4, 1999, when the governing board of the National Assessm...
New Budget Repairs Balance Sheet 9 Aug 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - As Democrats and Republicans debated North Carolina's recently approved state budget, they devoted much of their attention to the income statement of state government. They argued about next...
Making Education a Better Investment 2 Aug 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - Is state spending on education an investment or a political payoff? Critics of the North Carolina state budget just approved by Gov. Pat McCrory and the legislature use the term "investment"...
Growth Strategy Backed By Research 26 Jul 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - When you hear politicians utter the phrase "economists say," be skeptical. There may well be economists who agree with their particular policy idea. But economists and other social scientist...
Tax Reform Part of Broader Plan 19 Jul 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - A few weeks ago, I was interviewing one of North Carolina's senior Democratic statesmen for my upcoming biography of former Gov. Jim Martin. Not surprisingly, the interview occasionally veer...
State Needs Better Business Brand 12 Jul 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - Liberal politicians, activists, and commentators have spent months prodding, baiting, and criticizing Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and the Republican-led state legislature. While occasionally...
Conservatives Press for NC Progress 5 Jul 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - In Raleigh, the conservatives are confidently progressive and the progressives are desperately conservative. The modern-day conservatives who inhabit the General Assembly, the executive bra...
Big Government Slams Small Firms 28 Jun 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - Regulatory policy is about striking a proper balance. Virtually no one disagrees with the propriety of government designing, promulgating, and enforcing regulation. When health, safety, and...
Tax Reform Takes a Good Turn 21 Jun 2013 | 04:00 pm
RALEIGH - Life, the old saying goes, is best thought of as a journey, not a destination. When it comes to reforming North Carolina's tax code, however, I'd say the reverse is true. The journey may hav...
