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The question of whether our state government ought to subsidize historic preservation is distinguishable from the question of how government should deliver those subsidies.
Published: Sunday, February 8th, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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As the John Locke Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, it can look back on a quarter century of change, change in the state and in the organization itself.
Published: Sunday, February 8th, 2015 @ 6:11 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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A House Judiciary committee on Wednesday endorsed the latest proposal to protect property owners from what supporters consider eminent domain abuse. The measure could go before the full House chamber Thursday.
Published: Sunday, February 8th, 2015 @ 5:48 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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At the beginning of Shakespeare's Macbeth, three grotesque witches enter the stage with thunder rumbling in the background. You may recall that the witches ending up chanting in unison: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair/Hover through the fog and filthy air."
Published: Sunday, February 8th, 2015 @ 5:19 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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There is a proposition in public choice economics called the "special interest effect." It basically argues that government grows because, for most government programs, there are concentrated beneficiaries and diffused cost bearers.
Published: Saturday, February 7th, 2015 @ 9:54 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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We will offer this allotment of three with more to come; some old, most new, but all quite informative, and, moreover, necessary to understanding that in North Carolina, there is a wiser path to govern ourselves and our People.
Published: Saturday, February 7th, 2015 @ 9:36 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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For years a diligent group of North Carolina state representatives has been trying to add an eminent domain clause to the North Carolina Constitution. Their latest attempt, HB 3, was filed on January 14th. Thanks to their perseverance - and thanks also to recent changes in the makeup of the...
Published: Thursday, February 5th, 2015 @ 10:45 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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If the current calendar of 2016 presidential primaries and caucuses doesn’t change, North Carolina’s late-February contest will be one of the nation’s earliest.
Published: Thursday, February 5th, 2015 @ 7:10 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Doctors who deal with Medicaid patients on a day-to-day basis could offer N.C. policymakers plenty of good ideas for cutting costs while maintaining or improving care.
Published: Wednesday, February 4th, 2015 @ 1:38 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Legislators will have two options this year to pursue election redistricting reform for North Carolina. Supporters of both options unveiled their plans during a Tuesday news conference in Raleigh.
Published: Wednesday, February 4th, 2015 @ 12:07 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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The question of whether our state government ought to subsidize historic preservation is distinguishable from the question of how government should deliver those subsidies. Unfortunately, these two issues have been lumped together by lawmakers when discussing the recent sunset of the historic...
Published: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015 @ 12:43 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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North Carolina lawmakers made the right decision when they ended state historic preservation tax credits. Those who support government involvement in preservation efforts should look at local grant programs instead.
Published: Monday, February 2nd, 2015 @ 10:57 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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The deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown during altercations with police officers have led to a heated national debate about the proper use of force by police departments. It has racial overtones, but it shouldn't be a racial issue, as any American could become victim to police officers who...
Published: Monday, February 2nd, 2015 @ 1:45 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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There is a proposition in public choice economics called the "special interest effect." It basically argues that government grows because, for most government programs, there are concentrated beneficiaries and diffused cost bearers. What this means is that the benefits of government programs will...
Published: Monday, February 2nd, 2015 @ 9:15 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Josiah Collins III was born in Edenton, North Carolina in March 1808.
Published: Monday, February 2nd, 2015 @ 1:14 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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On the eve of his birth, the mother of Buddha dreamed that a white elephant presented her with a lotus flower, a sign of wisdom and purity. Throughout history a white elephant was regarded in Buddhist kingdoms as a symbol of divine blessing.
Published: Sunday, February 1st, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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If you live in a city with a government-owned convention center, chances are pretty good that it's a money loser. It's also a good bet that government leaders think they can fix the problem by spending more money on the convention center and its surrounding amenities. Heywood Sanders, professor...
Published: Sunday, February 1st, 2015 @ 5:21 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Ever since conservatives won majorities in the North Carolina General Assembly and began reducing taxes, spending, and state regulation, liberals have predicted doom.
Published: Saturday, January 31st, 2015 @ 11:26 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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The federal proposal that the president is calling "America's College Promise" has inspired fanfare and controversy that go beyond President Obama's decision earlier this week not to interfere with so-called 529 savings plans.
Published: Saturday, January 31st, 2015 @ 10:57 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Her son has yet to turn 3, but Kamala Massey of Raleigh already is exploring alternatives to traditional public schools as she determines what's in his best educational interest.
Published: Saturday, January 31st, 2015 @ 10:23 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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In my previous newsletter, I called Eric Holder's January 16th order modifying the DOJ's civil asset forfeiture policy "a significant step in the right direction," and I encouraged my readers to join me in hoping, not only that more reform would follow but also that Holder's order might mark...
Published: Friday, January 30th, 2015 @ 12:48 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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State Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, R-Wake, is working with charter school operators and advocates on legislation proponents say would restore millions of dollars to charter schools previously stripped away by Democrats "in the dark of night" to benefit traditional public schools.
Published: Friday, January 30th, 2015 @ 11:03 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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During the 1970s and 1980s, America saw a growing federal deficit that caused states to react. North Carolina rewrote its constitution in 1971, and as part of that constitution the state is required to pass a 'balanced budget.' More specifically, the state's total expenditures cannot exceed its...
Published: Friday, January 30th, 2015 @ 8:28 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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Niche.com, Inc. is a Pittsburgh, PA-based company that evaluates and ranks K-12 schools, colleges, cities, and neighborhoods. They recently released their 2015 ranking of public schools and school districts in each state, as well as a national ranking of private and public schools and districts.
Published: Thursday, January 29th, 2015 @ 8:56 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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There's a corner in my house that is highly attractive to cats. In a few short years, this place has gone from somewhere no cat would ever be seen to an area heavily visited by kitties. One might describe this spot as an Emerging Leader in Cat Corners.
Published: Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 @ 7:44 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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This week is National School Choice Week and various organizations are sponsoring events to celebrate the occasion. If you would like to learn more about private, home, district, and charter school options, attend one of the events listed below.
Published: Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 @ 7:20 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Her son has yet to turn 3, but Kamala Massey of Raleigh already is exploring alternatives to traditional public schools as she determines what's in his best educational interest.
Published: Wednesday, January 28th, 2015 @ 2:52 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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As the legislature comes back into session, there is a renewed focus on what are typically referred to as economic incentives, or by many who are more skeptical of such programs, corporate welfare or simply cronyism. Programs that are and will continue to be debated are subsidies to...
Published: Tuesday, January 27th, 2015 @ 9:23 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Freedom of speech is one of the core values of a free society. It ought to be appreciated and protected by Americans across the political spectrum. Unfortunately, it is not.
Published: Monday, January 26th, 2015 @ 11:28 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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US Attorney General Eric Holder has been subjected to a good deal of criticism during his time in office, but even many of his fiercest critics have joined the chorus of praise for an order he signed last week entitled "Prohibition on Certain Federal Adoptions of Seizures by State and Local Law...
Published: Monday, January 26th, 2015 @ 5:38 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Some members of the Wake County Board of Education have joined the list of education policymakers hoping to find the same flexibility for traditional public schools that charter schools enjoy, though some school choice supporters are suspicious of the board members' motives.
Published: Monday, January 26th, 2015 @ 5:30 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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The 2015 legislative session has commenced, which means that the House and Senate will be hashing out their differences about how best to reform our state's Medicaid program. The Senate favors a privatization approach, where multiple managed care companies (MCOs) compete for state contracts to...
Published: Sunday, January 25th, 2015 @ 6:31 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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Religious liberty - which is the first right secured in the Bill of Rights - has won again in the nation's highest court. In a unanimous decision this week (Holt v. Hobbs), the U.S. Supreme Court has held that an Arkansas state prison policy that prohibited inmates from growing beards...
Published: Sunday, January 25th, 2015 @ 10:50 am
By: John Locke Foundation
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"We must raise the minimum wage." That is one mantra emanating from progressives across the country and here in North Carolina.
Published: Saturday, January 24th, 2015 @ 7:33 pm
By: John Locke Foundation
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