2006

A careful review of experiences in Raleigh and Charlotte should warn other North Carolina cities that convention and civic center projects are a bad idea.

RALEIGH – Two N.C. cities could save taxpayers from millions of dollars in unnecessary spending, by slamming the door on new convention center projects. That’s the key recommendation in a…

State government needs pay its employees differently if it wants to keep the best of them. The average state employee earns as much as the average employee nationally, but across-the-board pay raises fail to reward employees for performance. Employees who choose to work for the state are more risk averse and may stay despite a lack of productivity. But these employees merely substitute unseen political risk for visible market risk. The General Assembly should consider more pay for performance and portable benefits for state employees.

RALEIGH – North Carolina rewards its state employees for longevity, not productivity, a new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report finds. That’s not a payment system that attracts or keeps…

Homebuyers in Wilmington pay thousands of dollars in extra costs, thanks to the city’s aggressive growth management rules. That’s the key finding in a new Policy Report from the…

Homebuyers in Asheville pay thousands of dollars in extra costs, thanks to the city’s aggressive growth management rules. That’s the key finding in a new Policy Report from the…

Homebuyers in two North Carolina cities pay thousands of dollars in extra costs, thanks to aggressive growth management plans. That’s the key finding in a new Policy Report from…

Since the late 1980s, housing prices in North Carolina have increased rapidly in some cities while in others prices have grown more slowly. Asheville and Wilmington, for example, are known for large increases in their housing prices over the last 15 years, while in Fayetteville and Hickory housing prices have grown much more slowly. Why is this?

RALEIGH – Last year’s landmark Kelo decision by the U.S. Supreme Court opened people’s eyes about government taking property for economic development. A new John Locke Foundation Spotlight shows…

Current law does not protect North Carolinians from eminent domain abuse. The state and local governments can seize private property for economic development reasons. However, the potential for eminent domain abuse is far more extensive than these “economic development takings.” From the state’s dangerous urban redevelopment law to the government finding clever ways to seize property for private businesses, North Carolina needs comprehensive protection from eminent domain abuse.