Coletti

RALEIGH – As North Carolina policymakers and analysts prepare for a major debate on reforming the state tax code, a new report from the John Locke Foundation calls into question…

North Carolina’s tax code distorts economic activity. It penalizes the investment, savings, and entrepreneurship needed for economic growth. But the latest report on taxes from the Department of Revenue only looks at ways the tax code does not bring in as much money as it could.

RALEIGH — North Carolina is the only state in the nation that requires counties to pay a fixed percentage of Medicaid costs. The General Assembly’s own Blue Ribbon Commission on…

North Carolina is the only state in which counties pay a fixed percentage of Medicaid costs. Counties have no control over how they spend up to 15 percent of their general fund budget and 39 percent of their property tax revenues. Six counties spend more on Medicaid than on education. Program expansions and higher medical costs have pushed Medicaid’s share of county budgets up an average of 18 percent in five years. The General Assembly should act on the recommendation of its own Blue Ribbon Commission on Medicaid Reform to cap and reduce what counties must contribute to Medicaid.

City and county government cost on average $3,804 per capita in Charlotte during fiscal year 2004, from July 2003 to July 2004. This was 28.1 percent higher than the $2,969 (constant 2004 dollars) per capita spent in fiscal year 1994. For comparison, real per capita personal income increased just 13 percent over the same period, from $24,926 to $28,235. Most of the increased expenditures were for operations, which climbed 23.2 percent to $2,766 in fiscal 2004. Char-Meck’s high capital spending climbed 43 percent over the decade, to $1,038 in fiscal 2004.

City and county government cost on average $2,863 per capita in Wilmington during fiscal year 2004. This cost was 42 percent higher than Wilmington's per-capita spending in 1994. As real per-capita personal income increased just 13 percent over the 10-year study period, operations costs climbed 35 percent and capital spending nearly doubled over the decade. No large city in North Carolina had faster spending growth than Wilmington did.

RALEIGH – The Easley administration’s claims that a proposed state budget won’t violate the governor’s spending cap are convoluted and contradictory, according to a preliminary analysis by the John Locke…

Six weeks into fiscal year 2005-06, the General Assembly has a budget proposal from the conference committee. It includes $17.2 billion in spending (up 7.9 percent from 2004-05), over $700 million in higher taxes and fees, and $681 million in extra collections. This spending is well above the governor's spending cap. A constitutional tax and expenditure limit would provide the best insurance against permanent tax increases from reckless spending.

Northeastern North Carolina is trying to reverse its economic misfortune with two large economic development projects that could pull $8.25 million from the General Fund. Proponents want to avoid the legacy of the Global TransPark, but studies used to justify the projects are based on similarly faulty assumptions. A proposed Advanced Vehicle Research Center draws on no existing regional strengths; an entertainment district relies on transforming the region’s tourism. The General Assembly should not fund either project. Members should be sure to read reports on similar proposals–and read them with skepticism.

From 2000 to 2005, while 105,000 North Carolinians lost jobs in the private sector, state and local government payrolls grew by 46,000 — an increase of 8.2%, 16th largest in the nation. N.C. state and local governments now have 710 employees per 10,000 residents — more than any other state of similar size, including Massachusetts.