Coletti

Governments have been seeking ways to adopt or advertise their efforts at open government, sunshine, and transparency. Recent history is rife, however, with examples of how they have failed - such as Gov. Mike Easley's financial dealings and the hole in the state health plan.

RALEIGH — Government agencies that shine light on their work use resources more wisely, find potential budget savings more easily, and give taxpayers more reasons to trust them. The John…

Open government is just as important in a modern republic as it was two centuries ago. Larger bureaucratic states threatened to overwhelm the ability of citizens and their representatives to keep track of government.

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s ongoing struggles with double-digit unemployment raise questions about government claims dealing with economic recovery. That’s the assessment of the John Locke Foundation’s top budget analyst. Click…

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s continuing struggles with unemployment paint a poor picture of the state’s strategy for attracting new jobs — especially the policy of awarding targeted tax breaks to…

Proposed spending for FY 2010 is $20.4 billion, $775 million more than actual spending FY 2009. Gov. Bev Perdue cut $1.7 billion in spending during fiscal year (FY) 2009 without causing further hardships in the state.

RALEIGH — Legislators need to overhaul North Carolina’s budget process before they force taxpayers to cough up billions of additional dollars in new taxes. That’s the assessment of the John…

RALEIGH — As North Carolina struggles with one of the nation’s worst unemployment rates, Gov. Beverly Perdue plans an Asian trip based on the same misguided economic development policies that…

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s continuing struggles with unemployment should remind policymakers that the state’s economy cannot rely on job growth in the government sector. That’s one lesson the John Locke…

A 25 percent income tax credit on film production expenses would cost the state $63.3 million more each year than the current 15 percent credit, which loses $11.2 million. Ernst & Young estimated the state lost $0.02 on each dollar of tax credits assuming all film-related economic activity result from the tax credit.