tax

Supporters of a proposed government lottery argue that it would be a welcome alternative to raising state taxes to fund education. But there is no evidence to suggest that politicians in lottery states use the proceeds to reduce other taxes. They just allow state budgets to grow. Also, properly understood, a state-run lottery does increase taxes — it creates a government gambling monopoly and then levies a steep tax on it.

RALEIGH — Gov. Mike Easley’s proposed state budget uses higher taxes to close the vast majority of an $1.1 billion budget deficit, itself created primarily by the governor’s proposed new…

RALEIGH — Local taxes and fees in Charlotte totaled about $2,132 per resident in 2003, ranking North Carolina’s largest city No. 1 for local government costs among major cities for…

RALEIGH — As another large state budget deficit has some urging North Carolina lawmakers to “reform” the tax code to confiscate additional hundreds of millions of dollars, the John Locke…

RALEIGH — North Carolinians appear to be more committed to voting this November than they have been in the past four election cycles, but there is no clear consensus on…

As the 2004-05 budget process continues, policymakers should use regional and historical benchmarks to identify where to look for savings. Among major budget items, North Carolina spending on K-12 education and law enforcement is at the regional average but its Medicaid and higher-education expenses are higher than in comparable states. Reasonable restraint would save enough money to repeal last year’s tax hikes and catch up on deferred repairs and renovations.

For the first time since 2001, Gov. Mike Easley is proposing a budget plan that does not include new tax increases. However, his 2004-05 plan does contain hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending financed by previous, costly tax hikes on North Carolina families and businesses. A better fiscal choice would be to eliminate low-priority items from the budget and repeal prior sales and income tax increases. The best choice would be to implement JLF’s Freedom Budget plan.

A new survey of North Carolina’s most politically active business executives suggests that they do not agree with the current direction of public policy in the state. A sample of about 300 respondents from every region of North Carolina answered questions about fiscal policy, education, transportation, tax rates, regulation, and ways to improve economic competitiveness. This report provides not only data from the statewide sample but also from six regional subgroups: the Research Triangle, the Piedmont Triad, the Charlotte area, Northeastern North Carolina, Southeastern North Carolina, and Western North Carolina.

RALEIGH — North Carolina business executives see high taxes, burdensome regulations, and inadequate labor skills as the top factors hampering the state’s economic competitiveness, according to a new survey by…

RALEIGH — How optimistic are business leaders that North Carolina’s economic climate will improve in the coming months and years? And what do they believe state and local policymakers should…