This is the 33rd and final research newsletter of 2018. What a year it has been! Publishing a hardcore policy newsletter every week would not be possible without a team…
A bill introduced this week in the North Carolina Senate would choose “economic development” policies over economic growth policies. It’s not a good choice if the aim is actually to…
Try as I might, I can’t see the wisdom behind this proposed “transformative” projects expansion. I can’t. It’s terrible. For as long as I can remember, governors have tried…
With six weeks to go until the May primaries, voters in at least a dozen North Carolina counties should start considering whether they should vote for or against proposed…
At last count, 12 North Carolina counties will include an increase in the local sales tax on their May ballots. In all 12 of those counties, it’s a bad idea. …
Liberals like small homes that are close to shopping and attractions, while conservatives prefer to have larger properties and drive longer distances to the store. This is one of the…
In 2007, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation allowing counties to impose an additional quarter-cent sales tax to raise revenue within their jurisdictions. These taxes must be approved by…
In mid-February, the Charlotte Observer ran a long piece about “The little-known trend that’s hurting housing affordability in Charlotte.” And while it’s interesting, there’s nothing about the piece that’s…
The incentives game just keeps getting worse. It used to be that state and local governments would put together a package to help lure a large company for a major…
North Carolina House Bill 56 got a lot of press earlier this autumn when the General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto of the legislation. But most of the discussion…
