Research experts offer insights

Eastern North Carolina radio listeners learned this week about the problems associated with state government borrowing money from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits. Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies, discussed the topic with Lockwood Phillips on WTKF’s “Viewpoints Radio” program. The Fayetteville Observer also quoted Coletti for an article about the unfunded liability associated with North Carolina’s state retirement plan. The Charlotte Observer, News & Observer, and Lexington Herald Leader all published a story on the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum that included critical comments from Michael Sanera, Director of Research and Local Government Studies. A new book published this week features autobiographies of “82 of the world’s most prominent libertarian thinkers.” Among those contributing to the book I Chose Liberty is Roy Cordato. Meanwhile, the Kernersville News picked up Cordato’s recent column urging Republican state lawmakers to jump off the “environmentalist bandwagon.” The Still Our America blog and News and Society blog highlighted a video clip of Daren Bakst, Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies, discussing the flaws in the matching-funds provisions of North Carolina’s taxpayer-financed election campaign program.