Tax proposals targeted, plus other research impact

Some North Carolina counties are asking voters next month to endorse increases in the local sales-tax rate. The John Locke Foundation’s research staff has attracted attention for its efforts to critique those proposals. WNCN Television took note of this week’s JLF report targeting Durham’s two sales-tax proposals for transit and school projects. Michael Sanera, Director of Research and Local Government Studies; Daren Bakst, Director of Legal and Regulatory Studies; Fergus Hodgson, Director of Fiscal Policy Studies; and Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies, contributed to that report. Both the News & Observer‘s “OrangeChat” blog and the Chapel Hill News highlighted JLF opposition to a sales-tax proposal for Orange County. The Heritage Foundation’s “Insider Online” also promoted the Orange County sales-tax report. In other research news, Bakst appears this evening on News 14 Carolina’s “Political Connections” to discuss hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for energy supplies in North Carolina. Bakst submitted a formal comment (PDF) on fracking to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Mooresville Tribune and Richmond County Daily Journal published Stoops’ recent column on facts and fallacies surrounding teacher job cuts. WFAE Radio recently reported the state lottery director’s response to research criticizing the government-run lottery, including the work of Jon Sanders, Associate Director of Research. Sanders’ latest TownHall.com column discusses how the “Occupy” movement unwittingly highlights the importance of property rights. The Dallas Morning News website highlighted that column. The National Legal and Policy Center quoted Roy Cordato, Vice President for Research and Resident Scholar, in an article discussing crony capitalism, or “corporate socialism.”