September 16, 2010

New CJTV exclusive

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 5:54 PM

The latest Carolina Journal Online exclusive features Anthony Greco's CarolinaJournal.tv report on a legislative committee's study of possible changes at the SBI.

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Democrats for Tax Hikes

Posted by Rick Henderson at 5:41 PM

Such a group doesn't really exist, of course (well, they haven't incorporated, the last time I checked), but you could come up with your own membership list pretty easily. Take every Democrat in the U.S. House and Senate, remove the names on this "whip list" put together by The Hill newspaper of Democrats who formally have stated they would support extending all of the Bush-era tax cuts, and you'd have Democrats who are supporting a tax increase at the end of 2010.

As of now, of the 35 lawmakers on the list (31 House members, four senators), the only member of the state's congressional delegation who has said he'd back extending all the tax cuts is 7th District Rep. Mike McIntyre.

All the others — Reps. G.K. Butterfield (1st); Bob Etheridge (2nd); David Price (4th); Larry Kissell (8th); Heath Shuler (11th); Brad Miller (13th); and Sen. Kay Hagan — have been silent or said some of the tax cuts should expire.

We'll update the list regularly.

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Sowell dissects the labels 'liberal' and 'conservative'

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 4:36 PM

Thomas Sowell's latest Human Events column explains why "liberals" and "conservatives" are mislabeled:

Most of us would probably regard the current administration in Washington-- both the White House and the Congress-- as "liberal," even though the word "progressive" may be more in vogue.

Does the sweeping legislation empowering federal officials to tell doctors, patients, hospitals, and insurance companies what to do, when it comes to medical care, sound like leaving individuals the maximum space to live their lives as they choose?        

Communities that have had overwhelmingly liberal elected officials for decades abound in nanny state regulations, micro-managing everything from home-building to garbage collection. San Francisco is a classic example. Among its innumerable micro-managing laws is one recently passed requiring that gas stations must remove the little levers that allow motorists to pump gas into their cars without having to hold the nozzle.

Liberals are usually willing to let people violate the traditional standards of the larger society but crack down on those who dare to violate liberals' own notions and fetishes.

...

As for conservatism, it has no specific political meaning, because everything depends on what you are trying to conserve. In the last days of the Soviet Union, those who were trying to maintain the Communist system were widely-- and correctly-- described as "conservatives," though they had nothing in common with such conservatives as William F. Buckley or Milton Friedman.

Professor Friedman for years fought a losing battle against being labeled a conservative. He considered himself a liberal in the original sense of the word and wrote a book titled "The Tyranny of the Status Quo." Friedman proposed radical changes in things ranging from the public schools to the Federal Reserve System.

But he is remembered today as one of the great conservatives of our time. Great, yes. But conservative? It depends on what you mean by conservative.

Sowell's remarks remind me of the musings of another well-known liberal.

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Cato steps up its 'downsizing government' campaign

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 4:12 PM

The Cato Institute's Chris Edwards passes along the following information:

First, you might have seen a full-page ad (PDF link) in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, or other major paper "asking policymakers to get on with the crucial business of cutting federal spending."

Meanwhile, Cato has expanded its DownsizingGovernment.org website, which details spending cuts in every federal department. The latest addition is Health and Human Services, "the largest and most bloated of all federal departments, operating more than 400 subsidy programs."

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Consultant "not from the area" to weigh in on student assignment in Wake County

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 3:24 PM

News & Observer, June 24, 2010:

[Raleigh Mayor Charles] Meeker, a harsh critic of the new school board majority that is implementing the changes, lashed into them at Monday’s meeting.

“We have people who are not from the area, who don't share our values, who are the majority on the school board who are taking steps to have schools that have the majority of well to do people in one set of schools and not as well to do people in another set of schools,” Meeker said Monday.

Massachusetts educational consultant Michael Alves, who studied Wake County's assignment system earlier this year, will develop an assignment plan based on student achievement, proximity, choice and stability at the request of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership, officials announced today.

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New Carolina Journal Online exclusive

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 2:00 PM

The latest Carolina Journal Online exclusive features David Bass' report on the tightening of some N.C. congressional races.

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New JLF report from Randal O'Toole shows N.C. public transit is far more costly than driving

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 11:30 AM

Public transit is not only much more costly than driving, it requires huge subsidies to attract any riders at all.

National transportation expert Randal O'Toole reaches those conclusions in a new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report that debunks myths about transit's costs, subsidies, and environmental impact.

In the video clip below, O'Toole explains how government planners' love for transit has left more of us sitting in traffic gridlock.

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'Honest Abe,' 'Condoleezza Rice' join the fun at Johnston County Community College Constitution Day

Posted by Becki Gray at 11:15 AM

"Martha Washington" is here, too, as the community college in Smithfield celebrates Constitution Day. I'll be serving as a guest speaker at 1 p.m.

As you can see, Abe and Condoleezza are interested in learning about the John Locke Foundation, Carolina Journal, and the Carolina Freedom Clubs.

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Latest dispatches from the campaign trail

Posted by David N. Bass at 08:35 AM

• U.S. Sen. Richard Burr opens up a 58-34 percent lead in the Senate race.
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• National Republican Campaign Committee adds U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-7th, to its list of targets for political advertising.


• GOP’s Young Guns declares Republican Jeff Miller in the 11th Congressional District "a contender." Miller's opponent is U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler
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• Poll shows Republican Norm Sanderson leading incumbent Democrat Alice Underhill in House District 3.


• State Rep. Marian McLawhorn, a Democrat, leads Republican Stan Larson 44-41 percent, according to a GOP-leaning polling form.


• Raleigh political consultant John Davis has Republicans securing 26 seats in the Senate, enough to capture the majority.


• Public Policy Polling: 46 percent think the GOP will take the U.S. House, 32 percent say no. Thirty-six percent think Republicans will take the Senate, 40% disagree.

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New Carolina Journal Online features

Posted by Mitch Kokai at 06:49 AM

The latest Carolina Journal Online exclusive features Jane Shaw's report on UNC system schools' willingness to post course syllabi online. 

John Hood's Daily Journal explains why the case is a little stronger now for privatizing public broadcasting in North Carolina.

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