Taxation & Economy
Where are those manufacturing jobs we were promised?
Pres. Trump’s on-again, off-again, on-again tariff regime dominated the economic news in 2025. It was kicked off on April 2, a date Trump called “Liberation Day,” when the president announced his executive order imposing…
Possible Tariff War Over Trump’s Greenland Ambitions Would Hurt North Carolina Farmers
President Donald Trump’s stated desire to acquire the island of Greenland has caused tension with European nations that could result in a tariff war that would harm North Carolina farmers. Trump recently warned that eight…
North Carolina’s property tax reality
During the pandemic, property values surged across North Carolina, generating frustration among residents whose property tax bills have risen faster than their incomes. In response, the General Assembly established the House…
What is the role of a think tank?
Nonprofit think tanks serve a distinct role in public life by advancing enduring ideas and principled analysis — rather than engaging in partisan politics or short-term electoral strategy By educating both lawmakers and the…
Job announcements aren’t jobs
Gov. Josh Stein recently celebrated what his Commerce Secretary described as a “record-setting year for job creation” in North Carolina, citing tens of thousands of job announcements statewide. But announcements aren’t jobs —…
Thanksgiving costs dip, offering families a bit of relief
For the third year in a row, Americans heading into the holiday season will find a bit of good news at the grocery store. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 40th annual Thanksgiving survey, the average cost of…
The budget failure and its consequences
Last month, I urged the North Carolina General Assembly to send a biennial budget to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk before Thanksgiving. I suggested that date for clear reasons: Since at least 1995, the General Assembly has always…
NC’s DOGE-style program discovers lack of transparency at NCDHHS
Hundreds of millions of dollars unaccounted for, department hasn’t filed report of funds on time since 2017 A “mini budget” bill passed this summer included the creation of the “Division of Accountability, Value, and…
Is Stein’s DCR making the same mistake?
Thanks to the failures of former Gov. Roy Cooper’s North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), hundreds of families whose homes were destroyed by Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) are still living in…
When the budget deadline died
North Carolina is now nearly four months into the fiscal year, yet lawmakers have not enacted a budget for the 2025–27 biennium — or even sent a proposal to the governor’s desk. Before 2016, when a budget wasn’t in place by…
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