For the week of
August 27, 2010
- carolinajournal.com
Reaction of the Week
RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers should eliminate certificate-of-need
laws, mandated health insurance benefits, and most licensing
requirements if they’re interested in improving health care in the
state. That’s the conclusion the John Locke Foundation’s top health
expert reaches in a new Policy Report.
“Regulation of hospitals and other health care providers makes care more
expensive, while mandated benefits make insurance more expensive and
encourage more unnecessary regulation,” said Joseph Coletti, JLF
Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies. “The deregulation
recommended in this report would improve North Carolinians’ access to
care and quality of care. These changes also would have a positive
impact on cost and innovation.”
Coletti focused his attention on state-level health care reform in the wake of the recent federal reform legislation.
“Health care reform was supposed to lower costs, improve access and
quality, and lower the number of uninsured,” he said. “Despite the
recent debate in Washington, most changes that could yield improvements
in these areas must be made at the state level. Current state
regulations limit where we can get treatment and from whom, how we pay
for care, what our insurance has to cover, and what happens when things
go wrong.”
News Features
CJ: Perdue campaign advised Stubbs on flights
RALEIGH — Officials of Gov. Bev Perdue’s 2008
campaign advised New Bern attorney Trawick “Buzzy” Stubbs on a “variety
of ways” to handle the nearly $30,000 in unreported flights he provided
to the campaign, according to a Board of Election report. CJ: Lottery funds continue to be diverted
RALEIGH — North Carolina created the state's
Education Lottery in 2005 amid promises that the money would be used
solely to supplement current funds for education. That promise has not been kept. CJ: Federal insurance pool risky proposition
RALEIGH — Two plans. Two options. Too many? North Carolina and the federal government now offer separate,
side-by-side plans to provide health insurance to individuals with
pre-existing conditions. CJ: Labor Department focuses on hospitality industry
RALEIGH — The unemployment rate in North
Carolina and around the country may be flirting with double digits, but
that isn’t preventing the U.S. Department of Labor from tight
enforcement of employment laws. CJ: Overpriced Watauga High School raises red flags
RALEIGH — Days after opening the most expensive
public school in North Carolina’s history, Watauga County commissioners
will ask voters to approve a $1.9 million tax increase. The John Locke Foundation’s latest Regional Brief cites the history of the new Watauga High School while questioning the wisdom of a tax hike.
Upcoming Events
Monday, September 20, 2010 at 12:00 noon
A meeting of the Shaftesbury Society
with our special guest Dr. Petur O. Jonsson
On Virtue, the Pursuit of Happiness, and Economic Behavior Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at Noon
A Headliner Luncheon Panel Discussion
with our special guests Michael Barone, Gary Pearce, Marc Rotterman, John Hood
2010 Election Preview Saturday, October 02, 2010 at 8:30 am- 1:30 pm
A Citizen's Constitutional Workshop
with presenters Dr. Troy Kickler & Dr. Michael Sanera
What the Founders and the State Ratification Conventions Can Teach Us Today
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Capital Quotes
“Obviously, the campaign, as it related to airplanes, was not run in an efficient nor orderly fashion.”
— Larry Leake, chairman of the State Board of Elections, as quoted by the Associated Press, talking about a $30,000 fine imposed on Gov. Beverly Perdue’s campaign for failing to properly disclose 42 airplane trips paid for by contributors.
“The governor should be happy today. Her team dodged its way to the exact verdict she was hoping for.”
— Joe Sinsheimer, a Democratic Party consultant turned watchdog, commenting to the Raleigh News & Obserever on the election board’s fine. “The marketplace is crying for two things: certainty in regulation and taxation. Without those, private capital will not flow to job creation.”
— Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., talking to the Asheville Citizen-Times about what’s needed to get the U.S. economy out of the doldrums. “We may be able to shrink that budget by another billion. After that, it gets dicey.”
— Rep. Henry Michaux, D-Durham and Appropriation Committee chair, talking to the Winston-Salem Journal about next year’s state budget, which is currently projected to have a $3 billion deficit.
On The Air This Week…
This week on C J Radio…
JLF’s Joe Coletti reacts to national publicity over N.C. “stimulus” projects; Steve Forbes discusses market forces and economic recovery; Melana Zyla Vickers talks about university response to kids with learning problems; SMU’s Dwight Lee makes the moral case for free markets; and JLF’s Terry Stoops reflects on growth of home schools.
This week on NC Spin…
Join moderator Tom Campbell
for another week of political discussion and debate on the most
intelligent television talk show in the state. Topics this week: State Board Of Elections crisis; SBI meltdown continues; how to spend $300 million; and NC wins Race to the Top funding.
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