Critics who contend that Raleigh’s News & Observer devotes too much attention to the John Locke Foundation must have been displeased this week. The N&O featured an opinion piece from Roy Cordato about North Carolina’s harmful certificate-of-need laws. The JLF Vice President for Research and Resident Scholar has researched the topic and highlighted the harmful impacts of CON legislation. Meanwhile, N&O editor John Drescher’s column also cited JLF’s Carolina Journal this week. Drescher mentioned CJ‘s role in exposing the corruption of former state senator and congressman Frank Ballance. (State public radio correspondent Laura Leslie also drew attention this week to the work of CJ Executive Editor Don Carrington in discussing the latest scandal involving controversial state permitting of ethanol plants.) The Locke Foundation even worked its name into the capital city’s newspaper in a column from one of the foundation’s frequent philosophical sparring partners. While trying to make a case for more spending on public transit, a Common Sense Foundation staffer quoted JLF concerns about government-run transit programs.