North Carolina’s legislative leaders continued a disturbing policy this year when drafting their budget plan: they relied too heavily on new debt, particularly debt that requires no public approval. JLF Fiscal Policy Analyst Joseph Coletti highlighted the problems associated with that policy in an op-ed published this week in the News & Observer. Meanwhile, John Hood offered his criticism of the targeted tax breaks offered to Dell in a recent article published in the Winston-Salem Journal. Meck Deck blogger Jeff Taylor offered his expert opinion about issues involving Charlotte and the surrounding county during an appearance this week on WDYT Radio. And a recent Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald article, promoting a public appearance by JLF Vice President for Outreach Becki Gray, featured the following quote from Gary Terry, a founder of the group Citizens Against the Ahoskie Bypass: “The John Locke Foundation is an independent
nonprofit think tank based in Raleigh that has a stubborn insistence on
what is right and a commitment to honesty. JLF works for truth, for
freedom and for the future of North Carolina. The John Locke Foundation
looks at a number of issues and makes recommendations, publishes studies, hosts a
number of events and makes media and public appearances to promote
innovative solutions to the problems North Carolinians worry about
most, including government corruption and wasteful spending.” Terry continued, “The JLF also believes that our society is a
constitutional republic, in which government power is limited and
employed for the purpose of providing legitimate public goods rather
than for the benefit of insiders and narrow interest groups.”