March 15, 2007

RALEIGH – Legislators can help North Carolina by focusing on freedom, according to the latest John Locke Foundation publication. The 32-page Issue Guide 2007 outlines 15 freedom-oriented policy recommendations in areas such as education, the environment, and overall state spending.

Click here to view and here to listen to Dr. Roy Cordato discussing Issue Guide 2007.

“North Carolina policymakers face many important challenges,” said Dr. Roy Cordato, JLF Vice President for Research and Resident Scholar. “This issue guide offers solutions to problems faced by the citizens of the state. The common thread in these recommendations is freedom. By increasing individual freedom, the state can foster the prosperity of all North Carolinians.”

The guide should serve as a quick, easy tool for policymakers, Cordato said. Each section starts with a brief policy recommendation, followed by bullet points with background information and evidence that supports the recommendation. “Busy policymakers can pull out this guide each time they need a refresher course on major policy issues,” Cordato said.

In its public education section, the guide recommends: lifting the current statewide cap of 100 charter schools; starting a merit pay system for teachers; and replacing current state-sponsored standardized tests with an “independent, field-tested, and credible national test of student performance.”

“The state’s testing program lacks transparency, and North Carolina’s testing results are confusing,” said Terry Stoops, JLF education policy analyst. “Forty other states have contracts with testing companies, and 18 use an off-the-shelf test that can help them compare their students to peers across the country.”

The issue guide’s property rights section recommends: a constitutional amendment to limit eminent domain abuse; and new obstacles to block forced annexation. “North Carolina is one of only four states that permit municipalities to annex property without a vote of citizens in the affected area,” said Dr. Michael Sanera, JLF Research Director and local government analyst. “The issue guide recommends reforming state statutes to require approval of two-thirds of the property owners in areas targeted for annexation.”

Legislators are drafting a two-year N.C. budget. The issue guide recommends limiting 2007-2008 spending growth to no more than 5 percent. The guide also recommends changing state employee compensation “to recruit and reward strong contributors and to reduce future state liabilities.”

“Compensation patterns affect recruitment and retention,” said Joseph Coletti, JLF fiscal policy analyst, “but government compensation is based more on tenure than on job performance. The key to any new system is keeping the right employees.”

Other policy recommendations include: protecting citizens from misguided policies designed to prevent global warming; protecting utility customers from extra taxes and charges; and having the state take over county Medicaid payments.

“Each idea fits with the general theme: Policies that promote individual freedom will allow North Carolinians to make important decisions that improve their lives,” Cordato said. “This guide offers policymakers some helpful suggestions to ensure a more prosperous state for all North Carolinians.”

The John Locke Foundation’s “Issue Guide 2007: Promoting Freedom and Prosperity for All North Carolinians” is available at the JLF web site. For more information, please contact Dr. Roy Cordato at (919) 828-3876 or [email protected]. To arrange an interview, contact Mitch Kokai at (919) 306-8736 or [email protected].