Imagine if the John Locke Foundation put out a study on cutting the income tax in the state and before it was actually published we stamped it “pre-publication,” as we sometimes do, and went down to the legislature and presented our results to to a legislative commission studying tax policy. Furthermore, like the ASU Energy Center study, our analysis showed a job gain of over 325 thousand for the state and a $20 billion boost to the state’s economy. Then, 6 months later we return to that same commission, and without even mentioning our previous results, reduce our predictions by a fact or 10. The JLF would get skewered by both the media and our left wing adversaries–as well we should.

But what happened with the Energy Center’s results? Well, when they came out with their preliminary findings last Fall, the results were splashed across the pages of the News and Observer. And what about now? Neither their “adjusted” numbers nor the fact that that there was such a massive discrepancy between their latest numbers and their earlier findings were even mentioned in any media report. Now we have two choices with regards to our State’s paper of record–either it is completely biased or is completely asleep at the wheel and is incompetent. This reminds me of an old episode of Taxi where Jim Ignatowski was filling out a questionnaire to get his taxi drivers license and the form simply stated “mental illness or drug addiction?” Jim looked up and said “tough choice.”