Continued haggling among N.C. House and Senate budget negotiators yields more media opportunities for John Locke Foundation Fiscal Policy Analyst Joseph Coletti. Coletti’s recent participation in a tax reform debate on Charlotte public radio led to his inclusion in a recent Charlotte Observer op-ed on the topic. (Did you hear the recent radio debate about taxes? Joseph Coletti of the John Locke Foundation said the North Carolina Senate budget plan would increase tax rates.
No, said Roland Stephen of The Institute of Emerging Issues, the Senate
plan would lower tax rates. Both claims can’t be true. Or can they? In
fact, they can. Joe and Roland were talking about different things.
Both are recognized authorities on fiscal policy, and both used valid
and important arguments essential for citizens to understand.) Meanwhile, Coletti returned to the radio this week for a discussion of a new Beacon Hill Institute report projecting North Carolina would lose 2,800 jobs if state lawmakers impose higher income taxes on North Carolinians. Lockwood Phillips of WTKF’s “Viewpoints Radio” discussed the report with Coletti. (Phillips also discussed charter schools this week with JLF Education Policy Analyst Terry Stoops.) Coletti’s discussion of state budget issues one week ago on News 14 Carolina’s “Political Connections” attracted attention Monday in the daily e-mail from Senate Republicans, who also highlighted the Beacon Hill report Wednesday.