Dems and the Gov. seem set on at least keeping the temporary tax hike on steady ground.  There’s also reason to believe that the state budget could add another beautiful $1 billion blossom to the budding orchid of government largess. Just check out these numbers. Fiscal Policy Analyst, Joe Coletti, offered some tips on how the state can avoid the unnecessary spending to the Triangle West Republican Club. If you’re not in the club, but you’re interested, check out the Policy Report. The government’s program to secretly tax the poor and misinformed has brought in less revenue than anticipated (maybe North Carolinians are smarter than the government thought?), prompting the Gov. to request that lottery proceeds be reallocated to put more money towards prizes.  Translation: let’s make the state-made cocaine in a variety of new flavors. In interviews with Lockwood Phillips and Ken Heineck at WNVN, Joe gave a run down of which counties had the highest number of lottery sales per adult.  Counties with higher taxes and unemployment play more.