September 20, 2010
Another year of bad bills behind us! We've selected sixteen of our favorites (or least favorites), so now we ask you: what was the worst bill? Voting for the first bracket is now open! (Vote now...)
This month’s poll luncheon will be held in Wilmington, NC. We will be highlighting the release of the Civitas monthly poll on North Carolina issues including the latest results on the US Senate race. (Read More...)
Approximately 37 percent of the North Carolina state budget is devoted to K-12 public education. This year North Carolina will spend approximately $7.1 billion on public elementary and secondary schools, the single biggest expenditure in the state budget. While North Carolina taxpayers have certainly demonstrated strong support for education, citizens also have a right to expect our children are learning the skills they need to earn a living and to contribute to society. One fundamental question that emerges out of this discussion is; how much does it cost to educate one high school graduate?
Twenty years ago, state prison populations forced the North Carolina Department of Corrections to effectively "legalize misdemeanors." Many existing prisoners were released to be free long before their sentences had required.
In case you were in the camp that believed that $41 million was an obscenely large annual budget to run a Ferry system that takes in around $2.5 million a year, recent investigations into wrongdoings and increased public attention may cause the Ferry Divisions finances to go under some long overdue scrutiny.
