JLF Wilmington BlogRSS

Wednesday, June, 19 2013

RC Soles’ Legacy. . . . Still Making News

I just can’t make it up: TABOR CITY, NC (WWAY) — Tabor City Police arrested two people over the weekend in connection with a chase that ended in a crash Saturday night, and the crime apparently started at a well-known address in town. Investigators say the vehicle was stolen from outside former Sen. R.C. Soles’s [...]

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Is Municipal Golf The Role Of Government or a Bogey?

Is a golf course a publicly funded necessity? That’s an obvious question, but not one taken seriously in Wilmington.  They already have one course, and are prepping the next for opening soon.  But they’re also spending another $700k to renovate the one they already have.  Is that what citizens consider a high priority? (PortCityDaily.com) Beatty [...]

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WASTEC Ends, Fear Mongering Never Came True

After millions of wasted dollars, after unfulfilled promises of incinerators and after the countless fear mongering assertions that trash would pile up on the streets, become ridiculously expensive or that landfill space was about to run out, WASTEC is being dismantled.  And guess what, life goes on! (Star News) – New Hanover County staff requested [...]

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$500k Incentives To Castle Branch? A good move?

There is no doubt that this area would benefit from the expansion of Castle Branch in this area.  Moving their corporate headquarters and adding 400 jobs would be a boom for an area whose unemployment is still higher than most of the state. New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington have agreed to hand [...]

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Healthy Debate GOOD For New Hanover County

Yes, they had a sparky discussion relating to spending millions on septic tank replacement.  In the end, having the ability to have such discussions can serve the public interest much better than simply going along to get along.  Kudos to the commission for having a bit of passion in their deliberations. In the end, the [...]

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More Local Government Turmoil

It’s not that it isn’t uncommon, but in the small (relative) world of southeastern NC, there’s been quite a bit of local government turmoil. We’ve had police chief issues (both no longer chiefs) in Fairbluff and Leland in the past 24 months.  We’ve had a city manager allegedly imitate his police chief (Chadbourn).  We’ve had [...]

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Wilmington's Greatest Hits

Localities Show Different Spending Trends

While city government growth in Wilmington tracked inflation and population growth pretty closely from 2002 to 2007, Jacksonville's revenues climbed 24 percent faster than inflation and population. A new John Locke Foundation Policy Report offers details.

Wilmington Still 5th in Tax Burden

Local taxes and fees in Wilmington topped $2,125 per person in the 2008 budget year, according to a new John Locke Foundation report. That total placed Wilmington at No. 5 in a ranking of the state's larger cities. Charlotte topped the rankings again in 2008, followed by Mooresville, Asheville, and Chapel Hill.

Annexation Reform Needed

Wilmington is only one of many N.C. cities that are using the state’s overly broad annexation law to harm local residents.

Time to Fix the Beach Plan

North Carolina could face a "property insurance disaster" unless it takes steps soon to shore up its coastal Beach Plan, according to a new John Locke Foundation Policy Report.

Parent-Unfriendly Schools

New Hanover County public schools and other North Carolina school districts are not very "parent-friendly.” No area school district earns a higher grade than the C assigned to Whiteville City Schools and Columbus, Onslow, and Pender county school districts. Brunswick matches New Hanover's D+ grade.

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Research

Raleigh Convention Center: Throwing good money after bad

This report examines 52 contracts signed by the Raleigh Convention Center for the period of July–December 2011 and is a follow-up to the September 2008 John Locke Foundation report “The New Raleigh Convention Center: A taxpayer-funded money pit.”

Reforming North Carolina’s Medicaid Program

Medicaid is a national problem, not just a state problem. All states are faced with the same incentive to grow their Medicaid programs because of the federal match. Unsustainable Medicaid spending is exacerbating the debt crisis at the federal level. It is paramount that state policymakers put pressure on Washington to reform Medicaid and willingly trade the open-ended federal reimbursement of state spending for freedom from federal roadblocks to make common-sense reforms to their programs.

The First 100 Days: Eleven Action Items for the 2011 Legislative Session

This report highlights eleven action items that North Carolina’s new General Assembly should seek to implement in the first 100 days of the 2011 legislative session. These items touch upon a cross section of public policy areas, including education, economic development, property rights, energy and the environment, health care, the budget, and transparency. We at the John Locke Foundation believe that these items represent straightforward actions that would greatly enhance the liberty and prosperity of North Carolina’s citizens.

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