Squall Lines
JLF Wilmington Blog
Sunday, January, 29 2012
Posted January 28th, 2012 at 7:07 PM by Bob Smith
It was noticeably subliminal: a Wilmington StarNews subhead about business and political people discussing their relationships at the recent Biz-Tech Conference & Expo here in River City. “Leaders at business conference say education incestments key to profits.” I know; it was a typo mistake. The word “incestments” probably was intended to be “investments.” However, I [...]
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Posted January 27th, 2012 at 10:35 AM by Chad Adams
New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger was supposed to be in court this morning. Here’s the latest from the StarNews: New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger was scheduled to be back in court Friday morning to face charges that he violated a domestic violence protection order against him. But as of 9:30 a.m., Berger hadn’t shown up [...]
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Posted at 10:30 AM by Chad Adams
There is much that can be said, or should be said about the ongoing fiasco in Leland. The officer largely responsible for former Officer Sherry Lewis being shot in the crotch with simumitions that led to a $25 settlement from the town, has been promoted. Chief Jayne was put on “probation” which is a term [...]
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Posted at 10:21 AM by Chad Adams
There are multiple problems with a taxpayer funded stadium, most notably the elected officials who won’t openly discuss how they would pay for it. Thus far, we’ve only heard that it won’t be supported by “property taxes” but that leaves a world of tax options. Folks in Florida have plenty of taxpayer funded sports endeavors [...]
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Posted January 25th, 2012 at 2:31 PM by Bob Smith
Ms. Tomlin: I read your Editor’s Note in the Sunday paper. (link) Congratulations that “all is well” with you and the new owner Halifax Media Group. I was pleased to learn that CEO Michael Redding “clearly loves newspapers.” I, too, love newspapers. I’m an avid reader—and sometime critic. It’s good to know that you and [...]
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Posted January 24th, 2012 at 10:21 PM by Chad Adams
During the State of the Union speech tonight, the following words were used by the president. “Values” – 6 times “Taxes” – 17 times (mentioned a company minimum tax, went after millionaires, also proposed a 30% tax for millionaires) “Fairness” – 5 times (referred to fairness numerous times using words like ”rules”, “leveling playing field”, [...]
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Wilmington's Greatest Hits
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.
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.
Wilmington is only one of many N.C. cities that are using the state’s overly broad annexation law to harm local residents.
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.
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
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.
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.
Columbus County commissioners are overselling the value of a proposed tax increase to voters by at least $300,000. County commissioners have repeatedly said the new quarter-cent sales tax increase would raise $1.0 million, but recent county estimates suggest the tax would bring in about $700,000. That would be equivalent to a 2.2-cent property tax rate increase.
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