New RNC Chairman Michael Steele was a featured speaker at the Civitas Institute's 2007 Conservative Leadership Conference. Check out this short video where Steele outlines his definition of conservative values.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
- Jan30
$643 Million
That's how much the North Carolina government, and thus taxpayers, will pay just to service the state debt this year according to the NC Treasurer's office. The total state debt is now in excess of $6 billion (roughly 30% the size of the entire budget for the state for a year). And to top it [...]
- Jan30
For a Redistricting Commission
The Winston-Salem Journal takes to its editorial page today with its support for an independent redistricting commission. And good for them. It's a subject that needs to be discussed, but just isn't as sexy as taxes or smoking or filling $2 billion budget holes. As the General Assembly begins its work in Raleigh, there is [...]
- Jan30
Is This What They Mean by “Shovel-Ready”?
The Freeman today has this outstanding piece which succinctly makes the case for why the current wave of Keynesian thinking leads to terrible policy. This passage is especially insightful: There’s been a good deal of wrangling over how the government should spend the “stimulus” money. But to a good Keynesian, this must be frustrating because [...]
- Jan29
Of Course She Does
State Treasurer Janet Cowell would like for her office to be added to the "pilot" program for public-financing of campaigns according to the N&O. Well of course she does, she's an incumbent, and what better way to guarantee your reelection than to limit the amount of money that can be spent to defeat you. Just [...]
- Jan29
Question of the Day
Today's Investor's Business Daily poses a question for lefties longing for a single-payer, "Medicare for all" type health insurance scheme: If Washington can't run a program for 44.1 million people without bankrupting the nation, how can it possibly operate a national health care system for more than 300 million?
- 1Jan29
Civitas Poll: Expectations High for Perdue
A new poll released today by Civitas Institute reveals that voters in North Carolina are guardedly optimistic about Gov. Bev Perdue’s job performance in office so far and the expectations she has set out for the future. According to 600 sampled voters, when asked how they would rate Perdue’s performance as Governor, so far 47 [...]
- Jan28
We’re Not All Keynesians Now
Check out this ad in the New York Times putting the lie to Obama's claim that "there is no disagreement" about the need for government action to "jumpstart" the economy. Included are the names of more than 200 academic economists who "do not believe that more government spending is a way to improve economic performance." [...]
- 1Jan28
Bill Harrison: The Right Man?
On Monday Governor Beverly Perdue named Bill Harrison, superintendent of the Cumberland County Schools (CCS) to manage staff at the Department of Public Instruction and help guide education policy at the State Board of Education. Perdue’s appointment is an attempt to make public education more accountable and create defined lines of responsibility among the leading [...]
- Jan28
Civitas Poll: Who? Who? and Who?
Only three months after a record-breaking voter turnout in the 2008 election, potential candidates for a North Carolina U.S. Senate seat in 2010 all start out with very low statewide name recognition. According to the latest Civitas Poll released today, a majority of voters in North Carolina are not aware of either the incumbent US [...]