In what has to be seen as a somewhat bizarre and highly questionable decision, the NC DOT has decided to continue with its plans to expand a Winston-Salem road that leads to the soon to be empty Dell manufacturing plant. From today’s W-S Journal: Even though Dell said earlier this month that it will close [...]
- Oct21
No Boeing for NC
Despite the wooing of Gov. Bev Perdue and the undoubted promise of hundreds of millions in incentives, Boeing has eliminated North Carolina from consideration on where to build its new manufacturing facility for its 787 aircraft. South Carolina has made the final two, however. Apparently, not even a nearly-vacant taxpayer funded airstrip was enough to [...]
- Oct19
Bad Bill of the Year 1st Round Continues
Voting opens today for the last grouping of bills in the first round of the Bad Bill of the Year tournament. Some great matchups this week! Cast your vote now.
- 1Oct12
Incentives = Craps?
Gambling is always more fun when you’re using other people’s money isn’t it? Well, for Sen. David Hoyle (D-Gaston) playing a game of craps with your tax dollars is perfectly acceptable. After the failure of Dell has rightly focused attention on the use of incentives to recruit business, Hoyle equates the incentive game to gambling: [...]
- Oct12
Gender Inequity in Health Insurance
Apparently my post from last week on Sen. Kay Hagan complaining about the cost difference of health insurance for men and women sparked the News and Observer to explore the issue in today’s paper. Unfortunately, the headline writer doesn’t understand economics. The headline chosen by the N&O reads “NC lets insurers charge women more for [...]
- 2Oct08
Will Someone Please Tell Kay Hagan Where Babies Come From?
Over on the blog of Mark Binker at the Greensboro N&R, he has a clip of Sen. Kay Hagan speaking on the Senate floor decrying the difference in cost of health insurance between men and women. She tells a story of how a 22 year old female staffer in her office would have to pay [...]
- 1Oct07
Incentives Failure
Like we couldn’t see this one coming… Per the N&O: Dell plans to close its computer manufacturing plant in Winston-Salem by January, and lay off 905 employees. Dell opened the assembly plant in 2005 and was offered a massive incentives package valued at $305 million if it met hiring and investment goals. The project was [...]
- Oct06
Perdue Disapproval on the Rise
The story this month from our Civitas Flash poll isn’t that Gov. Bev Perdue’s approval rating remains at 29 percent, it’s the percentage of voters saying they disapprove of her job as governor is on a steep rise, going from just under 50 percent to 63 percent this month. More Democrats disapprove of her job [...]
- Oct05
Bad Bill of the Year Round 2 Voting Has Begun
Round 2 of voting has begun in the Bad Bill of the Year tournament! Congratulations to all of last week’s winners in their first round matchups. Thank you to all the readers out there for casting nearly 4,000 votes in the first week of our little tournament. And always, remember the mantra of Chicago-style politics, [...]
- Sep25
The Bad Bill of the Year Tournament!
Over the past 32 weeks, Civitas has spotlighted one bill from the General Assembly each week as its “Bad Bill of the Week.” Beginning Monday, you will get to decide which one of those bills will be crowned the “Bad Bill of the Year.” We’re going to be holding an NCAA Tournament-style bracket to whittle [...]
- Sep21
Will Obama Ask Perdue to Quit too?
With rumors circulating that President Barack Obama has asked New York Governor David Patterson (D) to step aside and not run in 2010 due to the belief that his low poll numbers could be a drag on the Democratic ticket, the question must be asked, if he thinks Patterson should step aside, what about our [...]
- Sep21
Leadership — NC Style
What exactly passes for leadership in our state these days? Apparently, taking a stand that 70% of the people of NC agree with, yet using none of your power as the top two elected officials in North Carolina to enact it. Gov. Bev Perdue and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton both agree with a majority of [...]
- Sep21
Making the Point on Light Rail
Isn’t it funny when lefties try to think they are making a point but all it does is further reinforce the arguments against a subject? In a blog post this morning, Chris Fitzsimon tried to make the case for light rail by pointing to an article in today’s New York Times about the “success” of [...]
- 1Sep17
Perdue’s Intriguing Choice for ABC Board
Yesterday Gov. Bev Perdue appointed Surf City Mayor A.D. “Zander” Guy to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission. Guy has a pretty interesting background, in case you hadn’t heard. While currently employed as the owner of a real estate company, that wasn’t Zander’s first profession. He used to be an insurance agent, that [...]
- Sep14
Taking New Media a Little Too Far
I know it’s all new technology, all this Facebook and Twitter stuff, and politicians and government officials are still figuring out how best to use it, but is this really necessary? Now, you can become a “Fan” of the NC Department of Corrections on Facebook. Why anyone would want to be a fan of the [...]
- Sep10
NC Voters Disapprove of Obama’s Job So Far
President Obama’s job approval this month has turned slightly negative according to our inaugural Civitas Flash Poll. 44% of voters approve of the job he’s doing. 46% disapprove. The worst news for Obama is that unaffiliated voters disapprove of his job by a 13 percentage point margin (35-48). 23% of members of his own party [...]
- Sep09
Is There Anyone for Obama to Sway?
President Obama is set to give a televised address to Congress tonight to make his case to the assembled elected officials and, more importantly, the nation for his proposed health care overhaul. But this begs the question, is there really anyone left for him to convince this is good or bad? Or have most people [...]
- Sep09
The Gov is Twittering
Apparently, this is what hiring a new $136,000 a year communications and policy adviser will get you. A Twitter account! That’s sure to turn around her poll numbers!
- Sep08
Civitas Poll: Voters Deeply Divided on Health Care
Results of our new poll released today show NC voters are deeply divided on the President’s health care plan. With few voters in the middle or ambivalent on the issue, Obama’s address to Congress tomorrow night is probably going to do very little to soothe either side. Of the 662 registered voters we surveyed, 47.6% [...]
- Sep08
Perdue and Charlotte
In Sunday’s Charlotte Observer, reporter Mark Johnson takes a look at Perdue’s struggling popularity in Charlotte. Wait, haven’t you heard this one before? Yep, when I wrote about it last month. Lesson here: read Civitas publications now or read it in the paper next month.