Commentary/Opinion
Opinion: Lawmakers Propose Electing State School Board
By John Hood RALEIGH — Does North Carolina’s governance system for public schools need a radical overhaul? That’s what some state lawmakers are proposing. Before explaining what they have in…
Opinion: North Carolina Ranks High In Roads
By John Hood RALEIGH — North Carolina can add another item to its crowded shelf of accolades: according to a newly updated study, our state’s road system ranks second in…
Opinion: Are College Degrees Losing Their Luster?
By David LarsonOpinion Editor, Carolina Journal Employers in North Carolina and across the country are struggling to find qualified workers to fill key positions in their organizations. As they reconsider…
Opinion: Federal Budget Crisis Will Hit State
By John Hood RALEIGH — I started writing my column for North Carolina newspapers in 1986. From the start, I resolved to focus primarily on state and local issues. Newspapers…
You Decide: How Does North Carolina Compare On Taxes?
By Mike Walden A couple of days ago my wife heard an enthusiastic “Yippee!” from my home office. “What was that for?” she asked. “Did your Cincinnati Reds finally win…
Opinion: Spend Now, Reap Benefits Later
By John Hood RALEIGH — When the North Carolina House of Representatives approved its state budget plan a couple of weeks ago, the proposed pay raises for public employees, tax…
Opinion: Suburban Surge Drove GOP Success
By John Hood RALEIGH — North Carolina has long been a political battleground — but the shape of that battlefield has changed significantly over time. Fifteen years ago, for example,…
Opinion: Few Institutions Inspire Public Trust
By John Hood RALEIGH — The three most-trusted social institutions in North Carolina are the military, the police, and small business. Make of that what you will. I made the…
Opinion: Sweat The Details On Teacher Pay
By John Hood RALEIGH — The General Assembly ought to enact big pay increases for educators in North Carolina’s public schools. In the context of soaring prices, strong revenue collections,…
You Decide: What Makes North Carolina Popular?
By Mike Walden Almost every week we see another positive comment or ranking about the North Carolina economy. For example, recently North Carolina surpassed 5 million people in the labor…
Opinion: Inflation Is Not Just An ‘NC Teacher Tax.’ It’s An Everybody Tax.
By David Larson Opinion Editor, Carolina Journal Kim Mackey, a Wake County social-studies teacher, put together a website called N.C. Teacher Tax, which calculates how much money teachers lose to inflation…
Opinion: Blue Cross Bill Makes Good Sense
By John Hood RALEIGH — How often do the majority and minority leaders of any legislative chamber in America agree on a significant policy change? You can probably count those…
