http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com?source=rss Latest posts Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:35:30 EDT Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:35:30 EDT en-us Copyright 2011 Mountaineer Publishing http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/tax-reform-takes-a-good-turn/1020677?source=rss RALEIGH — Life, the old saying goes, is best thought of as a journey, not a destination. When it comes to reforming North Carolina’s tax code, however, I’d say the reverse is true. The journey may have been messy over the past few months, as state lawmakers and policy analysts pitched and debated various plans. But in the end, all that will really matter is the destination. Now that both the North Carolina ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/tax-reform-takes-a-good-turn/1020677 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:25:52 EDT news@themountaineer.com (John Hood) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/medicaid-costs-are-expanding/1019609?source=rss During the past year, North Carolinians have heard many things about Obamacare, Medicaid, and health care reform that turned out to be untrue. For example: • North Carolinians were told that regardless of whether the state set up its own Obamacare exchange or allowed the federal government to do so, state government would have to fund the exchange’s operating costs. This claim was false. • They were told that ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/medicaid-costs-are-expanding/1019609 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:50:20 EDT news@themountaineer.com (John Hood) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-senate-must-resolve-vast-budget-differences/1019589?source=rss RALEIGH — One of the major differences in the proposed state budgets approved by the House and Senate can be seen in the two competing documents without ever having to read either. The Senate plan is 414 pages; the House budget bill is 305. The Senate bill is larger because it is chock full of policy provisions that have only marginal budget implications. The practice of putting policy provisions in the budget is ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-senate-must-resolve-vast-budget-differences/1019589 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:34:38 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Scott Mooneyham) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/big-property-tax-increases-on-north-carolina-s-horizon/1015456?source=rss The Senate’s historically unprecedented $1 billion-a-year tax cut passed out of the Finance Committee yesterday, moving steep reductions in personal income tax rates and outright elimination of the corporate income tax one step closer to becoming law. While legislative leaders spoke glowingly about reducing North Carolina’s income tax rates to below those in other southeastern states, they remained conspicuously ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/big-property-tax-increases-on-north-carolina-s-horizon/1015456 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:30:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Allan Freyer ) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/ten-things-we-ve-learned-on-jones-street-in-ten-days/1015455?source=rss The last 10 days at the General Assembly have been some of the busiest of the session, with debates on the House budget, taxes, schools voucher schemes, gun laws, and more. The dizzying pace has made things almost impossible to follow for legislative insiders, much less the folks across the state who lawmakers are supposed to represent. Here then is a list of ten things we have learned from legislative leaders ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/ten-things-we-ve-learned-on-jones-street-in-ten-days/1015455 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:27:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Chris Fitzsimon ) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-senates-unexpected-pitch/1015428?source=rss RALEIGH -- For the last decade, as state legislators and other state leaders have spoken about reforming North Carolina's tax structure, not many have broached the subject without uttering something about the current code being antiquated. Republicans, Democrats and anyone in between who has taken up the cry of tax reform almost always mentions that this state's tax code was largely written during the Great ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-senates-unexpected-pitch/1015428 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:33:00 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Scott Mooneyham) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/its-trash-time-at-the-general-assembly/1014792?source=rss RALEIGH — Five years ago, when Gov. Pat McCrory made his first bid for the job that he now holds, a sore spot for the then-Charlotte mayor was an ad run by Beverly Perdue accusing McCrory of wanting to turn North Carolina into New York's garbage dump. "It's trash day in New York City. What will they do with all that garbage? If Pat McCrory becomes governor, that won't be a problem," the ad began. At the time, ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/its-trash-time-at-the-general-assembly/1014792 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:24:26 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Scott Mooneyham) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-offers-broad-tax-cut/1014787?source=rss RALEIGH — If reforming North Carolina’s tax code were easy, one of the many tax-reform efforts of the past 20 years would have succeeded. Didn’t happen. There isn’t just one obstacle to tax reform. There are many. For starters, at the macro level there is a lack of political consensus about the goal. Is it to raise additional revenue for government? To foster economic growth? To reduce complexity? While some ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-offers-broad-tax-cut/1014787 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:14:30 EDT news@themountaineer.com (John Hood) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-risk-of-doing-nothing/1014786?source=rss “We will not be Intimidated or Coerced by Certain Alphabetical Organizations or Committees under the Disguise of ‘Betterment of Certain Groups or Races’.” It reads like the reactions of some North Carolinians to the Moral Monday demonstrations at the North Carolina Legislative Building recently, doesn’t it? Like Governor Pat McCrory, when he promised not to “back down” in the face of the demonstrations: “Outsider... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/the-risk-of-doing-nothing/1014786 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:12:15 EDT news@themountaineer.com (D.G. Martin) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/tax-reform-state-budgets-and-limited-government/1014784?source=rss RALEIGH -- Since they rolled out their tax reform proposal, leaders in the state House have been diligent in promoting it as a tax cut for all, something that does not penalize the poor. By doubling the standard deductions on state income tax bills and sticking to modest changes in the state tax structure, the House has avoided the labeling of their tax reform plan as an attack on the poor, a claim that has ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/tax-reform-state-budgets-and-limited-government/1014784 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:08:25 EDT news@themountaineer.com (Scott Mooneyham) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/medicaid-costs-are-exploding/1014415?source=rss RALEIGH — During the past year, North Carolinians have heard many things about Obamacare, Medicaid, and health care reform that turned out to be untrue. For example: • North Carolinians were told that regardless of whether the state set up its own Obamacare exchange or allowed the federal government to do so, state government would have to fund the exchange’s operating costs. This claim was false. • They were ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/medicaid-costs-are-exploding/1014415 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:42:02 EDT news@themountaineer.com (John Hood) Opinion http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-offers-broad-tax-cut/1012238?source=rss RALEIGH — If reforming North Carolina’s tax code were easy, one of the many tax-reform efforts of the past 20 years would have succeeded. Didn’t happen. There isn’t just one obstacle to tax reform. There are many. For starters, at the macro level there is a lack of political consensus about the goal. Is it to raise additional revenue for government? To foster economic growth? To reduce complexity? While some ... http://themountaineer.villagesoup.com/p/house-offers-broad-tax-cut/1012238 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:36:38 EDT news@themountaineer.com (John Hood) Opinion