About: Mitch Kokai

Michael Barone‘s latest column assesses the potential political results from debate over U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s latest budget proposal. As I listened to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan describe his latest budget plan in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute this week, I couldn’t help thinking how different things will be in BritainContinue Reading

As Bruce Lightner works to resolve a debt to Raleigh connected to use of the city’s convention center for a poorly attended 2009 Michael Jackson tribute, he might want to consult the John Locke Foundation’s latest research on the center. Then he could ask why he didn’t get a special deal up front for useContinue Reading

John Hood wrote in a recent Daily Journal column: Since the mid-19th century, however, the share of the workforce devoted to growing and processing food and fiber has plummeted, even as the availability of food and fiber has exploded. Indeed, the ratio of agricultural workers to the rest of the workforce has almost always servedContinue Reading

Paul Begala‘s latest Newsweek column sings the praises of negative television election campaign ads. Truth is, negative advertising is not some evil or nefarious practice. In fact, when I contributed to the Obama campaign in 2008, I wrote on the check: “For Negative Ads Only.” I love negative ads. When I see a positive ad,Continue Reading

Niall Ferguson explains for Newsweek readers why we ought to be concerned that China’s latest crop of leaders came of age during the communist nation’s Cultural Revolution. That it disrupted the lives of a generation is clear. Only consider its effects on the two men poised to inherit the top two positions of president andContinue Reading

Dan Way reports for Carolina Journal Online about N.C. sheriffs’ concerns over the Obama administration’s funding for immigration enforcement. John Hood’s Daily Journal highlights the importance of North Carolina history and the role of NorthCarolinaHistory.org.

John Stossel‘s latest column examines President Obama’s desire to make society more fair. Advocates of big government believe fairness means taking from rich people and giving to others: poor people; or people who do things politicians approve of, like making “green” energy equipment (Solyndra); or old people (even rich ones) through Social Security and Medicare.Continue Reading

The News & Observer‘s opinion page features today a pair of columns focusing on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. One is authored by Daniel Fine of the New Mexico Center for Energy Policy, who recently shared his thoughts on the topic with the John Locke Foundation’s Shaftesbury Society.