Donna Martinez

Our Senior Fellow and former secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality asks pointed questions about why hog farmers who complied with regulations are being hauled into court. In an op-ed published in the News and Observer, van der Vaart lays out his case. Imagine you’re one of…

Some in North Carolina want to expand Medicaid to able-bodied, childless adults. But there’s a better way to make sure vulnerable populations have access to medical care, and to lower costs. Our Jordan Roberts makes the case against expanding Medicaid in North Carolina: Expanding Medicaid is a temporary, albeit…

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz wants to be president. His plan to run as an independent has Democrats concerned. So much so that Mike Bloomberg — who has toyed with the idea himself — posted a statement about the consequences of an independent run. Now I have never…

JLF Senior Fellow Joe Coletti offers a thoughtful commentary on the controversy over the Gillette ad and the behavior of men in our society. Context is important. The latest Gillette ad touches some political buttons at a time when everything is viewed as the next potential battle…

When Buncombe County voters narrowly approved a 2011 sales tax hike, it was promised the funds would pay for a $130 million repair and renovation plan for Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. JLF’s Joe Coletti looks into the years-long diversion of revenue into the county’s general operating fund. None of…

Carolina Journal reports on a new poll from Democratic polling firm Beck Research, which looks at the broad-based support for giving parents choices in how and where their kids are educated. The results show that across the political spectrum and across backgrounds, school choice is popular.  Backing for…

Those are the words of Dave Machado, director of the Office of Charter Schools for the state. What leads Machado to that statement? From the office’s December newsletter comes the facts about North Carolina’s empowered parents who choose public charter schools rather than the traditional public classroom. 109,389 students…

It’s double taxation, it’s unfair, and North Carolina should do something about it. From Roy Cordato comes this commentary about much-needed capital gains tax reform. Here’s why: In North Carolina, capital gains are taxed the same as regular, wage income – at a flat rate of 5.25 percent. Under…