Joseph Coletti

Senior Fellow

Posts by Joseph Coletti (page 4)

  • Charlotte opportunity

    A New York Times story on “black families leaving Chicago” led me to another story on the topic a year ago. The earlier story described Kristin Ware’s decision to move from Chicago to Charlotte for a lower cost of living, better schools, and “lots of opportunity.” Ware told…
    Joseph Coletti, February 17, 2020

  • High property taxes are the hangover of local spending

    North Carolina has a number of policies and practices to ensure budget sustainability for local governments and their taxpayers. Sales tax increases must be approved by voters at times when every precinct votes, which generally means in primaries or general elections and are acknowledged to be for general purposes. The…
    Joseph Coletti, February 14, 2020

  • Borrowing without taxpayer permission could raise costs 20 percent

    Although Wake County projects enrollment to grow just 0.7% over the next six years, commissioners still plan to borrow money for school construction this year. They plan to do it without a vote of taxpayers, which would mean a 20% larger tax increase to cover higher interest…
    Joseph Coletti, February 13, 2020

  • What gives? Is this the Medicaid we want to expand?

    In response to stories of layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Brian Balfour at the Civitas Institute found that the agency has spent 12% more through December compared to the prior fiscal year. Looking closer, Medicaid spending is $261 million ahead of last year ($90…
    Joseph Coletti, February 11, 2020
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  • North Carolina as a model for OPEB retiree health benefits

    Retiree health benefits today represent a $31 billion unfunded liability for state government on top of the $10 billion unfunded liability for state employee pensions. Daniel DiSalvo of the Manhattan Institute writes in a paper released today that North Carolina could offer a model for other states…
    Joseph Coletti, February 6, 2020

  • Money and action in civil society

    A recent essay provided as examples of reclaiming civil society: “an independent voter organizing project…[that] ultimately elected a progressive woman as a county commissioner in a conservative rural county.” So much for civil society as neighbors helping neighbors and the lesson of the Good Samaritan who used his own money…
    Joseph Coletti, January 30, 2020

  • Mecklenburg ASC’s future with no sales tax bailout

    Mecklenburg voters soundly rejected a proposed quarter-cent sales tax hike in November. The $50 million tax hike to bail out the Arts & Science Council would have delivered $22.5 million per year to the Arts and Science Council, $17 million to parks and greenways; $8 million to education; and $2.5…
    Joseph Coletti, January 17, 2020

  • Revaluing home ownership

    Has government policy, in promoting home ownership, actually made it more difficult to own a home? It’s almost a ridiculous question: who ever heard of a government policy having unintended effects that are opposite of intended outcome? It’s like suggesting that there was gambling at Rick’s Cafe.
    Joseph Coletti, January 16, 2020