John Locke Foundation: Charlotte

Charlotte
Headlines

Google Fiber works to bring ultra-fast Internet to Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — The city’s plan for bringing an ultra-fast Internet network to Charlotte is in – and now the Google Fiber team is deciding whether it will work. In May, city leaders set forth a plan for bringing a Google Fiber network to Charlotte, with 28 small huts encircling the city, thousands of miles of cable running above and beneath the streets and ultra-fast Internet powering neighborhoods and homes.

Injunction against gang is working but expires soon

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte’s temporary boot on the neck of the Hidden Valley Kings appears to be working, but there is no guarantee it will be kept in place past August. That’s when the city’s – and North Carolina’s – first temporary injunction against a reputed street gang is scheduled to expire.

Putting coal ash at the airport still on the table

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte city officials and Duke Energy are still trying to figure our where to put millions of tons of coal ash sitting on the banks of Mountain Island Lake as they consider sites at Charlotte Douglas International Airport other than under runways. At a Monday meeting of the Charlotte City Council’s Environmental Committee, officials said Duke is weighing the city’s counterproposal to the company’s original idea of putting ash under the airfield.

N.C.’s June jobless rate unchanged from May

WINSTON-SALEM — After nearly a year of steady monthly decreases in the state unemployment rate, a plateau may have been reached in June at 6.4 percent, the N.C. Commerce Department reported Friday. The rate was unchanged from May, during which an 0.2 percentage point increase from April ended an 11-month streak of monthly declines. The jobless rate is down from 8.3 percent in June 2013.

Charlotte's Greatest Hits

Black got sweetheart deal

As jailed former state House Speaker Jim Black mounts a campaign for early release, critics contend that the state justice system did favors for Black regarding the settlement of his $1 million fine.

Questions about Black settlement

Wake County officials say imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black satisfied a $1 million fine by surrendering some Mecklenburg County real estate, but questions remain about the real market value of the property.

Black settlement may not add up

Imprisoned former House Speaker Jim Black used undeveloped land with a tax value of less than $150,000 to pay off an outstanding $500,000 state fine.

Fat CATS

Colleen Calvani writes that the Charlotte Area Transit system will scale back some routes in an attempt to counter three major decreases in funding.

McCrory’s failure

Jeff Taylor argues that Pat McCrory failed to carry Mecklenburg County because he failed to move its conservatives.

Lynx And Exploding Pipes

Jeff Taylor says there may be another factor to blame for CMUD’s recent series of water leaks.

Research

By The Numbers: What Government Costs in North Carolina Cities and Counties FY 2012

The economic recession that hit full force in 2008 was declared officially over in June 2009 when the country experienced two quarters of very slow growth. But a troubled housing sector and a still-sluggish economy with high unemployment have contributed to the fiscal crises facing many cities and counties in North Carolina. As always, this edition of By the Numbers is must reading for government officials and taxpayers alike. It highlights what kinds of fiscal problems face local governments in an economy that grows only very slowly. With the facts given here, county commissioners and city council members can easily compare their area’s tax burden to similarly situated cities or counties. For taxpayers, BTN is a starting point for questions about taxes and spending, enabling them to hold their elected and appointed officials accountable.

Agenda 2014: A Candidate's Guide to Key Issues in North Carolina Public Policy

Every two years since 1996, coinciding with North Carolina's races for the General Assembly, the John Locke Foundation has published a revised edition of Agenda, our public policy guide for candidates and voters. Typically as we enter the campaign season, candidates for public office in North Carolina are faced with a daunting task: to develop informed positions on dozens of public policy issues. In the pages of Agenda 2014 we provide a concise and easily digestible guide covering a wide range of specific issues, from taxes and spending to energy policy and education.

City and County Issue Guide 2014

Policymakers in the many local governments of North Carolina face a host of important challenges. This issue guide offers solutions to problems that confront North Carolinians at municipal and county levels. The common thread in these recommendations is freedom. By increasing individual freedom, local governments can foster the prosperity of all North Carolinians and keep open avenues to innovative solutions from enterprising citizens.

Carolina Cronyism: Introduction, Overview, and Reforms

Cronyism is an umbrella term covering a host of government activities by which an industry or even a single firm or speculator is given favors and support that they could not attain in market competition. This report explains what opens government to cronyism, gives a brief rundown of recent examples of cronyism in North Carolina, and offers several possible reforms.