newsobserver.com projects - Tax Foundation - Comments

Re: N.C. business climate inches up

PaulTerrell — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:22:16 -0400

Well our business climate will fall further down after the TAX increases that will take place over the next two years.

Re: N.C. business climate inches up

dahedgehog — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:38:18 -0400

Man, it must be crippling to the economies of those states with "bad business climates." I'd hate to be one of those people living in a "bad business climate" state, consigned to a life of poverty and shame.

Oh wait.

Ranking of median incomes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_the_United_States_by_income)

WY - 19
SD - 40
NV - 14
AK - 4
FL - 27

RI - 17
OH - 33
CA - 8
NY - 18
NJ - 2

Re: Don't try to pull that on us!

breining24 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:28:52 -0400

Bev Perdue said "There will be no drilling off of North Carolina on my watch" As soon as polls showed most folks in this state are in favor of drilling, she changed her position. What about the fact that she told Al Gardner on the radio in Charlotte last week that people need to run out and get gas? This as the Governor and the Mayor are calling for calm and restraint during this crisis. This is pandering, lack of leadership and frankly not someone who should be leading the 8th largest and one of the fastest growing states in the nation. She is woefully unprepared and unqualified to run this state.
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Don't try to pull that on us!

domewatcher — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:10:45 -0400

Hogwash! The part of this ad that says us Democrats will not drill offshore is pure hogwash. Look at our record on inshore trawling! We consistently do environmental damage without pushing any buttons. If we do not worry about inshore damage…..what makes you think we would worry about offshore damage. (Logic 101)

As a matter of fact, we may build the offshore platforms large enough to accommodate hog farming. The pig droppings could merely fall into the ocean. Then, if you have the proper license and happen to catch a fish that falls within the guidelines, you can grill the fish and have a pig pickin’ at the same time. Face it, we have better ideas……..like pulling those big boats and terrorizing the happy motoring public.

But I do not recommend that any candidate speak out against inshore trawling. The last group to oppose inshore trawling………..well, we have a play about them…….”The Lost Colony.”

Re: Claims Dept: RGA on the 'status quo'

dahedgehog — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:31:06 -0400

How about the fact that things like "a new tax" can't be "status quo" by definition. The ad is insultingly retarded.

Re: Claims Dept: RGA on the 'status quo'

razor0397 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:13:09 -0400

Disgusting. Hagan and Perdue made a big show about complaining about outside ads. But when their DC allies make up lies and plaster them all over the airwaves we hear nothing. Disgusting.

Re: Claims Dept: RGA on the 'status quo'

lefaim — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:16:49 -0400

Disgusting. Dole and McCrory made a big show about complaining about outside ads. But when their DC allies make up lies and plaster them all over the airwaves we hear nothing. Disgusting.

Re: RGA uses old methodology on taxes

razor0397 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:17:55 -0400

Why should they change their ad when Beverly plays games with the numbers in her attack ad on McCrory on vouchers? Maybe, she is struggling with numbers because she took math classes in our public schools!

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

JohnHood — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:36:40 -0400

I understand what your task is here, Ryan. I was just observing that differentiating between the Southeast and the Deep South/Gulf Coast is hardly bizarre.

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:18:57 -0400

Word choice matters. If you want to say we have "one of the highest rates" in the Southeast, I've got no problem with that. If you want to define the Southeast in a way that most people would agree with, same deal. If you want to say we have the highest tax rate of our bordering states, or the Atlantic South Coast or whatever, again no problem.

The goal of the Claims Department is not to evaluate who has the best tax plan etc. etc. but to determine if the claims made in an ad are true.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

JohnHood — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:17:03 -0400

Ryan,

I know you explored many different definitions of the Southeast, and regional delineations are debatable, but JLF's use of the term "Southeast" to describe the Southern coast of the U.S. is hardly "bizarre." Plenty of folks distinguish between the Virginia-to-Florida region, called various things, and the Deep South. The two groups have distinguishable political and economic cultures (as I learned a couple of decades ago in a class taught by John Shelton Reed, as it happens). For example, check out how the election-projection site FiveThirtyEight.com groups the states:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

And you'll see that their "South Coast" grouping includes VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL and their "Gulf Coast" grouping includes the Deep South states of AL, MS, LA, and TX. They then chose to put Arkansas and Tennessee into a "Highlands" group that includes border states. I think it makes more sense to group the former into the Deep South and the latter into the Southeast, but neither choice should be seen as "bizarre."

I also don't think the issue matters all that much. If politicians said NC has "one of the highest tax burdens in the Southeast" or "South," they would be stating the truth.

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:33:20 -0400

Interesting point. Thanks for sharing.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

scharrison — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:30:37 -0400

"During those five years, the state's overall debt went from $3.5 billion to $6.9 billion"

I've never been a big fan of debt Ryan, but until the economy does a turnaround, you're going to see (most) individual states' debt burdens rising. As a matter of fact, it is (or should be) one of the components used to determine the total tax burden per state, because in the absence of an economic turnaround, those bonds will have to be covered by increasing revenue or cutting spending.

It's also how many states get away with keeping their tax burden (relatively) low compared to their neighbors. If you examine the per capita debt burden for Virginia ($2,049) and South Carolina ($2,661), you'll see they're higher than North Carolina ($1,653). These stats are from 2005 and may have changed some, but you get the picture. Some of our neighbors (have been) borrowing more than we have, and that burden rests on the shoulders of each states' citizens.

JLF knows this and chose to ignore it, which is just one more example of their partisan bent.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/state_local_govt_finances_employment/state_government_finances.html

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:01:58 -0400

It is bizarre. Get out a map and color in the states they're using for this analysis. What's the definition of Southeast: States that were part of the Confederacy and border the Atlantic but not the Gulf of Mexico exclusively and/or are a major capital for country music? Look, there are a number of combinations of states that they could have used that are defensible, but this one is not.

— RTB

Re: Claims Dept: NRSC's 'Gold Medals'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:57:15 -0400

Language, please.

— RTB