North Carolina legislators return to Raleigh this month and whether they like it or not, they will make a host of decisions that will have a profound impact on children’s lives. In 2011, lawmakers took several steps that rendered the programs serving our state’s most vulnerable kids even more underfunded and threadbare than [Continue Reading...]
This summer, state legislators constructed a budget that undermined public schools, the health care system and the future of many North Carolina children. If legislators reconvene later in the month for a fourth time this year, they should put aside partisan plans to tinker with election law and focus on fixing the mess [Continue Reading...]
We know that healthy children learn better, grow stronger and become more successful adults. Unfortunately, children in eastern North Carolina have traditionally suffered from disproportionately high rates of obesity, infant mortality, smoking and other health-related problems. Rather than closing the gap between eastern North Carolina and the rest of the state, the 2011-13 [Continue Reading...]
For better or worse, newborns don’t come with a “how to” manual. And while there are plenty of books out there on topics ranging from potty-training to nursing, guidance on navigating the health care and education systems is often hard to find. Unfortunately, a series of state budget cuts, each one compounding the [Continue Reading...]
I spend a lot of time thinking and talking about the state budget – probably too much. Since the onset of the recession, my daily conversations (and nightly dreams) have been consumed by line items, revenue forecasts and Medicaid reimbursement rates. Not surprisingly, most people do not share my obsession. [Continue Reading...]
The anti-deficit fever rippling through Congress threatens to jeopardize the modest recovery that we’ve begun to experience in North Carolina and in other states. Most recently, and against the advice of mainstream economists, the US House of Representatives stripped extended state Medicaid assistance from an impending “jobs” bill, and it’s unclear if the Senate will restore it. If the Senate fails to act, North Carolina stands to lose $500 million in anticipated revenue for the upcoming budget year. [Continue Reading...]
Second to the fictional “death panels,” the so-called “public option” has been a prime target for the hysterical opponents of President Obama’s health care reform. They denounce the program as “socialist,” or describe it as a “government take-over” of our health system.” [Continue Reading...]
North Carolina’s children are in a tough spot. With a massive budget shortfall this year and even larger shortfall projected for the next fiscal year, all public programs are on the chopping block – including vital public programs that ensure our children grow up safe, healthy, and well-educated.
By Rob Thompson, NC PIRG This holiday season, more and more parents and toy-givers are saying “no” to children’s toys that pose threats ranging from lead paint to small, ingestible magnets. The wave of recalls of dangerous toys hasn’t ended. New findings from the annual “Trouble in Toyland” report recently released by NCPIRG show that [Continue Reading...]
