http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms NC Policy Watch with Fitzsimon & Schofield Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:30:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 en http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/24/the-rights-wrong-view-of-the-budget/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/24/the-rights-wrong-view-of-the-budget/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:29:28 +0000 Chris Fitzsimon http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/24/the-rights-wrong-view-of-the-budget/ There are plenty of things to complain about in any review of a legislative session and the one that adjourned last week is no exception. Progressive and conservative groups generally agree that the decision to borrow $857 million without a vote of the people is a bad idea and expanding questionable corporate welfare programs was a mistake.]]> http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/24/the-rights-wrong-view-of-the-budget/feed/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/23/the-new-hospital-isnt-enough/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/23/the-new-hospital-isnt-enough/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:36:29 +0000 Chris Fitzsimon http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/23/the-new-hospital-isnt-enough/ After several delays caused by staffing shortages, design problems, and safety concerns, the state's new mental hospital in Butner opened this week, at least partially. Two hundred patients were transferred from the John Umstead Hospital to the new Central Regional Hospital that when fully operational will also serve the patients currently at Dorothea Dix in Raleigh.]]> http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/23/the-new-hospital-isnt-enough/feed/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/22/commerce-is-always-right/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/22/commerce-is-always-right/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:23:25 +0000 Chris Fitzsimon http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/22/commerce-is-always-right/ Three days before the General Assembly adjourned last week, not long after speeches about the growing shortfall in the State Health Plan and the shrinking end-of-year state budget surplus, the House voted 94-19 to spend up to $10 million a year more on the Job Development Investment Grant Program (JDIG).]]> http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/22/commerce-is-always-right/feed/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/21/grading-on-a-curve/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/21/grading-on-a-curve/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:03:53 +0000 Chris Fitzsimon http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/21/grading-on-a-curve/ The General Assembly session that began May 14 at noon and ended just before 5:00 in the afternoon July 18 is now being wrapped up, critiqued and evaluated. Pundits and partisans are assigning letter grades to lawmakers, proving detailed reviews of what passed the House and Senate and what didn't, and speculating about what it all might mean for the fall election.]]> http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/21/grading-on-a-curve/feed/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/18/the-follies-almost-adjournment-edition/ http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/18/the-follies-almost-adjournment-edition/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:45:52 +0000 Chris Fitzsimon http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/18/the-follies-almost-adjournment-edition/ The General Assembly adjourned for the year just before five o'clock Friday afternoon after no major issues arose to divide House and Senate leaders. The expected fight over how to address a significant funding shortfall in the State Health Plan never materialized.]]> http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/2008/07/18/the-follies-almost-adjournment-edition/feed/