The Voters Speak: GOP Takes Control of Legislature

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North Carolinians have spoken and historic change is coming to the state legislature. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson discusses the election results and the impact on Gov. Perdue and some of the longtime power brokers who will soon find themselves in the minority. He also discusses the dismal showing for sales tax hikes that appeared on the ballot. Fourteen counties put the referendum on the ballot and all 14 were defeated -- most by wide margins. Then we turn to political history. The late Sen. Jesse Helms was one of North Carolina's most important political figures of the 20th century. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was an acclaimed author and critic of the Soviet Communist regime. Few people know that Helms and Solzhenitsyn had a close connection. But Stella Snyder, a writer and researcher who served as editorial assistant for Helms' memoir, sheds light on that connection in a recent paper for the N.C. History Project and Jesse Helms Center. She discusses key elements of her work. Next is look at the state's alarming fiscal mess. The new General Assembly will face a budget gap of more than $3 billion when it returns to Raleigh in 2011. Legislative economist Barry Boardman recently offered outgoing lawmakers a progress report on the state's finances. You'll hear highlights from his report.  That's followed by a fascinating discussion with Max Borders. A book titled Rules for Radicals has attracted attention in recent years, but Borders of the Free to Choose Network is more interested in the idea of "radicals for rules." Borders, who writes for the Ideas Matter blog, explains the importance of rules in helping a society interact with minimal conflict. And finally, North Carolina has earned the dubious distinction of joining the Tax Foundation's list of the top 10 states with the worst business tax climates. John Locke Foundation Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies Joe Coletti explains the factors that led to the ranking, as well as why this study differs from others that claim North Carolina is a great place to do business.