You’ve heard me say it a thousand times before, but it needs to be said again. It is time to change direction in Washington. With a stubborn unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent in North Carolina and no end in sight for our economic woes, drastic measures need to be taken to place unemployed Americans atop Washington’s priority list.

Illinois legislators aren't keen on wheelies.

It seems a lot of big-shot lawmakers aren't.

New-year resolutions often have the real-world substance and life expectancy of steam vapor. We resolve to lose weight, communicate better, stay in closer touch with family – often to no avail.

McCrory and legislative leaders need to embrace bold, innovative ideas. Fortunately, they need not generate all the ideas themselves. Some are already on the shelf, ready to take down and implement. A good place to start would be the inventory of reports produced by the legislature’s Program Evaluation Division (PED).

How are the North Carolina Democratic Party and the National Republican Party alike?