A Blueprint for Budget Reform | Eastern North Carolina Now

    [ii] Facts and Figures: How Does Your State Compare?, Table 11. Tax Foundation, Washington, D.C. Jan. 2012. Available online at: http://taxfoundation.org/article/facts-figures-handbook-how-does-your-state-compare-0

    [iii] Ibid, Table 14.

    [iv] 2012 State Business Tax Climate Index, Tax Foundation, Jan. 2012. Available online at: http://taxfoundation.org/article/2012-state-business-tax-climate-index

    [v] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Available online at: http://www.bls.gov/lau/, accessed August 21, 2012.

    [vi] Current Employment Statistics, Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. Available at: http://esesc23.esc.state.nc.us/d4/CesSelection.aspx

    [vii] State gov't employee count taken from Fiscal Research Division's Full-Time Equivalent Budgeted Position Counts, a survey conducted annually in Dec. Available at: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/fiscalresearch/statistics_and_data/statistics_and_data.shtml Data readily available only back to 2001.

    [viii] Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Data. Available online at: http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1&isuri=1&acrdn=4 Southeast region includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

    [ix] Feb. 2010 Civitas Institute poll results. Available online at: http://www.nccivitas.org/2010/february-2010-poll-results/

    [x] General Fund appropriations for FY 2001 through 2007 from the 2006 Post-Legislative summary produced by Fiscal Research, subsequent appropriation numbers taken from each year's budget bill, population estimates for July that begins each fiscal year from the Office of Sate budget and Management, cpi annual percentage change taken from Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics: ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt

    [xi] Article V, Sec. 3. Available online at: http://www.ncleg.net/Legislation/constitution/article5.html

    [xii] North Carolina Office of State Controller, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2010, pg. 284. Available online at: http://www.osc.nc.gov/financial/10CAFR/2010_Financial_Report.pdf

    [xiii] Debt service numbers taken from state budget conference committee reports for FY 2000 and FY 2012, respectively.

    [xiv] Reports available via North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, available online at: https://www.nctreasurer.com/slg/Pages/Debt-Affordability.aspx

    [xv] Civitas Institute March 2012 public opinion poll, question 10. Available online at: http://www.nccivitas.org/2012/march-2012-poll-results/

    [xvi] General Fund payroll wage estimate obtained via an email exchange with Fiscal Research Division, pension and other retirement benefit contributions (including premiums for retirees enrolled in the State Health Plan) calculated using percentages included in FY 2012-13 state budget multiplied by the payroll estimate

    [xvii] Certified State budget, FY 2011-13, Department of Health and Human Services, pg. 281 of document: total requirements less total receipts for Medical Assistance Payments. Available online at: http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/files/pdf_files/2011-BD307-V3.pdf