By Johnny Kampis, includes “One of the nation’s leading financial watchdogs says North Carolina has fared better than most states in terms of balancing its budget, but the picture isn’t all rosy as the state has an average debt burden of $1,400 per taxpayer. … ‘It’s almost a success story, as much as you can find one in state and local governments,’ TIA’s director of research Bill Bergman told Carolina Journal in giving the state faint praise…”