This week brought three significant developments in the state budget debate, one that makes sense, one that doesn't and one that is a mixed bag of unusual troubling financial practices that could distract lawmakers from the real revenue issues before them.

First, the good news. A group of prominent state business leaders sent a letter to Gov. Beverly Perdue asking her to call for new revenue in her budget to protect critical investments in education, worker training and other parts of the public infrastructure that are vital to the state's economy and business climate.

The group includes leaders from the textiles, technology, manufacturing and investment sectors and ought to help counter the claims that raising new revenue to help address the $3.7 billion budget shortfall is somehow anti-business.

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