You can tell NC House Republican leaders what you think of their budget proposal before it gets a final vote this week and goes to the state Senate. The House budget fires tens of thousands of workers, crowds our schools and health centers, and at the same time protects tax loopholes for big-money donors worth more than $1 billion a year. Outside groups spent $2.6 million to influence state legislative elections in 2010 – including $2.2 million spent by ultra-conservative organizations tied to North Carolina’s largest campaign donor: retail millionaire Art Pope. We’ve already seen the influence of this money in legislation introduced to make voting harder, attack women’s rights, give corporations more advantages over consumers, and cripple environmental protections – all key elements of a well funded, far right agenda. The House budget crystallizes this plan to help business owners and the wealthy few at everyone else’s expense. The Justice Center has a brief report that shows how tax fairness could replace the Republican leaders’ cuts-only approach; our report from 2009 also illustrates many of the tax loopholes that suck away money needed for vital services. Join others and take action in opposing the budget as an extreme approach that will put North Carolina back decades and damage our economic recovery.
1-888-OUR-VOTE|info@democracy-nc.org
Does anyone at Democracy NC consider the possibility that we have been spending too much? Do we really need to continue to fund day care such as the pre K program? Should we continue to fund non profits (and all those lucrative salaries) with grants? How much is enough for education spending? Has the increased spending on education shown any results?
At this time we need to rethink how we allocate our resources and encourage people to stand on their own two feet and stop relying on the government to solve all problems.
“Do we really need to continue to fund day care such as the pre K program?”
Yes, we do.
“Should we continue to fund non profits (and all those lucrative salaries) with grants?”
I have yet to see an example of a “government-funded” nonprofit giving their directors a lucrative salary. I do, however, know of many, many NC corporations that get millions, if not billions, from the state and pay their CEO’s insanely high salaries.
“Has the increased spending on education shown any results?”
Yes, it has.
Yolanda,
Let me educate you on salary abuse of nonprofits. In Charlotte, the head of United Way (http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/nc/ncnews/charlotte-united-way-chief-asked-resign) is one quick example another example is the head of Charlotte Center City Partners who has a compensation package greater than any city employee, including the city manager.
There are no checks and balances in how the nonprofit employees get compensated. It’s time that taxpayers put more scrutiny in non profit compensation packages.
I disagree with the taxpayer funding a day care (calling it pre K) and research shows after a few years, there is no difference in student performance for those who attended the pre K program. It’s a total waste of funds.
School boards increase spending all the time and student performance is worse today then when I attended school in the 60’s and 70s. In Charlotte many parents are pulling their students out of the public schools and enrolling them in private schools or charter schools to improve their performance. Public school student performance has been in a long decline.