The state Capitol was filled with folks wearing red shirts, red blouses and red jackets -- including the governor -- Wednesday morning at a rally to generate support for raising more state tax revenues. Gov. Bev Perdue -- a self-described "old teacher" -- spoke of her seventh grade teacher back in Grundy, Va. who told her she could become anything she wanted to be, and proved it by becoming governor. Perdue didn't outline specifics in her talk to folks jammed into the old State House chamber, but it's clear she wants more revenue than the $780 million-plus in the House budget.
The size of the budget shortfall is growing, she said -- $4.7 billion this morning, and getting worse the following year. "In North Carolina, we have to act boldly," she said. "I don't believe we can cripple education in this state."
Meanwhile, Rob Christensen and Mark Johnson report that Perdue also visited with state legislative leaders Wednesday morning and told them she wanted up to $1.5 billion in new revenue -- twice what the House would have raised. State Sen David Hoyle, D-Gaston, said he gulped at the size of the request, but it's not far off from a package of tax reforms that he, Sen. Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg, and Sen. Clark Jenkins, D-Edgecombe, have been working on for months that would provide more revenue as well as simplify state taxes and make it less susceptible to the vagaries of the state's economy.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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5 comments:
IMPEACH BEV PERDUE!!!!
NC does need to raise taxes. The NC schools and universities have been underfunded for decades. But the schools and universities also need to change. They need to focus on academics, not sports.
I'm sick and tired of always hearing it's for the kids. That is BS!!! Enough is enough end high taxation.
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