Monday, July 13, 2009

Readers weigh in on Perdue tax proposals

Readers of Sunday's column on the state budget shortfall noticed that a url link to Gov. Bev Perdue's proposed tax changes wasn't working, so here's a link.



Look on the third page for the 37 tax changes she suggested the legislature consider. Meanwhile, readers weighed in:

A Statesville reader wrote:

I have not seen any empirical data to support my opinion but I feel quite sure if the legislature were to add the service industries sector to the sales tax base, the sales tax rate could be reduced and probably give the citizens of NC a reduction in their income tax rate as well. Many other states in which I have had personal dealings, SC for one, have long charged a sales tax on services rendered. In one sense of the word, it is user friendly. If you don't buy the item, you don't incur the tax or in this case if you don't want the service you don't have to pay the tax.
The citizens of NC have a large enough tax burden as it is.

To add another 1 cent along with one of the highest state income burdens in the country is not right. Just as is not right to be building a $25,000,000 pier and taking over $100,000,000 from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to be used for general budget needs. We need to get it right in Raleigh. There have been too many years of the "good ole boy" network getting a pass. I trust you will use your pulpit to ferret out the wrongs of the past and see that all citizens of this great state get fair and equitable treatment.

A good example of the unfairness is the fact we have no roads in the Charlotte Metro area. If the folks in Raleigh had this problem, they would go crazy. I hate to say this, because it would certainly tend to divide, but the folks from Greensboro to Charlotte need to come together to break the grip that eastern NC has on the politics, influence, and flow of money in this state.

We used to have good government in the days of Skipper Bowles, and the legislature was responsible in its fiduciary capacity to its citizenry. That is no longer the case. It is now all about special interest and not what is best for the state as a whole. North Carolina used to be looked at as a beacon, our light no longer shines.


And a Charlotte reader wrote:

It seems uncanny the way recent North Carolina governors time their inaugurations to coincide with budget disasters. At this point, the Governor and the General Assembly may have no recourse but to raise the income and sales tax rates. Doing so would be much less harmful than laying off more teachers.

I believe, however, the GA (though, of course, not Governor Purdue) at one time had available at least one option that could have averted much of the current fiscal disaster. Back in 2003 the GA could have bought an insurance policy against budget shortfalls by paying a relatively (relative to the current shortfall) small premium each year into North Carolina's Rainy Day Fund. The Fund was anemic, even before the Governor and GA withdrew funds last fiscal year. Back in 2002 the Governor's Commission to Modernize State Finances included a report providing evidence of the problem (copy attached). You may recall that one Commission recommendation called for a sizable increase in the Fund.

If the GA had increased Fund contributions back in 2003, North Carolina would be in a much better fiscal position this biennium. Probably many fewer teacher layoffs would have been necessary. It is hard not to think how much better off we would be today, had the GA taken the Commission's recommendations to heart.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't see any cutbacks for Bev or the lawmakers in the budget. Quit letting them give themselves a raise, no pork projects, let them pay for their own gas to go to Raleigh, ground the jet except for longer trips. Why aren't they charging to park in the parking deck at the Capital? If she needs more money put people on welfare and medicaid that are able to work to work. That would be more taxpayers paying instead of us having to foot the bill everytime she needs money. Cut out benefits for illegals. These three services are costing N.C. a lot of money, but you don't see anything being done about it. Kids getting free lunch that shouldn't be in the program should be looked into more carefully. There are a lot of programs costing N.C. too much and she shouldn't look to the middle class taxpayers to pick up the slack. We need a break! No more pork or special projects for the govenor or lawmakers until the Recession gets better. If taxpayers have to cut back, the govenor and lawmakers should too. It's funny how the state needs more money but piers and bridges get built. Make the Easley's pay back the money they took from the taxpayers for their trips and personal use of the jet, and where ever else they wasted our tax dollars. The lawmakers seem to forget that when we voted them into office they were there to work for the people. We didn't tell them that we would keep them up like they seem to think we should. Let them pay their own way!Do we pay for their insurance too? Bev should let some middle class people help with the budget. We know how to cut back and pinch pennies,and we could save N.C a lot of money. We need a govenor and lawmakers with some common sense. I am sick and disgusted with the whole lot of them in Raleigh and I don't trust them. The rich govenor and lawmakers don't understand what the middle class and poor go through to try and survive. They have really let us down just so they get what they want. We need all new faces in Raleigh. What we have now are self-centered and arrogant. Remember these people when it's time to vote again espcially the ones that get bills passed and N.C. doesn't have the money. Bev, remember you promised us as govenor you wouldn't raise taxes.

Anonymous said...

Just another tax & spend Democrat.

Cncerned said...

I think Bev Perdue and some of her legislators need to visit states like Indiana and Arkansas and find out how to balance the state's budget. Arkansas is known as a poor state, but guess what - they have a balanced budget. Indiana always has a surplus, but doesn't do like the pathetic legislators of NC and wonder what to do with the money should they have a surplus. Also, why does our governor think that the shortfall of funds have to be made up in one year. Good grief, do we have no common sense there in Raleigh? That's like me saying I owe a half a million dollars for my home and I'm going to have to pay it off in the next few months. Give us a break folks. You're taking state employees money out of their checks "after" they have earned it. You are no more than theives there in Raleigh and I want to know how you get by with it. State employees need to ban together and start calling in sick by the thousands. Don't think they wouldn't figure something out there in Raleigh other than penalizing hard working people for the poor management and thievery of our so called Leaders.
Perdue is incompetent and needs to step down - today!!!

Anonymous said...

IMPEACH BEV PERDUE!!

Anonymous said...

P-O-P

Piss On Perdue