The GOP took control of the North Carolina legislature almost four years ago and they’ve made a mess. The latest evidence? A $200 million hole in a budget that’s not yet three months old. At that rate, the hole will be $1.2 BILLION by the end of the fiscal year.

But don’t worry. They’ve got a plan. The governor’s new budget director, Lee Roberts, sent out letters to all state agencies telling them to plan for an additional 2% cut in their 2015-2017 budgets. That won’t happen without major layoffs and a major reduction of services. No wonder Art Pope wanted out of that job.

Universities and community colleges will be hit especially hard. They’ve seen reductions for years now and the fat is long gone. They’re cutting into bone now. Watch for programs and classes to disappear, faculty to be laid off and maybe even tuitions to go up. And watch for the GOP to start closing campuses. How much do you want to bet they’ll be HBCUs?

And all of this cutting to support tax breaks for the rich. The GOP is still believing in the myth of trickle-down economics. If the rich have more money, the theory goes, they’ll spend it and create more jobs, which will increase tax revenues to offset the loss from the tax breaks. Thirty years after they first started pushing this crap and it’s never happened. The rich just get richer and the middle class keeps shrinking.

Instead of any sort of rapid job growth, we still have fewer jobs than we did when the recession hit even though our population has increased by almost 500,000 people. The burden for supporting these new residents is falling squarely on the middle class.

And to make matters worse, they’ve killed programs that attract and create jobs. They’ve run the film industry out of the state. And in western North Carolina, Buncombe County is about to lose out on a huge employer and other projects because the incentives fund is gutted. You know, because all of those lower taxes are going to attract businesses instead.

So let’s recap. After four years of GOP control, our job growth is anemic. Our public schools, universities and community colleges are getting slashed. Our economic development tools are being scrapped. The middle class is shouldering more of the tax burden. Our median income is lower than it’s been in more than 30 years. Our revenue is continuing to shrink and our legislature can’t figure out how to adequately fund the government. 

Talk about math. That’s no way to run a government. That’s a train wreck.

7 Comments

  1. Thomas Ricks

    And Libertarians want to cut government MORE.

    Remind me how that’s supposed to work again?

  2. Not a Rethuglican

    Welcome to North Mississippi folks. We just need more stupid people to vote republican because all they have on their mind is religion and cannot think for themselves.

    • seemomster

      Not a Rethuglican–Not all people of faith are Republicans. Nor incapable of thinking for themselves. Who do you think organized the Moral Monday protests?

  3. Leake Little

    … the crazy train

  4. Troy

    Well…maybe the Republicans are on to something. Since they comport themselves as leaders and as everyone knows you lead from the front, perhaps they need to cut themselves as self-efficacing testimony to their theory on what constitutes sound governance. They’re all about limited government, right?

    Yes, I’m all for Republicans taking the lead and cutting themselves from government. The overwhelming majority of people will be happier and more prosperous for it.

    • Laura Cody

      Excellent idea, I have had a similar idea for the republicans in Washington D.C.

  5. Leake Little

    All aboard!

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