Carolina Comeback?: kick people off unemployment, raise taxes, send state $$$$ to Carolina Panthers
One of Richard Morgan’s favorite legislators, Julia Howard, says we need to kick a bunch of people off of unemployment by July 1. In the meantime, legislators from Gov. Pat and Speaker Thom’s home county are rallying the troops to (1) approve a local sales tax bill for Charlotte and (2) approve additional tax money for renovations to Bank of America Stadium — home to the *Super Bowl -bound* Carolina Panthers.
So, we are kicking people off of unemployment — in the midst of an economic nightmare — so we can send millions upon millions of state moolah to filthy-rich Jerry Richardson to renovate his privately-owned stadium where his filthy-rich employees attempt to play football on Sundays? Welcome to the *conservative* revolution.
Granted we have a multi-billion dollar debt to the feds for borrowed unemployment insurance funds. We need to pay that back. THAT seems more important than dumping multi-millions on this football stadium. Instead of catering to one NFL team, how about some serious spending cuts, deregulation and tax reform — so we can get this economy back on its feet and get our people back to work?
This would be a huge boondoggle and legislators from elsewhere in the state ought to sink it.
Thanks for mentioning our Panthers plight. Not only does it appear the team is requesting 125 million dollars from Charlotte taxpayers (via an increased prepared food and beverage tax), but they seem poised to ask the state for an additional $62.5 million.
This will all be in the hands of the “Republican Super-Majority” General Assembly. I’m dismayed there even has to be a debate about this.
Please all across the state, write your legislators and demand they vote no on both tax increases and direct handouts to private entities!