#ncga: Would you like some more debt with that?
The alleged conservative revolution in Raleigh is ramming through spending that is $1 billion MORE than what they passed last year.
Two years ago, Raleigh gave us the hard sell on this $2 billion ConnectNC bond package. Approving that authorized the state to borrow up to $2 billion for projects on campuses of higher-learning institutions. (As of this writing, only ten percent of that $2 billion has been authorized. That’s what they tell me over at the state treasurer’s office.)
Sounds like ConnectNC wasn’t near as crucial as we were led to believe.
And now, the current pack of honorables is talking about another $3 billion bond issue for “transportation needs” and another $2 billion for K-12 school 
construction. No word yet on why our obscenely-high gas tax isn’t being used to pay for these “transportation needs.”
Meanwhile, here in Moore County, we just approved a $123 million local bond package for construction projects in our K-12 system and at the local community college.
That’s $5.123 BILLION of debt. Our entire state budget is $24 billion.
Sometimes, you have to borrow in order to grow and prosper. But how much sense does it make to campaign for all of this borrowing authority and then figure out what you’re going to do with it?
There needs to be a plan in place before the borrowing happens detailing (1) how the money will be spent, and (2) how it will be paid back.
There is only ONE WAY to end the education MAFIA that SHAKES DOWN the public for THEIR misuse of OUR MONEY! JUST SAY NO to their lies about the NEED for more money. What happens when we run OUT of money?
bonnie
Another way to do that is to privatize education. The Soviet Union showed that when government runs things, they do not run them well. Why do we run our education the way the Soviets ran their economy? No wonder Johnny can’t read.
We need to move to a system where all schools are privately operated and parents receive vouchers and choose which school best meets their children’s needs.
That would also stop the centralized indoctrination going on in the schools these days.
Privatization is fine but vouchers (i.e. redistribution of tax dollars) should not be a part of the process. There’s too much opportunity for big education advocates and crony capitalists to weasel their way into the public coffers.