Pat McCrory’s “stimulus”

Barry Obama sold us his “stimulus” scam promising that it would: (1) create jobs, (2) boost the economy, and (3) make America a sooooooo much better place.  Well, the stimulus has come and gone, and little to NONE of that has taken place. But now here we are in North Carolina, allegedly amidst a ‘conservative revolution’ with REPUBLICANS trying the same dad-gum thing. 

The ConnectNC bond issue we’re voting on in March was initially pitched as a way to pay for much needed road improvements.  Never mind that our astronomically high gas tax is supposed to be financing stuff like that. The “honorables” in the General Assembly got their talons on it and transformed it into an absolute pork-fest filled with all kinds of crap none of them had the guts to put their name on or vote on themselves.

The lies began to flow in support of this pork-fest.  We’re being told again and again this will not require a tax increase.  Well, you borrow money when you don’t have the money on hand to pay for it. When we go into debt, we can cut back on our personal budgets and use the savings to pay off the debt.  We can also search out and obtain additional sources of income.   If government borrows money, what are its options for obtaining additional revenue? 

Let’s harken back to the 2000 “higher education bond issue.”  Then, as now, we were promised no tax increases.  But, guess what?:

[…] Remember the biggie? “THE BOND ISSUE WOULD NOT REQUIRE AN INCREASE IN TAXES” — that’s from literature published by the Office of Government Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “State Treasurer Harlan Boyles has repeatedly said that North Carolina won’t need to raise taxes to repay the bonds” — that’s from the Fayetteville Observer Oct. 8, 2000. The campaign for the bond referendum, “North Carolinians for Educational Opportunity” (to distinguish themselves for all those North Carolinians against educational opportunity, you know), listed this among its “Frequently Asked Questions”: “Q: Will this mean a state tax increase? A: No. State Treasurer Harlan Boyles says North Carolina does not need to raise state taxes to pay off the bonds.” The News & Observer reported Oct. 15, 2000, that “J.B. Milliken, vice president for public affairs for the UNC system, … noted that State Treasurer Harlan Boyles has said the additional debt will not lead to a tax increase.” On Nov. 2, 2000, N.C. Community College Faculty Association president Jim Davies wrote in the N&O: “passing the bonds will raise taxes. That is simply not true.”

So ever since 2000, from 2001 on, the state has seen tax increase after tax increase. The turnaround was so dramatic, in fact, that by 2003 a report by the John Locke Foundation discovered that “only three states — New Jersey, Indiana, and Tennessee — had enacted larger tax increases per person than North Carolina in 2001 or 2002,” that only N.J. and N.C. had “enacted major tax increases in both years,” and that “only North Carolina is likely to enact another major tax increase in 2003.” It’s 2005 now, and the beat’s gone on, doodedoo’ndoo.

So much for that promise. But how’s this for fine print? Here’s what Boyles actually said, in an Aug. 17, 2000, letter to Governors Hunt, Martin, Holshouser and Scott (emphasis added): “I want to state clearly that with a continuation of responsible budgetary practices and economic growth we will not have to raise taxes to repay the moneys borrowed.” Factually correct, but about as applicable in N.C. as saying With the proper acceleration, braking and steering, even a baby can drive a Humvee down I-40 at rush hour without creating vehicular mayhem. […] 

The last time we did this, we got promised NO TAX INCREASE but got them anyway.  What makes you think this time around will be different? 

There is a great resource out there providing education and fact-checking in regard to all of the pro-bond lies and propaganda:  North Carolina Against The Bond.   Some of the more interesting things from these folks?:

• Watch and listen as a Stanly County commissioner lectures a bond opponent.  What does she expect government leaders to do, he asked. Listen to the Republican Party or the elected officials in Raleigh?  Raise taxes or borrow money?  (How about a third choice?  Budgeting for your needs and paying for them as you go.. Kinda like a lot of us do with our personal and household and small business budgets.)
• The governor’s office admitted to an inquiring constituent that, in order to find out exactly what the community colleges will spend the bond money on, you will have to contact each and every campus individually.  So, Raleigh is allocating funds for things even they don’t have details for. 
• Here’s a story from the Haywood County board of commissioners meeting where a commissioner says McCrory’s bond issue will do wonderful things for North Carolina like FDR’s New Deal did for the country.  *Oof.*    Here’s fact-based evidence suggesting that FDR’s spending spree did more harm than good for the country.
• If the bond issue passes, communities and the colleges don’t get paid right away. They will have to apply for grants and payments from a state commission.  (And right in front of the November election for governor. Coincidence, we’re sure.)  Buying votes and support with other people’s money is disgusting and indefensible REGARDLESS of the party or politicians doing it.

Get educated before you go to the polls, folks.  You can’t count on your elected officials or the driveby media to help you.  Both have a long track record of disinformation and outright lying.  What makes you think that will change THIS YEAR?