The protesters who come to the Legislative Building in Raleigh every Monday have taken to calling these excursions "Moral Mondays." The name prompted one upset legislator to suggest "Moronic Mondays" instead.
A better moniker might be "Futile Fulminations." Despite the size of the crowds, estimated at as many as 100,000, and the willingness to be arrested, just as the civil rights protesters of 50 years ago were willing to go to jail for their principles, these protests have little chance of succeeding. The complaints of the protesters are wide-ranging, from reductions in education spending and stagnant teacher pay to reductions in mental health funding to taxation changes that will benefit the wealthy and hurt the poor to restrictions on abortion. These are genuine issues, any one of which can spark heartfelt debate.
But what the protesters are ignoring is that the Republican Party, out of power for most of the past 120 years, is determined to have its way with state policy, and it has nothing to fear from the populace. Republicans won control of the General Assembly in the 2010 elections, garnering the right to draw redistricting maps, which they did with a vengeance. The result is that safe Republican districts dominate the state House and Senate. No matter how much the protesters complain, argue or get arrested, there is virtually no incentive for any of the Republican legislators to listen to them. Their electoral districts contain strong majorities of GOP voters who will vote for someone with an "R" after the name no matter what goes down in Raleigh. Incumbent Republicans have nothing to fear from the Moral Monday protesters.
The people of North Carolina, unfortunately, have much to fear about the Republican legislative majority, which is threatening the fragile public education system, the once-prestigious university system, the health care of state residents and even the ability of citizens to cast votes.
Showing posts with label state legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state legislature. Show all posts
Monday, July 8, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
State GOP proposes dangerous tax plan
The new legislative leadership is ready to go boldly where others have feared to tread — into the hazardous, murky arena of tax reform. Unfortunately, the Republicans running the N.C. General Assembly aren't planning reform, they're planning revolution.
GOP leaders say they want to abolish the state income tax, both individual and corporate. They would replace the tax that brings in the majority of the state's revenue with a broad-based sales tax on everything, including currently untaxed services and food. Eliminating the state sales tax on food was one of the signature achievements of the legislature during the 1990s. Then Rep., now Judge Milton Fitch Jr. of Wilson led the fight to abolish the sales tax on food. The sensible argument was that food is a necessity, and for low-income residents, the food tax is a heavy and unequal burden. Eliminating the tax on groceries (residents pay only the 2 percent local sales tax at the supermarket) gave an instant boost in disposable income to the poor.
Now legislative leaders want to abandon that approach, which helped those in need throughout the state. Not only would they re-impose the state sales tax on food, they would raise the total sales tax rate from 6.75 percent to more than 8 percent. This hike in the sales tax rate is necessary to replace revenue from their goal of eliminating the income tax, which they argue is too high. N.C. rates are higher than most neighboring states, and GOP legislators say that hurts economic development. But a higher sales tax hurts the economy by discouraging purchases of all kinds.
What they are truly proposing is a massive shift of the burden of financing state government from the more able to the less able. The sales tax is widely recognized as a regressive tax: Its burden lies heavier on the poor, who spend a larger portion of their income buying the necessities of life. The state income tax is only slightly progressive (higher rates for higher earners), but it at least places its burden more equitably on the better off. Only a handful of states go without an income tax, and for good reason. The income tax applies directly to earnings, taxing people in proportion to their earnings. The sales tax may seem equal, but it shifts tax burden to the lower-income, who will pay a far higher portion of their income on taxes than will higher-income earners.
With comfortable majorities in the Senate and House and one of their own in the Governor's Mansion, Republicans might be able to get what they want. North Carolinians, especially those who are not well off, had better hope that cooler heads, such as Gov. Pat McCrory, will prevail. Reform the income tax. Make it simpler and fairer for all. Reduce rates incrementally if at all possible. But don't crush struggling workers with the burden of supporting a disproportionate share of state government expenses.
GOP leaders say they want to abolish the state income tax, both individual and corporate. They would replace the tax that brings in the majority of the state's revenue with a broad-based sales tax on everything, including currently untaxed services and food. Eliminating the state sales tax on food was one of the signature achievements of the legislature during the 1990s. Then Rep., now Judge Milton Fitch Jr. of Wilson led the fight to abolish the sales tax on food. The sensible argument was that food is a necessity, and for low-income residents, the food tax is a heavy and unequal burden. Eliminating the tax on groceries (residents pay only the 2 percent local sales tax at the supermarket) gave an instant boost in disposable income to the poor.
Now legislative leaders want to abandon that approach, which helped those in need throughout the state. Not only would they re-impose the state sales tax on food, they would raise the total sales tax rate from 6.75 percent to more than 8 percent. This hike in the sales tax rate is necessary to replace revenue from their goal of eliminating the income tax, which they argue is too high. N.C. rates are higher than most neighboring states, and GOP legislators say that hurts economic development. But a higher sales tax hurts the economy by discouraging purchases of all kinds.
What they are truly proposing is a massive shift of the burden of financing state government from the more able to the less able. The sales tax is widely recognized as a regressive tax: Its burden lies heavier on the poor, who spend a larger portion of their income buying the necessities of life. The state income tax is only slightly progressive (higher rates for higher earners), but it at least places its burden more equitably on the better off. Only a handful of states go without an income tax, and for good reason. The income tax applies directly to earnings, taxing people in proportion to their earnings. The sales tax may seem equal, but it shifts tax burden to the lower-income, who will pay a far higher portion of their income on taxes than will higher-income earners.
With comfortable majorities in the Senate and House and one of their own in the Governor's Mansion, Republicans might be able to get what they want. North Carolinians, especially those who are not well off, had better hope that cooler heads, such as Gov. Pat McCrory, will prevail. Reform the income tax. Make it simpler and fairer for all. Reduce rates incrementally if at all possible. But don't crush struggling workers with the burden of supporting a disproportionate share of state government expenses.
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