Gov. Mike Easley signed an executive order funding public schools and the pre-school program More at Four.
In a noon news conference, Easley said he was not confident legislators would have a budget ready by early next week - at least not one he could sign. School districts need money to hire teachers and applications to More at Four are up, Easley said, so he had to get funding in place.
Easley wants the legislature to figure out how to take over counties' Medicaid costs, and the House and Senate have not yet agreed to a solution.
House Democrats want counties to be able to increase the local sales tax or impose a land transfer tax in exchange for the state taking back part of the sales tax revenue local governments now control.
The Senate won't go along with the transfer tax option.
Easley weighed in on the House side.
"I think a lot of them are scared of the Realtors," Easley said of the legislators. "They have to decide - do they want to stand with the Realtors or do they want to stand with the people they represent?"
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Dear Mr. Woodho:
Let's read some hard-hitting criticism by the AFP on war-profiteering by US companies like Blackwater USA, the role of Big Oil in shaping federal energy and foreign policy, Fred Smith's continuing slopping at the public trough on paving contracts, etc., and then maybe I'll take your complaints about Easley to heart.
You've been a harsh and frequent critic of hypocrisy in your defense of realtors and in your attacks on the League of Municipalities. You might want to try looking in the mirror.