newsobserver.com projects - budget '10 - Comments

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

Dogbyte — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:51:36 -0400

taylor: he Democrats had to raise some taxes and cut some programs to balance the budget and keep basic government afloat during an unprecedented economic downturn--not of their making.

Sure, keep telling yourself that. Obama is great at whining to everyone that he inherited this mess. He doesn't mention all the debt he is adding to the country. He is not telling everyone that he is trying to destroy America. As far as I am concerned, ANYONE that has a REPUBLICAN or INDEPENDENT label is better than what we have running out of control in there now. Passing the buck is a favorite EXCUSE for today's majority. We don't need excuses, we need results. It is obvious that Obama is an amateur and can't handle the job. He is more suitable for the job of public relations officer. He gives more speeches than any WH press officer in the history. He is arrogant and thinks the country should run itself while he wanders about the world giving campaign speeches. He is a disgrace! I would rather have another Bush in there any day.

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

taylor — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:21:42 -0400

The word is sycophant, not syncophant. If you are going to insult Democrats, at least, spell the offending word correctly. Your logic is not much better, for the Democrats had to raise some taxes and cut some programs to balance the budget and keep basic government afloat during an unprecedented economic downturn--not of their making.

Charles Malone
Raleigh

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

Dogbyte — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:08:33 -0400

grinder: I agree about needing some fresh blood in there. However, lets not get carried away on the part about scare tactics. Who is trying to rush a health care bill through when we already owe way too much right now? Have to have it or people are going to die without it. Or, if we don't do it now, we will have insurance costs a thousand percent. Who is pushing cap in trade through this year, when it will wreck the economy? But, not all Democrats are liberal so I won't blame all of them. We need some folks in there that are of either party, that have some common sense and conservative financially. We also need a president. The one we have right now thinks he is the WH public affairs chief. All he does is give daily speeches and neglects the problem in Afghanistan and Iran. He is more into his own agenda of convincing everyone for a need to convert to socialism. He talks a good talk, but as of yet, hasn't walked the walk.

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

grinder — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:25:20 -0400

The Republicans should be well placed to pick up some seats.

But not if they keep running the same tired, old candidates. The Republicans need some fresh candidates who talk in a normal voice about normal things. Quit trying to scare people. And I especially don't like it when the Republican candidate is stumping and his head starts turning around like that little girl in "The Exorcist." I don't mind the smoke coming out their ears but spinning their heads around like that makes me think health care costs are going higher.

The Republicans must offer a "reasonable" alternative, not some poster child for the looney bin.

Re: Hackney

Dogbyte — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:04:32 -0400

"We are very optimistic we are going to pick up some seats," Hackney said in an interview.

Hackney must be on acid. Being optimistic won't change how the people feel right now. They know when the powers that be, don't want to listen to them, and they get pi$sed off. Too bad, all the Democrats are going to have to pay for allowing the liberal minority free reign over congress. I am sure that the left coast will allow Pelosi to return. Too bad. I was hoping that they would burn the witch at the stake. Guess not.

Hackney

Indy1776 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:33:55 -0400

How more disingenuous could Speaker Hackney be? The D's had to raise taxes because in previous years they spend every last dime...in frivolous ways, instead of saving for a rainy day.
And the R's were never given the opportunity to participate; for that matter only high ranking D's were allowed input into the budget.

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

Rellac — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:47:14 -0400

I cetainly hope you're right because it's time for change in this state but there's one thing that worries me about Republicans on the campaign trail. They tend to fight each other more than they fight their Dem opponents. I'm not sure how potential candidates are recruited but I hope like h*ll that they get themselves organized, get the vote out and throw some of the current representatives right out the front door in 2010 and 2012. A statement needs to be made about the way the Democrats have been governing and spending and the corruption taking place in Raleign. They're not listening to the people and I've decided the only way to make them pay attention is at the ballot box.

Re: Fight begins for legislative control

PaulTerrell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:05:03 -0400

If I may say to Speaker Hackney, “You lie”. The Republicans not only presented many plans to correct the over spending of the Democrats, they introduced numerous amendments. Hackney and the Democrats voted NO on over 95% of Republican amendments. The Democrats are the party of NO and do it my way or the highway. I find it despicable that Hackney and the Democratic leadership are trying to smear the GOP. Hackney does not even know basic math. The Democrats have the votes in both the state house and state senate to do whatever they want.

It is also childish of Hackney to distract from the fact that the Democrats raised taxes on fixed income elderly and all of the workers of our state. It is a fact that the more of your money the government takes from you the less freedom you have. I am for one tired of my tax money going to pay off Democratic loyalist in cushy $100k plus jobs. Our government is full of dedicated hardworking people who deserve true leadership not Democratic syncophants.

The Republican Party will return to you your freedom while bringing responsibility and transparency back to our government.

Re: State judges have to stay home

DamonIII — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:48:26 -0400

It is just weird that N.C. has that law. i guess that is why they also have judges down there that don't listen to the cases they just rubber stamp the case and send them off. They really need to keep the same judges in there because to me it seems stupid to rotate them. I have never heard of any other states that do that. having a case thrown out three times by one judge and then when they rotate judges the judge just rubber stamps the case and sends them away. What kind of judicial system are we living in?????

My suggestion: A Monument to Eddie Davis

PoliticalJunkie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:04:14 -0400

And all he has done to wreck the state budget and public schools.

Re: Perdue pays back school building fund

WANDERER418 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:27:21 -0400

I bet she conviently forgot to add the interest on the money she borrowed. What would the interest be on that much money for just one month? A HELL OF A LOT

Re: Report: Tax hikes don't mean job losses

sky5714 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:30:59 -0400

Mr. Jackson -
First of all, your bio is on ncjustice.org - looks like you have a MA (masters in what?) from the School of Journalism at UNC-CH, & a PhD (in what?) from the Dept. of Gvt at Cornell. And you've done consultant work for labor unions & performed collective bargaining studies. Why not share with us the subject of your degrees?

Secondly, your 2-page brief cites 2003 research from Arizona St. Univ., stats from the IRS & Census Bureau, & research from the NEA - well of course the NEA will be pro-tax. Would you cite research from the NC Pork Producers Assoc'n to push an agenda to eat more pork? No, didn't think so.

I'm confused - in your comments you refer to Nobel prize winners & the head of the OMB. I don't see any such references in the brief. I must be missing something - please clarify. Thank you.

Re: Report: Tax hikes don't mean job losses

stevejackson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:19:21 -0400

That civility and a focus on the battle of ideas, so core to democracy, should be so marginalized of late by some on the right causes me as much concern as does any direction of policy, be it health, state taxation or foreign. No doubt some liberals have also joined that damaging trend and I am aghast at that, too.

While I am tempted to answer the aspersions from Mr Balfour about my economics training, it suffices to say that I do not know him and he certainly knows nothing about me or my education in economics.

If you read the analysis in the Brief - that it is better for state governments to increase taxes in order to maintain government-sponsored employment during a recession because 100% of the money is spent in-state - you will notice that this view is held by some pretty heavy-hitter economists, including Nobel Prize winners and the current head of the Office of Management of the Budget. Hardly bizarro. The idea is mainstream. The overwhelming majority of state governments through their actions to raise more revenue during this recession clearly agree.

Re: Report: Tax hikes don't mean job losses

sky5714 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:36:15 -0400

What drivel. Why would such a report even get visibility here?

Let's see who's on the Board of Directors:

Rev. William Barber, head of the NC NAACP; Gene Nichol, HA!!!; Orage Quarles, publisher of the N&O; and the usual assortment of lawyers & people who are employed by non-profits. Duh, they have a vested interest in perpetuating the same tired Democratic high-tax gvt structure, where citizens, directly or indirectly, have their tax dollars used to fund these non-profits in the form of grants & contracts. Can you say "self-serving"?

Hey, I think I'm going to start a non-profit, fund it with tax dollars, then manufacture a report that argues for high taxes. Brilliant!

Re: Report: Tax hikes don't mean job losses

neo_mom — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:06:55 -0400

@scharrison

"you're not only engaging in the same tired, inflammatory, sophomoric, and fear-mongering rhetoric"

You mean like "tea-bagger"?

FAIL.

and the folks with the Obama as Nazi posters at the townhalls are LaRouche backers and are about as right-wing as you are... http://www.larouchepac.com/