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Lottery ad bumps Perdue message
Submitted by markjohnson on 2009-07-24 15:34A new television infomercial from the N.C. Education Lottery predicts layoffs in education at the same time that Gov. Beverly Perdue halted the state budget because she is insisting on no reductions in per pupil spending.
The lottery broadcast an interview-style commercial, an infomercial, with one of its top executives, Deputy Executive Director Alice Garland, on NBC 17 in Raleigh Friday morning.
The commercial boasts about the more than $1 billion the lottery has raised for education in three years. The interviewer asks about education funding and Garland explains that the education portion of the state budget is likely to be 14 percent less than last year and, of that money, 90 percent is salaries.
"When you have that kind of a decrease, you're going to have to have layoffs," Garland says in the ad.
Perdue slammed the brakes on the budget process this week because lawmakers weren't raising enough money to keep per pupil spending at the same level.
The infomercial was taped a month before Perdue's actions on the budget.
UPDATE: Perdue's press secretary, Chrissy Pearson, said the infomercial added to Perdue's message: "It is precisely because of the possibility of teacher layoffs that Gov. Perdue is working so hard to protect the funding for public schools in the budget."
Lawmaker wants to cut top lottery pay
Submitted by bniolet on 2008-06-04 14:43Rep. Pat Hurley threw a curve to House budget writers Tuesday when she sought to cut the salaries of top state lottery officials, particularly that of Executive Director Tom Shaheen, who makes $246,000 a year.
"There are four people who make more money than our governor, and I think we should look at this," said Hurley, an Asheboro Republican, during a budget committee meeting.
Gov. Mike Easley makes $135,854 a year. Executive deputies Lou Ann Russell, Robin Diehl and Alice Garland are each paid between $142,120 and $144,120.
Hurley also found it unfair that state employees are looking at a raise that's far less than the 5 percent increase the Lottery Commission approved for staff.
House leaders sought to discourage her amendment. House Rules Chairman Bill Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat, said if the amendment passed, Shaheen would be leaving for another state offering a much more lucrative salary.
That's when Rep. Cary Allred, a barb-tongued Alamance County Republican, joined in. He took Hurley's side.
"When I voted for the lottery, I didn't mean for the director to be the winner of the lottery," Allred said. "And if he wants to leave then don't let the screen door hit you in the behind on the way out."
In the end, committee members agreed to order a study of state salaries.
