Mike Easley

Budget buddies

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:55:43 -0400

Senate leader Marc Basnight, right, and Dan Gerlach, senior budget adviser to Gov. Mike Easley, joke around in the Legislative Building while being photographed tonight after Basnight and House Speaker Joe Hackney announced in a joint news conference that they have reached an agreement on a $21.3 billion state budget proposal. (Staff photo by Ethan Hyman)

Construction up, taxes postponed in budget

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:44:03 -0400

House and Senate leaders reached agreement on a $21.3 billion budget proposal by postponing two tax breaks and greatly increasing borrowing for construction projects at UNC campuses, state prisons and other state facilities.

"We think this is a very good budget, a budget that in tough times still keeps us moving in North Carolina in a number of ways," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, Dan Kane reports.

The agreement calls for no tax increases and includes modest pay raises for teachers and state employees. Teachers, UNC professors and community college instructors would receive an average increase of three percent, though beginning teachers would fare better, in deference to a request from Gov. Mike Easley.

All other state employees would receive the greater of a 2.75 percent or $1,100 increase. Retirees would receive a 2.2 percent cost of living adjustment.

They dropped a Senate provision that would have given Easley the opportunity to further boost teacher pay in the fall if revenues improved beyond expectations. Hackney said there was little chance that would happen, given the sinking economy.

More after the jump.

House says budget agreement in hand

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:53:59 -0400

House officials say that they have reached agreement with Senate leaders on a $21 billion state budget proposal.

It's possible the spending plan could be available later tonight, though votes won't take place until Monday at the earliest. The House and Senate have both adjourned for the day, Dan Kane reports.

One key agreement that helped settle the negotiations came on tax breaks.

A House finance committee co-chairman said budget negotiators have agreed to postpone two tax breaks to free up $30 million in revenues for the state budget. Gov. Mike Easley has called for holding off on the tax breaks after new revenue projections showed a possible $70 million budget hole.

Rep. Paul Luebke, a Durham Democrat, said House leaders have agreed to hold off on increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit for lower income working families, saving $14 million, and Senate leaders have agreed to push back a repeal of the state gift tax, saving $16 million. Both items would take effect a year later.

House Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate leader Marc Basnight have announced a joint news conference at 4:15 p.m. today.

House, Senate close to budget agreement

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:39:59 -0400

House Speaker Joe Hackney says he and Senate leader Marc Basnight are close to agreement on a $21 billion state budget proposal.

"We have reached agreement with the Senate on almost everything. There are a few things remaining," Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, told House members during today's session. "It is hoped that (negotiations) would be concluded at the end of the day."

Hackney and Basnight have been meeting throughout the week to resolve several outstanding issues, many related to spending on education and construction projects, Dan Kane reports.

Tax breaks proposed by both chambers have also become an issue after Gov. Mike Easley told lawmakers that the most recent revenue projections show a $70 million budget hole.

Even if an agreement is reached on the budget, lawmakers likely won't vote on it until next week. The Senate has already adjourned for the holiday weekend.

Mary Easley's salary jumps by $79,000

bniolet — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:32:24 -0400

Mary Easley got a $79,700 raise this week.

Easley, wife of Gov. Mike Easley, is an executive in residence and senior lecturer in the provost's office at N.C. State University. Her job duties have expanded and she will get more money for it.

Effective July 1, her salary went from $90,000 to $170,000, according to personnel records from N.C. State.

Mary Easley, 58, has been in the news this week because of the expense of trips she took to France in May 2007 and Russia and Estonia this May.

News of the raise appeared in a story in the Carolina Journal on Wednesday.

Mary Easley's job entails development and direction of the Millennium Seminars, the university's principal speakers program. She runs a spring semester course called Public Law for Public Administrators. She is a faculty member in the Administrative Officers Management Program teaching legal aspects of police supervision.

Her new responsibilities include directing the development of the Public Safety Leadership Initiative, expanding the existing program to include first responders and security professionals, co-directing
pre-law services at N.C. State, and acting as the University’s liaison for partnerships with the legal profession and area law schools, including the development of dual-degree programs.

America's Greatest Education Governor?

KeungHui — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:20:25 -0400

Gov. Mike Easley is going to Washington D.C. on Thursday to get some love from the nation's teachers.

Easley will receive the inaugural "America's Greatest Education Governor's Award" from the National Education Association "for his achievements in transforming North Carolina's public school system." He will get the award while receiving the cheers of 10,000 delegates at the NEA's 86th annual Representative Assembly.

It beats being in Raleigh to answer questions about the budget and his wife's overseas travel costs.

Cheeseburgers in paradise?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:44:13 -0400

How much is a cheeseburger in Europe?

At a press conference this morning, Gov. Mike Easley argued that a cheeseburger and onion rings cost $60 overseas. It's not clear which country he meant, but he was talking about his trip to Italy at the time.

"Let's be honest about it, a cheeseburger and onion rings is $60 over there," he said. "The dollar is very, very weak now."

According to this thread, a cheeseburger at McDonald's currently costs 6.5 Euros in Italy. At today's exchange rates, that's about $10.25.

Meantime, The Insider notes in its afternoon update that a Big Mac costs about 4.9 Euros in Paris, or $7.74 at current exchange rates.

"Of course, those Paris waiters, even at McDonald's, can get pretty pushy about their tips," they write.

Price = price

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:17:34 -0400

Price = price

"It costs what it cost."

— Gov. Mike Easley, explaining that high prices in Russia and France were the reason for the high cost of two trips totaling $109,000 to Russia, Estonia and France at a press conference on July 1, 2008.

Comments (5)

Easley on the $60 cheeseburger

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:41:50 -0400

Gov. Mike Easley defends the costs of trips to Estonia, Russia and France by his wife. (Video by Shawn Rocco)

Foreclosure assistance bill announced

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:47:14 -0400

State legislators and Gov. Mike Easley said Tuesday they've come up with a plan that could keep as many as 25,000 homeowners out of foreclosure in the next few years.

At a news conference, they promoted legislation that would give some borrowers more time to work with lenders before the foreclosure process begins, David Ingram reports. The legislation would require lenders to notify the N.C. Banking Commission before beginning foreclosure, allowing the commission to help arrange counseling, negotiations and legal advice.

"In a foreclosure, the one thing you can say is everybody loses," Easley said.

A House committee held a hearing on the legislation Tuesday morning. A limited number of borrowers would be eligible for the program, depending on the date that the loan began and other factors.

"They have to be owner-occupied homes," said state Rep. Dan Blue, a Raleigh Democrat and the sponsor of the legislation. "This program is not aimed at speculators."

Industry representatives, consumer advocates and state regulators attended the news conference.

Banking Commissioner Joseph Smith said the program could be in effect by November. He said about 20 commission staff members will work on the program, using current funding.