Berry: Cut spending on state parks

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on March 3, 2009 - 11:04am.
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Cherie BerryLabor Commissioner Cherie Berry Tuesday objected to some routine spending for park land, saying it was not appropriate during a deep recession.

"I am very much concerned about the debt we are incurring," Berry said. "I'd like to see us suspend all unnecessary spending until the budget stabilizes."

Berry, a Republican and a fiscal conservative, made her comments Tuesday morning at a meeting of the Council of State, a body of the state's top elected executives which meet monthly to approve mainly routine purchases, right-of-way proceedings, office leases and other such business, Rob Christensen reports.

The purchases mainly for parkland such as $262,926 for 32 acres at Elk Knob State Park in Ashe County and $1.8 million for 265 acres at Yellow Mountain State Park in Avery County.

Berry made her comments through a speaker-phone hook-up because she was snowed in at her home in Catawba County. The purchases were approved without debate, with only Berry voting against it.

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Re: Berry: Cut spending on state parks

Submitted by Feather526 on March 4, 2009 - 9:15am.

John_Burns, If you take a look at her voting record, you'd see that she has voted no to such things in the past too. She's the only one on the Council who has been concerned with unnecessary spending in 8 years.

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Re: Berry: Cut spending on state parks

Submitted by CitizenOpinionated on March 3, 2009 - 3:14pm.

Protzman - I think a majority of North Carolinians care what she thinks since they voted for her on Election Day!

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Re: Berry: Cut spending on state parks

Submitted by CitizenOpinionated on March 3, 2009 - 1:38pm.

How is the purchasing of National Forest Land someone's core governmental requirement?

I thought those were life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

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No one cares what she thinks

Submitted by James_Protzman on March 3, 2009 - 12:46pm.

Thank goodness.

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Re: Berry: Cut spending on state parks

Submitted by John_Burns on March 3, 2009 - 12:31pm.

I'd like to ask the Commissioner if she believes the State should wait until the next boom and purchase land for State Parks when the price is higher?

I'm thinking she probably would vote against acquisition of park land if the state was rolling in money. Some people's "unnecessary spending" is other people's core governmental requirement, I guess.

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