Republican lawmakers are giving Gov. Pat McCrory's budget a favorable rating -- particularly compared to his Democratic predecessor -- but Democrats are raising concerns about taking money from outside entities, particularly those focused on economic development and minority programs.
State Budget Director Art Pope presented the plan to lawmakers Thursday, a day after it was submitted to the legislature for consideration.
"If this was the budget bracket battle, this would go to the next round," Republican state Rep. Tom Murry said, playing office the start of March Madness. The previous governor's budget would have been eliminated in the first round.
But Democrats are concerned about gutting once-sacred cows, such as the Golden LEAF Foundation, N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and other programs that received money from the state commerce department.
At a budget hearing, black Democrats raised pointed questions about major cuts to programs such as the N.C. Minority Support Center, the Land Loss Prevention Project and the N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development. "It is insensitive in my opinion to remove three or four organizations completely out of the budget," said Rep. Alma Adams, a Greensboro Democrat, afterward. "I'm not sure the governor understands the value these organizations bring."
Pope defended the line-items but said the governor is open to revisiting items in the budget.
Comments
Gutting the Golden Leaf Foundation?
March 22, 2013 - 6:01am — lockstepI thought it pretty well got gutted when it wrote that check for $100 million to the Global Transpark. If I remember correctly Easley's budget writer, Dan Gerlach (not to be confused with Art), went over to head up the Golden Leaf Foundation at about the same time Easley was over in Europe arranging museum exchanges and eating $60.00 cheeseburgers. So to lure Spirit Aero to the GTP the Golden Leaf, all on its on and without any pressure from the Governor's Mansion, make out a check to the GTP for $100 million. It surprised me at the time but I guess they are in the habit of writing $100 million checks at least weekly.
By the way, how we coming out down there at the GTP? I hear their air traffic control tower may get the cut in sequestration. Although I don't know if they have any airplane traffic to begin with other than the touch & go flights from Seymour-Johnson AFB. I don't think the original idea of flying hogs to China ever got off the ground after someone discovered they already had more hogs in China than we did in North Carolina. Evidently China is a right big place.
And to be fair the $60.00 cheeseburger allegedly came with onion rings. I'm not too sure how many museum exchanges we have had with the Hermitage but I did hear that we FedExed 3 lbs. of barbecue to them. I don't know what we got in return.