Perdue's budget slashes state jobs, protects education

Case in point, Buzz Peterson - he coaches the UNCW Seahawks - he gets $400,000 + perks a year!! For coaching the Seahawks? OMG!!  When I read this figure recently I just couldn't believe it folks.  A b-ball coach making that kind of money - my money, your money OUR TAX MONEY! I bet none of these FAT coaching salaries were cut out of the budget because we would all just die if we didn't have b-ball, right?!!  In these dire days and times I would think that someone up on the hill would have sense enough to mention OUT LOUD that perhaps the highly paid athletic posts should be trimmed back a bit?  My child's high school teachers have to ask parents for money to help with classroom supplies when the funds run out by mid year, the PTA helps out when they can. It is a crying shame that my child, your child, should even have to worry if they will be able to afford to go to a publicly funded university yet that is happening today with the spiraling costs.  I am picking on the athletics here in my post as I don't have enough room to go into all the other overpaid FAT cats on the hill and elsewhere at the state level. What is it going to take for us to get back to some level of reality when it comes to spending?  I don't have a degree in economics or accounting but I can sure see what the heck is wrong with the budget when there is a b-ball coach making 400K but my child doesn't have copy paper at school! 

How hard will the "Education Governor" go after the $40,000,000 debt owed by the GTP to the NC Escheat Fund?  That $40,000,000 would help many UNC system students as well as community college students.  Looking after the 'accounts receivable' is as important as writing the budget.

All those teachers and state workers who voted for Bev, Obama and the rest of the Liberal Democrats should resign immediately. They are responsible for the economic crash of our country and the corruption that has bankrupted the state of North Carolina! 

Sounds like a perfect case for Judge Lynch to me.

She is doing more than those democrat jack@$$es in Washington who are running TRILLION dollar deficits (three in a row) and have adamantly refused to cut anything whatsoever.

The Guv takes credit for bringing in "employment opportunities" when a new company sets up shop in North Carolina.  BUT you notice that she never corrects the final number of employment opportunities by subtracting out the thousands of state employees she fires.  If you bring in 500 jobs with Red Hat and then fire 2000 state employees, you have still decreased the job maket by 1500 jobs!  I realize that state employees are much maligned -- even by their employers -- but doesn't it count in the tally when they end up in the unemployment line??? 

This budget is proposed by a democrat.  Not a republican. I don't why y'all are picking on republicans they had nothing to do with this budget proposal. And the republican party had little to do with how this state has been run for the last 100 years. And what about us independents, maybe they should be laid off first. Independents are the swing voters now ya know.  The reason this state has a budget deficit is because the democratic party missmanaged funding, went after every federal dollar they could and soon became dependent upon federal funding to help balance the budget and fund programs. Now with the economic recession in full force and federal fatback from DC ending we have a deficit. I don't hold state employees accountable just as I don't hold any private business employee accountable for the cost of a product or service. Although employees in both sectors end up paying, they did not cause the deficit. It was poor management pure and simple, starting at the top and working through every legislator and every department head. 

 THE STATE GOVERNORS AN THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SEEKING FOR YEARS TO GET IT'S GRUBBY LITTLE HANDS INTO THE PENSION PLANS OF THE STATE EMPLOYEE S OF THIS AN HAD THEY BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT DOING SO THERE WOULD BE NO PENSION WHATSOEVER TO  ARGUE ABOUT FOR STATE EMPLOYEES TO EVEN BENEFIT FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE FOR THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN TO IT THAT THE WHOLE THING WOULD HAVE BEEN PISSED  AWAY THROUGH GIVE AWAY PROJECT IN WHICH THE COPORATE INSTREST WOULD HAVE BEEN AKLLOWED TO HAVE BANCKRUPTED IT ONCE AN FOR ALL AN THEN THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING LEFT FOR THE STATE EMPLOYEE OR THE RETIRES OR FOR ANY ONE THAT HAD WORK AN EARNED A PENSION . I AM PERSONAL GRATEFUL THAT THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO OR ALLOWED TOGET THEIR HANDS INTO THE STATE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AT ALL AN I HOPE THEY NEVER WILL BE ALLOWED TO BANKRUPT IT. THANK YOU

The Budget Director says that the majority of the jobs to be cut are already vacant.  What???  Taxpayers are tired of the shell games with pots of state funds hidden here and there.  This suggests that there has been a bloated system for some time and there is still much to cut. I hope the Governor's interactive budget dog can find enough earth to cover up this poop.  The plan stinks!  

Because it is illegal under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to force people to retire. You can incentivize them, but you cannot force them.

Our government grows too big, Too many state empolyee have nothing important to do.

Why wait for year to cut the spending ? In private sectors, people were laid off at most 30 days notice, some  have no advanced notice at all. Why state employee got special treatment ? more than 1 year advance notice ?

I agree with that and your statement I say, there are many other options - one which I vaguely outlined - for us to explore before we are hit with another tax. 

Althought, Mayor Pat might like for Bev's "temporary" tax to become permanent so that we can get real leadership in the Governor's Manison come 2012. 

Mr. Curliss and Rest of N&O Political TEAM - ASK WHERE THE BILLION CAME FROM - DO YOUR JOB!

it's a matter of prefering. I would rather the tax expired. but if I am going to be taxed I would prefer a sale tax. As for the one billion, yeah it is interesting how it just appeared. 

I consider myself a fiscal conservative and I have to agree with you - the best way to keep revenue in place is the sales tax - it does encompass everyone, illegal workers, drug dealers etc....  I am also a firm believer in usage taxes (state and county) if I had to pay a couple of bucks to visit a state park or have a library card then I am fine with that - if we need money for roads then use the gasoline tax (which would be a first to use this tax 100% on infastructure).

I am impressed the governor made the tough choices to reduce spending--that's what is needed, and, of course, the sales tax should be kept to pay for the items kept in the budget. As someone here noted, though, the state's pension plan ought to be reviewed--it was established long ago in the Stone Age when everybody kept a job for life. Today, employees must manage their own retirement plan, and the state should bring their pension plan into the modern age. Today, a school teacher can retire after 30 years with a $4000/month pension. Many of us do not even earn that much when we work everyday.

Pensions are important, but they are one reason bad teachers cling to the jobs in spite of all indications to the contrary.  State government ought to develop a 50/50 combination plan wherein employees contribute half to their own 401ks.

look at your spelling.Check yourself before judging others

Some of you folks are too funny!

The spelling errors alone have my holding my sides in pain I'm laughing so hard!

Thanks!

The Obama porkulus checkbook is starting to run dry.  And now the states aren't be propped up with federal tax dollars to the extent they were before.  And now the bills hotta be paid and we are out of money.

The "stimulus" was nothing more than a slush fund for the demcorats to pay off their government and union supporters and keep them afloat through the 2010 mid terms, hoping against hope that economic growth would have kicked in by then, and continued slush funding of states and unions wouldn't be needed any more.

Well, as all thinking people knew, it didn't work and now the bell has tolled.

Enjoying the change?

our unemployed will be better educated than any other nations unemployed. So we have that going for us. 

As others have already commented, qvoraw, is completely wrong about the state retirement system.  TSERS is in fine financial shape.  Employees fund a significant part of the plan with a mandatory 6% contribution from their salaries.  And a quality pension plan is one of the few ways that the state can keep good employees.

And since qvoraw also refers to federal pensions, I will add that he is equally misinformed on that issue.  Back in the 1980s, the federal government replaced the old Civil Service Retirement System, a defined benefit pension plan, with the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), which was optional for then current employees and mandatory for all new employees.  FERS consists of 2 parts.  FERS retirees receive a relatively small defined benefit pension based on final salary and years of service (about half of what an NC state employee would receive having worked the same length of time at a similar salary).  These federal employees also participate in FERS's Thrift Savings Plan, which is very similar to a 401k, and the government matches employee contributions up to a point.  So, at the federal level, employees are already being encouraged to save for their retirement through the Thrift Savings Plan.  And like NC's TSERS, FERS is in great financial shape.  Pensions have very little to do with the federal government's short- or long-term budget problems.
 

And still not a word about the illegals that we continue to hemmorhage money to keep here.  Nothing said about the taxpayer subsidy of their schooling, medical and hospital bills, and prison costs, not to mention the money spent on food stamps, WIC and various other social service programs for people who legally do not belong in this country.

I'm sick of seeing illegals driving up and down the interstate in work trucks while Americans can't find jobs.  And now Bev's going to eliminate 10,000 more American jobs!?? 

How about it, Dumplin? 

I can't wait for 2012.

An exact "cut and paste" of your earlier post GOP127.

We all know you are working for the Democrat/Socialist/Communist party.

The Citizens of NC understand that the Corrupt NC Democrat Machine has controlled NC for over 100 years and are responsible for the Massive debt and economic problems of this state.

Into Year Three Three of the Obama Depression, the effects finally hit State workers.

So instead of eliminating the Corrupt NC Democrat political positions, state workers will pay the price. Instead of eliminating useless Welfare programs that reward having illegitimate children and becoming dependent on State programs she keeps them.

The Corrupt NC Democrat Party lead by Baby Dumplin' Perdue has caused NC to go into massive  Debt. Remember Convicted Democrat Felon Governor Easley which hand-picked Baby Dumplin' Perdue as his successor. Remember Convicted Democrat House Speaker Jim Black

The only solution is to vote out these criminals. Remember this  in 2012.

The continuing economic slowdown with unemployment above 9% will result in state budget deficits [nationwide] in excess of $150 billion per year over the next year or two.  These deficits will have to be closed essentially by spending cuts because Republicans will NOT tolerate ANY tax increases.  These cuts will likely dramatically impact k-12 and higher education, as well as road, highway and bridge construction. The Republican controlled U. S. House of Representatives and the increased strength of the Republican minority in the Senate will PRECLUDE ANY further federal economic assistance to the states.  Additionally, Republicans in the U. S. Congress will press for IMMEDIATE cuts in federal spending, which could amount to several hundred $billion per year…perhaps $100 billion per year.  The combined state and federal spending cuts will likely be in the range of $250 billion per year.

To cut $250 billion per year will result in job losses in the range of 1.5 million across the United States.  Unemployment will rise to above 11% and there will be further increases in foreclosures, downward pressure on real estate prices and reduced demand for goods and services.  This dampening of demand will, in turn, result in additional job losses and a further downward spiral in the economy with unemployment perhaps bottoming in the 12-13% range.  Republicans will block ANY further assistance for the unemployed and the only support for the unemployed will be private charities which are ALREADY stretched beyond their capability.  These conditions could last several years with lasting damage to the fabric and stability of American society.  It could take more than two generations or one-half century for the American economy to recover, if it ever recovers.

The British Tories have already thrown the UK economy back into recession in less than a year of trying to “cut their way out of recession”.

The electorate voted for this plan.  I hope they are prepared for the impact….hello street corner vendors and ‘Work For Food’ signs.

6% of my gross pay from the state goes to the TSERS it has since the day I started.  I contribute to 401K and 457.  Why would anyone even bring up the state pensions....they are not being totally funded by the state.  By the way legislators, I am one of the Republicans who put you in office...I expected you to think and to listen, most people I talk to both Democrats and Republicans don't have a problem with the taxes staying as is.  Yes there are cuts to be made, but cuts can only go so far you need to raise revenue as well.  Leave it where it is at so in 2 years we don't have to have a huge tax increase.  Also is it the smartest thing to close parks 2 days a week?  Won't towns around the state parks lose revenue with the closing 2 days a week?