Morning Post

Submitted by kmr on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 8:12am.

Oh dear, the session's started.
Chris says its a decent start on the budget.
The N&O says sin taxes won't fly.
Catch all the action here. Play by play.
A liquor tax hike to help fund mental health has been tried before. The beer wholesalers gave every legislator a mug with a red line about a third of the way down, representing how much of your beverage cost was for taxes. The sad thing about the debate was that it was more about taxes and equity and less about mental health.
Besides, they will argue this time, a recession is no time to raise the cost of folks' drinking habits.
Things may be different this go round, however, since there is a different speaker. Let's hope Mr. Hackney and Mr. Basnight, who have supported the sin tax idea in the past, have long ago reached some agreement to deal with the mental health crisis straight on in the short session. And let's hope it doesn't get bogged down in a debate over ox-goring.

Next up: Huge discussion Wednesday on the death penalty.

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If something's good for the public at large...

Submitted by Stan on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 9:11am.

then the public at large ought to be willing to pay for it....rather than foisting the cost onto some smaller segment of the population.

Comments by Mr. Hackney quoted in our paper today indicate that because this is "an election year" there probably won't be any new taxes. So, I suppose worrying about their electability will take priority over both legitimate needs and equitable taxation. Feckless!!

Brunette's picture

FECKLESS? Joe HACKNEY is FECKLESS?

Submitted by Brunette on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 12:32pm.

Stan, you apparently can't distinguish "feckless" from its polar opposite.

Joe Hackney, who is probably one of the finest, smartest and most honest men we've ever had the fortune to have in elected office in North Carolina, gave a straight answer instead of a dodge.

He's absolutely right. If you don't want to hear a truthful answer, don't ask Joe a question.

Jerimee's picture

is good

Submitted by Jerimee on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 1:32pm.

- - - - -
McCain - The Third Bush Term

Brunette's picture

You are correct Jerimee

Submitted by Brunette on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 1:37pm.

You get a 5 for perspicacity.

(but you're still in need of points, fella')

Maybe a recession is exactly the time to raise

Submitted by Betsy Muse on Tue, 05/13/2008 - 1:01pm.

the cost of getting drunk...uh...er...having a drinking habit or two.

Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.

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And Helms begat Reagan...


Arguably, Ronald Reagan's Helms enabled win in the 1976 NC primary was all the encouragement he needed to try again in 1980, setting the stage for the Reagan Revolution and synergistic escapades like this one...

TrueMeckDem on Myers Park Pat

"My opinion of Pat has changed over the years. I used to think he was truly a man of the people but the longer he has been mayor, the less I think of him.

As with most cities, Charlotte has three political parties: Dem, Rep, and Chamber of Commerce. Pat is definitely the puppet of the COC here. What is good for business is good for Charlotte and Pat ... very personable guy, he has gotten a bunch of Dems in these parts to vote for him but I don't trust him."

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