NC Budget

Children's advocates are hearing that the Senate budget worker bees are looking at cutting crucial programs in order to fund other priorities. The priorities being funded are good things, like raises for teachers, but the programs being cut cannot sustain these reductions and maintain adequate services across the state for children and families.

Okay. It's crunch time. Last chance to do your duty.

I'm not usually an alarmist, so forgive me for raising holy hell this weekend about the complete and utter collapse of sanity in Raleigh with regard to the state budget. If you're not worried about the budget, you should be. And if you're not in action yet, it's time to get crackin'.

On Monday night, June 4th, the legislature will convene to consider the vast differences between the Senate's Republican budget and the slightly more progressive House budget. There will be a vote to determine whether the House concurs with the Senate.

Assuming the Republican government-haters hang together, which they will, only nine Democrats have to vote for the budget for it to be a done deal. I say again: Only nine Democrats have to sell out for this pathetic budget to move on to Governor Easley's desk.

Mark Binker has a good post that reports on some encouraging comments from Richard Moore regarding the upcoming budget clash.

Moore is not enamored with the $1.2 billion the Senate would spend on Certificates of Participation (known as COPs), which is a way for the state to borrow money without going to the voters for bond approval. (snip) The state constitution, he said, is fairly clear on how government should go about borrowing. "If they're such great ideas, why can't we vote?" Moore said.