The State Budget, Warts and All

Consider the fact that Governor Josh Stein signed the budget passed by the GOP-dominated North Carolina General Assembly. That ought to be a tip-off that things are amiss.

Consider also some of the items funded by the budget. Yes, there is a small income tax cut, but some of the other items included in the budget arouse major concern:

• More child care subsidies and a guaranteed minimum rate of payment for child care providers;
• More Medicaid funding for Medicaid expansion to replenish funds taken away by Congress;
• $208 million for a children’s hospital in the Triangle; and
• Much higher teacher pay.

All of these are highly inappropriate.

Taxpayers ought not be required to fund other people’s child care. And child care ought not be provided by government.

The state GOP ought to get off the Medicaid expansion merry-go-round it eagerly jumped aboard.

A children’s hospital to be jointly run by Duke and UNC Health is not needed. But even if it were needed, it ought not require taxpayer money for construction. UNC Health is a governmental entity that ought not be providing care in the private markets in the first place. And taxpayer money ought not be funding capital projects for Duke Health– a private entity.

Giving teachers a fat pay raise after they shut down the schools to rally in Raleigh effectively rewards them for blatant misbehavior.

Consider the fact that the Republican-led General Assembly continues to facilitate the teachers’ unions receiving member dues by payroll deduction in North Carolina. That is effectively another inappropriate subsidy for nefarious organizations.

There are positive aspects of the budget. However, an eagerness to spend afflicts the Raleigh Republicans; and there is much more work required to get things right.