Curing Spending Addiction Key To Budget Crisis
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina has a
solution to North Carolina's growing budget crisis - cure "spending
addiction." The proposal would save state taxpayers more than $735
million dollars by cutting spending on advocacy groups, corporate
welfare and completely useless agencies.
The General Assembly reconvened this week, facing a projected $450
million budget shortfall. That figure could rise in face of Tuesday's
report that revenues were $90 million less than expected. North
Carolina is only one of three states facing a budgetary crisis this
year.
"The problem is simply - our legislature has a spending addiction,"
said Sean Haugh, LPNC executive director. "Our suggested spending
cuts are all truly no-brainers. "The first thing that can go is
corporate welfare," said Haugh. "We rob almost $271 million from the
poor to give to rich corporate bigwigs."
Among the agencies the Libertarians would abolish are the Global
TransPark, several major tax breaks and the entire Department of
Commerce. Also targeted is the campaign finance fund at the State
Board of Elections, which the party calls "welfare for politicians."
Then they target almost $69 million in cuts for advocacy groups. "These are agencies whose only job is to lobby the General Assembly
and the federal government for more of our tax money," said Haugh.
"It's immoral for the government to take our money to pay government
lobbyists to influence itself. Big Government is the worst corrupting
special interest of all."
The Libertarians then earmark for removal from the budget agencies
that, at best, outlived their usefulness. This list includes recent
recommendations by State Auditor Ralph Campbell, such as closing
Dorothea Dix Hospital and the Central School for the Deaf.
The party would sell the NC railroads and end urban loop
construction. It also labels Alcohol Law Enforcement as a "rogue
agency" that duplicates the work of other law enforcement agencies.
If the General Assembly acts on this plan, there will be several
pieces of prime real estate available for sale. Besides the
railroads, the Biotechnology Center, the forestry lab at Bladen Lakes
State Park, and even Global TransPark could create over a billion
dollars in revenue.
"We'd hope they would use this windfall to pay down our
ridiculously large bond debt," said Haugh. "If our legislators have
the guts, this is a list of fraud, waste and abuse that will make
their jobs easier this summer, "said Haugh. "Let's hope they come to
their senses and take this simple medicine for their horrible spending
addiction."
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