Rep. Debbie Clary Responds to Governor’s and Commissioner’s Attacks on Republican Legislators

I am proud that Republicans were successful in stopping the Democrats from raising sales taxes that greatly impact working families to 7%. Governor Easley said Republicans were in a “lock-down mode” and were hoping for a “train wreck.” If there is any train wreck, it is because the Democrats controlling the Legislature have long been on an irresponsible taxpayer-funded spending spree --and finally having to face the facts that they have caused a billion dollar budget deficit.

To fill the hole in the budget, the Democrats in control of the N.C. General Assembly raised taxes over a billion dollars last year when we were in a recession. Nothing is more irresponsible than raising taxes in a recession. But at the same time they still had the will to increase state spending $500 million!

One thing is clear! The solution to the budget problem is not raising taxes. North Carolina does not have a problem with too few taxes. North Carolina now has a tax burden that is greater than Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts!

North Carolina’s problem is with the Democrats’ out of control wasteful spending. And as more and more voters find out how the Democrats have irresponsibly spent their tax dollars, the Democrats know they will lose elections in November. That’s why they’re viciously attacking Republicans and trying to blame us for budget deficits.

It’s interesting to point out that if the Taxpayer Protection Act, of which I was a sponsor, had been passed the Democrat-controlled Senate, we would not be in the mess we are in today. The bill, limiting state spending was passed by the Republican House majority in 1995 but never saw light in the Democrat Senate.

It’s also interesting how the Commissioner’s Association and many of our local government officials have jumped on the Governor’s “raise taxes” band wagon. Think about it! The Governor “stole” local government reimbursements to balance his budget and their blaming the Republicans. What a twisted spin!

I think it’s high time the County and City Officials stopped lying to our public employees, telling them to contact their legislator and that fault lies with the Republicans. Make no mistake about it I do not pass the buck. If it is of my making, I’ll own up to it, but this mess folks has been created by Democrat Governor Mike Easley and his spending troops in both House and Senate leadership! Our public employees are not at risk of losing their jobs because I refuse to raise taxes, it’s because Gov. Easley has stolen their money to fund his own pet projects like “More at Four!”

As Republican leaders, we believe we can balance the budget without a tax increase. When Republicans were in the majority in 1995 to 1999, we cut taxes over a billion dollars a year, in creased state spending on education and health care, and still left a billion dollar surplus. I co-chaired Health and Human Services, the second largest budget in the State. When I left that budget to Democrat control, we had over a 100 million dollar Medicaid Trust Fund. Today, Medicaid is broke and I fear for the most vulnerable elderly and disabled in our state.

It is time to elect leaders to the General Assembly who will be responsible and who will not spend more than we take in. I firmly believe that by lowering taxes and fighting wasteful spending that we can jumpstart our economy in Gaston and Cleveland Counties and create more jobs for working families.

In the midst of these economic times, when jobs have been lost or are in jeopardy, tax increases should be the last thing considered. Republicans were successful this week in blocking a tax increase. It was a hard fought battle – we will continue the fight.