Editorial: Berger and Moore's budget bait reveals cynicism and empty vision

Wednesday June 26, 2019 -- A few morsels of pork barrel spending from Sen. Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore can't make the bitterness of the entire budget any easier to swallow. The budget the legislative leaders are forcing through to the governor is more about helping corporations and the well-off with more unnecessary tax cuts than it is about making North Carolina a better place for everyone to work and live.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Jun 26, 2019 — Updated 9:00 a.m. Jun 26, 2019

CBC Editorial: Monday, June 24, 2019; Editorial #8435

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

Everyone has a price.

The leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly thinks their fellow legislators, particularly Democrats, come cheap.

That’s evident as Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore look to engage in some strong arm-twisting to convince legislators to support their state budget – a failed plan that doesn’t meet the needs of the state nor position it exploit opportunities in the future.

Last week Moore and his top lieutenant Rep. John Bell, told Pitt County Democratic Rep. Kandie Smith they’d fund Vidant Medical Center’s Medicaid reimbursements if she’d promise to override a potential budget veto by Gov. Roy Cooper. “Provide us assurance that we can count on your vote for the state budget and to override a potential veto by the Governor if the funding you advocate for is successfully secured in the spending plan,” demanded Moore and Bell.

Not-so-publicly, Berger and Moore have promised legislators in several counties, that they’d move the Department of Health and Human Services into their districts in return for promises to back an override of a gubernatorial budget veto. Now, that’s a trick!

Smith, to her credit, called Moore and Bell on their cynical ploy and dismissed it.

“I did vote against the House budget because there were a lot of things missing, such as Medicaid expansion,” she said. “Now I am being asked to vote for a budget and then possibility a veto override (for a budget) that only righted a wrong to the people of eastern North Carolina.”

Moore knows he’s in trouble – particularly among Democrats AND Republicans from the eastern part of the state over the Vidant issue. Even fellow Republican Greg Murphy – who just happens to be in a tough GOP primary in the 3rd Congressional District -- was openly threatening to oppose the budget. That may be why a Vidant funding deal was cut this weekend.

But it is Smith’s point that is most revealing. A few morsels of pork barrel spending can’t make the bitterness of the entire budget any easier to swallow.

The budget the legislative leaders are forcing through to the governor is more about helping corporations and the well-off with more unnecessary tax cuts than it is about making North Carolina a better place for everyone to work and live.

There’s not magic, arm-twisting or vote-buying needed if Berger and Moore REALLY want to pick up votes for a responsible budget that the governor will sign into law.

Ditch the unnecessary tax cuts; fully fund the needs of our public schools, community colleges and universities so they are national leaders; expand Medicaid to the 650,000 who now lack health coverage; provide accountability and transparency from those who receive state funding – particularly the private school voucher program; properly fund the state’s prisons so they are safe and secure; increase the pay for too-long neglected state workers and update compensation for retired government employees; and responsibly address the state’s infrastructure needs, including a bonds to help local schools.

Talk and phony bargaining are cheap. Good government that meets the state’s needs isn’t.

North Carolina HAS the resources to do what is right. The question is: Does its leaders have the will?

Phil Berger and Tim Moore – present legislators with a budget that REALLY meets the state’s needs. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get bipartisan backing.

Try it, you’ll like it.

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