North Carolina Public Employees Want Others to Sacrifice

Republicans in North Carolina’s General Assembly is sharpening the axe and eyeing one of the Democratic Party’s loyal constituents: Public employee unions. The state has a $3 billion budget shortfall, and a long term problem is about to be cleaved:


"Let's all come to the table but don't make public employees bear the entire burden on the state budget," SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said during a news conference with state employees at his side holding placards promoting the "Take Pride in Carolina" report. "Let's share sacrifice and make sure companies pay their fair share."


The group, a local of the Service Employees International Union, says cutting the work force is a short-term solution that results in reducing critical services for North Carolina's citizens.


The bulk of the savings outlined in the report relate to hospitals and health care. The report says $4.5 billion could be saved by requiring nonprofit hospitals and health care systems to give up a portion of their capital reserves to alleviate the projected gap. That's because the union says the hospitals accumulate large reserves through an indirect tax subsidy.


Yet North Carolina Hospital Association spokesman Don Dalton calls the argument a mistake, saying hospitals lost $1.2 billion treating Medicaid patients and the uninsured last year.

They want us to share the sacrifice? We have been sacrificing for the past three year! The only ones who haven’t felt the pain are public employees. They want the hospitals to give up a portion of their capital reserves, so as to spare some of their members? I don’t think so!

Here are some of the other recommendations the union has made:

Creating a four-day, 10-hour work week, at a savings of $600 million.


Abolishing the Golden LEAF Foundation, which receives half of North Carolina's share of the national tobacco settlement, at a savings of $570 million.


Increasing the cigarette tax by $1 per pack, generating $454 million.


Requiring multistate corporations to file tax returns that give a more complete picture of their North Carolina activities so they are taxed according to their business in the state, generating $375 million.


Eliminating corporate tax "loopholes" for certain industries, such as motorsports or the film industry, at a savings of more than $31 million.


Require Department of Transportation mowing contractors to pay for road signs they damage, saving $10 million

So they want multistate corporations to file a tax return in North Carolina. Yeah, let’s badger the hell out of businesses who are already burdened with federal and state taxes and regulations. And while we’re at it, let’s price a legal product so high that no one can afford to buy it. That should go over well with North Carolina farmers and tobacco industry. Oh, and lets continue onerous taxes that are about to expire, so not one public employee will receive a pink slip.

The unions don’t want shared responsibility. They want the same indemnification as D.O.T. mowing contractors. A claim I find suspect.

Source:  http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/02/15/1071613?sac=Home