The Budget
crafted by the Democrats will
cost Mecklenburg taxpayers 1 new
Elementary School per year as
Democrats move to eliminate most
of "PayGo". Set aside last year
and totaling 2.5 cents "PayGo"
was a way of paying for
Construction without issuing
debt. Originally $26 million was
set aside however $18 million
was removed to pay for welfare
increases and social programs.
The losers in all of this will
be capital money for schools.
Less than 12
short months ago, the Democrats
touted "PayGo" as justification
for the 10.6% tax increase. Now,
they voted to abandon their
positions out of rampant fear of
electoral loss in November.
So, what
reasons do the Democrats give
for such fiscal abuse of the
taxpayer and CMS parents?
Nothing,
except to say that "human
services" was "more important"
than money for schools (and to
then claim that Republicans
don't care about "the children")
No real money
was provided for District
Attorney. The Democrats are
content to allow 10,000
un-prosecuted annual felonies to
continue. They claim it is a
"State" issue but the State
won't put it in their budget
(even though they have a massive
surplus this year).
While "PayGo"
was gutted, "outside Agencies"
(AKA County pork) was increased
by about 50%.
CMS'
operating budget did receive an
increase (though not as much as
last year and less than the
"framework" they worked out with
CMS).
On a
long-term basis the Democrats
budget is clearly the enemy of
fiscal sanity and the ability to
avoid future tax increases.
Now, instead of building one new
elementary school EACH YEAR
using existing revenues (cash)
the County will have to BORROW
money over 20 years for
EVERY Elementary School they
wish to build.
That one
budget adjustment to transfer
$18 million out of PayGo today
means that Mecklenburg County
will have to issue an EXTRA $250
million in bonds over the next
10 years. The Democrats will
of course attempt to spin this
as something else and in the
process cite how they care "for
the children" and try and
deflect criticism claiming that
"the mean ol' GOP don't care
about the children".
In the end
however, they are the ones that
abandoned principles for
political expediency and have
literally screwed Mecklenburg County's
parents and children for a
decade to come. |