Civitas Calls for End of Taxpayer Funding for Rural Center

July 18, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Francis De Luca (919) 834-2099      Francis.DeLuca@NCCivitas.org

Hall Resignation Changes Nothing, De Luca Says

RALEIGH – The head of the Civitas Institute said Thursday that the recent state audit of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center should serve as notice to state budget writers that the controversial organization should no longer receive taxpayer dollars.

“The long overdue resignation of President Billy Ray Hall is irrelevant to the discussion of whether the state should be funding nonprofits such as the Rural Center,” said Civitas Institute President Francis X. De Luca. “The state audit revealed what many have suspected for years about the Rural Center: The organization lacks accountability and transparency and thus continued taxpayer support is unjustified.”

Civitas recently released a two-part series discussing the highly questionable practices of the Rural Center, including insights from Rural Center board member Robert Luddy (who is also Board Chair of Civitas).

Gov. Pat McCrory responded to the state audit by calling for Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall to be replaced. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said that no more state money should go to the center.

“Hall’s resignation was a necessary step. In addition, however, the Rural Center should not receive one more dime in taxpayer money,” De Luca said.

De-funding the Rural Center would be just one more step in restoring fiscal stability to the state budget, he said. “As North Carolina moves forward toward greater financial responsibility, there are many other wasteful projects, programs and non-profit funding that should be eliminated from the state budget.”

To see the Civitas Institute’s two-part series exposing the cronyism and wastefulness of the Rural Center, use the links below:

http://www.nccivitas.org/2013/rural-center-scheme-robs-taxpayers/

http://www.nccivitas.org/2013/rural-center-exposed-ii-govt-waste-flushed/

The Civitas Institute is a think tank based in Raleigh, NC. More information on the Civitas Institute is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Jim Tynen at james.tynen@nccivitas.org or (919) 834-2099.