Is North Carolina's budget shortfall a result of too few revenues or too much spending? If you read the N&O, you'd think it's a problem of not raising enough tax money. Look at this lede sentence an article in today's paper:
"Not enough money." So it's a revenue problem, right?
What would have been wrong with writing the sentence as "There are too many programs and services for the amount of money brought in through taxes." Why is the problem revenue and not spending?
Spending has grown 51% in the past 7 years and the General Assembly has blown $3.1 billion in surpluses over the past four years, yet according to the media we still have a revenue problem.
And check out this nice little editorial comment reported as news: "Eliminating waste in government won't be enough to plug what could be a $3.4 billion hole in a $21 billion budget."
That's right, cause according to the state, things like "turning computers off at night" and "having staff mow lawns at parks instead of hiring an outside landscaper" or "ending non-essential travel" are making deep cuts saving $980 million.
Why does the N&O take hook, line and sinker the liberal line on spending and waste?
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