What about taxes? Some of the surplus should go toward easing tax burden

Carolina’s first-in-a-long-time budget surplus, and no one is even bothering to think about one use for the money that would help just about every resident?

What about a tax cut? And, while we are at it, what about some serious talk about a temporary cut in the state gas tax to help families deal with the fluctuating price of fuel?

There have been some rumblings about using some of the surplus to ease the tax burden on North Carolina’s families, but the loudest cries have been for projects, salary increases and other long-awaited uses that in the past have been prohibited because of just-not-there revenue levels.

There is nothing wrong with using some of the surplus to invest in the state’s infrastructure and its future. That would be money well-spent.

And reasonable salary increases are no problem, either.

However, while we are considering raises and other projects, maybe we should also think about a bit of a windfall for North Carolina’s families as well.

So far, although there have been some notable falterings from the straight and narrow of responsible spending, North Carolina’s legislators have been pretty good about not going hog wild when it comes to disposing of the surplus.

All they need to do now is to put cutting taxes back on the table for discussion.

Published in Editorials on June 5, 2006 10:41 AM