Budget watch: There is some bad news for everybody

There is nothing tougher to do than to come up with a state budget that addresses responsible spending and makes no one mad.

And while the legislature might have achieved the former, as expected, the latter will be a miss.

The problem with many states and cities these days is that they are paying for the excesses of the past.

Budgets, salaries and staffing that was not too closely monitored is now an issue as revenues become tighter and tighter.

So the goal is to promote growth -- getting more money into the state's coffers while not fleecing the very taxpayers who are struggling with the lukewarm to tepid economy.

To make a budget that starts putting the money back in balance, there have to be sacrifices. So, there will be lots of people in the state who will see some change to their bottom line because of the need to cut back.

And those cuts should include everyone.

By scaling back corporate and personal taxes, legislators hope that business will boom. They believe jobs are better than millions of North Carolinians on welfare or unemployment benefits.

We do, too.

But this budget and its effects will need to be watched closely to make sure that it has the desired result -- and that those who need us, legitimately, are being cared for properly.

And if it doesn't work, the governor will need to push for the changes. But if it does, partisan posturing needs to cease.

Making sure the state does not end up like California -- or Detroit -- that should be Job 1.

Published in Editorials on July 25, 2013 10:48 AM