Budget, education expose cracks in local delegation
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 1, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
North Carolina Budget Director Andrew Heath speaks about the financial condition of the state at the Wayne County Legislative Update Breakfast at the Lane Tree Conference Center on Wednesday.
The state budget and education dominated the conversation at the legislative breakfast table Wednesday morning exposing a few cracks in an otherwise united front among the local delegation.
Republican Reps. John Bell of Goldsboro and Jimmy Dixon of Mount Olive and Democrat Larry Bell of Clinton and Republican Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive and Democrat Don Davis of Snow Hill were joined by state budget director Andrew Heath for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's end-of-session legislative update at Lane Tree Conference Center.
The Goldsboro Housing Authority was the presenting sponsor.
Instead of the traditional question- and-answer format, legislators engaged in a more free-flowing conversation of what they see as the accomplishments of the recent session and what they see looking forward.
The budget took the lead as Heath provided an overview of the budget citing its fiscal responsibility, a tax cut for the middle class, higher teacher pay, college affordability and money to expand mental health and substance abuse.
Davis said Heath is an excellent budget director and agreed that the state is moving forward.
"I think you would agree with me if I said other organizations and entities could probably come in and give a presentation on the budget, and it would probably be a lot different," Davis said.
Davis said he agrees with the numbers presented in regard to education.
However, the state is growing, and there is more demand on the school system, he said. That means that even if funding is increased the state is not funding students at the same level as it had, Davis said.
"So what I think what the issue becomes is how do we now keep up with this level of growth in terms of providing those same levels of service," Davis said. "That is a real question that is really deserving of more than just saying we are putting all of this money in education."
Davis also questioned the tax cuts.
"Yes there have been tax deductions," Davis said. "I can see that. Corporate taxes have come down. I have supported reduction of corporate taxes. That is a stretch for a Democrat.
"But at the same time I still have some concerns about how we have rolled out increased taxes on services. I think there are still discussions that need to be held about that issue. Things are doing well, but there is still a lot of work to be done."
Dixon took umbrage at Davis' comments and said he did not think anyone had heard legislators say they were through with anything yet.
They also disagreed on the base years used for making spending comparisons.
In his comments Dixon said he had written his remarks down because he wanted someone to fact check them when it comes to the budget and increased funding for education.
He said that contrary to "false liberal reporting" by biased media outlets, one of the bright spots for him was the increase in K-12 education funding.
"Last year's surplus of $385 million in spite of many naysayers lowered the tot al tax burden from 44th in the nation to 15th in the nation," he said. "Best recovering business climate in the nation, 300,000 jobs created. Fact check me."
Larry Bell said he thought the House of Representatives presented the Senate with an excellent budget this year.
"It changed after it got over there," he said. "It did not come back the same way that we sent it over. But I thought we had done some remarkable things in most of the areas.
"I was somewhat disappointed with teachers' salaries and especially the pension and retirement portion of it. I had a bill in there that would have given retirees a 4 percent increase this year. It passed the House very well. But when it went to the Senate it did not come back that way."
He said he also wants to continue to look for ways to lessen the cost of college.
"I thought we put together a pretty good budget," John Bell said. "I thought we took a step in a good direction. It has been a great year, year and a half for Wayne County. Look what we have accomplished. We are building roads here again in Wayne County. We are building roads in eastern North Carolina.
"Look at the work that has been done with the gas tax and the transportation fund. We are repaving roads. Look what we have done yesterday by opening the doors at Cherry Hospital that is about 1,500 jobs to eastern North Carolina and it is right here in Goldsboro. I am so proud that this delegation right here led the charge to get those doors open."
Pate questioned how eastern North Carolina is faring and how it is going to take advantage of the wonderful things happening in the state.
"We are a low-wealth, poverty end of the state. We don't have a lot of the infrastructure and jobs that other parts of the state have. We don't have the education system that is equal with what is going on in other parts of the state.
"We have to some make up and maybe do a little bit of panhandling with the governor and the rest of the General Assembly so that we can take part in what is going on as well because our children are entitled to good lives as well. I think those are the things that we need to look at in eastern North Carolina."
It is important to educate legislators and others about the importance of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
"It is one of the finest medical schools in the United States," he said. "We cannot afford to see it go down. There will be a lot more discussion about this because I am determined we are going to educate the state on what the Brody School does and what its financial situation is."
There is also a strong obligation to the military in Wayne County and eastern North Carolina, Pate said.
"There are movement right now in this state from some commercial people who want to come in and put up wind mills in the eastern part of the state that would just about wipe out the reason for the Dare County Bombing Range to be where it is," Pate said.
That in turn wipes out the reason to have the F-15s at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, he said.