Bravo Bill Faison for standing up for working people in this State

When the Legislature returns to Raleigh, we should act on job-creation policy, not take up referendums amending the State Constitution. This unprecedented wastefully expensive boondoggle is Republican partisan game playing for ultra-conservative votes and neither a necessary nor wise use of public money.

The cost to bring legislators back to Raleigh is approximately $50,000 a day, too expensive for Constitutional amendments discussion. The primary referendum is a ban on same sex marriage when we already have a long-standing, unchallenged law that bans it. A four-day session at a cost of about $200,000 is simply wasteful when public money should be spent on other priorities.

The Legislature convenes for its Short Session the second week in May 2012. Amendments can be taken up then at no additional costs, allowing plenty of time for the November ballot.

Unemployment is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Almost a half a million folks are out of work. According to NC Employment Security Commission July data, 454,989 North Carolinians, 10.1 percent, are unemployed. Unemployment is worse in some metropolitan areas and in our already struggling rural counties. Unemployment generally hits minorities, youth, and those with limited education the hardest.

The shocking truth is that the Republican Legislature passed a Budget in June, intentionally firing 14,500 State employees which is projected to cause another 20,000 people in the private sector to lose their jobs because of the money this takes out of the economy. The Republican Legislature is not creating jobs; it is inflicting widespread job loss at a time when unemployment is already the toughest problem we face. They are part of the problem.

We should put the Legislature to work next week solving the very real problem of unemployment and put people to work immediately.

First, we need to reinstate the one penny sales tax. The intentional cutting of this existing, almost unnoticed little tax, cost 14,500 State employees their jobs and is projected to cost 20,000 private sector jobs dependent on State employees buying goods and services, and small businesses that engage in commerce with the public sector. This solution is broadly and widely supported by folks across the State who say, “it is the fairest tax because it is paid by everyone.” People are willing to spend a penny to keep other folks employed.

We can fix this problem with the “power of the painless penny.”

Second, we can use tax incentives for small business to create 214,874 more jobs. Small businesses with less than 20 employees hire 640,210 people in our State. We need a tax incentives policy aimed at the 155,784 little guys who make up 86.7 percent of employers and collectively hire 18 percent of the workforce. The Legislature has passed numerous special provisions to bring and keep national companies but no effort has been made to provide meaningful incentives that will motivate small businesses to invest in people.

During the regular Legislative Session, the Republican leadership passed a “Jobs Bill.” The “Center Piece” is a tax break for businesses that could possibly be worth at most $3,500. You can’t hire an employee for $3,500 or pay benefits. We can fix this.

The Legislature should pass a tax incentive package for small businesses that provides enough to fund a full-time position, and incentives for investment in infrastructure including technology, expansion and marketing. This type of tax incentive has the potential to cut our unemployment almost in half.

Third, when the Legislature convenes, we will take up Budget amendments for hurricane relief for the nine counties that suffered damage in Hurricane Irene. While we help those hurt by the hurricane, we can and should amend the Budget to rehire those who were fired, through no fault of their own, by the Republican Budget.

We can fix this now.
North Carolinians are ready to work! I call on the NC House GOP Leadership to take immediate action to put North Carolinians back to work.

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