Fitzsimon's take on the NC budget negotiations

From NC Policy Watch a well written analysis of the budget debate this week.

"...despite all the talk about restoring education funding, the latest version of the budget still makes deep cuts in all levels of the state’s education system at a time when almost every other state in the south is increasing funding for schools.

It does appear that the five House Democrats will vote for the final version of the budget when it comes to the House floor later this week. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have committed to vote to override what appears to be the inevitable veto from Governor Perdue.

Perdue issued a statement calling the revised Senate plan an “ideologically driven effort to unnecessarily defund education and other crucial programs.”

That pretty much sums it up, and makes it clear what she thinks of the secret backroom weekend deal and its fuzzy math and misleading claims.

It is more of the unacceptable same from legislative leaders more interested in keeping the radical right happy than serving the best interests of the state.

It is veto time again in Raleigh.