Bob Rucho

It's rarely funny.

"This could turn into the lobbyist full-employment act," Rucho joked.

It's one of the most revealing chapters from this year's General Assembly session, one that perfectly illustrates the far right's misguided priorities for our state. Senate Republicans used a procedural gimmick during the state budget debate in order to dodge a vote on closing a tax loophole for NC's wealthiest residents. This $3,500 tax break was originally sold to the public as a "small business tax cut." But the tax loophole Republicans maneuvered to keep in place applies to ALL businesses that are not corporations. Millionaires qualify. Wealthy corporate lawyers qualify. Many members of the NC House and Senate qualify. Any business -- no matter how large -- qualifies if it is not a corporation. So what's the cost to North Carolina of this tax cut for millionaires? It will cost our state $336 million in 2013 alone.

Remarks I made at the NC Redistricting Public Hearing – East, at the New Hanover location at UNC Wilmington, 3:00pm – 5:00pm, July 18th, 2011

My name is Greg Flynn. I live in Raleigh, Wake County but I thought it appropriate to speak at a hearing in Wilmington because it appears there is no part of North Carolina, however remote, that can not be drawn into a Congressional District with Wake County.

Actually I am on vacation but am so disgusted by the State House and Senate redistricting plans released just last week that I took the time to drive here from Topsail to register my concerns. After my initial laughter at the absurdity of the boundary diagrams, that can charitably be described a resembling an explosion in a spaghetti factory, my concern grew on closer inspection of the delineation, if you can call it that, of the proposed districts. I couldn’t decide if the inspiration was mitochondria or Machiavelli, but the result is the same: Meandering and artificial division that obliterates all sense of civic geography and community place, and who might best represent it.

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