news-record.com

Our governor and state lawmakers of both political parties need to recognize that politics as usual needs to change. The ticket to getting elected can’t continue to be how much can a candidate promise to spend of taxpayers’ money. The focus needs to be changed to how much can a candidate save taxpayers and reduce the deficit by eliminating waste, fraud and ineffective spending.

As part of the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget, North Carolina legislators gave us more than $1 billion in new taxes. Of the three major taxes typically imposed at the state level — income, sales and corporate — North Carolina raised all three!
These tax-rate increases have a negative effect on our state’s economic competitiveness. Our unemployment rate is already one of the highest in the country. The new higher tax rates will further highlight North Carolina as a high-tax state in a low-tax region. Our state is already struggling with a poor level of competitiveness, and this will further hurt our ability to attract and retain business.

In the next election, the citizens of our state would be better served to listen to what the candidates say they can eliminate and save rather than spend!

Jeff Claypool
Greensboro