“State employees, teachers, Democrats and others unnerved by the idea of Art Pope’s drawing up the state’s next spending plan for Gov. Pat McCrory…must have felt sheepish about dreading its contents. Rather than terrifying those who rely on or support state government spending and programs, the $20.6 billion budget maintains the status quo and makes changes around the edges.”
Hold the mayo.
Yes, he called for hiring 1,800 more full-time teachers. But he would slash 3,000 teacher assistants.
Some history here: Those teacher assistants were part of Governor Jim Hunt’s 1977 Primary Reading Program. Because too many kids weren’t learning to read, Hunt and the legislature put “reading aides” in every classroom in the first, second and third grades. They have been there since. Reading performance has gone up, up, up. Now McCrory wants to get rid of the aides. How does that help kids learn to read?
Plus, the UNC system would get another 5.4 percent cut. And maybe a campus gets closed. And the community colleges get whacked.
And that’s all before the Senate does its budget.
Jim Jenkins’ column in the N&O hit the nail on the head about Republicans in the legislature: “They’re more interested in destruction than in building.”
Maybe McCrory wants to leave the destruction to the Jones Street wrecking crew. But he can’t duck accountability. That’s what the veto is for.