Faison calls out Tillis and Berger

Glad someone besides us is doing it

President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Thom Tillis are calling for a debate on tax policy and funding for education. Where have they been for these past five months?

I asked them in writing to put my JOBS Plan on for debate at three of their special sessions, September, November and January. Moreover I asked Speaker Tillis to do this in a second letter, in person in his office at the Legislature, and publically [sic], face to face, on the Flashpoint Television show. I have asked them to stop wasting North Carolinian’s hard earned tax dollars on social issues and bring forward my plan, and that of so many of my colleagues in the House, to put people back to work, support education and put uniforms on State Highway Patrol Troopers using by using a fraction of a penny sales tax. Both Berger and Tillis have stubbornly ignored all calls for meaningful Legislative action to deal with these problems. They have refused to allow public Legislative debate on these vital issues.

Why I even tried to amend the last Adjournment Resolution so these issues could be debated when they bring us back for one more wastefully expensive February Special Session but they voted it down. They cannot effectively govern. They have failed to address the most critical issues affecting us all, while focusing on the radical social issues of a few in their party. They need to quit wasting our time and money with partisan political posturing and get down to the business of the people; jobs, the economy, education and a meaningful energy plan.

If they really want a debate on issues that matter to people, then let’s have it. I call on them to allow the filing of the JOBS Plan supported by 70 percent of the Democratic House Caucus and let’s publically [sic] debate the merits of putting over 36,000 people immediately back to work, including teachers, teacher’s aides and others in both the public and private sector.

Let’s debate using a fraction of a penny (seven tenths of a cent – seven cents on a ten dollar purchase) to help our friends and neighbors keep their homes, cars and keep their kids in school. And, after all the talking is done, let’s do something positive. Let’s pass the JOBS Plan. Let’s take action to help those around us get back to work by contributing just a very little to do a huge amount of good for lots of folks.

Via email.

Just to say it for the millionth time, if nothing is going to get passed in the Legislature (and it's not), why is the Democratic leadership not going for a more progressive approach to taxes?

Raise taxes on millionaires, not working people.