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“The People Want Larger Teacher Raises And Medicaid Expansion. Give It To Them.”

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Another North Carolina Editorial Board Excoriates Republicans for “Scare Tactics” And Ignoring Popular Opinion

The Greensboro News & Record’s Editorial Board took Republican leadership to task for ignoring “the wishes of most of the state’s people” by standing against larger teacher raises and Medicaid expansion. The editorial ends by questioning the Republican opposition’s motives: “It’s not as if they are fighting for something vitally important with broad public support. Quite the contrary. The people of North Carolina know that affordable health care and good education are important for the state’s future. Too bad [Senate President] Berger doesn’t listen to them.”
A recent poll from WRAL shows that the majority of North Carolina residents believe Medicaid should be expanded. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said Medicaid should be expanded, compared to only 30 percent who say the program should remain as is. When it comes to investing in education, “nearly three-quarters of those polled — across party lines — support more money for schools rather than further tax cuts.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dan Forest, is echoing the same “scare tactics” criticized in this editorial. He is standing against the interests of North Carolina by opposing Medicaid expansion and failing to prioritize investments in education.
See more from the Greensboro News & Record below
The Republicans who run North Carolina’s legislature are thwarting more than just Gov. Roy Cooper and his fellow Democrats as they continue to dig in their heels and refuse to pass a budget that includes Medicaid expansion and competitive pay for public school teachers.
They are also going against the wishes of the most of state’s people, many Republicans as well as Democrats.
[…]
In mid-February, WRAL found that 57% of people polled agree with Cooper that North Carolina should expand Medicaid — as 37 other states already have. That percentage is down from some polls last summer, mostly because of those GOP scare tactics. But it still shows strong popular support.
Cooper also believes that North Carolina must continue to work to improve pay and conditions for teachers. The quality of education for children depends upon that support, he argues, and he’s right.
But when they passed their budget last summer, Republicans decided that it was more important to give businesses another tax cut than to give schools and teachers more money.
[…]
Cooper and others say we still have a long way to go. North Carolina loses good teachers not so much to other states as to other professions that pay a lot more for professionals with their level of education.
Most people in the state seem to agree that it’s more important to increase money for public schools than to cut taxes further. WRAL found that nearly three-quarters of those polled — across party lines — support more money for schools rather than further tax cuts.
So why are Republicans so determined to have the state limp along without a budget as they keep trying to get enough votes to override Cooper’s veto?
It’s not as if they are fighting for something vitally important with broad public support. Quite the contrary.
The people of North Carolina know that affordable health care and good education are important for the state’s future.
Too bad Berger doesn’t listen to them.