2nd Primary Election July 17

4A
THE BUTNER-CREEMOOR NEWS
EDITORIAL PAGE
THURSDAY
June 28, 2012
Rick Flowe,
reedmoor Planning,
oning and subdivision
dministrator did a good
ob in negotiating a
olution to a problem
aced by a local business
nd a Creedmoor citizen
ho had complained
hat the business did not
eet the requirements
or keeping the sidewalk
assable as required by
he Americans with
isabilities Act (ADA).
The issue involves a
roduce stand on Main
treet which a complaint
laimed was encroaching
n to space minimizing
assage as required by
he ADA.
The solution Flowe
eveloped if followed, is
esigned to take care of
oth issues.
The planners effort
n taking the time to
eally listen is a credit to
lowe.
Too many times
overnmental bureaurats
don’t listen too
losely to tax payers they
re charged with
erving.
For many years
reedmoor was just a
ass through town.
here was nothing much
o stop for.
That has begun to
hange with a number of
estinations now
ttracting people from
aleigh, Oxford and
ven further away.
It will help all the
businesses in town to
prosper.
The small specialty
businesses like the
farmers markets,
specialty services,
restaurants, bakery, hair
care and pet care
businesses, the snow cone
stand, dentistry and other
personal care businesses
all help keep the activity
flowing and alive
downtown.
The Creedmoor
Planning Department has
developed a new code of
zoning ordinances which
was approved by the
Creedmoor Board of
Commissioners Tuesday
night.
The Planning
Department devoted
many hours of study into
the new set of ordinances
they developed working
toward the goal of making
them appropriate for the
next decade and beyond.
This new code of
ordinances replaces
regulations some of which
were outmoded or
conflicting.
Hopefully these
ordinances will make the
city staffs job easier in
interpreting and enforcing
the rules in place.
Certainly the Planning
Departments willingness
to listen to merchants
problems, complaints or
frustrations and
communicating them to
The Board of
Commissioners is a
hopeful sign for the future.
Harry Coleman
Budget Decisions and
Consequences, Real and Political
Letter To The Editor
STONE BOY MISSING
On Brassfield Road before you get to Hawley School,
Little Stone Boy and his Dog have been living in my
ard for many years. They must be lost, because they
ave been gone since Thursday night, June 14.
People are calling and asking where they are. So,
f you see them, please let me know.
Thanks for your help!
Frances Peed
Creedmoor
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length and to edit or reject letters that are libelous or, in management’s opinion, of
questionable taste.
The state budget is the
most important piece of
legislation passed by the
General Assembly every
year.
It is not only the
funding mechanism for
state agencies and
programs. It serves as a
statement of the state's
priorities by each General
Assembly.
The document is
always interpreted on two
levels: There is the real
world consequence, how
those spending decisions
affect us, the taxpayers,
the state employees, the
state retirees, the
students and the
motorists; there is the
politics, how the decisions
are driven by considerations
of political
futures.
This year, the reality is
that the $20.2 billion state
budget plan reflects a
state whose finances are a
bit better than last year
but still pretty strained.
So, with a Republican
majority that came to
power vowing not to raise
taxes, public schools
receive a little more state
money -- $42 million more
based on a
year-overyear
comparison
and $143
million
going to
help reverse
a
specific
flexibility
cut. It
isn't quite
enough to
offset losses of expiring
federal stimulus dollars
and well short of the
amount needed to reverse
three years of previous
cuts.
To put that $42
million in context, it
represents less than a 1
percent increase on a $7.5
billion public schools
budget.)
State employees and
teachers will also receive
their first raises since
2008, but the increases
average only 1.2 percent.
State retirees will see a 1
percent cost-of-living
adjustment to their
retirement benefits..
There is a slight cut
and capping of the state
gas tax. The budget also
A V IEW
F ROM
R ALEIGH
By Scott
Mooneyham
includes
provisions
to embark
on
a major
public
school
overhaul
cham
pioned
by
Senate
leader
P h i l
Berger, a Rockingham
County Republican. The
plan would focus on early
grade reading and limit
social promotion for thirdgraders
not reading at
grade level. It would also
hold schools accountable
by assigning them A-F
grades based on student
performance.
So, in the real world,
this state budget will likely
result in about the same
kinds of constraints as the
current-year budget.
It could lead to some
pretty substantial changes
in the direction of public
schooling, especially at the
elementary school level.
Obviously, the Republican
majority, in their
second year of legislative
control, sees another year
of a fairly austere state
marginally affecting the
ability to maintain that
Sure, GOP legislators
have heard complaints
eliminating programs.
They've weighed those
complaints against their
promise not to raise taxes.
Berger's school plan is
clearly intended to answer
Democratic criticism that
Republican lawmakers
are out to undermine and
dismantle the public
Beverly Perdue, who has
been highly critical of the
public school cuts, will
now consider whether to
But a veto could leave
without the state pay
raises and without the
bump in education dollars
-- in place, allowing
Republicans to put those
results at the feet of
spending as only
majority.
about cutting or
schools.
Democratic Gov.
veto the budget.
a two-year budget plan
adopted last year --
Perdue and the
Democrats.
Oh, the politics.
Greetings From Raleigh
W ork at the NC W arren
up getting
children, for success in
General Assembly counties.
the elementary school by
culminated Thursday with N o r t h
t a x preparing them to read. If
passage of a $20.2 billion Carolina is
break. pre-K funding is not
G REETINGS
state budget that I believe g o i n g
Given adequate, fewer students
fails to ensure a first-class backwards
FROM
t h e will be reading at grade
education for our children. in funding
choice level and schools systems
The Senate and House education
R ALEIGH between will be calling for more
also approved a bill when we
capping money to catch children up
allowing fracking in North should be
a tax cut in reading at the third
Carolina.
ensuring
By Doug to take grade level. This is not
Budget
that we
Berger the tax an efficient use of your tax
The budget for 2012-13
fills in some gaps that will
come when federal funds
move forward.
Retreating is
break
f r o m
millionaires or firing
dollars.
Finally, teachers get a
1.2 percent raise, but their
run out, but still leaves a particularly appalling teachers, the majority health insurance
$190 million hole in
education. That equates to
given the fact that the
Senate had the option of
party voted to give tax
breaks to millionaires. It
premiums will outstrip
the pay increase for those
3,400 teachers. In fact, capping a corporate tax is the wrong choice for on the family plan.
the new state funding
levels cover less than half
break instituted last year
and putting the $141
North Carolina’s future.
Pre-K programs were
Fracking Bill
Both houses of the
of what is needed to offset million saved toward cut by 20 percent ($16 General Assembly
the loss of temporary
federal aid and simply
education. The tax break
was originally slated for
million) and Smart Start
by $34 million. Meanwhile
approved a bill that opens
the door to fracking, the
operate schools at current small businesses, but the budget provides controversial practice of
funding levels. The NC during the budget process funding for a program that forcing water and
General Assembly’s Fiscal the cap on earnings was would hold back thirdgraders
chemicals into shale rock
Research Division projects eliminated, and all
who cannot read in order to release natural
that 129 positions could be businesses—even at grade level. Pre-K
lost in Franklin, millionaire lawyers and funding prepares kids,
Granville, Vance and medical practices—ended especially low-income
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