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We invited readers to send us their questions for N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue, a Democrat. Here are some of the questions and Perdue's answers:
Q. During the campaign, you promised to expand the homestead exemption and freeze property tax evaluations for seniors who make less than $50,000 and have lived in their homes for more than 20 years. What's the status of that campaign promise and what are the details?
Helen T. Leigh
Charlotte
and, separately,
Olin Tucker
Charlotte
Expanding the homestead exemption and freezing property tax evaluations for seniors are still issues I believe are important to address. In addition, my initial proposed budget included the Family Caregiver Tax Credit to help families caring for older adults, but that did not remain in the final budget as revenue projections declined steeply.
North Carolina faced a shortfall of $4.7 billion — a 20 percent hole in the state budget — for this fiscal year. Even with new revenue and federal recovery funds, we cut $2.1 billion from the state budget. As a result, many tough decisions had to be made to balance the budget and to protect public school classrooms and other core services in health and public safety.
I'm hopeful that as the economy rebounds we'll be able to make progress on many issues this budget could not address.
Q. Why did you support an increase in the sales tax that hits basic needs like milk and bread rather than just increasing the sales tax on luxury items? A high tax on a plasma screen or diamond ring would still be paid but how many poor and out of work will decide to eat less or reduce their food quality due to the increase in this regressive tax?
Michael Wyche
Chapel Hill
The national recession has deeply affected families and businesses across North Carolina, and state government is not immune. This fiscal year, our state faced a $4.7 billion revenue shortfall, meaning we lacked one in every five dollars to pay for state government services.
Raising taxes was not a decision I wanted to make, and I fought to eliminate a proposal for an across-the-board income tax hike on all working families. But new revenue was necessary to prevent catastrophic cuts to our public school classrooms and other core services in health and public safety, which would have erased decades of progress in North Carolina.
A number of public school superintendents have announced they are rehiring teachers thanks to that new revenue.
Q. You advocate state takeover of Alcoa's Yadkin River dams now that their permits have expired. Duke Power's permits on the Catawba River are also expiring. Why haven't you advocated their takeover by the state? Both generate and sell electricity for profit.
Dick Jarrett
Albemarle
Fifty years ago, North Carolina endorsed Alcoa's request for a federal license to operate hydroelectric dams on the Yadkin River because they powered the company's aluminum smelting works and the facility created jobs for up to 1,000 North Carolina workers. Today those jobs are gone – and therefore so is the reason for the license.
That's why in March I asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make sure the river and the power generated by the dam serves the citizens and helps North Carolina's economy. The Yadkin River is a public resource, and my goal is for it to be used for public benefit.
Q. The N.C. House has at least twice sent the Senate a bill to allow for some local school calendar options. Local boards of education have been criticized for holding school on Good Friday and Memorial Day in the past due to a very restrictive calendar law. Why has the Senate not voted on the revised school calendar law, and would you take steps to urge them to do so?
George Litton
Shelby
The school calendar issue is an important one for the General Assembly to address. I encourage all stakeholders — families, teachers, administrators, local businesses and others — to come together to reach a consensus, which will ensure legislators produce the best policy possible.
