A report earlier this year, revealed the wave of tax cuts that has continuously benefited corporations and the wealthy over North Carolinians.
Since the Republican takeover of the North Carolina legislature, the elimination of corporate income tax and other cuts that primarily benefit large multi-state companies and wealthy people have accelerated, while investments toward schools, childcare, broadband, water quality, and public safety have fallen to the wayside.
According to the report, NC lawmakers continue to divert public funds from vital services the government provides, such as funding public schools, clean drinking water, and safe communities, to the pockets of out-of-state corporations and the wealthy few.
The report adds that these cuts have put more of the burden on middle- and low-income taxpayers while letting wealthy people and corporations off the hook.
These cuts are shown visibly throughout public schools across the state, Republican lawmakers have refused to meaningfully invest in public schools and crucial resources and raise wages for educators.
According to N.C. Policy Watch, at the start of this school year, there were more than 5,500 vacant teaching positions in the state’s public schools, and less than 500 of those spots had been filled within the first 40 days of the school year. Comparatively, in 2018, there were about 1,550 open teaching positions in the state.
In Wake County alone, the school district’s job site had 543 teaching positions open back in January – about 120 for special ed teachers and nearly 400 open positions for instructional support staff.
A recent survey shows that the state is attempting to fill over 1,300 bus driver slots across the state.
As budget proposals are on the horizon, the need for equitable investments in public education cannot be ignored. The effect of Republicans’ tax cuts for wealthy people and corporations over adequately funding our schools, is robbing a generation of North Carolina students of quality education, and educators of resources and support.
Read more at N.C. Policy Watch
