About
The Billion Dollar Lie is contained throughout the House version of Senate Bill 202, which is the most recent edition of the proposed state budget. Deceptive claims that critical services will be cut, when in fact they are fully funded by federal stimulus money, are plentiful in this document.
According to Senate Bill 202, 6th Edition, Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, Page 5, the “Total General Fund Budget 2009-2010” is $18,565,370,699. The truth is that this number intentionally omits $1,381,869,565 in Federal Recovery (Bailout) funds that are used throughout the budget to fully fund programs the Liberal Democrats want you to believe have been “cut”. They use this “Billion Dollar Lie” because they want the public to believe that essential services will be cut if massive tax increases are not enacted.
These are some specific examples:
Education
In Senate Bill 202, 6th Edition, Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, be Page F1, “Public Education”, Item 3 reads “Educational Stabilization Fund – Noninstructional Support Personnel Reduction” featuring a $356,970,583 “cut” from the budget. The truth is found in the fine print which clearly states, “This reduction will be offset by the appropriation of the federal Educational Stabilization Fund (ESF)”. In other words, the public will see no change in the services provided. There will be no jobs lost. The Liberal Democrat legislators just want us to believe that a deep $356 million dollar cut which will hurt our children in public schools is imminent, when in fact the funds are already provided by the federal government.
Senate Bill 202, 6th Edition, Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, Page F1, “Public Education”, Item 4 reads “Educational Stabilization Fund – Classroom Materials/Supplies Reduction” with a $46,448,981 “cut” from the budget. Again, the fine print clearly states, “This reduction will offset by the appropriation of the federal Educational Stabilization Fund (ESF)”. We are intentionally led to believe the Legislature is cutting $46 million in classroom supplies from our school children when, in fact, it is not.
Senate Bill 202, 6th Edition, Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, Page F16, “UNC System”, Item 90 reads “Educational Stabilization Fund” with a $65,151,313 “cut” in spending in our University System. The truth is, again, the fine print reads the cuts will be “offset by the appropriation of the federal Educational Stabilization Fund.”
Health and Human Services
Senate Bill 202, 6th Edition, Report on the Continuation, Expansion and Capital Budgets, Page G132, “Division of Medical Assistance”, Item 132, reads “Reduction in Medical Assistance Payments” showing an $856,872,804 cut to services for the most vulnerable of our population. The truth is the fine print on the very next line reads “…Medical Assistance payments to be offset by federal recovery funds.” Again, another false statement intended to scare our most needy.
Unfortunately, the list goes on including, Item 31, showing a $4,000,000 cut in “Early Intervention”, Item 42, showing a $5,153,105 cut in “Childhood Immunizations”, Item 70, showing a $2,214,542 cut in Child Support Subsidies, and Item 87 shows a $260,590 cut for support of older blind individuals. All of these “cuts” and more totaling $871,642,446 are actually fully funded by federal stimulus money.
Justice and Public Safety
While everyone agrees government’s primary role is to protect us from those that want to harm us or take our property, the House Budget attempts to scare not only our citizens but those working in our Justice System with $42,665,242 in “cuts” that in fact are fully funded by federal money.
Summary
The truth is no one doubts that in this tough economy, working families are struggling to make ends meet. That being said, all of us are willing to do what must be done to support our government in providing essential services for North Carolina’s citizens. All of us should be offended, however, when Liberal Democrat leaders deliberately attempt to mislead us into believing needed programs are being “cut” when, in fact, they are not.
I ask you, with the high cost of gasoline and heating oil, rising costs of health care, and unemployment on the rise, have we, the citizens of North Carolina learned to get by with less? The answer is obviously yes. Government must do the same!