6/19 Letters: Contrary to popular belief, ‘higher taxes create jobs’

Recently there have been claims that tax cuts are needed in order to create jobs. This argument just doesn’t hold water. This country needs improvements to its infrastructure – bridges are failing, dams need strengthening, roads need repairing, schools need to be built, Medicare needs to be expanded, etc. This requires higher taxes to provide the necessary funds.

Americans must also recognize that higher taxes create jobs. People have to be hired to do all of these tasks. Increasing taxes is a great way to stimulate the economy and provide needed jobs. Taxes provide funds for government expenditures that create jobs that generate funds that stimulate demand and lead to economic growth. Opposition to higher taxes is not based on the desire to create jobs but rather grows out of greed and selfishness: I want; who cares whether others have?

Tax claims challenged

Regarding “The Carolina cutback” (June 11): There is a lot state lawmakers can learn from Kansas’ tax-related fiscal struggles, but claiming that North Carolina is headed in the same direction is misleading. Kansas created a large tax-planning opportunity with its now-infamous pass-through business tax exemption. Since then, Kansas has continually struggled to balance its budget and has faced numerous credit downgrades.

North Carolina, on the other hand, lowered tax rates and expanded the income and sales tax bases, both tenets of good tax policy. Unlike Kansas, North Carolina has experienced three consecutive years of budget surpluses and implemented its tax cuts in a responsible manner. Debates over preferred North Carolina spending levels are fine, but the comparison with Kansas isn’t supported by data.

Governor’s School ‘transformative’

Regarding the May 24 editorial “Saving one Sanford Legacy”: I applaud this recent editorial in support of the Governor’s School. As a 2008 graduate, I fondly remember my time there. It was a welcome respite from formulaic, curriculum-based education – indeed, it was one of my first introductions to critical thinking.

The Governor’s School was transformative, boasting top-notch instructors and extremely bright peers. That education has had results. Nine years after attending, my alumni friends have gone on to become leaders : doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on. The majority of them remain in North Carolina, giving back to the state.

To me, this suggests that the Governor’s School is not just a line-item cost, but an investment with tremendous returns. To defund the Governor’s School would be to unearth some of the seeds of future growth. I urge the General Assembly to reconsider this portion of the budget.

This story was originally published June 18, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "6/19 Letters: Contrary to popular belief, ‘higher taxes create jobs’."