What has happened to the NC Republican Party?

“By hook or by crook,” the N.C. Republican party is desperate to continue their overwhelming hold on the state legislature.

There are the intense gerrymandering where they drew voting districts to give themselves a 10-to-3 advantage in the state’s U.S. House seats (because they could not figure out a way to give themselves an 11-to-2 seat advantage); the multiple attempts to take power from Gov. Cooper and give it to themselves; and the attempts to shorten voting time and eliminate some voting places, especially in districts with high African-American populations .

They have tried to stop voting on the N.C. State University campus – could it be because many students vote Democratic? – and to eliminate Sunday voting, knowing full well that many African-American churches on Sundays offer “Souls to the Polls” where members with cars take those to vote who do not have transportation.

What has happened to the once-proud Republican Party? Thanks to Common Cause and the League of Women Voters in their legal efforts to return North Carolina to a progressive southern state with fair voting practices.

Tax cap ‘misleading’

The proposed constitutional amendment to cap income taxes is a bad idea.

First, it would put the state’s Triple-A credit rating in jeopardy during an economic crisis such as the one we saw just a decade ago. That would mean higher interest rates at both the state and local levels of government.

Second, with the new cap, when the state maxes out its ability to raise revenue, the only source for more money for schools will be higher property taxes.

Third, such a cap would benefit only the super rich who now pay a flat income tax rate of 5.49 percent, and who are doing quite well; the rest of us, not so well with creeping inflation and stagnating wages.

And finally, this proposal is misleading because of the erroneous suggestion that voters will get a tax cut. It just reduces the existing 10 percent cap to 7 percent. For most folks, a vote for this amendment is a vote against their own interests.

ABC ‘monopoly’

I read two opinion pieces this past weekend advocating the continued non-privatization of NC bottled liquor sales.

I found it amusing that both authors had a vested interest in continuing the status quo. The writers were the executive director of the NC association of ABC Boards and the board chair of the NC Alcohol Policy Alliance.

Unlike the writers, whose arguments are based on mere speculation, my argument is based on proven economic theory.

Any time a government bureaucracy intervenes in the running of a free market, the result is almost always waste and inefficiency. This economic inefficiency means that all potential benefits from trade are not realized and everyone is worse off.

Furthermore, in a highly competitive market, competition between sellers lowers prices for consumers. The ABC has an effective monopoly over the sale of bottled liquor in our state, going against the free market principles our country was founded on. It’s time to put an end to the state-run monopoly on bottled liquor sales.

Not ‘Right?’

Regarding “High court candidate to get GOP label on ballot” (Aug. 29): Chris Anglin won his legal challenge to get on the ballot as a Republican candidate for the North Carolina Supreme Court. However, I find it sad the way this story is being reported.

Chris Anglin was a Democrat candidate until June 7. He filed to change his party affiliation at the last minute. It’s obvious that he is hoping to siphon off votes from the real Republican candidate Barbara Jackson. It may be legal, but it doesn’t make it right.

This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 11:28 AM.