Robert K. Anderson: Berger’s hypocrisy

Senate leader Phil Berger has been talking out of both sides of his mouth.

Concerning the sunset provision on historic tax credits, Berger was quoted: “And our belief is that when you tell folks something is going to happen a certain way then you need to act consistent with that. Otherwise you’re just, every year, having to re-argue and re-decide things that should have been settled” (“Berger: Budget spending is a test of GOP discipline,” Aug. 23 Under the Dome item).

Yet regarding the issue of school funding, he and the North Carolina legislature changed the system that had served us well since 1933, in which school appropriations were determined by the number of students to be served. In the 2014 session, the legislature scrapped that system, and now school funding is a political issue every year.

We now have the bruised fruit of that decision: The school year has already begun, yet funding is still unknown for teacher pay, teacher assistants, textbooks, etc.

The older, more practical system must be reinstated before Berger and the Republicans sabotage another school year and the education of our children.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Robert K. Anderson: Berger’s hypocrisy."