Andrew T. Heath: A national success

The Aug. 6 editorial “Gov. McCrory, ex-moderate” claimed that tax reforms signed by Gov. Pat McCrory have “hamstrung state government.” This depiction couldn’t be further from the truth.

North Carolina has one of the fastest-growing economies since 2013, and unemployment has returned to pre-recession levels. Our state has been nationally recognized by CNBC, Forbes, Chief Executive Magazine and Site Selection Magazine as a top state for business. In a climate of historic tax cuts returning more money to North Carolina families and businesses, the state ended the fiscal year with a $445 million revenue surplus driven by more people working and earning more.

Under McCrory’s leadership, North Carolina has added more than 300,000 jobs. This news should not be taken for granted, particularly when our neighbor, Virginia, recently announced a $266 million budget shortfall requiring it to defer promised teacher pay raises and make difficult budget cuts.

Furthermore, a report by Moody’s recognized North Carolina as the leader in state revenue growth totaling 8 percent over the past year. Far from the “hamstrung” government illustrated by the editorial board, excess revenue has afforded a budget with monumental teacher pay increases, middle class tax cuts and important mental health investments.

This story was originally published August 13, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Andrew T. Heath: A national success."