Lou Giglio: Rucho’s spin cycle

Regarding the Aug. 25 letter “Teachers ahead”: Sen. Bob Rucho continued to spin the economic impact of his and Sen. Phil Berger’s tax policies on teachers, but his spin has no traction.

Gross education funding has increased, but student population has also increased, resulting in a decrease of more than 6 percent in per-pupil spending. He failed to mention this fact.

A $6,600 raise of 17 percent means the base salary was $38,823.53 or just about 1.5 times the poverty line for a family of four, and it took the teacher 17 years to reach this abysmal level. Adjusted for inflation from 2010, that salary becomes $42,150.71 leaving $3,272 as the actual increase or just an 8.4 percent raise.

Classroom supply funding was $83 million before the recession, now $47 million and adjusted for inflation should be $95 million. Why must a teacher spend her own money for school supplies?

Yes, more money initially is in the pocket, but the Berger, Thom Tillis, Tim Moore, Rucho, et al., tax policy raises tax rates on everyday needed items and adds taxes on other goods and services not previously taxed. Their tax policy is a blatant shell game that picks the pockets of the low and middle group wage earners.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Lou Giglio: Rucho’s spin cycle."