More evidence is mounting everyday that the investment-killer known as TABOR would be disastrous for North Carolina.
Now, NC Women United has compiled a tremendous list of reasons that TABOR will jeopardize the future of NC’s women and families. By imposing artificial spending limits that aren’t related to economic reality, we will miss the chance to build prosperity for everyone in North Carolina. A quick excerpt:
As you may imagine, that is a recipe for a state that will eventually fail all of its citizens, particularly its most vulnerable. This legislation has been introduced in 30 states, and only one – Colorado – has ever fully accepted it and implemented it. And that went so well, the citizens of CO voted to get rid of key pieces of it. …
The state provides a lot of services to everyone; that’s its job. In particular, it provides services to the most vulnerable citizens that can’t get their needs met in the private market. The for-profit market stays away from certain services – like domestic and sexual violence crisis services, and services to assist the homeless and those experiencing food insecurity – because there is no real opportunity to make a profit from those services (and also the nature of for-profit business means those businesses may feel more vested in making sure there is a continued need for the product they are selling rather than for solving a social problem). This is why we have a balance between public and private enterprise. TABOR legislation plays on the widespread misunderstanding the public has about how government is funded, and what services the government actually provides to us all (see this chart for an example of the services that may be left out with TABOR in place). These services help not just individuals, but also businesses, who make use of the investments we make in our common good – education, infrastructure, a thriving middle class – to sustain their organizations.
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