Editorial Pro or Anti Gambling?

The StarNews has a confusing editorial today, here’s the headline:

Gov’s education funding plan a gamble we don’t need

So, I’m thinking they’re against the governor wanting to tax video poker (sweepstakes machines) to pay for education.  I mean, the headline would lead you to believe it’s about the governor. Then they start bashing the GOP.

Republican leaders aren’t warm to Gov. Beverly Perdue’s latest proposal to narrow the education budget gap they created by refusing to reinstate part of the sales tax they allowed to expire last year.

Hmm. . . so surely they will get to the anti-gov, anti-gambling point.

The governor recently signed a bill allowing live dealers at the Cherokee casino, a move that not only would add jobs but which also might increase the number of visitors.

Nope, not there.  Ohh, so gambling increases jobs and tourism right?  Then they write this.

North Carolina should fight to uphold a ban that seeks to keep our state from becoming polluted with gambling dens that are a blight on the neighborhoods where they locate and which would make a poor statement about our state’s priorities.

But I guess lottery tickets in convenient marts in poor neighborhoods are ok?  So we should stop gambling? But it creates jobs?  Then they finally get to the point which is that we need more taxes.  As always, it’s about supporting more taxes and “the children.”

Our children’s education shouldn’t depend on people’s willingness to lose far more than it would cost them to pay an extra 7 1/2 cents on a $10 purchase.

Worth noting, they never addressed the plan put forth by the Governor or why it is bad per their headline.

Tax Analysis Shows Pontential Job Creation. . . From Cutting Taxes

Yep, it’s always a mystery to local elected officials and the governor, but cutting taxes CAN create jobs without stimulus or special favoritism or baseball stadiums.  The John Locke Foundation has a study showing that over ten thousand jobs could be created by making some fairly simple changes in the tax code.

The tax changes would provide a powerful stimulus to the North Carolina economy. Employment would increase by 14,922 in 2012, and when fully implemented in 2013 would create 17,016 by leaving more money in the hands of the state’s households and businesses. The combination of individual income tax and sales tax changes would increase real disposable income by $1.1 billion in 2012 and $1.6 billion in 2013.

You can find the entire report here, worth a read and definitely worth talking about.