I’m assuming, in highest optimism, that your questions (however illustrative they were of John Hood’s point today) weren’t merely hypothetical:

None of the senators like the tax increases that would add $982 million to state coffers for 2009-10, but they said they are willing to support the outline floated Tuesday by the Finance Committee.

“We all have heartburn about this, but what are our options? What are our alternatives?” said Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston, one of the Senate’s chief budget negotiators.

To quote from the famous trial scene in “A Few Good Men,” “You want answers? You want answers?” “I want the truth!” Well, here you go:

  • The Can-Do Budget, building on the Back to Basics Budget released in March shows one way the House could have avoided new taxes and fees in a more responsible way than the original House budget plan.
  • This budget would redirect revenues from the Tobacco Master Settlement to the General Fund, eliminate $125 million in non-teaching centers in the UNC System, and remove corporate welfare programs such as the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Job Development Investment Grants, and tax carve-outs like the recently approved tax break for Apple Computer.
  • There is still time for the Conference Committee to bring openness, responsibility, accountability, and fairness to the state budget. They can start by looking at the recommendations in the attached report.

Also, if you prefer the “think of the children!” approach to serious budgeting, then by all means consider the report linked above in conjunction with this thought.

After all, the state is undergoing double-digit unemployment right now. Lower taxes ? as you know, remember? ? is the best thing to create jobs in this climate.