Comes close to calling for an income tax cut. Or something.
You tell me, what exactly is Pat McCrory talking about here, as reported by the Daily Reflector: “While discussing job recruitment, McCrory said he believes North Carolina should consider amending its personal income tax, saying it discourages entrepreneurs from setting up businesses in the state.”
More:
“About a year ago, last February, I went on a caravan to Raleigh to try and convince the state Legislature, the governor there was a serious criminal justice problem. ” he said. “The response we got from our state capitol was disappointing.”
He said Gov. Mike Easley wouldn’t meet with the group, and many legislators tried to pit crime control against education as if addressing the two issues was an either-or situation.
“It was a growing culture I’ve seen a culture of being inaccessible a culture of turning inward with their backside to the customer,” McCrory said.
“That’s when I started thinking about (running for governor),” he said. “We need a governor who’s accessible.”
McCrory listed a series of initiatives he’d pursue if elected governor:
Pursue “gang” legislation that gives the Department of Correction and the court system more money. McCrory wants more space to incarcerate juvenile offenders so they can learn accountability for their actions. He points to the Charlotte area, where there are only 30 beds for juvenile incarceration and none of those are for girls.
Push public schools, community colleges and universities to produce work-force-ready graduates. McCrory proposes community colleges and universities reduce offerings and concentrate on building excellence in certain areas of study.
Revamp how the state transportation department sets construction priorities by creating a 25-year plan that addresses environmental impacts, future congestion, safety needs and economic development needs in the decision-making formula.
Bzzt. Fail. Never, ever mention “economic development” in relation to transportation as the Down East knuckle-draggers will take that as a signal to pave every hog track east of I-95. And that caravan to Raleigh is taking on quite the legendary place in the McCrory zeitgeist, like Mao’s Long March or something.
Let’s also try to clean this up: It was a growing culture….I’ve seen a culture of being inaccessible, a culture of turning inward with their backside to the customer. Still tortured.
Pat, can’t we just say that Raleigh is full of a-holes and leave it at that? Everyone will know exactly what you are talking about. Unlike now.
Bonus Observation: Note that Mayor Pat got his nephew out from behind a keyboard and into the campaign swing. That’s win-win.
Update: As Pat swung east, the other a couple candidates were in Buncombe County for a straw poll. Fred Smith won, McCrory got shut out. Tough to be everywhere at once. Under the Dome initially said that Smith had attended — turns out both he and McCrory missed the event.
