Dueling banjos
So, State Treasurer Richard Moore headlined a shindig this morning where he backed a state-level Earned Income Tax Credit. From his news release:
“With the cost of health care, food and gas on the rise, too many families continue to struggle to make ends meet. Last year, we were successful in raising the state’s minimum wage by one dollar, and now we should build on that success by enacting a state version of the federal earned income tax credit. A state EITC rewards North Carolina values – hard work, family and playing by the rules. The EITC will work hand-in-hand with the increased minimum wage to help North Carolinians improve their situation and that of their families. Now that business has done its part with the minimum wage, enacting an EITC is the right thing to do to help 700,000 North Carolina families.”The federal EITC was created in 1975 to offset the effects of federal payroll taxes on low-income families. It is administered through the personal income tax and is based on the individual’s income, filing status and number of dependents, encouraging work and responsibility. Research shows that the credit has contributed to a significant increase in labor force participation among single mothers and that many recipients use the refund to pay off debt, invest in education or pay for housing.
So close on the heels of that release, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue sends this one:
Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue and a key group of lawmakers will once again push for working families’ tax relief during the upcoming legislative session that begins next month.“The Rewarding Work Tax Credit will provide much need tax relief for working families,” said Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue. “They should have a seat at the legislative table every time tax relief is discussed,” added Perdue.
The Rewarding Work Tax Credit is a state earned income tax credit. It’s similar to the federal EITC. Last year, around 600,000 families were approved for the federal EITC. Under the proposal, a family would have to be approved at the federal level before becoming eligible for the state earned income tax credit.
“This is one of the pillars in a permanent working families agenda in North Carolina. A third of North Carolina’s families are still living paycheck to paycheck and are unable to meet basic living needs. This tax relief will put more money into the pocket of our working families,” said Perdue.
Can’t we get along and restructure the tax code the help less fortunate people together? Man, it’s like these two are running for something...oh, yeah, they are the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2008.
Perdue’s release, in a show of one-upmanship, includes quotes from notables such as Greensboro Rep. Alma Adams:
“I’m proud to be working with the Lt. Governor on a working families agenda. A state earned income tax credit is a big part of that. It will help hundreds of thousands of families in North Carolina.”
Comments (3)
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Wow, those sure do sound like campaign plans.
Where exactly in his role as NC Treasurer does it cover Moore proposing legislation regarding the EITC.
Does that not seem like a misuse of government resources to you?
Posted on December 11, 2006 3:38 PM
Chris:
I would say a few things to that, and am going to make the relatively naive assumption you don't have a particular political axe to grind here.
First, I would say that you’re right to an extent. There's nothing particular about the role of the state treasurer that would give him purview over such a policy proposal. But I see nothing in his role that would prevent him from doing so.
Second, I would say that someone running for governor (or any other high office) needs to stake out their positions on various items of public interest, and it's probably not healthy to say they can’t do so because they hold one position or another. It would be different if the guy was, for example, an appellate court judge. But state treasurer? I don’t see a real conflict there.
Could you make an argument that such an announcement would be better coming from a campaign apparatus than an official spokesperson with a government e-mail account? Yeah, maybe?
But you could also make a pretty good argument that in North Carolina's system of government, where executive powers are divvied between the 10 members of the council of state, each member of that council has an equivalent right and duty to speak out on matters of public concern.
Bottom line, it’s probably a grey area where you’d like to see a little cleaner break. But “misuse of government resources?” I’m hard pressed to get there.
Posted on December 11, 2006 6:04 PM
Mark,
Thanks for the response.
It boils down to Richard Moore using a press secretary that is paid for by our tax dollars to do his campaign work when he has nearly $2 million in the bank for his campaign.
As for it's his right and duty to speak on matters of public concern, it would be like the State Labor Commissioner putting out a press release regarding gun control legislation.
According to his very own mission statement on NCTreasurer.com, Richard Moore sees his role as:
To serve as the state's banker and chief investment officer, and
To administer the public employee retirement systems and other employee benefit plans for public employees which are assigned to the department, and
To assist units of local government in the state in maintaining strong fiscal health, and
To administer the escheat and abandoned property program.
Where exactly does policy endorsements regarding tax policy does that fall?
Bev can at least make some sort of jurisdiction in her press release in the role of her office in setting policy in the Senate, but not much more.
Just another power of the incumbency, I guess.
Posted on December 12, 2006 11:59 AM