Art Pope the Moderate?
July 2, 2013 - by
A Republican lobbyist wondered: “What has the world come to when Art Pope is a voice of restraint on cutting taxes and spending?”
Art Pope? The Democrats’ favorite demon? The radical, anti-government archfiend? Has he become a big government liberal? Or is this just a sign of how far off the edge of the earth the Republican Party has gone?
Sure enough, Governor McCrory and Budget Czar Pope want smaller cuts than Senate Republicans want.
That sent would-be tax reformer Bob Rucho into a tizzy. He quit as Finance chairman. He told the Charlotte Observer: “It is a huge disappointment that the governor and the speaker … did not provide the leadership or have the political backbone to fight the special interest groups.”
McCrory and GOP legislators all campaigned for tax reform – and cutting spending. But now McCrory wants to “fund his priorities.” (If only we knew what his funding priorities are.)
And this isn’t new. As far back as February, Pope publicly questioned the scope of Rucho’s ambitious plan.
It looks like McCrory, Pope, Speaker Tillis and Senator Berger have seen the numbers. Not budget numbers; poll numbers. And abandoned ship.
Art Pope the Moderate?
July 2, 2013/
A Republican lobbyist wondered: “What has the world come to when Art Pope is a voice of restraint on cutting taxes and spending?”
Art Pope? The Democrats’ favorite demon? The radical, anti-government archfiend? Has he become a big government liberal? Or is this just a sign of how far off the edge of the earth the Republican Party has gone?
Sure enough, Governor McCrory and Budget Czar Pope want smaller cuts than Senate Republicans want.
That sent would-be tax reformer Bob Rucho into a tizzy. He quit as Finance chairman. He told the Charlotte Observer: “It is a huge disappointment that the governor and the speaker … did not provide the leadership or have the political backbone to fight the special interest groups.”
McCrory and GOP legislators all campaigned for tax reform – and cutting spending. But now McCrory wants to “fund his priorities.” (If only we knew what his funding priorities are.)
And this isn’t new. As far back as February, Pope publicly questioned the scope of Rucho’s ambitious plan.
It looks like McCrory, Pope, Speaker Tillis and Senator Berger have seen the numbers. Not budget numbers; poll numbers. And abandoned ship.