Does Anybody Care?
July 29, 2009 - by
The capital press corps and several editorial writers have whacked Governor Perdue and the Democratic legislative leadership for not getting a budget done.
But does anybody outside downtown Raleigh
Obviously, other people in government care. Like local governments. And school officials who don’t know how many teachers to hire.
But I have a feeling that the flap is mainly confined to those people who work at the Legislative Building and have to put up – once again – with the legislative session running into August. And wrecking vacation plans.
Here’s a lesson I learned working for Governor Hunt: The average voter pays no attention to the daily back-and-forth in Raleigh
Most all voters think all legislators are wasting time and tax money in Raleigh
Last week, one very smart legislator asked me if it would be a good idea for legislators to roll out the cuts they made before rolling out tax increases.
Theoretically, yes. But – just as they don’t follow the ins and outs of legislative maneuvering – voters never believe the legislature really cut the budget. You can cut billions. But one story about one program that seems to waste millions – or just thousands – and the cuts are forgotten.
Finally, remember that the end of the session is always a mess. I saw it happen sixteen times when I worked with Governor Hunt. Dozens more as a reporter, editor and now blogger.
That’s the way it is, as Walter Cronkite would have said.
Does Anybody Care?
July 29, 2009/
The capital press corps and several editorial writers have whacked Governor Perdue and the Democratic legislative leadership for not getting a budget done.
But does anybody outside downtown Raleigh
Obviously, other people in government care. Like local governments. And school officials who don’t know how many teachers to hire.
But I have a feeling that the flap is mainly confined to those people who work at the Legislative Building and have to put up – once again – with the legislative session running into August. And wrecking vacation plans.
Here’s a lesson I learned working for Governor Hunt: The average voter pays no attention to the daily back-and-forth in Raleigh
Most all voters think all legislators are wasting time and tax money in Raleigh
Last week, one very smart legislator asked me if it would be a good idea for legislators to roll out the cuts they made before rolling out tax increases.
Theoretically, yes. But – just as they don’t follow the ins and outs of legislative maneuvering – voters never believe the legislature really cut the budget. You can cut billions. But one story about one program that seems to waste millions – or just thousands – and the cuts are forgotten.
Finally, remember that the end of the session is always a mess. I saw it happen sixteen times when I worked with Governor Hunt. Dozens more as a reporter, editor and now blogger.
That’s the way it is, as Walter Cronkite would have said.