The $2 billion plus state budget shortfall should be a huge concern to every citizen in North Carolina. While I do not want to sound insensitive or disrespectful to your opinion about the impact the proposed reduction in funding for the UNC System might have on higher education in the state, I would rather see information outlining the UNC System’s strategy to help address the budget shortfall.
The truth of the matter is the citizens of North Carolina already pay enough in taxes and the families of college students have already seen their children’s tuition go up more than 5 percent annually for the past decade while their salaries have basically remained flat. In my opinion, it is time for the leaders of the UNC System to start addressing these issues rather than wasting their time and our money lobbying the legislature.
John Hood, in his April 7 daily journal, summed up my thoughts and probably the thoughts of many North Carolina tax payers and the parents of many college students when he said, “Overall, our government budgets are simply too big to finance at current revenues. With the continued weakness of North Carolina’s economy, state policymakers must recognize that there is little appetite for additional tax increases. They’re going to have to bring future expenditures in line with projected future revenues. That means finding savings in every area of the state budget, including the UNC system.”
Brent Kincaid
Class of 1982