Wednesday, February 13, 2013

...and the rich get richer

"Sports Illustrated says that Jerry Richardson has a net worth of $500 million. His restaurant empire, which included Hardee's and Denny's, was obviously rewarding. Richardson is the major owner of the Carolina Panthers football team. It seems he has met with the current Republican leadership today to ask for corporate welfare. Richardson wants $62 million from the state budget and legislative approval for another $144 million in higher local taxes for a new stadium in Charlotte. In my view, just asking for taxpayer money is the height of chutzpah. I won't be surprised if the free-enterprise crowd in Raleigh finds the money for him.

Given the actions the Republican Majority has taken in just the first 2 weeks of the Session, it would land on the ever-growing list of troubling hypocrisy since the 2011-2012 Session. Here are just a few:

**Cut maximum cash payments to the unemployed from $535/week to $350/week and reducing the maximum number of weeks one can receive payments from 26 to between 12 and 20.

**No Medicaid expansion that would bring millions of dollars to NC and extend health insurance to nearly 500,000 North Carolinians. The Federal government would bear 100% of the costs for 3 years and 90% thereafter.

**Forbid NC from creating and running a health benefit exchange under ObamaCare that would provide North Carolinians affordable health insurance coverage and receive substantial Federal dollars.






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