First quick take on the Senate budget proposal

Senate leader Phil Berger attempted to argue this morning that the Senate’s budget (which actually spends a little more than the House proposal) represents an effort to move toward compromise with the Governor.

A perusal of some of the details from the various subcommittee reports, however, quickly dashes the notion that the Senate GOP has had some kind of change of heart.

The proposal still slashes funding in every important area of state government and proposes all kinds of unnecessary tax cuts (based on a bogus voodoo economic job creation theory) at a time when North Carolina desperately needs to be investing more in essential public structures and services.

Though the Senate folks attempted this morning to divert attention from the overall devastation by highlighting a few areas of positive change (e.g. class size in grades 1-3), make no mistake, the overall picture is bleak. There are big, heartless and damaging cuts to education, health and human services, environmental protection, justice and public safety and just about every category under the sun — all so we can cut taxes at a time of profound state budget crisis.

All in all, a disappointing and predictable development.