Breaking News: NC Attorney General Overrides Governor on Suspension of Ferry Toll Tax | Eastern North Carolina Now

   North Carolina Attorney General, Roy Cooper, reported to the North Carolina Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee that it was his opinion that the Ferry Tax, enacted by the North General Assembly in their fiscal 2011 / 2012 period, must go forward. The Attorney General's opinion will act as an override of the executive order, issued by outgoing North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, to suspend the Ferry Toll Tax for one year.

   NC Attorney Roy Cooper stated: "It is, therefore, our opinion that a direct conflict between a law enacted by the General Assembly and an Executive Order issued by the Governor must be resolved through implementation of the law."

   Here Downeast, this Ferry Toll Tax has been a most unpopular law for the separate taxation of citizens needing this conveyance. The North Carolina General Assembly passed this component of their fiscal 2011 / 2012 tax law to help shore up the three billion dollar budget deficit that was left that Republican controlled General Assembly by the outgoing Democrat controlled General Assembly. The Republican lawmakers were able to successfully balance that budget, with its staggering built-in budget deficit, but not without a great deal of pain in certain sectors of North Carolina. On this issue of a new Ferry Toll Tax, it will soon be the citizens Downeast, whom will soon feel the economic pinch, and resulting pain, of this tax to ford the many wide bodies of water that are the geographical reality of northeastern North Caolina.

   This is not the first controversial opinion by the Attorney General here Downeast. Well over two years ago, the Democrat Attorney General refused to heed the request by the Beaufort County Board of County Commissioners, as well as other North Carolina county governments' call, to join what became 26 states that challenged "ObamaCare" on grounds that this was an unconstitutional federal law. For the most part, these 26 counties have prevailed in federal court, and may well extend their litigation win streak through the United States Supreme Court.

   In retrospect, "ObamaCare" is credited, by most reasonable economists, as the most detrimental cause to inhibit small business job creation in this Great Recession that continues to endure. If you are fortunate enough to have a nongovernmental job in North Carolina, and you need to ride a ferry to get to it, you will soon be paying a Ferry Toll Tax to get there.