Progressives’ War on the Working Class | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation. The author of this post is Brian Balfour.

    The elitist progressives can't hide their disdain for the working people of North Carolina.

    Case in point, an op-ed written by the far-left NC Budget & Tax Center and published by the News & Observer this week entitled "NC tax cuts are a power grab that benefits the rich, hurt the state."

    Simply unpacking the article's title reveals a lot.

    First off, tax cuts - which allow working North Carolinians to keep more of what they've earned - are slandered as a "power grab." Who is grabbing power when working people are allowed to enjoy a greater share of the fruits of their labor?

    Not just "the rich."

    Tax cuts in 2021 - which are specifically called out in the article - included a scheduled decrease in the income tax rate from 5.25% to 3.99%, providing much-needed tax relief for all workers, and the majority of small businesses who pay taxes according to the personal income tax code, not just "the rich." Moreover, the cuts targeted low-income households specifically by further increasing the standard deduction, meaning more low-income workers will have zero state tax liability.

    Allowing middle- and working-class families to keep more of their hard-earned dollars will "hurt the state" according to the article. Let that sink in.

    Who, instead, is more worthy of the money you've earned, according to the N&O article? The political class, of course.

    Your household budget must be reduced so that politicians in Raleigh will have "the collective resources necessary to respond to people's priorities."

    Collective resources?

    Collectivizing resources is a hallmark of Communist regimes, and taken to the extremes has led to some of the 20th century's greatest tragedies.

    Moreover, wouldn't working people be able to "respond" to their "priorities" themselves if they were allowed to keep more of their paycheck?

    The preference revealed by their statement is one in favor of a working class dependent upon the ruling elite to determine and then satisfy what the politicians determine to be the workers' "priorities." Dependent people make for a reliable voting bloc.

    The contrast is clear: some people believe that your money should be spent by politicians and lobbyists in back rooms in the Capitol building in Raleigh, while others believe you deserve to spend your own money in the best way you see fit for you and your family.