This weekend, local residents spending their weekend in Moore Square in Downtown Raleigh participated in an interactive event that allowed them to allocate how they would like the NCGA to spend their tax money.
Down Home and other organizational members of the People’s Budget North Carolina coalition encouraged residents to vote with coins to visually demonstrate how they believe the NCGA should allocate the state budget. Budget categories included spending on small businesses, police and jails, housing, healthcare, education, corporate subsidies, and more. For two hours, individuals and families streamed past the display to vote their priorities.
Participants overwhelmingly voted for their tax dollars to be spent on education, healthcare, food access, housing, and unemployment insurance (in this order) in North Carolina. Coming in last in the list of priorities? Funding for police and jails, corporate subsidies, and lawmakers’ salaries.
“It’s time for the NCGA to listen to the people,” said Gayle Schwartzberg of Down Home North Carolina. “With more than $5 billion in unallocated funds sitting untouched in the bank, why haven’t we gotten healthcare, housing, and worker protections? From today’s event, it’s clear this is what North Carolinians want!”
“We have an opportunity to invest in our future by divesting from the police and by providing services for the people who are in need,” said Kathy Greggs, Co-Founder/President of Fayetteville PACT, observing that participants overwhelmingly supported social supports such as housing and healthcare over the category of policing and jails.
Do you think that it’s time for North Carolina to invest in Healthcare, Housing, and Worker Protections? Learn more about the NC People’s Budget and add your name!
