TALKING POINTS UPDATE: Thursday, August 20, 2020

N.C. Teacher Bonuses & Salary Increases During Pandemic Cap Epic Decade of Republican Raises

Unlike Blue States Struggling With Massive Debt, North Carolina Invests Heavily Fighting COVID-19

Republicans Tripled the Zero-Tax Bracket for Working N.C. Families Over Dems’ Opposition

Gov. Cooper and Press Pretend He Prioritizes Broadband, After Blocking Funds for Over a Year

 

Fake media narrative exposed: North Carolina passes 18 other states in teacher pay, ranks 2nd in Southeast due to Republican salary increases for educators.
 
  • Until Gov. Cooper and Democrats blocked teacher pay raises in 2019, Republicans enacted six consecutive salary increases for educators.
 
  • These were some of the highest raises in the country, according to the National Education Association and Fiscal Research Division.
 
 
  • The pay raises blocked by Democrats in 2019 to accomplish separate priorities were most beneficial for veteran teachers.
 
  • Data from the liberal National Education Association disproves the partisan, manufactured media narrative that Republicans don’t support teachers.
 
  • Teachers got furloughs and pay cuts from Democrats in the financial crisis, received pay raises and bonuses in the pandemic from Republicans.
 
  • Teachers know the truth and less than 5% pay dues to the radical liberal organizations aligned with Governor Cooper to block their pay raises.
 
Under Republican leadership, North Carolina was in a strong financial position to invest heavily fighting COVID-19.
 
  • Unlike Democrats the prior decade, Republicans actually planned for a crisis with AAA credit ratings, strong savings and surpluses in the 2010s.
 
  • Instead of filling huge deficits like liberal states, Republicans in North Carolina repaid Democrats’ debt and were ready to fight COVID-19.
 
  • Republicans invested over $1.2 billion of state and federal funding to improve access, testing, care, and services in the pandemic.
 
  • If Gov. Cooper and legislative Democrats had their wish-list of entitlement expansion and overspending, money would be scarce again for this crisis.
 
  • Republicans were smart not to go back to terrible budgeting practices pushed by Gov. Cooper, liberal media outlets, and state Democrats.
 
Low-income families have a 3x higher zero-tax bracket in North Carolina thanks to Republican relief Dems opposed.
 
  • Hundreds of thousands of low-income workers no longer owe any state income tax thanks to Republican tax relief Democrats voted against.
 
  • Republicans tripled the standard deduction for married families from just $6,000 under Democrats to over $20,000 in 2020.
 
  • Over 1.5 million workers, or 30% of tax returns, owe no state income tax because they fall into the Republican zero-tax bracket.
 
  • While Republicans passed sales and income tax relief for low-income families, N.C. Democrats repeatedly raised sales taxes on poor families.
 
  • Republican tax reform is attracting rapid growth as families keep more money in their pockets and businesses invest here in North Carolina.
 
Gov. Cooper blocked broadband funds for a year, now pretends to care about connectivity with legislative funds
 
  • Gov. Cooper vetoed funding for broadband connectivity grants in 2018 and 2019, holding up millions for underserved communities.
 
  • Now that students are forced to stay home, the Governor is willing to spend broadband money directed by the Republican legislature.
 
  • The General Assembly’s GREAT program for broadband is a big success thanks to smart Republican design of its grants.
 
  • Taking credit for state and federal funds received from Republicans like Speaker Moore and President Trump is a key strategy of the Governor’s messaging, with help from friendly press outlets.
 
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