As Speaker of the State House of North Carolina in the General Assembly, Thom Tillis wielded considerable power in North Carolina Politics.
As Speaker, Tillis controlled the House agenda. Time after time Tillis quashed politically embarrassing votes on amendments by Democrats, by allowing unlimited GOP "laying on the table" of the amendments. Most importantly, rarely if ever anything Tillis was opposed to was brought up for a floor vote. Further, he allowed floor votes where timely public notice was lacking, including the fracking bill and budget. Tillis allowed non confrontational technical bills to be loaded with controversial policy changes.
Tillis and his allies are touting their education record as something to be proud of. Cough, Cough. As a candidate for US Senate, Thom Tillis wants to do for the country what he did as Speaker of the North Carolina House.
Whether it be fracking, cuts to schools, raising class sizes, or denying Medicaid expansion, one of the stupidest cuts in terms of economic growth goes into effect October 1.
From the News-Record
About 12,000 kids statewide will no longer get reduced-cost child care under the new state budget that Gov. Pat McCrory says he will sign this week.
The budget legislators approved late last week will tighten the income eligibility requirements for the child care program, reserving the subsidies for younger and poorer kids. Some families will also have to make higher copayments to participate.
So let say you are a lower to middle income family in North Carolina. You can get a subsidy to help bring your kids to a licensed child care facility. There are 110,000 kids whose families receive subsidies in North Carolina. Thom Tillis helped pass a law that will throw up to 12,000 kids off the subsidy.
This means families and working men and women will have to face a terrible choice- either quit work, possibly going on social benefit programs such as food stamps or WIC- or place their children in unlicensed unregulated childcare facilities. These facilities may be unsafe. Or kids may be dropped off at home to become latchkey kids.
Families qualify to participate based on how much they earn. Families make a copayment of 8 percent to 10 percent toward the cost of care, and they will continue to pay that rate until their eligibility is reviewed under the new income guidelines.
In Guilford County last fiscal year, the program paid an average of $381 a month per child, according to the Department of Social Services.
The new state budget doesn’t cut the overall funding for the program, but it does shift around the costs, in part to provide higher payments to child care providers. The new guidelines will further limit which families qualify for the subsidy — especially for school-age children.
If there ever was a social program that encouraged work and helped lower income families, it is the reduced cost child care program in North Carolina. This is pro family, pro-economy, and ultimately smaller government because it keeps people off of social welfare programs. These working people buy things, eat at local restaurants, and shop at local stores. If anything, to help the poor and middle income folks, they should expand the program.
Thom Tills is allowing 12,000 kids to be kicked off or suffer reduced child care subsidies. The battle for control of the Senate starts and ends in North Carolina. Thom Tillis has no heart nor brain. Let's send him back to the land of Oz.