Scott Huffman for NC House 76 – “For sixteen years, Republicans have controlled Raleigh. During that time, the General Assembly has repeatedly limited local authority, including on labor standards and other local policy decisions. Now they want to go even further by restricting how communities can raise the revenue needed to support police officers, firefighters, schools, emergency medical services, roads, and other essential services.“

Republicans used to talk about “small government.” They said government worked best when decisions were made closest to the people. Local.

Apparently that conservative principle no longer applies when local communities make choices Raleigh doesn’t like.

This November’s constitutional amendments would take more decision-making power away from counties, cities, and local voters and place it in Raleigh.

Less freedom for local communities. More control from the state.

For sixteen years, Republicans have controlled Raleigh. During that time, the General Assembly has repeatedly limited local authority, including on labor standards and other local policy decisions.

Now they want to go even further by restricting how communities can raise the revenue needed to support police officers, firefighters, schools, emergency medical services, roads, and other essential services.

They call it taxpayer protection.

But if a fast-growing county cannot hire enough deputies, cannot build the schools it needs, cannot adequately fund fire and EMS, and cannot keep up with the demands of growth, what exactly has been protected?

Certainly not the community.

Conservatives once warned about a “nanny state” that controlled too much of people’s lives.

Today, many of those same conservative politicians want Raleigh deciding what powers local governments may exercise, how communities may raise revenue, what can be taught in public schools, and what choices local folks and communities are allowed to make for themselves.

That isn’t small government.

That is centralized government. Sounds authoritarian doesn’t it?

They don’t want to conserve local control.

They want to control it.