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Surplus awaits N.C.'s budget-writers
More than $1 billion expected to be available, but state officials say they remain cautious
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, April 20, 2006


RALEIGH

House Democrats who talked frankly about Speaker Jim Black's future Tuesday night also got a look at the budget, and the news is the best in years.

Overcollections of state taxes have nearly doubled in the past three months to about $400 million, essentially assuring a budget surplus for the third consecutive year after four consecutive years of shortfalls, according to legislators and their research staff.

Add to that money not used by state agencies or not allocated last year and more than $1 billion in cash should be available for legislators when they return to Raleigh next month to adjust a $17.3 billion spending plan that takes effect July 1.

Budget-writers already are downplaying the cash influx, saying that they have lined up all the money for programs neglected during the recession or for such high-priority items as state employee pay raises and the repair of deteriorating state buildings.

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I think we all know the story here. Remember the "temporary" half-cent tax? It became permanent.
Betcha they never even thought of returning the money to the people they took it from in the first place.