People from around the state gathered at the Halifax Mall on Saturday, Aug. 27, to rally for the Leandro Plan and every child’s right to a sound basic education. There were remarks from community activists and members of a variety of nonprofits, including Alexandra Sirota, Executive Director of the NC Budget & Tax Center.
NC Policy Watch wrote more about the event in their article, “As kids head back to class, NC lawmakers told to ‘cut the check’ and fully fund public schools (with photo gallery).”
Rally for Every Child Photo Gallery
Text of remarks from Alexandra Sirota:
Thank you. Buenos dias! My name is Alexandra Sirota and I am the director of the NC Budget & Tax Center. I’m a parent of three, I’m a resident of Durham County and the state of North Carolina, and I am here today to demand that corporations pay what they owe to fund every child’s education and our future as a state.
No matter what we look like or where we come from, most of us believe in caring for our families and making sure every child has what they need to reach their full potential.
Some of us give our all as teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, nurses, and parents, to educate and support every child in our state.
But when policymakers rig our tax code so the wealthy and corporations pay less, that erodes the foundation our children need to be successful.
It puts up barriers in place that then make it harder for our teachers and parents. They have to carry a heavier load.
Paying taxes is how we come together to do the things we need to build a strong foundation for a society where everyone – regardless of race or place – can thrive.
Yet policymakers plan to divert the profits that our work creates to shareholders and out-of-state corporations by eliminating the corporate income tax.
Let me be clear: That means that, by 2030, corporations will not have to pay any income tax in North Carolina on the profits they make from operating here.
Redirecting our state’s resources to already profitable corporations undercuts what is needed for to pay for the Leandro plan and it makes it much more difficult to move beyond that bare minimum and that Constitutional requirement to make sure our children have everything they need.
We can fund our children’s success, but we have to go all in. We have to go all in so that classrooms have the resources they need, so that schools have the staff to educate the whole child. We have to go all in so that communities have safe, equitable public schools.
We must demand that our leaders make corporations pay what they owe through taxes. That’s how we show up for each other, delivering the quality schools, the quality early education experiences, and the good-paying jobs that ensure every one of our families can thrive.
Thank you.
Mel works to shape the public’s understanding of the critical role that equitable policymaking has in advancing our collective well-being and, in so doing, builds the will for systemic policy change that is informed by people across the state.
