Here’s what the Budget & Tax Center was up to in August
In August, we got some good news and some bad news about North Carolina’s labor market and inflation, as well as about what’s going on nationally. But we also got to spend time (in person even!) with many partners, community leaders, and future leaders who are dedicated to working to make North Carolina a better place for all of us, and it’s always inspiring and soul-lifting to be in space with y’all. It makes it all a little less heavy, knowing that there are so many of us sharing the load.
Here’s what the NC Budget & Tax Center was up to last month.
Community turns out for Rally for Every Child
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. Alexandra and I also worked a booth at the rally to talk with attendees about the importance of corporations paying what they owe in taxes so we can pay for things like the Leandro Plan.
You can watch and read Alexandra’s short remarks and see photos from the event here.
- Didn’t make the rally? You can still sign the petition to tell lawmakers: Get rid of corporate tax cuts so our children get the public education they’re owed!
- 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”
- Related: WRAL: NC Chamber protects business tax cuts over quality education for kids
‘An Evening of Hope’ focuses on challenges facing single moms
On Aug. 4, BTC Advocacy Manager Heba Atwa took part in An Evening of Hope, a discussion hosted by the News & Observer about the challenges facing single mothers and their families, and what the state and local communities can do to help. Atwa was also featured, along with the voices of some of our partners, in a series of articles from the News & Observer about families in need.
“Despite a very persistent narrative, the truth is that poverty is not a choice,” Atwa said. “There are policies — enduring policies — that have directly and effectively kept people, especially communities of color in our state, from opportunity and therefore in poverty.”
- Related: Heba Atwa published ‘Increase in NC’s Work First cash assistance program would help families meet basic needs’ in early August.
NC Leadership Forum
Alexandra Sirota, Executive Director of the NC Budget & Tax Center, participated in the first meeting of the latest cohort of the NC Leadership Forum, a space for civic, business and political leaders from across North Carolina to discuss issues central to the future of our state. Over the course of the fall, Alexandra hopes to bring practical solutions and an equitable lens to the conversation about how state and local governments are funded through taxation.
Did you miss August’s Partner Conversation? Register for Sept. now
Our partner conversation in August highlighted the work of our partners at Every Child NC to fund a sound, basic education for every child has required by the state Constitution. As students go back to school, we lifted up the importance of state budget decisions to students experience in child-care centers, K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions. We were joined by Better NC Fellow and Steering Committee Member for Every Child NC Susan Book, and together we connected the importance of corporations paying what they owe to children receiving the education they are owed.
- Check out this video with more about the Leandro Plan: Leandro Ruling: Movement for Equity in NC Schools – YouTube
Join us in September for a conversation about our upcoming report on what the budget does and doesn’t do to address the challenge of inflation and what it means for our state’s future.
Labor market and inflation: The good news and the bad news
Even though labor market data released in August shows that more NC communities are recovering the jobs lost to COVID-19, there are still some communities being left behind. Also, a lot of the jobs that are available are either higher-paying or low-paying – there aren’t enough middle-rung jobs that can give people opportunities for advancement.
We got a bit of good news in August about inflation as well. Prices held steady for the first time since May 2020. However, given what things cost and what a typical worker earns in North Carolina, it’s hard or impossible for most parents to make ends meet without choosing which basic necessities to go without. Wages aren’t keeping up with inflated prices, and workers are feeling the pinch even as corporations rake in record profits.
What we’ve been reading and watching
- Have Medicaid? You may be entitled to a free weekly box of produce
- USDA: Food insecurity rises when inflation increases
- Voters Will Decide This Fall on Whether to Add the Right to Unionize to One State’s Constitution
- Failure to extend Child Tax Credit in reconciliation leaves millions of families on their own
- NCDHHS Launches New Integrated Early Childhood Data Dashboards
- Economic uncertainty paired with recent legislative moves in the states – like temporary or permanent tax cuts – could limit growth in the next few years and may require budget reversals.
- The teacher pay penalty has hit a new high
- Poll: Black, Native American and Latino families face serious problems from inflation
- Top state for business, middle state for child well-being
- America’s biggest companies can’t stop bragging to investors about how they’re charging you more
- NC Supreme Court opens door to voiding Voter ID amendment
- The Nation Has Made Progress Against Poverty But Policy Advances Are Needed to Reduce Still-High Hardship
ICYMI: Here’s what the NC Budget & Tax Center was up to in July
