The Republican leaders have passed legislation which does considerable harm to our poorest citizens. North Carolina has traditionally been a state that was concerned about the economic welfare of all of its citizens, but benefits to the poor, who often do not vote, have been drastically cut by the Republican leaders.  There are several components of this “war against the poor.”

These actions by the Republican leaders demonstrate an extreme lack of compassion for working families at the low end of the income scale.  We must restore the benefits to our hard-working North Carolinians who have come upon hard times.  Losing a job is a traumatic event; being told that “I am sorry John, but we are downsizing and your position has been cut,” or I’m sorry Mary but this location is closing and all of the jobs here have been eliminated,” often leads to increased credit card debt, foreclosure, and personal bankruptcy.  The safety net provided to assist hard working families in trouble has been cut by the Republican leaders, and they need to be replaced.  A new report from the Brookings Institution ranks four North Carolina cities among the top 15 in the country where poverty is growing the fastest: Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro-High Point.   Government should be there to make life better for people.   VOTE DEMOCRATIC!!

It was noted above that the Republican leaders also passed legislation that negatively impacted small businesses.  In 2013, the North Carolina tax law allowed a deduction of up to $50,000 of net business income for individuals.   In the case of a married couple filing a joint return where both spouses report a net business income, the maximum dollar amount applies separately to each spouse’s net business income.  Thus, a total deduction of $100,000 (maximum $50,000 each) was available. The Republican leaders eliminated this deduction for 2014, a move that has a negligible impact on large businesses but a significant impact on small businesses.  The Republican leaders show a remarkable lack of interest in the welfare of low income families and small businesses.

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