http://66.225.205.104/6-18-09perdue-edu.mp3
Gov. Bev. Perdue is urging lawmakers to raise taxes that she says will help save teachers' jobs. She urged a hike in taxes Thursday in a rally at a school in uptown Charlotte. WFAE's Simone Orendain reports. On this sunny, hot late morning Governor Perdue was flanked by three dozen or so teachers on the front steps of Elizabeth Traditional Elementary. While Perdue told the crowd nobody likes raising taxes, she says they are necessary. "Sure we need to cut! Sure we need to cut. But North Carolina must raise the revenue it has to have good teachers in every classroom in North Carolina," she said. Last week House lawmakers passed a spending plan the includes raising $780 million in taxes. But that plan also builds in larger class sizes, which means more teacher layoffs. The Senate is now hashing out its own plan. In her own budget proposal, Perdue raises taxes on alcohol and tobacco by $1.3 billion. She didn't give specifics on how much each tax would increase. CMS has already laid off close to 1,300 workers- most of them teachers. And the district anticipates making more layoffs because there's now a possible $120 million shortfall in next year's budget.