HAMPTON DELLINGER AND WALTER DALTON:
MAJOR DIFFERENCES ON THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION FUNDING

When it comes to major policy matters, including education funding, Walter Dalton and I disagree. 1

In 2001, Mr. Dalton was one of the leading legislators willing to accept massive cuts in the state's education budget, reductions that would have run in the hundreds of millions of dollars. As the Raleigh News & Observer reported at the time: "Sen. Walter Dalton, senior chairman of the Senate education appropriations committee, said that he agrees the cuts could hurt but that the legislature has little choice… Dalton said his committee has made it clear for the past month that additional cuts would be requested." 2

As part of Gov. Easley's team, I disagreed that the state had "little choice" other than deep education budget cuts. And, in fact, the Easley Administration was able to balance the state budget in 2001 -- and submit and champion subsequent pro-education budgets -- so that North Carolina's public schools and teachers were protected, not sacrificed.

That pattern -- Mr. Dalton supporting an inadequate education budget when the state faced fiscal adversity followed by the Easley Administration fighting for an improved final budget -- has repeated itself.

For example, the initial 2002 Senate budget Mr. Dalton supported froze teacher salaries, failed to provide Gov. Easley's requested money to reduce class sizes in early grades, and failed to expand the Governor's proposed expansion of More at Four. 3 The News & Observer called the budget Mr. Dalton supported "a dismal document." 4 Thanks to Gov. Easley's steadfastness, that budget did not become law. And while the legislative stalemate dragged on through the summer of 2002, I was proud to assist Gov. Easley with two critical pro-education Executive Orders (Nos. 24 and 28) that allowed for new teachers to be hired and schools to open smoothly. 5

Just this year, Mr. Dalton oversaw and voted for a proposed state budget that, according to NC Policy Watch, would lead to: "Lower taxes on millionaires, higher taxes on thousands of working families, fewer services to help children, the mentally ill, and kids at risk of dropping out of school." 6

And time and again, my opponent has backed proposals -- from putting governments at risk of owing millions of dollars to billboard sign owners 7 to a major new tax giveaway for homebuilders 8 to a tax cut for the richest North Carolinians 9 -- that would seriously reduce local and state governments' financial resources. The government revenues lost if the proposals Mr. Dalton has backed are enacted could instead go to supporting education and other vital public services. I disagree with my opponent's position on these issues because I know we need to be adding resources for education, not taking them away.

Because revenue drops and budget shortfalls are bound to happen in the future, the next Lt. Governor's commitment to always fight for substantial resources for public education -- even in tough times -- is crucial. My commitment as Lt. Governor will be just as steadfast as it was in 2001, 2002 and 2003 when I served as a top official in the Office of the Governor.

The resources our public schools need to attract great teachers, and to ensure that these professional educators are able to lead small, high-quality classes, must never be in doubt.

1 A summary of our differences on other issues -- including death penalty reform, women's health, civil rights, and the environment -- is available at www.HD08.com/differences.
2 News & Observer, "Legislators ask for cuts in education," 4/20/01.
3 News & Observer, "Senate plan nips, tucks," 6/19/02.
4 News & Observer, "Coming up short…" 6/21/02.
5 See Executive Order No. 24: Accelerating Teacher Recruitment and Hiring for More at Four and Class Size Reduction in Light of Judicial Requirements, Budget Developments, and Impending School Openings (available at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/News/ExecutiveOrders/EO_Table_of_Contents.asp)
and EO No. 28: Ensuring Needs of School Children Are Met Given Increase in Student Enrollment, Budget Developments, and School Openings (also available at link above)
6 NC Policy Watch 6/15/07, available at http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/?p=9025.
7 See Greensboro's News & Record, "A must-veto bill awaits Easley's pen," 7/3/04, which states: "Shame on lawmakers for putting special interests before the needs of the people they were elected to serve."
8 See News & Observer, "A Costly ‘Break'", 7/26/05, which states: "State Sen. Walter Dalton's proposal to give home builders a nice chunk of taxpayers' money is one of those classic exercises in Jones Street water-carrying. Dalton… ought to be embarrassed.")
9 See NC Policy Watch 6/29/07, available at http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/cms/?p=9184, which states: "Senators have made it abundantly clear that one thing matters most to them in the negotiations over this year's budget bill: cutting taxes on the richest North Carolinians." (emphasis in the original article).