Negotiations On State Spending Plan Continue

House and Senate budget negotiators received new marching orders Tuesday to trim another $100 million from the $14 billion state spending plan.

New spending targets were given to joint budget subcommittees as legislative leaders continued higher level negotiations on a tax increase package.

Republicans said Democratic leaders are just seeking more political cover for their tax hike plan.

Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, said the spending cuts being talked about are largely a mirage because they represent cuts from Gov. Mike Easley’s budget recommendation, not last year’s spending plan.

“They aren’t being honest with us and they aren’t being honest with the people of North Carolina,” Rucho said. “You can’t justify a tax increase when you aren’t honest with people.”

House leaders have said their earlier spending proposal cut $800 million from Easley’s recommended budget.

The House operating budget would actually increase overall spending from $13.8 billion last year to $14.3 billion.

However, Democrats point out the increase is more than eaten up by state employee pay raises, $150 million to make the employee health plan solvent, and university and public school enrollment increases.

Appeals court upholds dismissal of lawsuit over Easley ads

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Republican consultant over public service announcements featuring Democrat Mike Easley.

While attorney general, Easley – now governor – used money received from court settlements involving his office to finance TV and radio ads publicizing a new state law against predatory lending practices. Other ads cautioned people to watch for unlawful telemarketers. The last series of ads, which featured Easley prominently, ran in the fall of 1999.

Chuck Fuller with Citizens for a Sound Economy sued Easley and State Treasurer Harlan Boyles, asking a judge to block the ads from airing and order Easley to reimburse the state for the commercials’ cost. He said the ads violated the state Constitution and election laws.

GOP gubernatorial candidates said the PSAs were thinly veiled political ads for Easley, who announced he was running for governor in early 2000. Republicans fought with the AG’s office during the campaign, trying to collect public records related to the $1 million in ads. Easley’s office defended the ads as a proper use of settlement funds.

Parents charged in deaths of three siblings

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (AP) – The parents of three Johnston County siblings killed in a murder-suicide in their squalid mobile home were charged with child abuse and gun violations Tuesday.

As he announced the charges, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell expressed an opinion that showed how deeply the deaths had stabbed into the community’s heart.

“This has truly been a tragic incident due to the loss of three precious lives from our community,” Bizzell said. “Common sense tells us that these adults were not the parents these children deserved.”

Boyd Kent Warren Jr., 43, and Nissa Mae Warren, 41, each were charged with misdemeanor child abuse and storing a firearm in a manner accessible to a minor, Bizzell said. The couple was arrested just before noon Tuesday at their home on Hickory Crossroads Road, Bizzell said.

“The Warrens have been of a cooperative nature throughout the total investigation,” Bizzell said. “It’s never of a pleasing nature to be arrested, but they gave no trouble whatsoever.”

The Warrens posted $1,000 bond and were released Tuesday afternoon. If convicted, they could face a fine determined by the judge and up to 120 days in jail for each count, said Johnston County District Attorney Tom Lock.

Flooding damages total more than $5 million

MARSHALL, N.C. (AP) – Damages from two weekends of flash flooding in Madison County exceeded $5 million, more than half of that damage to crops, county officials said.

Gov. Mike Easley declared the county a disaster area Tuesday because of the Aug. 4 flood damage to residences, business and public buildings.

Damage totals from last weekend’s flooding were at least $3.2 million and damages from the previous weekend topped $2 million, county officials said. The totals include damage to property, roads and crops, which alone total $3 million.

One of the hardest-hit areas in both flooding episodes was Shelton Laurel, a community along the Shelton Laurel Creek in northern Madison County.

“It scared me. It really did. The water got up under our house. The mud is above my ankles in our cellar,” said Reva Cutshall, who lives along the creek.

Officials said two homes were destroyed and seven other had major damage. Ten homes had minor damage and flooding destroyed 22 private bridges, 12 wells, 22 septic systems and 11 driveways.

County schools, except for Mars Hill Elementary, remained closed Tuesday and were to open Wednesday. Damages at Laurel Elementary were estimated between $150,000 and $250,000.

It’s official: Randleman dam construction a reality

RANDLEMAN, N.C. (AP) – Government leaders celebrated a moment Tuesday they had talked about for decades – the official construction start on the Randleman Reservoir dam.

The project has been talked about since 1937, at least, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a dam on the Deep River to control flooding. Lately, the project has been anticipated to provide drinking water for the Greensboro-High Point area.

“This is going to be a tremendous help to address water needs,” said Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C. “We’re in dire need of it, in Greensboro particularly.”

Coble said the dam will address water needs for the region for 40 to 50 years.

“The bad news is many people lost their property, and for them, it’s not going to be a good day,” he said in an interview prior to the groundbreaking ceremony. “Dairy farms will be submerged, but I guess nothing comes without cost in this era in which we live.”

Coble said the cost will be offset by increased economic development that will bring more jobs.

“I’ve been told that in recent months and in recent years, many industries that were considering locating here were very uneasy about it because of the questionable supply of water,” Coble said.