June 9, 2011

Dear Mrs. Kelly, Thank you for your recent letter concerning the budget and the Republican legislature. I did not receive the letter in time to read it on the floor at this years NCGOP State Convention. If it had been delivered in time, I definitely would have read it because I am sure it would only reinforce our support for the Republican budget, Speaker Tillis, President Pro Tem Berger and our Republican legislators. They delivered a budget, as promised, that right-sizes state government without raising taxes on our states families and job creators. I think all North Carolinians agree that our teachers and teaching assistants are some the finest in the country and deserve our utmost respect and sincere gratitude for the job they do day in and day out for the people of North Carolina. But lets make one thing clear. The NCAE does not represent all of North Carolinas teachers and disagreeing with the teachers union is disagreeing with a small group of partisan professionals pushing a political agenda. As I have traveled North Carolina, our fellow North Carolinians have asked me I can only spend as much as I bring in, so why does Governor Perdue think she can spend more than she brings in? This is a concept that Governor Perdue, the entrenched Democrat political patronage machine and your union leadership have failed to grasp. For far too long, the people of North Carolina have been called on to support more spending and more taxing under the guise of supporting public education. This sky-is-falling approach to budgeting is not leadership. It is quite the opposite. Real leadership is making the very tough decisions to help all your constituents, not just those politically connected to the Governor by way of political contributions. When faced with a $2 billion Democrat-created budget shortfall, the Republicans in the General Assembly did what so many families across North Carolina do when faced with a budget shortfall of their own. They reduced spending to ensure they were not faced with future shortfalls.

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Governor Perdue and the leadership of your unions answer to the budget shortfall was to raise taxes $1 billion on all North Carolina families and job creators. When given a chance to reduce spending, Governor Perdue hired a new executive chef for the Governors Mansion, paid an out-of-town Obama campaign operative six figures to advise her and remodeled the Governors Mansion in Asheville. She also counted on her allies in the unions to demonize and intimidate Republicans in the General Assembly. And I do not find it coincidental that Governor Perdue is so vehemently supporting the position of unions. The unions gave her millions of dollars to help her get elected in 2008 and your President, Sheri Strickland, was recently in a re-election strategy session for the Governor and is committed to raising Governor Perdue thousands of dollars for the Governors re-election effort. But this should be expected as this is the culture of perpetuation, corruption and patronage that runs rampant in Raleigh. Governor Perdue and your union leadership are just doing as they know best. When in doubt, raise taxes and demonize the other side. As Governor Perdue, the entrenched Democrat political patronage machine and your union leadership see their golden goose slipping away one day at a time, please remember this. We would not be in this fiscal mess if it were not for Governor Perdues failed leadership and the decades of out-of-control spending and failed policies by North Carolina Democrats. Our states budget problem was not caused by Republicans but it surely will be fixed by Republicans. Sincerely,

Robin Hayes Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party

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