WRAL Internet Poll: Public Hates Governor’s Actions!

WRAL touts internet poll as supportive of Gov. Cooper’s positions, but that’s only true if you ignore his actions

Cooper has handed out hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate tax breaks while vetoing teacher pay raises

Raleigh, N.C. — An internet poll released by WRAL News last week shows that the public really hates Gov. Roy Cooper’s actions.

According to WRAL, the public wants more money for education and fewer corporate tax breaks.

That’s bad news for Gov. Cooper, who has handed out hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations while blocking teacher pay raises and education funding.

In fact, Democrats have opposed every teacher pay raise in the last decade, and Governor Cooper has vetoed every teacher pay raise that reached his desk.

Even as Gov. Cooper blocks the sixth and seventh consecutive teacher pay raises, he handed out $146 million in giveaways to corporations in 2019. So far in 2020, Gov. Cooper has handed out more than $17 million to corporations, while doubling-down on his opposition to cutting the Franchise Tax, which would have allowed businesses already in North Carolina to save about $255.2 million.

So while Gov. Cooper is handing out checks to millionaires and billionaires, he’s claiming to oppose the sixth and seventh consecutive teacher pay raises because he doesn’t like corporate tax breaks. Not only did he veto the state budget that contained their raises, but he also vetoed a separate bill that contained the raises, and refuses to sign any budget deal unless it includes Medicaid expansion.

“Judge a man by his actions, not his political rhetoric,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown (R-Onslow) said. “If this WRAL internet poll is to be believed, the public has a major problem with Governor Cooper talking out of both sides of his mouth. He tells the press and the voters he’s against corporate tax cuts, yet there he is at made-for-TV events doling out millions of dollars to corporations while teachers continue to wait for the pay raise he’s single-handedly blocking.”