On one hand, North Carolina Republicans say their version of the new budget puts the Tar Heel State on a path towards long term fiscal responsibility.

On the other side of the aisle, state Democrats vow that the GOP’s deep budget cuts will cost North Carolina 32,022 jobs, $1.3 billion in lost wages for workers and $2.8 billion in industry output.

Republicans say those numbers are inflated.

Democrats claim they have the facts to back up their assumptions.

While our elected leaders bicker over the budget, the rest of us wait for the dust to settle in an effort to see which side is correct. At stake is this little thing called our future….we can ill-afford to make unwise decisions, especially now at such a critical time of pending full recovery from a three-year economic slide.

Jobs are now a precious commodity. Those fortunate enough to be a part of a dwindling labor force provide the backbone to a full recovery.

Without their input of taxes every pay period, the state and federal government cannot provide the services we count on each and every day.

Without those workers investing their wages into purchasing goods at the local level, the economy doesn’t have a leg to stand on….businesses will close, thus swelling the ranks of the unemployed.

We elect our leaders on a promise of making our local communities, our state and our nation a better place to live and work. We can only hope that the leadership of our state’s General Assembly, now under the control of the Republicans, is making sound decisions for our future.

If they fail, we all fail.

– The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald