The swarm of attack ads claiming $500 million in North Carolina education cuts

Glenn Kessler ^

[eyedigress]

Notice a theme? In the hard-fought North Carolina Senate race, just about every ad from a Democratic outside organization repeats the same talking point —that the GOP candidate, Thom Tillis, as speaker of the North Carolina House, presided over a $500 million cut in education funding. Tillis’s opponent, Sen. Kay Hagan (D), also raised it in a political debate.

In June, we first looked at this issue, when yet another outside group, Emily’s List, ran a similar attack ad. The Emily’s List ad, as well as two of these new ads, pair the $500 million allegation with the bogus claim that Tillis handed out tax cuts for “private jets and yachts.”

Now that the budget season has ended in North Carolina, it’s time for an update. The Facts

As we have said before, the jet and yacht claim is taken out of context. A major tax law negotiated under Tillis’s watch in 2013 eliminated a number of loopholes to help finance a tax cut, including a $20,000 cap on deducting property taxes and home mortgage interest that was aimed at the owners of large homes and estates. But lawmakers, under pressure from the state’s boat building industry, did not eliminate a $1,500 cap on the sales tax for boats and planes.

[eyedigress]

I want every FReeper that denotes Tillis as not favorable over Kay Hagan or even better to explain why he is NOT conservative to voice your complaints here.

[Don Corleone]

Same here in AZ against the Pubbies.

[hosepipe]

Teachers Unions are picking taxpayers pockets....
AND kicking them in the nuts...

[C. Edmund Wright]

As if the US Senate has a damned thing to do with State education budgets.

[eyedigress]

and what...

[iowacornman]

These schools are massive bloated bureaucracies. They dont even teach. They baby sit and afraid to have any discipline because of fear of minority rage and law suits. Our high school “graduates” are stupid and ignorant of our real history. Cut funding everywhere — Total waste of our money.

[eyedigress]

Thom Tillis is Speaker in North Carolina.

[cripplecreek]

Same here in Michigan. Democrats claim cuts in education funding despite the funding actually going up.

[manc]

same here in FL, it’s non stop and they are lying through their teeth, getting teachers, and parents all in a twist

[eyedigress]

I need the anti-Tillis folks to rear up and tell me what is not conservative about him.

[Din Maker]

Democratic outside organization repeats the same talking point —that the GOP candidate, Thom Tillis, as speaker of the North Carolina House, presided over a $500 million cut in education funding. Tillis’s opponent, Sen. Kay Hagan (D), also raised it in a political debate.

And what is Tillis saying? Like I said in another thread, here on FR: The Dems are throwing the kitchen sink at us and we are SILENT!!! Not one Pubbie running for Senate has said a word about Obama promising to grant Amnesty after the mid-term elections. Not a peep out of the GOP candidates. We should be shouting this from the rooftops every chance we get. Scott Brown is leading in the polls in NH because he has tied the Amnesty issue around Jeanne Shaheen's neck.

We are going to get our butt handed to us on November 4th.

[JSDude1]

He’s not as conservative as I like, but I’ll take him any day over “Obama in a skirt”.

Plus since our Federal Judiciary is ON THE LINE-I’LL Vote Tillis to keep the US Senate out of Harry Reid’s hands and to help make Obama’s last 2 years a living Hell for him!~

[eyedigress]

Don, there has been a spirited campaign here on FR to somehow paint Thom Tillis as a RW liberal.

I want those players out of their mothers closet and defend those positions.

[manc]

same here in FL. The Dems run the same talking points every election.

[eyedigress]

This guy has been excellent for North Carolina.

[cripplecreek]

And they talk about republicans not having a message.

[eyedigress]

In what area of conservative would you change about his beliefs?

[Slyfox]

Same here in TX. Abortion Barbie is lying through her Depends.

[Din Maker]

I don’t consider myself “anti-Tillis” because I want him to defeat that hag in North Carolina. Who knows how Conservative he is or isn’t? We haven’t heard much from the guy. What is his message? That’s the problem with the GOP Establishment chosen candidates. They are so busy straddling the fence, they don’t take a Conservative stand for, or against, anything. The reason Ted Cruz defeated a well-funded, Establishment backed, entrenched Lt. Gov. in Texas and won the Senate seat, is because he took the gloves off and kicked a** and took names. He had a Conservative message, delivered it and let the chips fall where they may.