Dollar: "It's not me"

by Mark Shiver, The Rhino Times, September 2, 2015.

For several weeks members of the NC Senate have been saying that one person is responsible for holding up progress on reaching a budget agreement.  They have been uniform in blaming Rep. Nelson Dollar (R-Cary) for the delay.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Dollar said, “I laugh when I hear that.  The process involves a full range of people; no one person can necessarily dictate the pace of the process.  My job is to advocate on behalf of the House positions.  It’s ludicrous to think that any one person is holding up the entire budget.”

On being targeted as the reason for the holdup, Dollar said, “I think it’s just unfortunate silly games that get played during the budget season.”

The budget is over two months past the June 30 fiscal year end for the state.  But Dollar did not express concern about the pace of the negotiations.  Dollar said, “The process is moving along.  We are working through our committees.  We have a number of committees that are mostly done with their reports; others are in the process of bringing their reports forward to the full appropriations chairs.  We’re narrowing down the decisions that need to be made and that are going to be made.  So we’re looking forward to continuing to make progress.”

Dollar added that there are a host of folks that are working on a variety of specifics in various areas and trying to bring forward some compromises on items that are still in contention.

The Senate offered a compromise on one of those items on Monday, August 31.  They moved off their position to not fund teacher assistants and driver’s ed in the budget, although with the condition that the House cut its overall education funding and remove flexibility from local school districts on how they spend the teacher assistants money.

Dollar said, “There have been discussions going on throughout the day, between House and Senate negotiators, to flesh out what the actual offers are and what proposed modifications to those offers might be.  I’m pleased that the Senate has come around to understand how important teacher assistants are in the classrooms.  It’s good recognition on their part.”

Later, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, it was reported that the House was not comfortable with the restrictions on spending flexibility and that Gov. Pat McCrory was opposed to such a restriction.

As far as when they will have a budget, Dollar said, “I would think we could be done by the 18th.  It takes all parties with a willingness to negotiate.”

http://rhinotimes.com/Content/Default/State/Article/Nelson-Dollar-Says-It-s-Not-Me/-3/27/580