Fern Shubert

Everyone claims they’re conservative when running in a Republican primary, but a little history goes a long way in sorting out the claims. Fern Shubert has a record of actively opposing tax increases and pushing for public involvement in tax decisions, as well as opposing the kind of wasteful spending that creates the demand for higher taxes.

As a legislator, Fern Shubert opposed tax increases and insisted on letting the public vote when the big spenders claimed public support for higher taxes. She believes in limited government, and she trusts the public far more than career politicians who seek higher taxes to fund their pet projects with no regard for the damage done to those forced to pay the taxes.

When others claim the public wants higher taxes, Fern is willing to challenge that claim. When others insist on pushing through tax increase, Fern insists on a referendum. See what happened a few years ago when Union County Commissioners tried to impose impact fees and raise sales taxes without a referendum. (“County commissioners voted Nov. 2 to seek state permission to enact a $2,500-per-home impact fee and 1-cent local-option sales tax.”)

Senator Plyler and Representative Melton, both Democrats unlikely to claim to be conservative Republicans, introduced the requested legislation to allow impact fees without a referendum, although even they wouldn’t try to impose the requested sales tax without a referendum. Their impact fee bills went nowhere in Raleigh because the Realtors and Homebuilders were so influential and strongly opposed all such legislation, but that doesn’t change the fact County Commissioners wanted to raise taxes without a referendum.

“A similar effort to increase local school revenue failed in Cabarrus last Feb. 24, when voters rejected a bid to create a real estate transfer tax and add a 1% sales tax for schools.
One difference in Union,” one commissioner said,  ”is that county commissioners are taking their case to the state lawmakers instead of starting with a local referendum. N.C. legislators are expected to consider the request in January.”
Source of quotes:
http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1998/11/09/story4.html?q=

Confirmation the Democrats had no problem with imposing impact fees without a referendum:
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/1999/Bills/House/PDF/H528v1.pdf
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/1999/Bills/Senate/PDF/S697v1.pdf
Confirmation even Democratic Senator Aaron Plyler wouldn’t raise sales taxes as requested without a referendum:
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/1999/Bills/Senate/PDF/S372v1.pdf

By way of contrast, when Fern Shubert was asked to introduce legislation letting the Union County Commissioners impose impact fees and increase sales taxes without a referendum, she rejected the request and introduced a bill requiring a referendum. As expected, the Commissioners who wanted to impose impact fees and raise sales taxes without letting the public vote did not like her bill. http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2001/Bills/House/PDF/H861v1.pdf
Shubert made it clear that she opposed both tax increases, but since the Commissioners were threatening to raise property taxes, felt it was fair to let the public voice their opinion.

When some Monroe officials sought to impose a tax on prepared meals, Shubert again insisted on a referendum. This time the issue was voted on by the residents of Monroe, and they voted against the tax.

The same thing happened with the transfer tax, when the public was asked whether to single out a small group of people for an unfair tax. Again Shubert actively worked to defeat higher taxes, and again the public voted against higher taxes.