Obviously, times have changed, even if it's still not a good idea to hang out with communist dictators.
Democrats no longer enjoy an iron-fisted grip on the institutions of political power in North Carolina, including the legislature. As Republicans have gained a better foothold in the state, partisanship has increased. Budget votes often reflect that partisan divide.
Budget bills have also become the catch-all, kitchen sink of legislative leaders. Their mantra: Spending or no spending, throw it in the budget bill.
That catch-all has included tax hikes. Not surprisingly, Republicans have used taxes as justification for voting against the budget. In years when tax hikes have been included, legislators voting for the budget have been the ones worrying about whether the vote would come back to haunt them.
But there was a reason legislators once feared voting against the budget. By voting "no," you lodged a vote against each and every measure included within. Come the next election, those individual measures that you voted against could be turned against you.
The campaign fliers wouldn't say, "Rep. Jane Smith voted against the budget." They'd say, "When it came time for Rep. Jane Smith to support our schools, she voted against providing a raise to our hard-working teachers."
Some Republicans seemed to have forgotten those lessons during the vote on the Senate's proposed budget.
The $18.8 billion budget plan increases spending by 9 percent, and that was the primary rationale given by the 15 Republicans who voted against it.
Beyond the spending increase, there wasn't a lot to gripe about.
The budget proposal contains $225 million in tax cuts. Sure, much of that total comes from sales and income taxes that will expire next year without legislative action.
In the world of 30-second political ads, that fact hardly matters. A vote against the budget was a vote against tax cuts.
The plan also calls for 8 percent raises for teachers and 5 percent pay hikes for other state employees. It has provisions that would increase the state minimum wage by $1 an hour and use satellite monitoring technology to track high- level sex offenders once released from prison. It also went on a diet when it comes to the most egregious forms of pork.
Still, 15 of the 21 Republicans in the Senate voted against the plan.
Sure, plenty of those 15 live in safe, solid Republican districts. But those who don't should worry.
The GOP senator who should be most fearful is Fred Smith of Johnston County. Smith has aspirations to be elected governor in 2008. A vote for the bill might have hurt him some in a GOP primary, but if he makes it through a primary, Democrats will provide some blatant reminders of the vote come the fall.
Scott Mooneyham writes for Capitol Press Association. Contact him at smooneyh@nc insider.com.
