Much has been said in recent months of reforming North Carolina's tax code. We all agree the current code, which was last revised in the 1930s, needs to change.

Eighty-four percent of all revenues comes from income taxes and sales taxes. The rest is shared among cigarette, alcohol, estate, gift and other taxes and fees. This is a problem given the volatile nature of such revenue streams.

The tax system is favorable in terms of revenue during a growth period, but when incomes and spending shrink, the expenditures and expenses are too great for the decrease in revenue.

Taxes are taxes; the state is always going to get its money, whether you cut taxes a little, a lot or raise them. You can shift the taxes but they are still there. Real reform is to stop the cycle of spend and tax and reduce expenditures.

We should set aside as much as possible in rainy day funds or other funds to prepare for economic downturns. This will allow us to pay for existing debt or programs that need attention without raising taxes in bad times and spending the benefits in good times.

Real reform is a reduction in waste, greed and programs. This will allow us to actually reduce taxes or keep them at normal rates, allow us to be more flexible, pay down debt and spend money on what we need, not what we can.

Joe Garrison

Southern Pines