Hundreds of NC jobs could be lost in automatic budget cuts

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds of jobs could be lost in North Carolina if lawmakers don't make this week's budget cut deadline. If Congress doesn't reach an agreement by March 1, $85 billion in automatic budget cuts will take effect.

The White House released a list of possible cuts Sunday. Areas like education and public health will be hit hard. The governor wants Congress and the President to get their act together.

"Get in a room and do what governors are doing across this nation and start reading their budget and making the tough decisions as opposed to across the board cuts," Gov. Pat McCrory said.

The governor is concerned about the automatic cuts.

"North Carolina has five military bases so we're extremely concerned about sequestration," McCrory said.

According to the White House, if an agreement isn't reached, more than 20,000 civilian Department of Defense employees in North Carolina will be furloughed and other jobs are on the chopping block.

"We need teachers," Pamela Ramsey said. "We really do."

Ramsey is worried because the state would lose around $25 million in funding for education, and that would put 350 teacher and aide jobs at risk, according to the White House.

Education for children with disabilities would also be affected. Nearly $17 million for around 200 teachers and staff would disappear.

"It's hard to get good teachers," Charles Hardy said. "And if you're already trained and you got your good teachers, might as well pay them."

Hardy is also worried about losing money that helps cops do their jobs. North Carolina wouldn't see the $400,000 in grants that support cops, the courts and crime prevention.

"Crime will go up," Hardy said. "And it'll just be bad for everybody, for people who don't have money and for people who do have money."

While many Republicans and Democrats have said the automatic cuts would be detrimental, they're still struggling to reach a compromise.

"I think they should come to an agreement," Tene Henderson said.

WSOC