North Carolina now has the highest individual and corporate income tax rates of any southeastern state, N.C. Senator Robert Pittenger told a recent meeting of the Iredell Republican Men’s Club.

Pittenger, a Mecklenburg County businessman, was first elected in 2002. He is considered one of the leading conservatives in the General Assembly.

Over the past decade North Carolina’s population has increased by 27 percent, while state government spending has increased by 130 percent, Pittenger said.

In just the past three years, 400 companies employing a total of 50,000 people have moved from North Carolina to South Carolina, Virginia, or Tennessee, Pittenger noted. Most of these job losses were caused by our high tax rates.

Pittenger said there are many places the state could save money. About a third of Medicaid funding, or $2.5 billion, comes from the state. North Carolina’s Medicaid plan is the fourth most generous in the nation in terms of options offered. Estimates are that at least 10 percent of Medicaid bills are fraudulent.

More than 3,000 non-government organizations receive a total of $600 million in state funds, Pittenger explained. Few of these organizations are audited.

A wealth of information about state government is available on Pittenger’s website at www.ncfuture.org .

State Senator Jim Forrester of Gaston County discussed the recently-passed state budget at a meeting of the Iredell Republican Men’s Club. Forrester voted against the budget because of the large tax increases it included.

About half of Iredell County is in Forrester’s district. Although he lives in another county, Sen. Forrester “goes the extra mile” to attend events and stay in touch with people in Iredell.

Robert Brawley, a former N.C. Representative and candidate for state Commissioner of Insurance, also spoke at a recent Iredell GOP Men’s Club meeting.