r/AshevilleNC

Make a plan to join and vote early, on Oct. 17 if possible. Early voting is open Oct. 15 - Oct. 31 in NC.

https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1039755/ (Asheville)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1047089/ (Black Mountain)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1041149/ (Bryson City)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1032206/ (Burnsville)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1037356/ (Hendersonville)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1048731/ (Sylva)
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1043390/ (Waynesville)

There are also events not pictured above in Morganton (https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1052471/) and Columbus (https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/1048343/)

Edit: My original post simply stated that the $90 and $500 Trump bribe checks were being used by people to support democratic campaigns, donate to food banks, and support local or independent media. I incorrectly assumed that many people would already be aware of these checks, which ended up being wrong. Here is some specificity and details, and please feel free to elaborate or chime into the discussion with additional details. Remember early voting in NC opens next Thursday, Oct. 15 and runs through Saturday, Oct 31. Also, the normal registration deadline is today, but you CAN register to vote at early voting sites.

First off, I am a North Carolinian whose ACA premium rose by 27% in 2026, thanks marketplace rate increases inspired by the expiring premium tax credits. Remember the government shutdown last October 1 through November 12, where democrats were fighting for an extension to the ACA credits that were set to expire on December 1? They ultimately failed, and settled to fund the government through Jan 30, 2026, with the promise of a Senate vote on the subsidies. Thanks to the GOP, the vote failed in December 2025. As such, by the end of 2026, I will have paid $1512 more for my ACA plan than I did in 2025, and it is a lower tier plan.

I am not alone. In February of 2026, NC Health News estimated that roughly 200,000 North Carolinians lost their affordable coverage, due to not being able to afford the approximately 30% rate hike on ACA plans purchased through the federal marketplace, a roughly 22% decline against 2025 enrollment. Many North Carolinians just could not afford to renew, and thus didn't. I have a chronic health condition that required me to make things work, or I would of placed myself in that 22%. NC Health News Article

Now, on to the point of the post. A few days ago, I received a letter in the mail from the Department of the Treasury with a $500 check inside, and a letter lamenting Biden for overcharging me for my plan from HealthCare.gov, saying that I am finally getting something back, and signed by Trump. In my opinion, this is nothing short of a bribe, given to around 950,000 people in the 30 states (including NC) that use HealthCare.gov, and conveniently just weeks before the midterm elections. It stuck me as odd that a man who controls the White House, Congress, and SCOTUS - and given that the US went through the longest shutdown in history over this exact issue - continues to whine about Joe Biden. Also, what I would like back is the $1512 extra I will have paid this year, not the $500 bribe money.

For the $90 checks, roughly 20.8 million seniors on Medicare Part B will receive money from a roughly $2B fund, or $90 each. To qualify, you must be on Medicare Part B, live within the U.S., not receive premium assistance from Medicaid, and not be paying an Income-Related Monthly Adjusted amount. The Hill Article. I couldn't find exact numbers for North Carolina, but we can do some extrapolation. 20.8 million people are eligible nationally, from a pool of 64.7 million with Medicare Part B, or 32% nationally. North Carolina has about 2.1 million part B enrollees, and 32% (using the national average) would be about 672,000 North Carolinians eligible to receive this second pre-midterm bribe (bribe in my opinion).

As it stands, I am doing ok financially, and I, like many folks I've seen across the internet, decided to dump the bribe money (bribe imo) that I got into several democratic campaigns, and will put more into MANNA, our local food bank here in Western North Carolina. What about you?

Trump Admin is like Uncle Buck’s 1977 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham

The images above were taken from the slide deck of a presentation put on by Down Home NC, which has an extensive summary here, and you can sign the pledge to vote no here.

Don't let the wording fool you. These amendments aren't about you, they are about corporations (think Duke Energy, Data Centers, and outside corporate interests) and the 1%, and we don't need amendments to pass the same exact laws. As I stated in the title, once amendments are passed, they are extremely difficult to undo, whereas normal legislation can be changed as the need arises.

"If passed, these ballot measures would drastically reduce state and local government funds, which could cause layoffs of educators, firefighters, emergency services, and other public workers — especially when combined with huge federal budget cuts coming down from Congress. It could mean the end of food stamps and affordable healthcare programs – which could in turn shut down hospitals and grocery stores and further impact NC farmers."
- Down Home NC

What is more, the NC income tax rate is already scheduled to fall below 3.5% in 2027, and still more by 2036 (image 5). As such, the income tax amendment will not affect you in the foreseeable future, but it will eliminate the possibility of corporations ever paying more than 3.5%, and any new legislation that tried to move the corporate tax rate above 3.5% would be unconstitutional.

At the same time, the other amendment seeks to cap property tax increases by local governments, but the wording is vague at best and doesn't say what it actually means to do, allowing for any number of interpretations they could argue as "constitutional" once passed. Regardless, taken in tandem with the income tax amendment, the mere nature of the other amendment would be to squeeze local communities of funds. When taxes levied by the state are reduced, the burden falls to localities. When taxes levied by localities are reduced, the burden falls on YOUR community. Think higher sales tax, fines, fees, parking, etc. and hits to local infrastructure - schools, roads, buildings, sidewalks, parks and recreation, libraries, Medicaid AND SNAP, etc.

In wrapping up, I'll reiterate once more that lawmakers do not need amendments to the NC State Constitution to achieve any what the amendments would achieve. Laws could just as easily passed - laws that could be revisited and adjusted over time in efforts toward a fairer tax code. Again, they are trying to rob the middle and lower class for the benefit of the wealthy and corporations, and lock that structure in for decades.

Don't fall for it!! VOTE NO on both tax amendments, and while you are at it, vote no on the Voter ID amendment. In case you haven't noticed, NC already requires Voter ID in order to vote.