Why not cut out the middle man?

While visiting China on a trade mission, Gov. Bev Perdue issued a press release this evening asking U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan to support S. 1723, the $35 billion Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act. It’s one piece of President Obama’s already-rejected American Jobs Act.

It’s proper that Perdue made her request from China, the United States’ biggest creditor, since the Chinese would end up floating much of this bill’s debt. After all, in the unlikely event S. 1723 passes, its surtax on millionaires would not take effect until 2013, so the $35 billion tab would be added to the federal deficit.

As we’ve reported before, $900 million of this portion of the bill would hire nearly 13,400 teachers in the Tar Heel State. But it would provide enough funding to pay them for only one year. After that, the state would have to pick up the difference.

While acknowledging that “The long-term solution to North Carolina’s education needs is not one-term funding,” she asks for it anyway.

A screen shot of the press release follows.