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The Sandhills Pilot

Orr's Campaign for Governor Centers on 'Reform'

Thursday, September 13, 2007

By Matthew Moriarty
Staff Writer
Orr, a Republican from Hendersonville and state Supreme Court justice, is criss-crossing the state, campaigning from his pickup truck that he has dubbed "Orr Force One." He stopped in Moore County Monday to have lunch and give a speech at the Moore County Republican Women's Club.
He came by the office of The Pilot prior to the luncheon for an interview. He touched on issues such as economic development incentives, education and immigration. He also promised to bring openness and ethics back to government.
As governor, Orr said he would make public education a top priority. Education in North Carolina is moving in the wrong direction, he said.
"If you look at the reports that have come out," he said, "there has to be a real sense of crisis for where we're heading in public education."
Orr called for "major reform efforts" to stem the tide of dropouts and to increase work force preparedness. He wants to see differences beginning with early childhood education.
"The approach has been to throw money and fancy titles at the problem," he said. "It tells me that it's simply not working."
Orr said he also wants to see the state change its policies for attracting businesses. He opposed a bill that Gov. Mike Easley recently vetoed that would give huge incentives to Goodyear to help it modernize its plant.
"Hundreds if not thousands of North Carolina businesses would like to modernize but because of the tax burden, are reluctant to do so," he said. "It's fundamentally unfair."
(On Monday, the N.C. General Assembly passed a compromise bill on the incentives rather than vote to override Easley's veto.)
Corporations use the threat of moving to another state or overseas to get money from the state, he said.
"Corporations are able to play one state off another to extract these incentives," he said.
Using the Sandhills as an example, he said that incentives don't make sense.
"If we are going to subsidize the film industry and the tire industry, in my opinion, we should be subsidizing the golf industry," he said.
But Orr would not go so far as to say that as governor he would do away with the state's incentive program.
"The governor doesn't quite have that luxury," he said. "I would attempt to get the legislature to minimize its use."
The state doesn't need incentives to attract businesses, he said, it needs tax reform and strong infrastructure.
"The truth is, if we have a strong public education system," he said, "good roads and a fair and equitable tax system, businesses will come beating on the door."
As for immigration, Orr said he hopes the federal government will give the states some leadership on the issue. If not, he said North Carolina must come up with some sort of identification system so that the authorities can know who is here legally.
"We've got to make sure individuals who break the law are moved out as quickly and efficiently as possible," Orr said.
But that has to be weighed against the needs of the agricultural and construction industries, both of which depend on immigrant labor.
"We've got to find the right balance," he said.
Orr said that as the population of North Carolina grows, it is important to plan ahead and make sure the state has the resources in place to support the growing population. Tax reform is a key to the future, he said.
"Our current tax concept is based on an outdated agricultural and manufacturing-based economy," Orr said.
Orr said that he thinks voters will respond to him because he has won four statewide elections.
"I know what it takes to bring people together," he said. "I'm hoping that despite my lack of wealth, my wealth of experience in the courts of our state will be sufficient to vote for me."