N.C. Candidate Wants End to Incentives
GOP Candidate Orr Wants to End N.C.'s Economic Incentives Program

October 08, 2007

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr wants to eliminate the state's corporate incentives program and replace it with a focus on worker training.

The incentives are a favorite tool of Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, who will leave office next year after two terms.

Orr says incentives that give companies cash grants and other upfront money haven't helped rural communities generate new jobs and are inherently unfair.

As governor, Orr says he would instead create a state fund that would offer companies up to $2,500 to pay for worker training to help them prepare for a high-tech economy.

Orr is a former state Supreme Court justice. He is leading a lawsuit challenging the economic incentives offered to computer maker Dell Inc., which opened a massive plant in Forsyth County two years ago.

State Sen. Fred Smith and attorney Bill Graham also are seeking the GOP nomination for governor. Easley is barred by state law from running for a third straight term.