Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Orr Discusses Economic Development in
Western North Carolina

(Raleigh, NC) – On Saturday, Justice Robert Orr, Republican candidate for governor, embarked on a five day trip through Western North Carolina. While the General Assembly’s Joint Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives meets in Raleigh on Tuesday, Orr will be concluding two days of talks with regional education and economic development leaders on how to advance lasting economic development reforms to help both local communities and businesses.

 A recent editorial from the Asheville Citizen-Times described Western North Carolina as “left behind” by the state’s aggressive targeted incentive policies. The Citizen-Times noted that companies are the “biggest winners,” and that “money spent on incentives isn’t being spent to bolster critical government functions that support a vibrant economy or lower state taxes so that all companies benefit.”   

 While it received only nominal media attention outside of Western North Carolina, State Rep. Phillip Frye (R) of Mitchell County and State Rep. Pryor Gibson (D) of Anson County recently raised similar concerns before colleagues at the National Conference of State Legislators. In an effort to forge a broader coalition to end corporate subsidies, the two joined together in a bi-partisan effort to lead a discussion at the Conference’s Labor & Economic Development Fall Forum on the benefits, challenges and unintended consequences of economic development incentive strategies - what Rep. Gibson recently described as “an elephant destroying our village.”

 Orr, who has been a leader in North Carolina’s statewide opposition to the use of corporate subsidies praised Frye and Gibson for their efforts to address the issue at a national forum.  Orr made a similar proposal in October, calling for the creation of a taskforce to address targeted incentives at the national level. Orr’s proposal would bring together state business and political leaders to coordinate efforts with the North Carolina Congressional Delegation, National Governor’s Association, and other groups to seek a federal mandate ending the use of targeted incentives for private development.

 “There is undoubtedly a growing consensus across party lines that now is the time to limit or end the use of targeted corporate subsidies in interstate commerce,” said Orr. “I’m glad to see more state leaders coming forward to publicly support ending this practice which shifts the tax burden to smaller businesses and individuals and deprives state and local governments of needed revenue. As more North Carolinians look at this issue, it will be harder for incentives’ proponents to justify giving hard-earned tax dollars to individual companies. It’s time to put this issue to rest and move forward with the right kind of economic development programs for our State.”

 Orr met with officials at Haywood Community College Regional High Technology Center on Monday to discuss constructive ways the community college system can facilitate workforce development. Following the discussion in Haywood, Orr participated in an economic development discussion with local business and government leaders in Swain County to discuss assisting smaller, rural counties in their efforts to attract and grow businesses.

 Today, Justice Orr will visit Franklin High School and later meet with faculty from the Western Carolina University Center for Entrepreneurship.

 

***