Job protection and small businesses I want begin the work of restoring confidence in our public leadership. It is time that elected leaders understand they are public servants and are entrusted by voters to act accordingly. Recent scandals have tarnished our state government and have decreased public confidence in the ability of the legislature to effectively deal with the problems facing our state. I believe no government official or program is above the law and will work tirelessly to ensure District 15 residents that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly.
The foundation of our economic life in North Carolina is small business. It is our greatest source for jobs. We must work to keep small businesses afloat and not tax them unfairly. We should place a priority on economic incentives to keep business in N. C. instead of merely attracting new businesses that may not be loyal to our state. We should implement tax credits for employee health insurance coverage, and provide investment in clean jobs and clean job training to replace our lost industries and displaced workers.
Environment and transportation
The triangle area is set to double in population over the next 20 years. Increased traffic congestion, air pollution and sprawl is our fate if we don't act now. We must fund and plan for a mixture of increased bus service, light rail, and commuter rail to link our communities.
We must keep Falls Lake water clean. It's Raleigh and surrounding towns' drinking water source. We must reduce reduce algae build up, maintain riparian areas, promote urban stormwater management and regulate wastewater dischargers. We must protect our floodplains from development that would compromise its environmental integrity.
We must invest in smart urban design and planning so that future zoning conforms to people activity, structure form and compatibility to both downtown vitality and outlying centers that build off future transit routes.
We must also act boldly to protect our region from the gradual, but certain, ill effects from global warming and climate change by reducing our carbon footprint in all ways we can fashion.
Energy security
Energy independence means energy security. The U.S. oil dependence undermines national security. It weakens international leverage, cripples foreign policy, jeopardizes military, exacts huge price tag in dollars and lives, entangles US with hostile regimes and undermines economic stability.
We must integrate energy and climate in the planning processes, pursue energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, electrification of vehicles, and invest in long-term low-carbon liquid fuels.
Health care reform
We need to create a healthcare system that will lower costs, improve delivery, increase preventative care, and improve quality of care. We need to focus on expanding access to affordable health care for all people. Reforms will begin with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The sacrifices to lower costs for the State Plan should not be borne by state employees alone. It is wrong for BC/BS bosses to give up none of their millions in salary when state employees lose benefits and have co-pays and premiums increase.
Education
From pre-school to middle school to high school, we must invest in a strong program that will educate our children for life, that will give them the gifts, both intellectually and technically, to have success in life.
In particular, we must support our community college system, which is the place where the key ideas for training people to meet our new technological demands will be centered. This is the place where green skills for a green economy will be nurtured. We must fully support this vital institution for it continued leadership role in workforce development in the 21st century. And we must have both a system that encourages diversity and that does not let one area of the county atrophy at the expence of another area growing stronger.
Honest leadership