The First Shots
February 4, 2011 - by
It didn’t take long to commence firing.
Republicans in the legislature said they’re cutting spending, and Governor Perdue said they’re jeopardizing jobs.
The Gov’s office started Tweeting:
“Senate debating proposal to raid NC’s jobs money. It would guarantee new jobs, business go to other states.”
“Va. Gov has already asked for more jobs funds money so he can try to compete with NC’s aggressive biz recruiting.”
“With state jobs funds in 2 yrs, 24,000 new jobs pledged. Take that $ away, jobs go away. Bad idea, y’all.”
Emails erupted. Dan Gerlach defended the Golden Leaf Foundation. Economic Development Board Chair Allen Joines warned:
“These programs have been very important to job creation in North Carolina , and North Carolina
This is just the beginning of a session-long debate. As a long-time veteran of the state’s economic-development activities emailed me:
“The ED community in the state is spinning on its head today at the thought of the signal this action is sending around the country that the state will have no incentives. If professional EDers are reacting like this, imagine the intensity of the reaction when GOP starts cutting programs/services to poor, sick, and little children.”
By way of perspective, he noted:
“I was told this is money in the current budget that hasn’t been spent, not the 2011-12 budget with the $3B+ shortfall. There’s only a few months left in the fiscal year, so it’s a close call whether the ED money will be spent or carried over to next year.
“Also, so many of these programs and organizations were created by Dems, populated with Dems and controlled by Dems (Golden Leaf, for example). GOP might be dismantling the old Dem infrastructure so they can flush out the patronage and replace it with fewer partisans (translate: more Repubs).
So I asked him: Who’s right?
“There’s probably some middle ground to fund the right tools to create jobs.”
The First Shots
February 4, 2011/
It didn’t take long to commence firing.
Republicans in the legislature said they’re cutting spending, and Governor Perdue said they’re jeopardizing jobs.
The Gov’s office started Tweeting:
“Senate debating proposal to raid NC’s jobs money. It would guarantee new jobs, business go to other states.”
“Va. Gov has already asked for more jobs funds money so he can try to compete with NC’s aggressive biz recruiting.”
“With state jobs funds in 2 yrs, 24,000 new jobs pledged. Take that $ away, jobs go away. Bad idea, y’all.”
Emails erupted. Dan Gerlach defended the Golden Leaf Foundation. Economic Development Board Chair Allen Joines warned:
“These programs have been very important to job creation in North Carolina , and North Carolina
This is just the beginning of a session-long debate. As a long-time veteran of the state’s economic-development activities emailed me:
“The ED community in the state is spinning on its head today at the thought of the signal this action is sending around the country that the state will have no incentives. If professional EDers are reacting like this, imagine the intensity of the reaction when GOP starts cutting programs/services to poor, sick, and little children.”
By way of perspective, he noted:
“I was told this is money in the current budget that hasn’t been spent, not the 2011-12 budget with the $3B+ shortfall. There’s only a few months left in the fiscal year, so it’s a close call whether the ED money will be spent or carried over to next year.
“Also, so many of these programs and organizations were created by Dems, populated with Dems and controlled by Dems (Golden Leaf, for example). GOP might be dismantling the old Dem infrastructure so they can flush out the patronage and replace it with fewer partisans (translate: more Repubs).
So I asked him: Who’s right?
“There’s probably some middle ground to fund the right tools to create jobs.”