_
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The health of our State and of our nation depends on sustainable balanced growth. We believe that economic growth expands opportunity for everyone. The free market, regulated in the public interest, is the best engine of general prosperity. The federal government must balance the budget, pay the national debt to generate economic growth, and make prosperity achievable for all.
We also recognize that excellence in public education, including public schools, community colleges and universities, is the cornerstone of a successful economic development effort.
HELPING OUR WORKFORCE: We Democrats believe in protecting our State's workforce and encouraging assistance for workers, job creation, new investment in hard hit areas, and leveling the trade playing field for North Carolina industries.
GLOBAL ECONOMY: Our workers are among the most skilled and productive in the world. We support trade practices and economic policies that enable our workers and the businesses that employ them to compete effectively and fairly in the world market, without injury by our own federal trade policies.
INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT: We believe North Carolina must continue to attract and foster both new and traditional industries while encouraging growth from within the State. We support continued efforts to provide a skilled and educated workforce, a solid infrastructure, and a quality of life that attracts and creates good new jobs to provide a higher standard of living for all North Carolinians. We support efforts that continue to make North Carolina's business climate competitive, especially industrial recruitment in our low-wealth communities.
SMALL BUSINESS: We believe innovation and risk-taking in the pursuit of excellence should be rewarded. We support expanded government efforts to promote entrepreneurship and to help small businesses grow and prosper. We support efforts to provide tax and other incentives such as health care credits to existing small businesses to expand their operations in North Carolina. North Carolina Democrats believe that small business development in North Carolina is the best use of tax breaks and other support programs because small businesses are the backbone of our economy.
NATURAL RESOURCES: We recognize that the wise stewardship of our natural resources is essential for our continued economic growth. For example, tourism, one of the State's fastest growing industries, depends upon the presence of clean and maintained beaches, unspoiled forests, and clean rivers and lakes.