Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Creating Good Jobs

We are blessed in western Wake County to have a strong economic base. We have the technology of Research Triangle Park, the reinvigoration of downtown Raleigh, the stability of state government, and the energy of five universities -- NC State, Meredith, Peace, Shaw, and Saint Augustine's, as well as Wake Tech. As a result, we have a relatively low unemployment rate compared to the rest of the state and the nation.

The factors that have created this strong base did not just happen by chance. Forward-thinking leaders made strategic investments in RTP, our higher educational system, and our infrastructure to create this success. We must make similar long-range investments today so Wake County can become an even better place in which to do business and work going forward.

I worked at the Self-Help Credit Union in Durham, the mission of which is to help small businesses grow so that business owners can create wealth for their families and their communities. I worked to convert an historic but abandoned hospital into a small business incubator, where entrepreneurs could benefit from small business assistance while they grew their businesses. I also raised capital for community development credit unions across the state so they would have more funds to lend to local small businesses at affordable interest rates.

As your state Senator, I will attempt to enhance our long-term economic prospects:

* Strengthen our public schools, community colleges, and universities.
* Improve our infrastructure and public transportation systems.
* Support small businesses, especially as they confront double-digit health care inflation.
* Make work pay by increasing the minimum wage and paying state employees fairly.
* Maintain our quality of life.

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