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Gov. Easley’s ONE North Carolina Agenda makes it possible for every citizen in every region of this state to have the opportunity to land in the winner’s circle of our economy by:
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Establishing an aggressive strategy for job creation and economic growth by:
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- Regularly ranking in the top for business climate.
- No. 1 ranking for business climate for four out of the past five years and 2005 Competitiveness Award from Site Selection magazine.
- “State of the Year” designation in 2005 and 2006 according to Southern Business & Development magazine.
- Using smart, targeted, performance-based incentives.
- Through the One North Carolina Fund, the state has secured more than 19,000 new jobs and $3 billion in corporate investment since 2001.
- The state has also announced the award of 41 Job Development Investment Grants (JDIG) since 2003. The program has helped secure more than 14,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in investment.
- Maintaining No. 3 national ranking in biotechnology for the second straight year, according to Ernst & Young’s survey of the industry.
- Capping the state gas tax to its current level to reduce burdensome fuel costs for consumers and businesses.
- Increasing the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour.
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Continuing our investments in education to build a skilled workforce by:
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- Expanding More at Four, a statewide pre-k program for at-risk four-year-olds. With proceeds from the N.C. Education Lottery, this program will serve 40,000 children.
- Providing a 9.6 percent increase for education above 2005-06 levels, including teacher salary increases and bonuses, in addition to an anticipated $425 million in N.C. Education Lottery revenues.
- Demonstrating results from investing in education:
- Fourth graders performed above the national average in reading, behind only three states in writing and only five states in math.
- North Carolina SAT scores reached a new state high in 2005, increasing to an average score of 1010, twice the average national gain.
- Continuing aggressive high school reform efforts by expanding the number of Learn and Earn high schools that allow students to obtain a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or two years of university credit in five years, and increasing the number of economic development-themed schools through the New Schools Project. By 2008, both these programs will be available to students in every county.
- Implementing a plan to increase teacher salaries beyond the national average by 2008 while also raising the starting salary.
- Expanding teacher-training opportunities through the community college system, providing scholarships to prospective teachers and providing more professional development for teachers and principals.
- Placing 100 literacy coaches in middle schools across the state to train faculty to teach 21st Century skills.
- Establishing the nation’s first 21st Century Skills Center to provide teachers with tools to more effectively teach students critical learning skills.
- Increasing access to a higher education for all North Carolinians by fully funding enrollment growth and need-based financial aid at the University of North Carolina campuses.
- Providing a 15.8 percent increase in funding for community colleges above 2005-06 levels which includes funds for salary increases for faculty and staff, new equipment, distance learning programs and financial aid.
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Ensuring secure communities by:
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- Adding 90 new assistant district attorneys, investing in information technology and more court personnel to assure effective and swift justice.
- Upgrading technology to assist local law enforcement officials, protect against convicted sex offenders, and aid SBI agents in fighting drug and computer crimes.
- Increasing the number of Highway Patrolmen to keep our highways safe and protect our citizens.
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Making government more efficient by:
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- Saving $127 million in the first two years of implementation through NC E-Procurement @ Your Service, by consolidating numerous purchasing systems to allow the state to obtain better prices and be more efficient.
- Generating more than $23.2 million in additional revenue for the state through the surplus property program.
- Saving more than $23.9 million in energy costs since 2002 through the Utility Savings Initiative, which seeks to reduce energy and water use in state buildings by four percent annually for five years.
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Improving our infrastructure by:
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- Increasing business at North Carolina’s the ports by 20 percent through growth and expanding international trade markets. Container volumes at Wilmington increased 37 percent and general cargo tonnage increased 21 percent. A new shipping service to northern China began operation at the Wilmington port and a new forest product carrier began service at Morehead City. This new business produced 430 direct jobs.
- Completing more than 350 highway projects in 2003-2005 through N.C. Moving Ahead!, a transportation and economic development program aimed at making maintenance and modernization improvements throughout the state.
- Capping the gas tax at the current level while increasing money for road construction by $195 million by cutting longstanding transfer from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund.
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Protecting the environment by:
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- Securing $100 million for the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund to protect and restore water quality throughout the state.
- Preserving 50,247 acres of natural areas through One North Carolina Naturally, a statewide land and water protection initiative to conserve and restore the state’s natural heritage and sustain a healthy quality of life.
- Expanding the Ecosystem Enhancement Program, a partnership between the N.C. Department of Transportation and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources that allows agencies to implement wetland and stream protection for transportation projects years in advance of construction. Through the program, $1.9 billion in road construction projects across the state proceeded without a single delay due to lack of mitigation. In addition, the program has helped preserve nearly 35,000 acres of natural areas.
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Providing quality health care to those who can least afford it by:
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- Preserving Medicaid coverage and expanding the scope of services in the Community Care of N.C. program to benefit the aged, blind and disabled.
- Expanding North Carolina’s Health Choice for Children to provide comprehensive health care to more than 130,000 children.
- Creating a plan to increase healthcare access for the uninsured through the use of federal waivers and other resources.
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