A STRONG ECONOMY RELIES ON A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Business leaders and North Carolinian’s agree that protecting North Carolina’s environment is very important for attracting good jobs to the state.  A recent poll conducted by Forbes Magazine, confirms that this priority pays off by ranking North Carolina 3rd in the list of the best states for businesses and careers. Apparently our regulatory environment wasn’t keeping businesses from coming to the state, but legislators stripped these protective measures anyway and That Ain’t Right!

IN NORTH CAROLINA, KILLING FISH MEANS KILLING JOBS

Hold polluters accountable! Unnecessary regulation may be a detriment to business profitability, but when lawmakers remove rules that are necessary to protect public health and our natural resources, they merely shift these costs off the polluter — and on to the public. Everyone deserves clean water to drink, but many bills currently passing through the legislature threaten this basic right. That ain’t right!

Many of these bills are not only a detriment to our environment, but also pose a risk to our economy and jobs.

GUTTING CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES GUTS JOBS

Its no surprise that the current legislators focused quite a bit on energy bills. We need a balanced energy policy that produces clean and cheap energy to drive a strong economy. What is surprising is the amount of bills produced that increase our reliance on dirty and unregulated energy sources  instead of  clean energy. It is well known that the renewable energy sector would employ more people and better prepare us for a 21st century economy.  Instead of passing bills such as S747, S473, S694, and S671, that would have employed thousands of North Carolinian’s in clean energy, bills such as H431, S279, S709, and S75 were pursued to pad the pockets of dirty energy companies.

LETTING D.C. RUN N.C.

It’s ironic that some of the very same folks who argue in support of state’s rights are trying to limit that power now that they’re in office. The federal government has always offered minimum guidelines when it comes to protecting our land and our air. One proposal in the General Assembly now would ensure that state laws do not exceed those minimum guidelines. This provision would prevent North Carolinian’s from setting policy relating to the Outer Banks, hog farms, and acid rain to name a few. It it is passed, our state leaders would be banned from adopting rules and legislation that may be in the best interest of North Carolina.