Editor’s Note: Normally, this occasional article is received on Mondays and is published on Tuesdays. We thank you for your patience as we continue to play catch-up.
It has now been three months since the long session ended.
We continue to be plagued by high employment, but we have had some success on the job front in my district. In this newsletter, I will be discussing the two new companies that will be locating in our district. I will also be discussing the Oversight Committee for Mental Health that I sit on, as well as one of my interns, Jessica Meed, and her role in my office.
In light of President Obama’s press conference tonight about sending additional troops to Afghanistan, I want share with you about my son, Justus, who is currently in basic training at the Fort Knox Army Base.
TWO COMPANIES TO EXPAND JOBS IN DISTRICT 7
An Israeli company, Shalag Industries, will open the company’s first U.S. plant, located in Oxford. Shalag Industries is a supplier of non-woven fabrics in the hygiene and sanitary wipes markets and will be investing $17 million in its new plant. The Granville County location will be employing 42 persons. The new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $39,966, not including benefits. This annual wage is higher than the Granville County average annual wage of $33,020. For more information please see this article.
The establishment of the plant was made possible, in part, by an $110,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The fund currently consists of nonrecurring appropriations made by the N.C. General Assembly for companies seeking to undertake new expansion or locate new operations in the state. For more information on the One North Carolina Fund, please see this website.
Another Israeli company, Palziv North American, will be locating in the Hon building in Louisburg. Palziv North American will produce polyethylene foam blocks and pellets used in vehicle insulation, construction materials and other applications. During the summer, the Hon Corporation announced it was closing its Louisburg operations. Hon, a manufacturer of office equipment, made this decision because they had excess capacity as a result of declining demand for their products. The N.C. Secretary of Commerce, Keith Crisco, had worked with local leadership in examining all avenues to try to keep the Hon plant open in Louisburg. As a follow-up to these efforts, his office continued to work with local leadership in identifying a new company to re-locate to this building, which is in close proximity to Vance Granville Community College. Palziv North American will be investing $7 million in Franklin County. The Franklin County location will be employing 72 persons. The new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $34,167 which is higher than the Franklin County average annual wage of $33,178.
The plan was made possible in part by a $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. Please see this article for more information.
LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH
During the Budget negotiations of this past session there were many difficult cuts made to balance the State’s budget. The Health and Human Services portion of the budget received a $1.5 billion cut. The results of this cut have far reaching affects, and undoubtedly some of you have felt those effects.
As a member of the Oversight Committee on Mental Health, I am working to ensure that the cuts made in the budget with regards to Mental Health are administered in such a way as to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure that the funds being spent are spent on services for those who are truly in need.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Lanier Cansler, has been meeting with the chairs of the HHS Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee prior to all of the Oversight Committee meetings. In these meetings he has communicated the real world results of the cuts that had to be made. Mental Health is one area in which we have had a considerable amount of discussion.
Near the end of the session, the joint Full Appropriation chairs adopted a proposal to shift $50 million away from Mental Health and into what appears to have been the K-12 Education Budget. This $50 million cut has resulted in persons who need Mental Health services not being able to receive them. Through our efforts on the oversight committee we are attempting to ensure that the Department focuses on cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending. Cutting funding for families that are in need is a last resort, and we hope to avoid that if at all possible.
To read Secretary Cansler’s own thoughts on this issue, please see this article.
AMAZING INTERN
The photographs above were taken at a recent Military Medical Conference. On the left is the newly appointed Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. On the right is Jessica Meed, who is informing her about the effect the budget crisis in North Carolina had on cuts to Public Health functions.
I had the pleasure, during the most recent session of the General Assembly, to have Jessica serve as an intern in my Senate Office. Jessica is a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The focus of her education is in the field of public health care administration. Her other professional and educational accomplishments are far too many to list.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Jessica for all her work and her time. She was an invaluable resource for my office, and it was truly my pleasure to have her expertise during the difficult budgetary process this past year.
SOLDIER IN TRAINING
Two weeks ago I had the honor of attending the Beret Ceremony at Fort Knox Army Base in Fort Knox, Kentucky. My son, Justus, was one of the soldiers who received their berets. He is currently assigned to A Company of the 2nd Battalion, 81st Armored Regiment — The Red Knights. Upon completion of basic training he will be assigned to a base here in North Carolina.
I am so proud of my son. The decision he made to join the Army is one that requires tremendous sacrifice and dedication. As a result of that decision he will realize the honor that accompanies induction into the Armed Services. There is no greater honor than bearing the burden of protecting our country, providing safety for both our citizens and their way of life. As a son of an Army Veteran, and soon the father of one, I understand the great responsibility that is service. I could not be prouder of my son for accepting that responsibility.
Following the ceremony, Justus was allowed a weekend with his family. It was wonderful to see him after 8 weeks. It was interesting to hear what basic training really is like. I think the most important thing for Justus was the freedom to eat whatever, and whenever he wanted. It was a fun filled weekend with our whole family and I look forward to seeing him complete his basic training and begin his career in the North Carolina Army National Guard.
As always I welcome your comments on this newsletter or anything else that concerns you. My office is here to help in whatever manner we can. It is an honor to serve as your Senator and I will do everything in my power to live up to that honor.
Sincerely,
Doug Berger