N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker released an editorial that was published in several state newspapers during the weekend. The text of this editorial follows.
Over the years, North Carolina has won awards from prestigious publications such as Forbes and Site Selection magazine as an attractive state in which to conduct one type of business or another.
But these awards have overshadowed a troubling fact that plagues North Carolina workers and has directly impacted job prospects.
Despite spending nearly $600 million during the past five years on regional economic development organizations and specialty nonprofits, our state’s economy has not produced one net new job. Not one – for five years. The current system is not working.
This failure to deliver for North Carolina families simply doesn’t cut it for Gov. Pat McCrory. He wants progress, so instead of tweaking our current job creation efforts and hoping for the best, Gov. McCrory tasked me with coming up with a bold, new approach to kick-start North Carolina’s stalled economy.
After much analysis and consultation with men and women who have a track record of creating jobs, we have proposed the Partnership for Prosperity. Once authorized by the General Assembly, the Partnership will consolidate the state’s disparate economic development efforts under one roof. Finally, job creators will have a one-stop shop with developers on hand to serve businesses on their timeline, not when it’s convenient for state government.