Cowell for Senate email updates
Campaign Blog
Senator Janet Cowell
1028 Legislative Building
Raleigh NC 27601-2808
(919) 715-6400
Janet's Issues and IdeasJobs and Economic Development - Improve the climate for
small businesses and ensure that we attract investment and
high-paying jobs
Education - Build more classrooms, reduce class size, and
attract and keep the best teachers
State Employees, Teachers and Retirees - Increase salaries
Seniors - Expand rights, benefits and healthcare
Jobs and Economic DevelopmentWe should put more of our emphasis on helping small businesses in North Carolina and less on recruiting corporations. Certainly recruitment is and will always be part of economic development strategy, but small businesses provide the bulk of existing and new jobs in the state. I would like to work with the State Treasurer to free up a small percentage of the state’s investment dollars so they could be re-circulated as loans and investments in North Carolina’s small businesses. Other states like California and Massachusetts are currently doing this. I would also like to explore ideas like pooled healthcare plans for small businesses so that healthcare would be available for employees, but not break the backs of small business owners. Finally, I believe that we can have a strong economy and a healthy environment. North Carolinians are resourceful and innovative and we should use that talent to think outside the box to create jobs for the future. EducationI believe that all children can learn and teachers are the lynchpin of the whole educational system. One of Wake County’s biggest educational challenges is keeping up with growth by building enough classrooms. In order to provide a more quality education to younger children, we need to continue to reduce class size. Pay and benefits are critical to attract and retain the best teachers as is professional training. Today’s classroom’s are increasingly diverse and teachers need more assistance in how to facilitate classes and relate to a wide range of students in order to keep students in school until they graduate. State Employees, Teachers and RetireesThe overwhelming majority of Americans are struggling from an insidious erosion of pay and benefits, including healthcare. It seems like you have to work harder and longer just to maintain, much less gain ground. This carries over to state employees, teachers and retirees. We need to ensure that we have the talent to provide needed services to all North Carolinians and that means good pay, benefits and training. SeniorsAmericans are undergoing a paradigm shift in how we think about life after retirement. We are living longer and the goal is to have active, purposeful, fulfilling lives. Having access to affordable healthcare and prescriptions is certainly a key part of achieving this goal. Other parts are providing needed services, opportunities for community and protecting the rights of seniors to make decisions and control their destiny. Urban GrowthNorth Carolina’s urban regions have grown rapidly in the past few decades and that has brought both blessings and challenges. Blessings include parks and recreational facilities, great universities, and an explosion of cultural and entertainment opportunities. One of the biggest challenges is air quality. Today, the Triangle is one of the best places to live, but worst places to breathe, in the country. If we don’t clean up our air, we’ll lose Federal transportation dollars, which in turn will stifle economic development. A key to cleaning up our air is investing in alternative transportation such as the light rail, bus service and pedestrian facilities. We also need help from the state to make up the $20 billion funding gap that is projected from now through 2025 in order to meet the demands of growth. . |
|
|
|
{body} |