Gov. Perdue Rallies to Protect the Classroom

Yesterday in Raliegh, Governor Perdue kicked off a series of rallies across North Carolina to protect public schools in the state budget. 

Below are selected excerpts from her prepared remarks:

"In the last few months North Carolina has been hit by the deepest national crisis in our lifetimes. I'm told we have one of the largest shortfalls in America. It is the largest shortfall in our history - $4.7 billion next year and even more the following year." ...

"I applaud the General Assembly for their work to put a budget together. But - and that's a big word - in North Carolina we must act boldly to protect the classroom." ...

"We cannot and must not cripple education. Cutting education means cutting short our economic future." ...

"That's why today I call on the General Assembly to make smart, tough cuts in the budget and to raise the revenue necessary to protect North Carolina's classrooms." ...

"We will cut deep. We will do more with less. But as state leaders we cannot increase class size, we cannot lay off teachers and we cannot sacrifice our economic future."

Additional rallies will be held in Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, Greenville and Wilmington.