Gov. Perdue Rallies to Protect the Classroom

"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 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."

Rallies were held in Raleigh and Greensboro on Wednesday, Charlotte and Asheville on Thursday, and additional rallies will be held in Greenville and Wilmington on Monday.

Pew Report Shows NC a Leader in Green Economy

A new report by the Pew Center on the States indicates that North Carolina is poised to capitalize on Gov. Bev Perdue's green energy plan, including her proposals to make green energy jobs a cornerstone of North Carolina's economy.

The report, "The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering jobs, businesses and investments across America," (PDF) released Wednesday, lists North Carolina as among the top dozen states in growing "clean energy economy jobs."  It also finds that North Carolina saw growth in the number of clean energy economy jobs, with such jobs exceeding the national average.  The report tracked clean energy economy job growth from 1998 through 2007, during which time the state saw clean energy economy jobs grow by 15.3 percent, while the overall job growth rate in the state was 6.4 percent.

In 2007, more than 1,700 clean energy businesses in North Carolina accounted for 17,000 jobs.  From 2006 through 2008, more than $82.5 million in venture capital was invested in North Carolina clean energy economy jobs.

"I've said before, and I will say again: Green is gold for North Carolina," Perdue said.  "To get green right, we must build on our strengths that attract green companies - a well-trained, educated workforce; existing relationships between businesses and research institutions; and a strong link between energy policy and economic development."

Gov. Perdue's green energy plan includes the use of $18 million in federal recovery funds to create an Energy Investment Revolving Loan Fund. The fund will provide low- and no-interest loans, up to $1 million, to finance energy-saving projects at businesses, schools, nonprofits, state agencies and local governments.

She also proposes another $10 million to expand the state's Green Business Fund to provide support to new, emerging and expanding green economy businesses.

Additionally, Gov. Perdue's plan relocates the State Energy Office and state weatherization program to the Department of Commerce and reinvigorates the Energy Policy Council.

Click here to read the details of Perdue's full energy plan.

Gov. Perdue Hosts Recovery Workshop in Charlotte

On Thursday, Gov. Perdue hosted a Economic Recovery Workshop at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.  The workshop was a sixth in a series of workshops across the state to provide information and guidance to local municipalities, businesses and interested citizens on how the federal recovery funds will be administered.

"North Carolina is set to receive more than $8 billion in federal recovery money, and I intend for our state to not only be prepared to use this money to put our people back to work, but also to spend the money with the utmost accountability and transparency," Gov. Perdue said.

Dempsey Benton, Director of the NC Office of Economic Recovery and Investment (OERI) led the two-hour workshop.  Previous workshops were held in Winston-Salem, Clyde, Kinston, Raleigh and Wilmington. For more information visit www.NCRecovery.gov .

Gov. Perdue Signs Bill Providing Zero-Interest Bonds for School Construction, Renovation and Repair

Gov. Bev Perdue this week signed Senate Bill 754, enabling North Carolina schools to use interest-free bonds for school construction, repair and renovation as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

"Our children need a welcoming and encouraging learning environment, one that makes them excited to come to school every day," Perdue said. "These bonds create a win-win situation - new jobs and better classrooms."

The bill enables local education agencies to administer $275,772,000 in bonding authority for new, qualified school construction bonds (QSCB) and gives $56,699,000 in bonding authority to continue qualified zone academy bonds (QZAB).

The federal government already identified five North Carolina counties with low-income school districts that will receive money through QSCB as a result of the bill: 

Mecklenburg County - $25,962,000
Forsyth County - $12,244,000
Guilford County - $17,147,000
Wake County - $17,304,000
Cumberland County - $15,948,000

The State Board of Education has administered QZAB since 1997. To apply for QZAB, individual schools must have 35 percent of their student population receiving free or reduced lunch.  This money can only be used for repair and renovation and requires school districts to partner with businesses that will match 10 percent of the bond's face-value through cash or in-kind contributions.

The QSCB is a new bond program created through the ARRA that provides money for repair, renovation and new construction.  There are no prerequisites for applying, and it does not require a business match.

State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project Prevents More Than 1,000 Foreclosures in NC

Gov. Perdue and the N.C. Office of the Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB) this week announced that the State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project has helped more than 1,000 North Carolina homeowners avoid foreclosure since the program's inception in November 2008.

"North Carolina is committed to helping our citizens avoid foreclosure," said Gov. Perdue.  "This program is critical to many families in our state as we continue to do all we can to help homeowners stay in their homes."

Working with major mortgage companies, non-profit service providers, and state agencies, NCCOB developed a program to notify homeowners nearing foreclosure proceedings early and to make it easier for homeowners to access the existing network of over 150 certified housing counselors across the state.  The NC Foreclosure Project also provides an opportunity for homeowners to have their subprime loans reviewed for potential violations of law by NCCOB-trained volunteers, who help NCCOB identify instances of suspected predatory lending and refer them to private or public enforcement.  A network of legal service providers is available to assist homeowners referred by counseling agencies to provide further review of loans or foreclosure defense.  In addition, NCCOB staff monitors the progress of loan work-outs to address communication breakdowns between housing counselors and mortgage companies.

In the first seven months of operation, the program has prevented more than 1,000 foreclosures and connected more than 3,000 homeowners to housing counseling agencies for foreclosure prevention counseling.  The economic impact of the program to date is estimated at $86 million. 

German Firm to Open U.S. HQ in Charlotte

Teupen, a global leader in the design and manufacture of track-mounted aerial work platforms, will open its U.S. headquarters, services and spare parts operations in Mecklenburg County.  The company has leased a 10,000-square-foot industrial building in Charlotte and is creating 10 jobs immediately, while planning to expand further in the next two years.

"North Carolina is seen internationally as a prime place to locate and tap into the North American market," Gov. Perdue said.  "Our state's forward-looking policies continue to attract leading global companies looking to invest and expand, thanks to our top-rated business climate, strategic transportation assets, and highly skilled workers."

Teupen, pronounced TOY-pen, is a world leader in the design and manufacture of track-mounted aerial work platforms used for applications ranging from tree-trimming to maintenance of large industrial facilities and building interiors.  The company's platforms offer precise, stable and portable access to hard-to-reach work areas on a variety of surfaces including sand, lawns, uneven pavement and any interior flooring.

The Charlotte Chamber and N.C. Department of Commerce assisted Teupen with various aspects of the project. For more information on Teupen, please visit the company's web site at www.teupen.com .

Governor's schedule for the coming week

Monday, June 22
- Rally for Education, Wilmington
- Rally for Education, Winterville
- Local Government Officials Meeting, Raleigh

Tuesday, June 23
- Breakfast with Senate Leadership
- Senior Staff Meeting
- Cabinet Meeting
- Budget Meeting
- Office Time
- Recovery Meeting
- NCDP Legislative Reception

Wednesday, June 24
- Breakfast with House Leadership
- Senior Staff Meeting
- Proclamation Presentation, National Aphasia Awareness
- Office Time

Thursday, June 25
- Senior Staff Meeting
- Office Time
- Budget Meeting
- Economic Development Board Reception

Friday, June 26
- North Carolina Federation of Business & Professional Women 90th Anniversary, RTP
- Office Time
- North Carolina Education Ball

Saturday, June 27
- Bar Association Dinner, Asheville