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 Basnight looks long-term; here and now for Hackney Addresses by Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight and Speaker of the House Joe Hackney during County Assembly Day on May 19 foreshadowed the differences between the two chambers' budget proposals, with the Senate protecting the University of North Carolina system and the House going to bat for teachers and public schools. More than 200 county officials visited Raleigh for the annual event, which in addition to appearances by Basnight and Hackney included an election year overview, visits to the General Assembly and an evening reception with legislators and their staffs. View photos from County Assembly Day Despite the immediate budget crisis, Sen. Basnight presented a broad, long-term vision for the state's energy future in an impassioned address. Using the Gulf oil spill to set up a discussion on the potential of alternative energy sources such as wind and waves, he promoted a Senate bond package that would fund the construction of new buildings at the N.C. State and N.C. A&T colleges of engineering. "Should we have off-shore oil rigs in North Carolina? Or should we have alternative energy options?" Sen. Basnight asked. "Why not invest that money in North Carolina and develop energy options? What fuel can our farmers grow that we can convert to a power package for our planes and trains and cars?" Sen. Basnight told the crowd that through investments and the university system's engineering programs, North Carolina could establish itself as a leader in innovation and become "the one state that we all want and we all believe in." While Sen. Basnight touted future job development opportunities through alternative energy production, Rep. Hackney painted a picture of a "fiscally responsible" state that puts jobs first and places a high priority on public education. Rep. Hackney said the state needs to continue its push on ethics, as news stories of unethical behavior "undermines confidence in government at all levels." "We want to continue to push legislation, to the extent legislation can do anything about it," he said. Comparing North Carolina to other states, Rep. Hackney said the government has weathered the economic downturn "fairly well," without having "sold or mortgaged lottery revenues or state parks." (California, for example, offers corporate sponsorship opportunities for its state parks.) "North Carolina has done a lot of things right," he said. Political observers don't foresee big legislative turnover Two of the state's most astute political observers discussed with attendees what's at stake during the November election, particularly in light of legislative redistricting that will take place in 2011, based on results of the 2010 Census. Despite five incumbents losing in their re-election bids to the N.C. House during the May primaries, neither Hunter Bacot, an associate professor at Elon University, nor Scott Mooneyham, editor of The Insider State Government News Service, predicted a big swing to the right at the General Assembly. "As much as everyone's talking about there's going to be change, there's likely going to be not a lot," Bacot said. "There will be some." "It would take a lot of upheaval for Democrats to lose control of the House," Mooneyham said. "There are a lot of safe seats." Mooneyham pointed out that in 1994, an anti-incumbency wave did trickle down to the local level. That year, Republicans picked up 15 county boards to gain the ruling majority in 42 counties. Mooneyham also discussed several issues that the Association was working to address during the short session, including annexation. He said that while the House bill (H524) puts forth a "good faith effort to address some abuses by municipalities," he did not think the bill would advance in the Senate. Those who should be aligned with the bill aren't, he said, because they simply want annexation laws repealed. "Politics is compromise – that's what they don't understand," Mooneyham said of anti-annexation groups. "What's the political gain for the Senate to pass a bill if the people that wanted it think it's a bad bill?" Bacot directs the Elon University Poll, which is conducted several times each year to measure citizens' interest or awareness on state political issues. He said one trend that commissioners and county planners need to be paying attention to is the "age wave," which Bacot termed a "hidden boondoggle." The aging of the state's population means increased demand for recreational, medical and transportation programs, Bacot said. According to statistics presented to the Board of Directors in February 2008 by former UNC system president Molly Broad, the segment of North Carolinians age 55 and older will grow to 40 percent by 2030 as baby boomers age out of the workforce. "You'd better get ready because this is going to hurt counties," Bacot said. "It's going to hurt counties the most." PowerPoint presentations Issue papers (all files PDF) |