N.C. House speaker discusses local economy

Although it is struggling financially, Kinston’s Global TransPark is still receiving support from the state’s top legislators.

House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange, told The Free Press Tuesday that the manufacturing park, which must pay off a $32 million debt to the state, must “be given a chance to succeed.”

The nearly 10-year-old TransPark receives $1.6 million in state funding each year. Hackney said the legislature would continue the funding stream; he also expects that legislators will continue to extend the debt payment deadline, which was recently pushed to 2009.

Critical transportation projects that would increase traffic to the GTP, such as a rail link and improvements to N.C. 58, are working their way through the state Transportation Department’s funding pipeline.

“We’ll look at any project that comes along,” Hackney said.

The speaker was one of eight state and regional leaders who delivered speeches during the State of the Region 2008 event, held Tuesday at the TransPark Center.

Several speakers emphasized the need to develop an educated workforce so the region can succeed economically.

Hackney restated that theme to The Free Press, listing the state’s initiatives aimed at improving education at all levels, such as increasing teacher salaries, early childhood education, dropout prevention, literacy and others.

“We need to get people to stay in school as long as they can,” he said.

Even though most of North Carolina’s growth has taken place in and around urban centers, the state legislature is working to move parts of that growth to rural areas to reduce urban congestion.

One method is through generous financial incentive packages that include state and local tax breaks.

“We’re not going to turn our backs on Eastern North Carolina,” Hackney said.

David Anderson can be reached at (252) 559-1077, or danderson@freedomenc.com

N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange, met with The Free Press Tuesday to discuss the regional economy, his plans for the upcoming legislative session and his thoughts on his first year as speaker.

Hackney, who is serving his 14th term in the House, was elected as speaker last January, in place of former Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, who resigned last year following a corruption scandal.

The current speaker said the 2007 session continued as usual despite all the attention to corruption allegations.

“We had some housecleaning to do,” Hackney acknowledged.

Hackney said he plans to run a “conservative” state budget this year, explaining that prudent budgeting has brought North Carolina out of a major financial hole following recent natural disasters and recessions.

The speaker declined to endorse any of the current gubernatorial candidates.

“I hope to work productively with whoever is there,” Hackney said.