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 8 Great Issues for 2008
by Tom Campbell
January 3, 2008
As I pondered the traditional New Year’s resolutions I wondered what might happen if our entire state adopted New Year’s resolutions or goals? What kind of power might be unleashed if we all collectively identified and resolved to take action on common issues?
What are the most significant issues facing North Carolina in 2008? I consulted with some of the state’s brightest public policy minds and received their submissions. We categorized them into The 8 Great Issues for 2008. They are listed in no particular order and space will not permit breaking down each into the many micro or smaller issues but you should be able to list them within the broader category.
Issue 1. Open and honest government. We have made a social contract with our government and periodically this contract needs review and revision. Recent events demand further cultural reforms, but we haven’t examined the basic Constitutional structure since 1971.
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Issue 2. Public education reform. While there are good things about our education system there are too many dysfunctional and underperforming elements. We should begin by asking what we expect from public education. Positive change is too slow and uneven in this post-Leandro environment.
Issue 3. Health care – mental and physical. North Carolina spends a large portion of our state budget on health and human services. We know mental health reforms are failing. Are our priorities treatment or prevention? Better health care is an investment that makes people happier and saves big dollars.
Issue 4. Growth and infrastructure. Because we have no comprehensive growth policies in our state our growth is uneven and our public infrastructure is worn out and inadequate. We can address it now or pay huge penalties for waiting.
Issue 5. Tax code revision. Our economy has shifted from agrarian to manufacturing to a service economy, yet we still operate with tax codes that are antiquated and unfair, costing our state government millions of dollars each year.
Issue 6 Economic development
We need a reasoned and comprehensive approach to economic development that is more than just throwing incentives at corporations. We are rapidly becoming a state of two North Carolinas and the costs of the poorer, rural areas will become burdensome without resolution.
Issue 7. Transportation network. Look no further than our major roads to see a system in crisis. Reforms should begin with the Department of Transportation and focus on eliminating congestion by putting dollars where they are most urgently needed.
Issue 8. Courts, crime control, and criminal justice. The wheels of justice have ground to a molasses slow pace. We need better priorities, increased technology and more funding to meet growing demands.
What a year it would be if we could get honest debate on these topics among candidates, government and business leaders, and the general public. Imagine what could happen. Unrealistic? Maybe not. Share this list, talk about it, and suggest others do the same.
There is nothing more powerful than a people united around common concerns, even if we have slightly different solutions to them. Take the 8 Great Issues with you and see what excitement you can create. |
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