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Sen. Ballantine bashes Gov. Easley
By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE, News Editor
CHOCOWINITY -- State Sen. Patrick Ballantine, R-New Hanover, will face six Republican opponents seeking the gubernatorial nomination in the May 4 primary election.
But in ads and personal appearances, the Wilmington Republican is already making the Democratic incumbent governor the focus of his campaign.
Ballantine bashed Gov. Mike Easley Wednesday night in remarks to around 25 supporters at a fundraiser in the James Clinton Convention Center.
Some of those in the audience had paid $25 or more to attend the event.
While not blaming job losses directly on Easley, Ballantine noted thousands of North Carolina's jobs had been cut or exported during the past four years.
He also chided Easley for not responding to his call to lobby for making East Carolina University part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"This governor does not deserve to be re-elected because he's ill-equipped to be the governor of this state," Ballantine said.
The six-term senator recalled sending a letter to Easley in June 2003 when Boeing was scouting locations for a new headquarters outside Seattle.
"I said, 'Governor, we need to work together to do everything we can to bring Boeing to the Global TransPark,'" Ballantine told the crowd. "If I was governor in June of last year, I would have taken the top business leaders in the state and put them on a Boeing jet and flew to Seattle, and had every business leader say why we should have them come to our state and how important it was for them to come to our state."
The Seattle Times reported Seattle would lose 154,000 jobs if Boeing left, according to Ballantine.
"I said, 'Governor, we need to work together. Let's work together to bring Boeing here,'" Ballantine continued. "What does the governor do? He sends my letter to the Wilmington Star-News. He says your hometown senator isn't pushing for Boeing to come to Wilmington. He's pushing for Kinston. He's fishing for votes."
Ballantine said his letter specifically urged Easley to work on attracting Boeing to the Global TransPark in Kinston.
"We've sunk $86 million in the Global TransPark," he said. "Nothing has happened."
Boeing eventually decided to stay in Seattle, Ballantine acknowledged. He added he would have proposed a state sale of the TransPark to Boeing for $1.
"That would have put the Global TransPark back on the tax rolls," Ballantine said. " ... This governor didn't try."
Though he received a standing ovation at the end of his speech, Ballantine appeared to lose ground with a couple of voters who asked questions about economic development.
Roger Tuttle, chairman of the Miracle Mile Committee, a subcommittee of the Beaufort County Committee of 100, asked Ballantine to weigh in on the North Carolina Department of Commerce's decision to upgrade Beaufort County from Tier 1 to Tier 2 status in the state's ranking of counties' economic health.
The tier system defines certain tax credits prescribed under the William S. Lee Quality Jobs and Business Expansion Act, 1996 legislation designed to attract new businesses and expand existing businesses throughout the state.
Under guidelines employed by the Department of Commerce, each of North Carolina's 100 counties is ranked in a range from Tier 1 to Tier 5.
The Tier 1 counties -- at the bottom of the list -- are allowed the biggest tax credit for each new job.
Under Tier 1 status, Beaufort County was able to offer a $12,500 tax credit for each full-time job created by a new business.
Under Tier 2 status, the county can offer a $4,000 credit.
County economic development officials have said the ranking criteria are unfair because Beaufort County has continued to lose jobs.
According to Al Klemm, a member of the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission, Tier 1 tax credits helped the county attract PrettlNoma, which, from its plant on 15th Street in Washington, supplies components to home-appliance manufacturers.
Ballantine said the tax credits don't work, the incentive system should be scrapped and that, probably, the state should start crafting a new economic development strategy.
"The sad part about the economic development strategy is everyone's trying to be a Tier 1 county," he said.
Ballantine said lower taxes, less-burdensome regulations, good roads and education will help lure businesses.
"To me, (tax credits are) a waste of money to begin with," he said.
It's "terrible," he said, that a county would bemoan reaching Tier 2 status.
"I don't buy that whole argument," he stated. "I think it's misguided. It hasn't worked."
In response to a statement from Ashley Stephenson, one of his supporters, Ballantine acknowledged that most state money for the tax credits goes to wealthier Tier 4 and Tier 5 counties.
Pitt County is a Tier 4 county; Wake County a Tier 5.
Ballantine said 80 percent of the money goes to Tier 4 and Tier 5 counties.
"You can't pigeonhole economic development," Ballantine asserted. "It's not working."
He didn't reserve all of his criticism for Easley, however.
Ballantine chided former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, the reported front-runner and the GOP's gubernatorial nominee for the past two gubernatorial elections, for not paying enough attention to Eastern North Carolina.
Ballantine said Vinroot won just three of the 40 counties east of U.S. Highway 1 during the past election. The east "is critical," Ballantine claimed.
Ballantine questioned the electoral viability of Bill Cobey, former chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. Cross-over Democratic voters aren't likely to support the former party chairman, Ballantine suggested.
"You have to get cross-over, Eastern North Carolina Democrats to win," he said. "How many Democrats are going to vote for the Republican Party chairman for governor?"
The senator from New Hanover County said he has raised $1.2 million for his campaign. Statewide, his television ads cast him as a responsive, "intelligent" alternative to others seeking the nomination.
But in ads and personal appearances, the Wilmington Republican is already making the Democratic incumbent governor the focus of his campaign.
Ballantine bashed Gov. Mike Easley Wednesday night in remarks to around 25 supporters at a fundraiser in the James Clinton Convention Center.
Some of those in the audience had paid $25 or more to attend the event.
While not blaming job losses directly on Easley, Ballantine noted thousands of North Carolina's jobs had been cut or exported during the past four years.
He also chided Easley for not responding to his call to lobby for making East Carolina University part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"This governor does not deserve to be re-elected because he's ill-equipped to be the governor of this state," Ballantine said.
The six-term senator recalled sending a letter to Easley in June 2003 when Boeing was scouting locations for a new headquarters outside Seattle.
"I said, 'Governor, we need to work together to do everything we can to bring Boeing to the Global TransPark,'" Ballantine told the crowd. "If I was governor in June of last year, I would have taken the top business leaders in the state and put them on a Boeing jet and flew to Seattle, and had every business leader say why we should have them come to our state and how important it was for them to come to our state."
The Seattle Times reported Seattle would lose 154,000 jobs if Boeing left, according to Ballantine.
"I said, 'Governor, we need to work together. Let's work together to bring Boeing here,'" Ballantine continued. "What does the governor do? He sends my letter to the Wilmington Star-News. He says your hometown senator isn't pushing for Boeing to come to Wilmington. He's pushing for Kinston. He's fishing for votes."
Ballantine said his letter specifically urged Easley to work on attracting Boeing to the Global TransPark in Kinston.
"We've sunk $86 million in the Global TransPark," he said. "Nothing has happened."
Boeing eventually decided to stay in Seattle, Ballantine acknowledged. He added he would have proposed a state sale of the TransPark to Boeing for $1.
"That would have put the Global TransPark back on the tax rolls," Ballantine said. " ... This governor didn't try."
Though he received a standing ovation at the end of his speech, Ballantine appeared to lose ground with a couple of voters who asked questions about economic development.
Roger Tuttle, chairman of the Miracle Mile Committee, a subcommittee of the Beaufort County Committee of 100, asked Ballantine to weigh in on the North Carolina Department of Commerce's decision to upgrade Beaufort County from Tier 1 to Tier 2 status in the state's ranking of counties' economic health.
The tier system defines certain tax credits prescribed under the William S. Lee Quality Jobs and Business Expansion Act, 1996 legislation designed to attract new businesses and expand existing businesses throughout the state.
Under guidelines employed by the Department of Commerce, each of North Carolina's 100 counties is ranked in a range from Tier 1 to Tier 5.
The Tier 1 counties -- at the bottom of the list -- are allowed the biggest tax credit for each new job.
Under Tier 1 status, Beaufort County was able to offer a $12,500 tax credit for each full-time job created by a new business.
Under Tier 2 status, the county can offer a $4,000 credit.
County economic development officials have said the ranking criteria are unfair because Beaufort County has continued to lose jobs.
According to Al Klemm, a member of the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission, Tier 1 tax credits helped the county attract PrettlNoma, which, from its plant on 15th Street in Washington, supplies components to home-appliance manufacturers.
Ballantine said the tax credits don't work, the incentive system should be scrapped and that, probably, the state should start crafting a new economic development strategy.
"The sad part about the economic development strategy is everyone's trying to be a Tier 1 county," he said.
Ballantine said lower taxes, less-burdensome regulations, good roads and education will help lure businesses.
"To me, (tax credits are) a waste of money to begin with," he said.
It's "terrible," he said, that a county would bemoan reaching Tier 2 status.
"I don't buy that whole argument," he stated. "I think it's misguided. It hasn't worked."
In response to a statement from Ashley Stephenson, one of his supporters, Ballantine acknowledged that most state money for the tax credits goes to wealthier Tier 4 and Tier 5 counties.
Pitt County is a Tier 4 county; Wake County a Tier 5.
Ballantine said 80 percent of the money goes to Tier 4 and Tier 5 counties.
"You can't pigeonhole economic development," Ballantine asserted. "It's not working."
He didn't reserve all of his criticism for Easley, however.
Ballantine chided former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, the reported front-runner and the GOP's gubernatorial nominee for the past two gubernatorial elections, for not paying enough attention to Eastern North Carolina.
Ballantine said Vinroot won just three of the 40 counties east of U.S. Highway 1 during the past election. The east "is critical," Ballantine claimed.
Ballantine questioned the electoral viability of Bill Cobey, former chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. Cross-over Democratic voters aren't likely to support the former party chairman, Ballantine suggested.
"You have to get cross-over, Eastern North Carolina Democrats to win," he said. "How many Democrats are going to vote for the Republican Party chairman for governor?"
The senator from New Hanover County said he has raised $1.2 million for his campaign. Statewide, his television ads cast him as a responsive, "intelligent" alternative to others seeking the nomination.
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