Video: http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/sep/19/nc-democratic-lawmakers-launch-listening-tour-ar-1409422/
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. --
Jobs, jobs, jobs.
It doesn't matter if you are a registered Democrat, Republican or Independent the economy weighs on North Carolinians.
State Democratic leaders are traveling the state this week to listen to constituents concerns and offer their take on budget cuts passed by Republicans and several Democratic representatives.
"We've had over 6,000 education cuts in this budget from public schools in North Carolina," said House Minority LeaderJoe Hackney, (D) Orange County. "We've had over 3,000 job cuts for our universities ... We don't think what's happening in Raleigh is actually what the people of North Carolina think they're getting."
Democrats call their 19-stop tour "NC Forward".
The North Carolina Republican Party has dubbed it the "Tax Me More Bus Tour."
"The people of North Carolina want them to hear and realize that from 2008-2010 when the Democrats controlled everything, 300,000 jobs were lost in the state of North Carolina," said N.C. GOPCommunications DirectorRob Lockwood.
BusinesswomanMary Wells owns two dry cleaning sites in Rocky Mount.
"I'm hanging on to be truthful one week to the next. I never know the next week if I can open my doors," said Wells.
She's seen a decline in business and partly blames Republican-led state budget cuts.
"People are hurting when you cut jobs and cut people out of work," declared Wells. "We don't need to be laying people off like teachers who support small business."
Wells is also a Democratic Nash County County Commissioner.
"You can sit here and complain and then you are part of the problem. If we want to take North Carolina back, get out and vote," said Wells.