Values pave path to recovery

It is my profound honor to have been selected by my party and Gov. Bev Perdue as one of our community's state senators, filling the unexpired term of former Sen. Tony Rand.

I undertake this responsibility with the full understanding that while I will serve the 19th Senatorial District in the coming short session of the North Carolina General Assembly and will seek election to the Senate later this year, it will be a challenge to follow Sen. Rand. He has given nearly three decades of service to Cumberland and Bladen counties and to all residents of North Carolina, service that will never be duplicated. I thank him and salute him for every battle he has ever fought on our behalf and wish him only the best as he begins another tough service on behalf of our state.

Economic focus

It is not possible to undertake service in the General Assembly without putting it into the context of the economic situation facing North Carolina. I was first elected to the N.C. House of Representatives in 2002, a time in which our state was emerging from significant economic distress. For the next several years, our state's economy grew and was strong, which enabled the General Assembly to enhance our educational institutions, to push for increased economic development opportunities and to expand health care options.

As we all know, though, the last two years have been difficult - the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. North Carolina continues to wrestle with many challenges brought on by what many call the Great Recession, which has gripped our state, our nation and much of the world.

The last session of the General Assembly faced a budget deficit of $4.5 billion. As legislators struggled with which good program or service should receive scarce state taxpayer dollars and which good program or service should not, there were no easy or obvious choices.

At the end of the process, I believe we protected education and the economy as best we could in these trying times. Public education at all levels - K-12, community colleges and our university system - received full enrollment growth funding. We held firm on our commitment to early childhood education by protecting Smart Start, a pioneering model championed by former Gov. Jim Hunt.

Unlike other states, North Carolina has not mortgaged our state parks or our highways, nor have we raided our tobacco settlement reserve funds. Our AAA bond rating remains intact and the envy of most other states, and Site Selection magazine continues to rank our state as the best place in the nation to do business, eight times out of the last nine years.

Protecting education and nurturing economic development, particularly in our rural areas, are core North Carolina values. North Carolinians understand that we will not prosper without educating and training our people and preparing ourselves to compete not only with our neighbors down the street or in the next state but with people on the other side of our Earth.

North Carolina is not out of the economic woods yet. You and I, as consumers, are still cautious about our spending and that is reflected in the ongoing downturn in our state's revenues. Too many North Carolinians remain jobless or underemployed, as well.

Slow recovery

None of us should expect a speedy recovery. Indicators are, though, that North Carolina has begun a slow and, we hope, steady climb out of this difficult time. The General Assembly's conviction and focus on public education and economic development is the correct approach.

As Chair of the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I understand well that small business - be it a farm, a restaurant, a day care or senior center, an auto shop, a technology or renewable energy start-up, or any other imaginable enterprise - is and always has been the backbone of North Carolina's economy. These are to be nurtured and encouraged.

If we stay the course, if we hold on to our convictions, and if we continue to treat each other with compassion, we will see brighter days.

As your new senator, being accessible and hearing from the people I serve is my first priority as we make this transition together. I have yet to be assigned an office or a telephone number. In the meantime, you may reach me by e-mail at margaret.dickson@ncleg.net or by telephone at (910) 483-0917.

I pledge to use my abilities and experience to be the most effective voice I can be for you in the North Carolina Senate. As I undertake this solemn responsibility, I welcome your concerns, ideas and prayers to make North Carolina a better and stronger state, and I look forward to working together toward that goal.

Margaret Dickson was sworn in as a North Carolina state senator Wednesday. She was elected by an executive committee to fill the District 19 seat, which represents Cumberland and Bladen counties, vacated by Tony Rand following his resignation.