While the nation’s budget deficit continues to grow by trillions of dollars, there appears to be little agreement on the path to a balanced spending plan. On this special edition of Carolina Business Review, we talk with the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform: Erskine Bowles and Senator Alan Simpson.
Miles of Bad Road
Or so it can feel that way if you judge our infrastructure reinvestment according to this economy and the allocation of NC tax receipts. North Carolina’s affable Secretary of Transportation, Gene Conti shares his vision and tough decisions on the direction of strategy in the ‘Good Roads State’. Ned Curran of Bissell Companies and George Fletcher from New Carolina join Chris William to start off the dialogue.
Carolina Econometrics
It is not clear if this is a sign that we are near a bottom in the economy but, it surely seems many people have become even more pessimistic of late. Can it be due to the European drama? Or, is it our domestic political leadership folly? Either way, our annual panel of Economists are no exception in there skepticism this year. It is not all bad though. Dr’s John Connaughton of UNC Charlotte, Frank Hefner from the College of Charleston, Harry Davis of Appalachian State and Scott Baier of Clemson round out this look-back/look-ahead dialogue. Click on the video to watch.
Bank Transfer Day vs. Dodd-Frank
While it’s easy pickings on the big banks, the small community banks have been reaping the manna from the fallout of their larger cousins misfortunes. The broader questions is, will the Dodd-Frank legislation be the brick wall for the smaller financial service providers? And what happens to communities if Community Banks face harsh times? That and other issues this time on Carolina Business Review.
Kim Saunders of Durham-based Mechanics and Farmers Bank join panelists, Harvey Schmitt of the Raleigh Chamber and Dr. Karen Kedrowski of Winthrop University.
Real(ity) Estate
Maybe a little too much reality for many. With the inventory of foreclosed homes still working through the system, Carolina residential, and to a lesser extent, commercial property values are still looking for sustained good news. This week’s A-list panel gives some clarity to where we are in the cycle. Ed Fritsch, Pat Riley, David Lockwood and Patrick Mason carry the dialogue.
Catchy Headlines and Deep Analysis
For more than a decade, we have been proud partners with the venerable monthly publication Business North Carolina magazine. So, it was without hesitation we said yes when we got a call from BNC Publisher David Kinney to participate in their Oct. 2011 cover: BNC Top 30 Cover Story.
Campus Connection
Football returns to the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2013, more than 60 years after the college first tried the sport – only to see the team fold a year later. Chancellor Phil Dubois believes a new football program, while an expensive endeavor, will enhance the experience of its students and build a connection to a community which might not otherwise have a reason to visit the north Charlotte campus. On this program, Dubois discusses the costs and benefits of college athletics. Jeff Beaver of the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission and baseball General Manager Scott Brown of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans contribute to the dialogue.
Dropout Dilemma
North Carolina’s school dropout rate reached a record low in the 2009-2010 school year, yet the number of teens who fail to obtain a high school diploma remains one of our region’s biggest challenges. On this special edition of Carolina Business Review, we sit down with N.C. Governor Beverly Perdue to discuss the recent budget cuts in education and the state’s role in keeping kids engaged in the classroom. Later in the program, leaders from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the business community and education-focused non-profits join the dialogue. The program is part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
State of the Arts
As Chancellor of the smallest campus in the UNC system, John Mauceri oversees one of the most unusual universities in the nation. Programs at the UNC School of the Arts, which include high school students studying alongside college undergrads and graduate students, are constantly seeking creative solutions to shrinking budgets. On this program, Mauceri joins two other college educators in a discussion on the benefits of a fine arts degree: Dr. John Connaughton of UNC Charlotte and Dr. Imtiaz Haque of Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research.
Jobs Act
Unemployment in the Carolinas has remained stagnant in the wake of federal stimulus efforts and state programs aimed at creating jobs. Now, the Obama administration has introduced new policies in hopes of preventing a double-dip recession and finally making a dent in the number of jobless Americans still seeking employment. Four of our region’s brightest economists examine the President’s proposed American Jobs Act and the state of the Carolinas economic recovery: Peter Summers of High Point University, John Silvia of Wells Fargo, Doug Woodward of the University of South Carolina, and Scott Baier of Clemson University.
