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Jefferson PostU.S. Sen. Richard Burr said that the most important issues facing North Carlina and the nation are job creation and the need to instill confidence in the direction the economy is heading.
During a phone interview with The Jefferson Post Tuesday morning, Burr reiterated his position that a combination of traditional manufacturing and harnessing new positions through emerging technology fields will be the key to lowering the state's unemployment rate.
The senator was scheduled to speak at Ashe County Middle School Tuesday but was prevented because of poor weather.
Burr said that the Tar Heel state has one of the highest jobless rates in the nation but feels that that trend would reverse once the economy rebounded.
"Most of the jobs we've created in North Carolina are very sensitive to growth or the lack of growth," Burr said. "As the economy begins to grow, these companies will be the first to feel it, recognize it, and then re-hire."
Burr cited the Lenoir branch of the Internet search cooperation Google, a large LED light manufacturer, and triad-based vaccination research companies as examples of the types of companies that will be the leading edge in new job creation in North Carolina. He noted that North Carolina leads the nation in producers of vaccinations and predicted that the state would become the world leader within 10 years.
The return of manufacturing jobs is another strong indicator of a revitalized local economy. Burr explained that the return of Broyhill Furniture Company to Caldwell County over the past year as one example of a return in manufacturing in the state.
From a national standpoint, Burr explained that it will take a combination of a restored level of confidence within the average citizen and the nation's ability to attract private capital back into the economy for a reversal from the current downturn. Burr believes that the return of private capital is the key to plant expansions and ultimately job creation.
Rising unemployment rates typically mean an increase in the number of uninsured citizens. According to Families USA Project, by the end of 2010, almost two million North Carolinians will be without health insurance and current estimates by that same organization indicate that 1,480 citizens lose their health insurance every week. The growing number of uninsured residents peaked at the height of the recession – between 2007 and 2009 when that number increased by 22 ½ percent, the largest increase nationwide, the North Carolina Community Health Center Association said.
An unfolding health care crisis has manifested itself within the Senate since the fall out from the recession became more clearly visible and law makers are now at a standstill in terms of what direction the bill will go next. Republicans and Democrats alike are preparing for President Obama's health care summit next week. Burr said he has seen little evidence that may suggest that Democrats would be willing to make any concessions to reach a bipartisan bill. During the summit, Burr said, republicans intend to voice their grievances over the current bill and offer a list of reforms and would help bring the cost of health care down overall.
Burr said that in order to avoid what he characterizes as a "one-size-fits-all type of package" envisioned by President Obama, lawmakers should focus on a system that encourages both accessibility and affordability.
"The entire focus up to this point has been coverage expansion," Burr said. "I think that is the fundamental difference between republicans and democrats. Republicans believe that lowering the overall cost of health care enables more people to find it affordable. Democrats have said that the only way to achieve that is to subsidize and mandate, unfortunately that makes health care more expensive for everyone."
Burr said that he believes increasing competition amongst insurance companies by allowing people to purchase premiums across state lines may play a factor in driving the cost of coverage down. Allowing private insurers to offer additional and more specialized products are other keys to health care reform, Burr said.
Allowing people to choose a flexible and affordable coverage plan that fits their specific needs could play a pivotal role in reshaping health care. People should not have to solely rely on employer-provided packages to meet all their coverage needs, Burr said.
"Employer participation is important long term but the construction of the product needs to be more individually driven," Burr said.
The heart of health care reform, Burr said, may rest within each individual and how they approach their health and wellbeing. Burr believes that by allowing insurance companies to offer financial incentives, such as reduced premiums, to customers may encourage people to take second look at their health and take better care of their bodies.
"If an individual sees the financial incentive then they will do this," Burr said. "A lower premium could give people the incentive to live better."
