Technician
Governor Perdue announces two-year proposed budget Chelsey Francis News Editor
With a projected $2.4 billion deficit for the fiscal year beginning in July, Governor Beverly Perdue outlined her proposed $19.9 billion budget for 2011-2012 year. Under this proposed spending plan, most of a temporary sales tax rate increase would remain, state parks and welcome centers would close two days each week and about 10,000 government jobs would be eliminated. According to Perdue, she balanced 72 percent of the budget through spending cuts and the remaining 28 percent through revenue growth. Some of the 28 percent revenue growth would be generated by the sales tax increase lawmakers approved two years ago. Although the increase is scheduled to expire this year, Perdue included a quarter-cent increase. If the quarter-cent increase is approved, the state sales tax rate would be 5.5 percent, down from the current 5.75 percent, although it would decrease to 4.75 percent if the tax increase is not approved.
Tough times, tough choices:
Education:
Closing most state parks 2 days a week – saves $3 million. • Trimming the services covered by Medicaid – saves $40 million. • Reducing the Clean Water Management Trust Fund – saves $50 million. • Closing the Sannanoa juvenile justice center – saves $1.4 million • Reducing state funding to a number of non-profits
North Carolina public schools enrolled 5,000 new students in the last 2 years, the university system added 12,000 and the community college system grew by 52,000. According to Perdue, because she recognizes the importance of education, she minimized the across- the- board cuts and focused on consolidation and elimination of programs that were underutilized or low-performing. • Net reduction to education agencies: • 3.9 percent for public schools • 4.9 percent for community colleges • 6 percent for the UNC system
•
Source: Governor Bev Perdue
Source: Governor Bev Perdue
Jobs and Businesses:
Perdue’s new budget:
According to Perdue, her number one priority is to increase jobs and support the full recovery of North Carolina from the present global economic recession. Perdue said she has proposed “critical investments in economic development and job creation initiatives.” • Reducing tax burdens for corporations and small businesses by almost $500 million. • Lowering corporate income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 4.9 percent (lowest in the Southeast and third lowest in the country) • Providing $65 million unemployment insurance tax credit to 135,000 small businesses. • Investing $75 million to put N.C. construction and repair companies back to work.
Perdue’s budget “streamlines state government, recommends budget-reaching consolidations and eliminations and requires significant cuts from agencies while still making critical investments in jobs and education.” • Spends 11 percent less per capita than it did three years ago. • Authorizes no new debt • Spends one-time money on one-time expenses. • Most state programs face between a 7 percent and 15 percent reduction compared to last year’s funding. • Allocates $150 million additional to state’s Rainy Day Fund.
Source: Governor Bev Perdue
Source: Governor Bev Perdue
Two publications without editor candidates Despite ample time, there were no applicants for editor positions for the The Technician or Windhover. Alexander Woods Staff Writer
Application deadlines for editor of the Technician and Windhover publications have been extended due to lack of candidates. With an extended submission date of Feb. 23 at noon, members of the Technician staff said they hope someone will step up to the challenge. There is no definite course of action if still no one applies, but some are beginning to think a structure change may ensue. Technician Editor-in-Chief Amanda Wilkins will be stepping down at the end of her term June 1 in order to focus on her studies. The early deadline is to allow a sort of apprenticeship of the next editor in order to ease the successor into their responsibilities. Windhover Editor Mollie Mohr will graduate in May. Student media advisor, Bradley Wilson was stressed by the similar situation last year, when no one applied for the Technician editor position. He said he wasn’t as worried this year because of the quality of staff members. Wilson said it is the staff that largely dictates the difficulty of the editor’s position. “This is a full time job, and it’s a lot of work, so it is intimidating to some people. But you are part of a team,” said Wilson. “[The applicant] has to know they aren’t out on a limb by themselves.” As a result, Wilson said the lack of candidates stems from this level of difficulty rather than a lack of skilled students. “This job is doable, but they have to balance wanting to have a life, school, looking for jobs and working for Student Media,” Wilson said. “So this is not because we have a weak staff.” Paul McCauley, chair of the Student Media Board of Directors and a graduate student in sociology and anthropology, said both positions are time consuming. McCauley was Viewpoint Editor of during his un-
february
18 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Gov. Bev Perdue unveiled her proposed spending budget for 2011-2013 on Thursday.
friday
brett morris/Technician
Jasmine Chadmon, junior in creative writing, explains at Thursday’s Student Media open forum why she is the perfect candidate for the position of editor of the Nubian Message. “Group cohesiveness and having a passion for journalism, as I do, will make everyone want to work hard,” Chadmon said.
Candidates for student media leaders Agromeck • Stephanie Doss, a junior in middle grades education Nubian Message • Cordera Guion, a junior in business administration • Jasmine Chadmon, a junior in English WKNC 88.1 FM • Molly Matty, a senior in chemistry
dergraduate degree. “For one, the editor position is a huge time commitment,” said McCauley. “The job description is 35 hours a week, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it.” Unlike Technician, the Windhover staff has never had a problem maintaining an editor, according to Wilson. The candidate that Mohr had been grooming chose at the last minute not to apply. Wilson said he knows people will compare the situation to that of last year, but he said it does not have the
Wolf TV • Kristen Purvis, a junior in arts applications • Kenneth Hertling, a freshman in political science • Paul Blake, a freshman in political science • Darius Dawson, a junior in arts applications Business Office • Ronilyn Osborn, a junior in communication Source: ncsu student media
same uncertainty. “Last year’s search for an editor really stressed me out,” Wilson said. “But this year I’m a lot less stressed because we have so many talented students on staff.” The trending lack of applicants could be due to the Technician’s ability to communicate with the outside world, but not within the staff, Wilson said. “We are really good at marketing for other clubs and activities,” Wilson said, “but we are not so good at marketing ourselves.
Both Wilson and McCauley said the position could need some restructuring. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an alternative structure. Maybe [it’s] not a job for just one person anymore,” said McCauley. While the job isn’t easy, Wilkins, a junior in horticultural science, said she has found her job as editor rewarding. “It is a crash course in management and a great leadership opportunity,” said Wilkins. She did, however say that the job isn’t really about resume building and personal gain. Though people tell her it will look great on a resume, she says that the job is one of self sacrifice, to better the paper and to help her staff. “If we get people to apply by the next deadline, then it’s a non-issue,” Wilson said. Agromeck Editor-in-chief Susannah Brinkley contributed to this report.
Que Lo Que changes approach to global service Student organization Que lo Que seeks to redefine global service through alternative approaches. Joshua Chappell Senior Staff Writer
“Hey, what’s up?” This greeting, familiar in the United States and around the world, is the foundation for one student organization’s desire to help fight poverty in the Dominican Republic. Que Lo Que, a fairly new student organization on campus, seeks to redefine global citizenship through asset-based community development, according to Hunter Isgrig, director of operations and a sophomore in agricultural business management. Unlike other service organizations, Que Lo Que’s mission is not to change the society of their target nation, but instead to integrate themselves into the culture to better understand it, Isgrig said. “We take the role as listeners in the community of the Dominican Republic and really focus on the organic need of the community instead of the sometimes implied need from a non-native perspective.” Que Lo Que organizers have worked to develop new, creative ways to provide global service, according to Isgrig. “We have no product to offer, no great invention to end world poverty,” Isgrig said. “All we have are two eyes, two ears, and a closed mouth.” Isgrig also said the organization does not use their own preconceived notions to help the community. “We do not assume any need or any direct fix to an issue,” Isgrig said. “Our programs revolve around the issues voiced by the community alone, not influenced by an outside perspective.” The organization has recent origins in ShoeManity, another servicebased student organization, according to Brian Gaudio, a junior in environmental design in architecture. Gaudio, who serves as president of the current organization, was involved with ShoeManity from its inception in 2008 at the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Global Entrepeneurship. “Our group of high school students created a way for subscribers of Runner’s World magazine to donate their lightly-used running shoes,” Gaudio said. According to Gaudio, the organization held its inaugural trip to the Dominican Republic last year and donated a large amount of shoes to the Dominican people. However, after returning to the United States, Isgrig said the organi-
QUE LO QUE continued page 2
insidetechnician
Wolfpack holds on for win over Tigers See page 8.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
4 5 7 8 go.ncsu.edu/lenovo
CLEARANCE SALE Lenovo Clearance Event - Save BIG on in-stock models!
Pre-Configured T510 (Reg. $1339 now $1099 and Pre-Configured W510 (Reg. $1659 now $1499)