North Carolina People; Bev Purdue, Governor of North Carolina

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and a happy holiday season to your house. We appreciate your letting us visit disc Christmas season. As you know those of you who follow this program. About this time of the year we always journey over to the governor's mansion. Of a Beverly Perdue was very kind enough and invited us to come and join her again this season. And will do so and talk with her in just a few seconds. Sponsored in part by a Wells Fargo Company helping North Carolina people realize their financial goals. Since 1879. And through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting you in CTV. Happy holiday to you too Bill the Friday thing you to I was thinking of driving though we were talking to my wife about it. What was Christmas like when you were a little girl who told you it was wonderful you know I grew up in

southwest Virginia in those mountains and it was a big day for us we visited both sets of grandparents on Christmas Eve and opening presents at both my mammo more fill in my memoirs house that's what we call them and then we went home and scurried to bed really quickly and I would remember good enough as a little girl listening for those reindeer on the roof I believe I think we all still believe in Santa Claus a magic day. So it's the holiday season brings back the best of all of our families and it really is a powerful holiday for the people of North Carolina America and Happy Holidays to you and yours bill Friday. Thank you. What are you in the first has been planning the holiday season the first has been and it's a different holiday for us this is the first year that both of my sons who live in Raleigh are with families and as a result Bob and I are actually going to Atlanta to spend Christmas with our Atlanta family his children and I really look forward to that. Until now I've had a son he wasn't

married and this time both my boys have places to go so I'm able to go to Atlanta and I really am looking forward to that because my grandchildren they are a very special young men and women and children or at this time of the year they really are it's exciting it makes it all laugh again and they'll. You got this mansion looking unusually beautiful. You take a lot of time to put all this together. I tell people that I don't cook and I don't clean here and I certainly didn't make the quilts but it is quite beautiful and it's open to the people in North Carolina we've had hundreds of people and then it will be open until Christmas and I invite people to come and visit their mansion this is the people's house not my house. You're half way through the first term. What's the prose you most about being governor of North Carolina. I've thought a lot about the two years Bill it's been a and incredibly challenging time not difficult but challenging for the people of this country and this day right after I was sworn

in. We realize that we were in the deepest recession since the Great Depression and those financial pressures have eased a tiny bit for the state and for many families but there are still thousands of people in North Carolina without their job. And so I think the thing that continues to amaze me and impress me and make me thankful at night when I say my prayers about North Carolinians is our resilience. I never fail to be amazed when I go into a training class like I did earlier this week in Winston-Salem a community college class where there are people in their 40s and in their teens learn in the new skill. People who had been master's degree graduates who were back in get in a different kind of job skill sets because their jobs have been phased out or people who just wanted a fresh start or a new start the capacity of people to reinvent themselves and to not give off to keep on keepin on I believe is the greatest strength of North Carolina and North Carolinians.

Have you managed to keep the set was free for you and your good has been to rejuvenate yourselves every week. We do we try to sometimes we'll do an event like in the afternoon but we really rarely miss a Sunday in church that's important to Bob and maybe said we now are going across the street from the cat from the executive mansion to Christ Church here and Raleigh so it's easy it's a nice little walk and the rector is very good there and you fill in rich to us to be there. So Sunday's family day I try to see my grandchildren I try to play with my puppies and try to do what I need to do which is so buttons on and get my stuff ready for a work week I'm just like every other working North Carolina woman. You had more than your share of the economic difficulties and stresses and budgets and all that goes with that. Have you seen a slight turn in the state. What's out there. Bill it is a bit better I've the first to say that things in North Carolina are moving in the right trajectory we're on the up heel not the down hill.

We have had tremendous accolades from around the country this year. North Carolina as you probably know was named the best place to do business again. We are one of the leading states in America on job creation. I've become the jobs governor. You can never do enough for jobs but we're really focused on growing the economy and growing jobs across North Carolina. The two things that I've learned in terms of the money is that the cuts have been horrific not just for people as they've had to do more with less in their families or with businesses as they've had to do more with less. But structurally for the things in the state that you and I both know built North Carolina. Another year of severe budget cuts like the one we are anticipating next month beginning when you're looking at another whole another three and a half billion dollar deficit is really troubling and you have to know what your priorities are and where you're willing to cut to the bone. I'm

unwilling to devastate education bill at the public school the community college or the university level. And I will do nothing to harm the ability of North Carolinians to continue to found jobs. And so that's where my head is and I think that's the guiding principles that help me make decisions for the last two years wrapped around money. The week you and I are taping Yes you and wish to say when was the president. He made a different type of speech but what you just said. We increasingly aware that we are in a state of transition from the old industries to new biotechnology. I was really impressed with what I perceive because I've heard him several times during the last two years as have most of us in America. That his focus now was very very laser like on jobs in the economy and the competition that America faces in the global

economy and that all boils back down to training and education and priorities for our country. You know I've had the discussion not just North Carolina but America's children are slipping and reading skills math skills science skills through America as a whole is trailing so many other industrialized nations that 30 years ago we would not have ever ever believed could catch up with us academically and innovation wise but surpass us. So I was really gratified to watch him as he talked to the students of all ages about biotechnology and about nanotechnology and about the jobs of the 21st century that are driven through science and innovation. And I came away thinking maybe the whole country now will get it. If you have your President and your national leaders the talking heads if you will for the country challenging us as Americans

and let me challenge North Carolina moms and grand moms and dads and granddads that the work your child does in school every day is the most important work of that child's life because that will define how the child will live out his or her adulthood we both understand that. I was particularly struck by the way he took that very food and the guard in the elementary school and worked through the university who said he would take no no change of point of view. He was determined that this country is going to read to him from the educators. Well I look at people who have made North Carolina great. And the name Bill Friday comes to the top of that list I know you don't want to hear that but you helped build the community college system the greater university system. And I cannot count the number of times that I have called on you or the people of the state have called on you to get out there and fight for education. The president is now fighting for education at the national level and that's really important because

education from my perspective not as a governor or as a public servant but as a person as a mama grandmama. Education will define the future of North Carolina in America. On your trip to the Far East. Thank you for your kind words. Whether you're a good gentleman you said like you think what you learn in China. It's instructive here. What what what did you come home with from that trip that shaped your thinking and your sense of urgency. The ad came back a changed person. I was blessed to go. I mean because not everybody gets the opportunity. And we were there for nearly two weeks where I had the chance to see the new China. We stayed in Beijing and in Shanghai we've been in Japan for so I had seen the transition of the Japanese economy and were more familiar with that. I went to China understanding that China actually is North Carolina's number to try to partner. And so I went trying to figure out how to sail North Carolina products and

services to the Chinese. But I came away with a deep sense of urgency that I've never felt in my adult life before for our country and for our state. I listen to leaders talk to me in China about their tenaciousness and their drive to build 10 cities in the next decade the size of New York City. Rode on their high speed rail which goes two hundred fifty or three miles three hundred miles an hour and hour rail in North Carolina in America is almost nonexistent. I went to a totally green manufacturing plants that were doing solar and wind and then the masts and the sails and the electronic cars and I came back here where it's a struggle to convince people that you have to do green for the country and for the stay. And I went into their schools bill and again the school day there is 10 or 12 hours

long and there is such a different value placed on education. Now granted they have a whole things wrong a lot of things wrong. They only educate a third of their kids. It's a communist country I know all that. But we in America need to really be cognizant that there is a country much larger than ours that really is in the competition and it behooves us to get serious about our economic and educational future as a people. And you can say that about some other countries to do them and it would absolutely. We're really already in a very vital global competition or where you look at the countries that are emerging. South Africa Brazil Russia has come back because of the energy they have. Other Asian countries India obviously and you see people that are hungry and you know like you a lot of history. And when I found myself reading the history of 200 years ago about our country our people were hungry and and

I think it's been coming up and all of us to be hungry again and the hunger of the 21st century revolves around innovation and entrepreneurship could focus in on these things and new ways of producing jobs and and common energy and then sustaining our small businesses which drive the state's economy. Want to come back home now with this question because you are a student of history and coming from New Bern that you do steeped in history but tourism has grown to be our second largest industry now governor. And this means preservation it means new ideas put in context. Are we doing enough to preserve our heritage now for the purposes of this hugely expanding industry. Tourism is is a Gantt like you say the number two industry. We have so much to sell in North Carolina we have mountains we have the coast we have the Piedmont and all the beauty and all of the history we're steeped in history. But from my perspective we are not

doing enough to preserve our natural resources nor our historic structures. I don't think you can do enough. I'm thinking a whole lot now about North Carolina and the fact that we're going to have three and a half new million million new people in the next 12 years we know that and will be the seventh largest state I want to be sure that our great great great grandchildren understand the capacity of walking along the coast in the ocean are free rigs in the mountains or sea in a snail somewhere and so we've got to preserve those public spaces and we've got to preserve our historic structures. Again I hearken to Europe and European history. They are people don't tear down old buildings they preserve them for not just years but for centuries and I think we should hearken to those lessons we're trying to do that in a room. Well you certainly have done it with many. It's not as if you actually do. That's nice. You travel around the state a lot and you know get tons of letters.

What's the mood of North Carolina today. Can I tell you about the funniest letter that we got the funniest letter that we got about the budget and about the recession and about what we could do here in this mansion the governor's mansion to save money. Somebody wrote Bobbie was the state's first gentleman a letter instead dear first gentleman if you would only cut the yard yourself then we would save money and we could balance our budget so I tell Bob he needs to push them over and get out there get some matches Yeah that's right we did both at the same time we've laughed about that letter. I think the maid is one of concern. Obviously coming off an election we saw a lot of critical things the end has been said and the snippiness of partisan politics I think people in the country and in the state would love for us to get beyond being partisan. I'm trying to do that to focus on North Carolina and on America rather than Republicans and Democrats. And I think that people for the most part of beginning to be more optimistic more hopeful because there is a sense of recovery

beginning in North Carolina. You touched on it and that's an important point. What about civility in public life. You know the very things you've identified keep good people from running but when good people don't get in government bad things happen. What can we do not OK. Haven't we all got to. Change our attitude to what we see in government and be more positive about the good things that are happening. I wish I wish I had a magic potion for all of us to drink an elixir if you would so that people would be more civil not just in politics but to each other in general. I think the most dangerous thing that's happened to America is the money that is involved in the founding lancing of campaigns and all of the money that you have to raise to be on television. Quite frankly it's not so much the print media or the Internet. And until the Congress decides that we have to change campaign financing the civility will not be there I think because the negative ad the 30 second negative

ad is the ad that wins. I had hopes that one of my children. Would someday enter the public sector. And because of the lack of civility and the damage to personal reputations and families both of them have told me that they would never ever does stand for public office and that's not the end all and be all but I do agree with you that there are thousands of people across North Carolina who will never run because they don't want to get down into the gutter. And that's what it's become. I really hope people will rethink that this privilege that I've been given to serve the state for years is the biggest privilege of my professional life Bill every day even the hard days I go to bed thankful and I wake up excited about the capacity to do just one little thing to make something a little bit better for this people are people in our state. Next month you going to go before the legislature again. What's going to be the

message of the future that you're going to share with us of what we're what is the priority that you see for the next five six years. Obviously the priority for me continues to be job growth and job creation around innovation and small business and educating our children. I know what my fundamental properties are and at my job understand what drives me. I'm driven to be sure that every child in the state has a shot at being a bill Friday or be in somebody that they dream about the N and the only way that opportunity could happen for kids all kids not rich kids or poor kids but all kids is through the capacity of a good education. I will refuse to allow anyone to tear down our educational system. That's the bottom line for me. How about the relationships you've worked so hard at with the federal agencies that are involved in the very thing you mention. You feel. You're making real progress.

I did believe you know I have a role in a on the National Governors Association and that has helped I believe it helps North Carolina with more ability to be listened to nationally. We have worked very closely with both the Republican and the Democratic members of our congressional delegation and with the administration both President Bush and now President Obama. I feel very hopeful that the feds the federal government understands the crisis that is facing states across America and understands that we're really partners in this they can't dump on us because there is no money for us to pick up the Senate funded mandates and I do believe that the country as a whole is seeing the challenges of the 21st century and we are moving toward a green economy we are moving toward a more fundamental restructuring of education. And I think we all understand that until we improve job creation the country will still be challenged.

You've assumed a very important role in Southern planning to the governor's conference for the Regional Education Board. Are we getting more identity among the Southern states in the sense that we are realizing for example that some of the problems are common to all of us. You all talk about these things. I have really liked being a member of the Southern Governors Association quite frankly perhaps more than even the National Governors Association and most of the governors all but I think two or three of us are Republican. It's been interesting to me to see that as we gather the 12 southern governors there is none of this in house bickering there is total civility bill. We respect each other we listen to each other we collaborate. We work on common properties for the South. We have branded the south as the American South and are in the process of marketing that concept in China. So when we go on economic development trips to China as the

American South. We want the businesses to come to North Carolina. But again if you brand us we can compete with New York and California and Boston until now nobody really understood outside the country what the South was they thought of us as agrarian as backward. And we have such a change south in the 21st century. Every mother and housewife looking at this programme would want this question have you done your Christmas shopping. Oh no I have involved Bobbie was one saying Look I know you get to an age where you just don't need or want anything. I'm about done with the children the grandchildren and I have love the grandchildren. I have two marvelous daughters in law who are doing the shopping for my sons because they know what they want my sons to weigh I think that's funny. Have you done yours bill Friday. I will mark you but I've got some things in me. We've had our daughter Mary home from Singapore for Thanksgiving so we've had a happy time with her.

So you've done your big gift given Yeah. Have you had any really sharp surprises being governor. I think this sharpest surprise for me was the night I sat in this very room and realized that North Carolina had a billion dollars worth of bills come due on April the 30th and there were only two hundred and twenty four million dollars in the checking account. We were in such stark times that that was a stunning surprise. I'm always surprised when I hear a story of the capacity of our people to love or to give back. I'm in the military communities a lot still it's one of the priorities of my life as a as a person not as governor. And the families they are who face holiday after holiday with a husband or wife deployed below and they risk everything the law enforcement community he takes huge risks. I think the stories that you hear from people inspire

you they inspire me. Well now we've got just a couple of minutes left I want to look into the camera and give you a message to all North Carolinians about the holiday season and the future that you see if you will please. Thank you Bill Friday and thank you for the sufferer Chante and to all of you who might watch the program I say happy holidays I hope your days are blessed that they have someone to hug and to say I love you too. And as the governor of this great state I thank you for that privilege Aviv's thank you to know that there are better days ahead of us and that we all have to continue to work together and to focus on building good communities and to remember what got us this far North Carolina's legacy it is one of investment in education and in economic development and I ask you to trust me enough to make that journey during the next year. Let's focus on our priorities and get rid of things that aren't working and make North Carolina the state we know she is happy holidays.

Thank you and Happy Holiday to you and all those wonderful family members that you going together with in the New Bern in here. Thank you Bill Friday. And ladies and gentlemen thank you for letting government be doing may visit with you during this holiday season. It's hard to believe but this is the 40th year of this program and for all. Yes those behind the cameras do in their lives and make up and all it takes. We all wish you a very happy holiday season and a great new year. And until next week then. Good night. Sponsored in part by a Wells Fargo Company helping North Carolina people realize their financial goals since 1879. And through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting you in CTV. LAURA.