Hickory N.C..Dole touts recovery catalyst

[surfermaw]

Dole touts recovery catalyst

Says community colleges lead way to new jobs

HEATHER HOWARD

Staff Writer


HICKORY - Community colleges play a crucial role in helping layoff-battered areas like the Catawba Valley prepare for a better economic future, Sen. Elizabeth Dole said Monday during a stop in Hickory.

Dole, a Republican from Salisbury, visited Catawba Valley Community College to talk about the importance of community colleges in retraining displaced workers.

"I feel that this is the real hope in this time of transition in our state," Dole told students, faculty, business leaders, elected officials and others in the school's auditorium.

Enrollment at Hickory-area community colleges has soared in recent years as layoffs, particularly in manufacturing, have sent workers scrambling to retrain. This spring's CVCC graduation will be its largest, an event so big the school might have two ceremonies.

Student Michael Duncan hopes community college will be a springboard for a new life. Duncan lost his job as a restaurant manager about three years ago. After that, he earned his high school equivalency. Now he's on his way to finishing his first year of college. Duncan, who sat in on Dole's speech, sees community college as a first step toward his goal of earning a doctorate in computer science.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/north


Under a picture of Melinda Randall watches Dole's speech on closed -circuit television , Randall, laid off from her job in furniture industry in July 2002, had been in school since. Her reaction to Dole's visit was mixed, "God bless us and give us more Democrats"

[surfermaw]

1. Edwards used this school as and example

Edwards in a primary article used CVCC as an example of eommunity school that are needed to help the unemployed get back to work.

Hickory, North Carolina is located in Congressman Casper Ballingers district, the congressman has said he will not run for office again. we have many immigrants in the area and have been hit hard by unemployment, this area which has been staunchly republican for many many years, may be slowly showing signs, that some may be ready to start a change.

[Virginian]

2. I'm confused, is he trying to get a job in India?

"Duncan lost his job as a restaurant manager"... "a first step toward his goal of earning a doctorate in computer science"

He had a job in a profession that can't be exported. Now he is going to spend time and money on a profession where jobs are scarce because of off-shoring and H-1b visas? He could have majored in Restaurant and Hotel Management to be sure he had a job near home in the future.

[bleedingheart]

10. shhh don't tell anyone that his CS degree may be worthless too

because that would take away from the photo op.

[kodi]

3. textile imports have hit hickory hard.

furniture/upholstry/textile plants are in dramatic decline in western nc. dole should have been ridden out on a rail.

her remarks beg the question: what new jobs are coming to hickory that laid-off and "retrained" workers can obtain?

george w bush has kept his promise as a job creating president, only those new jobs are in india and china.

[surfermaw]

5. Sheriff with Dole is going to run in the Primary , for Ballingers seat

This County one a beautifully old farming county, with it neat farm houses and pristine women, went Republican about 50 or 60 years ago,it hasn't grown much, kelp low paying jobs in furniture , hosiery,gloves and textile plants, and now is strewn with double wide manf. housing. We have several running in the republican primary for Ballingers seat,but to my knowledge only one democrat is running. This county, I think is about 50 miles west of Charlotte.

[Sandpiper]

8. I've made the point before

That the south is turning into the new rust belt. The whole region is hemmoraging jobs that are never going to be replaced. Western North Carolina is quickly turning into a Jack in the Box economy.

[JPace]

4. Lizzy recently came to the mountains in Western NC and

opened an office in Hendersonville to keep closer touch
with area residents. I live in Asheville, about 30 minutes
away (the biggest city in the area)and we are much larger
than Hendersonville, but she chose this small town instead.
Of course we know that Hendersonville is extremely republican
while Asheville leans to democratic. Here is a letter to the
editor in our newspaper criticizing Dole..

http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/49726
Is Dole looking at the same President Bush we are?
By SPECIAL TO CITIZEN-TIMESFeb. 10, 2004 6:10 p.m.
In the Alice and Wonderland world of the current administration, where up is down and black is white, the following is hardly bizarre. A press release from the N.C. Republican Party dated Jan. 29 concerning President Bush's qualifying for the N.C. ballot reads:

"`This president has led on principle and has insisted on solving difficult problems instead of passing them on to future generations. He has diligently focused on creating jobs and improving the education of our children. These issues resonate with the people of North Carolina, and President Bush enjoys great support here,' said Sen. Elizabeth Dole."

Which part of the last three years has our invisible senator slept through? Perhaps she doesn't remember that Bush inherited a surplus of $237 billion and has managed in only 36 months to turn that into a projected debt of $477 billion, with estimates of $2.4 trillion in 10 years.
MORE....

[cclark401]

6. Right on JPace

In Robeson Co. She will get some support for sponsoring a bill to help the Lumbee People (I'm one) gain Federal Recognition.

[jmowreader]

11. I don't think the Lumbee will ever gain federal recognition

The Republican morans



in Congress think the only reason the Lumbee want federal recognition is so they can build a casino...
not realizing that the Lumbee are devout Christians who don't approve of gambling.

[Sandpiper]

7. As a former WNC resident

Whose parents still live in Henderson County, I just can't understand how anyone there could kid themself into thinking that Bush has been good for the economy.

The Asheville/Hendersonville area has been clobbered with layoffs and plant closures. Good for Ms. Ritchie for pointing it out.

[Sandpiper]

9. Asheville is the lone liberal outpost

In the freeper/fundyville that is WNC. Elizabeth Dole can safely ignore it all she likes.