Introduction and Commentary
North Carolina 20/ 20
Anyone who has followed the state budget crises of the past two years understands that North Carolina is at a critical juncture. Questions abound about how the state can press forward with improvements in education, mental health care, early childhood development, and criminal justice while remaining fiscally sound. Other concerns reverberate as more of our traditional manufacturers close their doors and the up and coming " New Economy" industries retrench. Is any job safe anymore? Speaking of safety, on the drive to work this morning . . . . While these immediate issues grab our attention, it is more important than ever to keep a long- term perspective. The decisions our state makes today and tomorrow will carry forward for generations to come — for good or ill.
The North Carolina General Assembly recognized the need for such foresight when it established the N. C. Progress Board in 1995. The board's charge is to look down the road as far as possible: taking stock our strengths, reflecting on current needs, and recognizing the challenges to come. From that, the General Assembly said, we were to establish a set of goals describing where North Carolina wants to be 20 years hence and, equally important, a system for measuring our progress toward those goals. To this end, the Progress Board undertook a multi- year process that involved hundreds of people across the state and culminated in December 2001 with the release of the North Carolina 20/ 20 report. The document you hold in your hands summarizes the findings and conclusions of that report.
" That's all well and good, but what are we supposed to do about it?"
We've heard such statements a number of times in our process so perhaps we should pause here to mention what we don't do. Our job is not to design programs or advocate specific policies. There can be many different approaches to solving a common problem, and more than one can be equally valid. We are not here to dictate ( or even try to dictate) which policy or program the state adopts or rejects or expands. Instead, we offer what we hope is an objective measuring stick, a way to reflect coolly on whether the right issues are being discussed, whether programs address the most critical challenges, and whether promised solutions are in fact delivering the intended results.
As for what we will do: We will challenge our leaders to look beyond the day's headlines and be guided by the long- term needs of the state and her people. It’s way past time to settle for the expedient solution or the short- term fix. Neither has worked in the past; and neither ever will.
For the most part, we'll allow the findings of the 20/ 20 report to speak for themselves, but it is worth pointing out one striking conclusion. In its instructions, the General Assembly outlined eight key issue areas for our work:
􀂃 Healthy Children and Families,
􀂃 Safe and Vibrant Communities,
􀂃 Quality Education for All,
􀂃 A High- Performing Workforce,
NC20/ 20 – Introduction and Commentary
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