Economically in terms of the current and long-term growth potential of the state of North Carolina, we’re in a war. We’re in a war with other states across the country who would love to have the jobs that we have today, who would love to gain new corporate headquarters, or new plants, or new facilities that create jobs. And the way to win that war is by appearing to be exactly what we are, which is progressive, forward looking, with a very strong, can-do, pro-business attitude.
Amendment One is a direct challenge to our ability to compete nationally for jobs and economic growth. Large corporations hate this kind of controversy. They deal with diverse work populations for whom issues like this aren’t just important in terms of where it is that they live, but are important indicators of the diversity and meritocracy of the companies where they want to work.
Some of the industries we want most to attract in this state – health care and biomedical, environmental resources, technology resources, other health services – many of the industries that are most important to our future success are also the industries most highly sensitive to the passage of amendments like Amendment One, that significantly signal that we’re a backward looking economy.
Amendment One has the potential to have a disastrous effect on our ability to attract talent and keep talent in the state of North Carolina. We know that for economic growth and prosperity, the ability to keep talent here and to attract additional talent, not only from other parts of the United States, but globally, is critically important to fueling that growth.
What Amendment One does is make it look like we’re a state that ignores both the needs and the preferences of the next generation of America’s and the world’s workforce. We’ve got to attract that generation, we’ve got to vote no on Amendment One
Catherine P. Bessant, Global Technology and Operations executive and member of the executive management team for Bank of Americahttp://www.protectncfamilies.org/videos/bank-americas-cathy-bessant-speaks-out-against-amendment-one
