An audience of mostly older women crowded into a room in the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building at UNC to hear U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., address the failing economy, the pending war on Iraq, education and health care.
Price told listeners, some of whom were spilling out into the hallway, that he wants to turn the economy around and encourage economic growth in the Triangle and nationally.
"We were sworn in one day and ... began fighting over unemployment and economic (struggles)," he said, describing the atmosphere of the 108th U.S. Congress, which started Jan. 7.
But raising state taxes and cutting back state services are not enough to remedy the situation, Price said. "We (also) need something at the federal level."
Economic stimulus measures, including President Bush's proposed tax cuts, should strive to boost the economy in the short run and not be destructive in the long run, Price said. "The mess we're in is a cause of the president increasing domestic spending."
Instead, Price proposed increasing the cost-sharing of Medicaid and using that money to stimulate state budgets. The federal government also should pay more attention to the plight of individual states, he said.
Price also said he champions public education and plans to continue helping the cause, especially through teacher recruitment and excellence in magnet schools. Lack of adequate funding could hinder that, but the Higher Education Act -- which authorizes student loans and Pell Grants -- could help.
Price said he supports special education and explained the logistics behind Bush's No Child Left Behind Act.
Attendees expressed concerns about the United States' war on terrorism.
