Rep. Ruth Samuelson attended the announcement that Charlotte's Quail Hollow Club will host the 2017 PGA Championship. She believes this will bring prestige and revenue to the area and help economic development in North Carolina by bringing jobs. For businesses looking to locate, they seek strong infrastructure, transportation, education, environment, and a fair tax structure. Samuelson's vision is that by 2017 when the PGA Championship is played, North Carolina will excel in these areas and attract more businesses and families to the state. She urges support for leaders focused on improving North Carolina's economic environment now and in her re-election campaign.

1. Campaign
Commentary
1432 Ferncliff Road
Charlotte, NC 28211
704-366-8748
ruth@ruthsamuelson.com
September 15, 2010 Campaign Update Charlotte, NC
Campaign Commentary with Rep. Ruth Samuelson
It was with much excitement that I recently attended the official announcement that Charlotte’s Quail Hollow
Club will be the site of the 2017 PGA championship. This is fantastic news, not just because of the prestige it
will bring to the 104th District – which I have humbly represented in the State House for the last four years – or
even because of the millions in revenue it will bring to the region during that one week in August, 2017.
To me, it’s significant because of what it could do for economic development in our state, and there is no more
important issue right now!
When we talk about economic development, what we’re really talking about is jobs, and I’m sure no one needs
to be reminded that our area’s unemployment rate has been at its highest level in decades. Every state
government leader needs to be focused on how we can bring jobs to -- and keep jobs in -- North Carolina.
When business people are considering where to locate, they generally are looking for five basic elements:

2. • Strong infrastructure. In Charlotte, we have easy access to gas, electric, sewer, Internet and cable
services. But that’s not true for some parts of the state.
• Adequate, safe transportation. That means not just accessible roads, but rail lines, airports and
shipping ports.
• A solid education system. A pool of well-trained potential employees is critical. So are strong schools
for the children of those employees.
• A healthy environment. Clean air, clean water and open/recreational spaces are crucial and highly
requested quality-of-life issues.
• A fair tax structure. Employers want not just low taxes, but taxes that are reasonable, predictable, and
comparable to other alternatives.
You may wonder why I didn’t include incentives in the list above. Read this story from the Harvard Business
Review and you’ll understand why, http://hbr.org/2010/07/the-secret-to-job-growth-think-small/ar/1.
Incentives will continue to be a part of the global effort to attract large businesses, but that is not where North
Carolina will grow its best and brightest future.
My vision is that when the PGA championship is played here seven years from now, people all around the world
will see a North Carolina that aces each of these categories! Then they’ll decide that this is the kind of place
where they want to grow their business and their family.
Of course, we can’t wait until 2017 to improve the state’s economic environment. We need leaders who are
strong on these issues now, and I would urge everyone to think of this when they vote Nov. 2.
You may remember that in my last newsletter I focused on education, and in the coming weeks I’ll touch on
taxes, the environment and transportation, among other topics. All of these are important issues in their own
right, but they are even more critical because of how they relate to economic development.
I hope you will support me in my re-election campaign so I can continue to work toward an even stronger North
Carolina. And, if you have other issues you’d like me to address, or if you want to volunteer, please contact me
by going to my website – www.RuthSamuelson.com -- and clicking on “Ask Ruth.”
Best wishes,

3. Ruth Samuelson
District 104, Mecklenburg County
Raleigh Office:
418B Legislative Office Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
(919) 715-3009 – ruths@ncleg.net
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