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� <br /> endorse – and fund –these recommendations and that it will be tempting to stick to business as <br /> usual with respect to the county's economic development policies. At the same time, it is the <br /> EDC's responsibility to advise the Board of the likely outcomes of its choices from the <br /> perspective of those who have the means, ability, and opportunity to invest their resources in the <br /> county. <br /> We understand that sticking with what's known is sometimes more comfortable than making <br /> changes – even when we know that the known will not help us achieve our objectives. Yet, it is <br /> in these times that change is most needed. Failing to endorse and fund these recommendations <br /> will strongly signal businesses and citizens alike that Orange County remains welcoming to <br /> residents who are business owners and executives while maintaining barriers to private <br /> investment in commercial enterprise. <br /> Without BOCC funding of these recommendations, Orange County's economic development <br /> policies will continue to perpetuate the status quo, and Orange County will continue to rank <br /> lowest or near lowest in private commercial investment and job creation, rank highest or near <br /> highest in residential taxes and will continue to rank high in the gap between the standards of <br /> living between the wealthiest and poorest of its resident families within the entire 13-county <br /> RTRP region for the foreseeable future. We do not believe these outcomes are in keeping with <br /> Orange County values or long-term fiscal health. This year is a year of hard choices. There are <br /> no easy solutions. And, there is no way to avoid pain. We believe by endorsing and funding <br /> these recommendations the County will set itself up to being substantially increasing its revenue <br /> and therefore its program funding and service delivery capacity for years to come. <br /> Thank you. <br /> Remarks delivered to Board of County Commissioners from <br /> Anita Badrock, former Economic Development Commission Board Chair <br /> 32 year resident of Orange County, NC <br /> May 18, 2010 at BOCC meeting and presentation on Economic Development <br /> Chairman Foushee and Members of the Board of County Commissioners, <br /> Thank you so much for allowing us as members of the Economic Development Commission to <br /> come before you this evening and put a lot of data and information in front of you explaining <br /> what we believe it's going to take to have a successful long term economic development <br /> program. I know you have lots of information in your packet which you will review and carefully <br /> consider. This report was researched and prepared entirely by the volunteers of the Economic <br /> Development Commission, without the use of any staff resources or time. This is important for <br /> you t o know for two reasons—first, a group of busy volunteer citizens thought this was <br /> important enough to spend hundreds of hours working on it, and the second is that I hope you <br /> will find it important enough to direct your staff to continue and expand on this work. <br /> I wanted to speak to you because over my 30 years of residency here I've worn a lot of hats that <br /> have given me more than a cursory understanding of our community. Here are some of the <br /> vantage points from which I have gleaned my education about our county: ---as a mother, an <br />