WS Chronicle

In photo above: A rendering of Winston-Salem State University’s planned new, larger science building.

Gov. Pat McCrory came to Winston-Salem on Thursday, June 11, to pitch his $2.85 billion Connect NC bond proposal at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). It has two parts. One part covers roads, including some in the Winston-Salem area. The other covers infrastructure, such as buildings on the state’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including WSSU.

The governor says he is looking at the future, trying to obtain money for the state to be more competitive with nearby states, such as South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He calls the bond proposal money investments into areas that need boosts. The state’s highways need repair and new ones are needed, and the state’s colleges, universities and community colleges need help with infrastructure as they train students for the 21st century challenges ahead. The money proposed for the state’s five HBCUs would go to infrastructure in STEM areas: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The proposal includes two bonds of about $1.5 billion each – one for roads, the other for infrastructure.

Over $200 million is included in the infrastructure bond proposal for major improvement plans at facilities of all of the state’s HBCUs. The governor is proposing that WSSU receive $53.9 million for a new, larger science building. WSSU’s printed material says the building will be “a hub of innovation, discovery and application that will attract and support faculty and students with diverse academic interests,” such as biology, chemistry, physics and the health sciences. The material says the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Center will be in the new building so that all the sciences laboratories will be near each other. This will encourage more collaboration between faculty and students.

“In order for North Carolina to produce highly skilled graduates, our universities and community colleges must provide students and educators the resources to do so,” the governor said in a statement. “The Connect NC bond proposal allots $734 million to improve our state’s universities and community colleges. This will increase the quality of education received by our students, and, in turn, increase the quality of our workforce.”

The new WSSU building would be a great asset to the university. The university already has a great reputation for its nursing program. The new building would enhance its entire sciences program, which would prepare students for the jobs ahead, many of which haven’t been created yet.

The Connect NC has hurdles to overcome before the bond money can flow to any college, university and road, however. First, it has to be put on the ballot for North Carolinians to vote on it. The governor is asking citizens to contact their lawmakers to tell them to push for a vote on the bond proposal this year, probably in November. He says the lawmakers in the General Assembly are hesitant to put it on the ballot because they have not heard from citizens who say that’s what they want. He is urging everyone to contact lawmakers to make sure they know that Connect NC should be on the ballot.

We also urge citizens to do that. A lot is riding on the bond proposal. Not only is money for WSSU included, but money for various roads in the area and the new loop around Winston-Salem is included, too. The governor’s office says the proposed transportation bond would pay for 27 permit-ready highway projects throughout North Carolina that have completed environmental documents.

In addition, the bond would fund the paving of 176 unpaved secondary roads totaling 113 miles.

No tax increase is needed to fund the bonds, the governor’s office says.

A ballot vote on Connect NC is worth pushing for. Not only will it promote democracy now, but, if it passes, it will also help to create a more competitive North Carolina in the future.