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As senator, Joe Sam Queen has led in:
• Creating the new WNC Livestock Center
• Growing heritage tourism by pioneering the Trout Heritage Cities program
• Promoting small town farmer’s markets and small town revitalization projects
• Supporting Cherokee gaming opportunities, leading to hundreds of local jobs
• Cutting taxes for small business owners and small farm producers
• Establishing the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
• Expanding broadband access across the mountains
• Working to provide high-speed internet to every home, student and business
• Funding AdvantageWest in its work to diversify our economy

The economy of our mountains is changing.We must pursue a vision for strong, dynamic, and broad-based economy, well-stocked with locally-owned, locally grown enterprises. The result will be a sustainable economy, flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities that a changing world provides. Such an economy will provide security and opportunity for us all.To do this, we have to invest in our schools, our community colleges, and our universities.

Education is the foundation of our economy. These public entities develop the skilled, talented workforce that creates the leadership for our future.

We must focus on recruitment and retention of business and industry, as well as encouraging the development of locally grown businesses through entrepreneurship training, micro-loans, and small business development centers. In our rural economy, it is critical we support small business development by funding organizations such as the Golden Leaf Foundation, the NC Rural Center, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, NC Real, and other innovative small business development initiatives.

We must establish our place in the emerging health care economy: the Mountains are naturally an attractive place to retire, and our region should be the leader in North Carolina with the emerging NC Center of Health and Aging.

As an architect I strongly support equity building housing and quality development, while insisting our growth be smart and responsible, protecting clean air, clean water and natural beauty, assets we all share and benefit from.

We should encourage high quality heritage tourism, emphasizing mountain hospitality and our authentic regional character.

My record as senator and as a Board Member on Advantage West attest to my commitment to the vision of building a strong job-creating economy essential for Real Family Security here in the Mountains.