[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 
                                  1999

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that I will 
introduce legislation to address a problem that is hurting much of 
rural America, a stagnant economy and the declining number of job 
opportunities.
  Mr. Speaker, if we read the newspapers inside the Beltway, we will 
think that all Americans are experiencing the best economic times of 
their lives. While our economy is indeed strong, we have to realize 
that there is a significant number of Americans, rural Americans, who 
are struggling economically because the job base in their hometown is 
drying up.
  According to a study by the Aspen Institute, many of our rural 
economies are suffering because of declining sales in their natural 
resources market and intense international competition in the 
manufacturing sector.
  Just like many industries across the Nation, businesses in our small 
towns are being forced to downsize operations while demanding more from 
fewer employees. The growth in metropolitan areas is quickly absorbing 
displaced workers there, but workers in smaller, remote communities are 
at a great disadvantage because economic development is virtually 
stagnant. In fact, a growing number of rural workers are forced to 
commute long distances or actually relocate their families in order to 
find work in these metropolitan areas.
  In the region around my home district, the Eighth District of North 
Carolina, the Charlotte area has more jobs than workers. Each day more 
than 100,000 commuters, 25 percent of the area's work force, leave 
their local economy to go to work in Charlotte. Obviously, this trend 
hurts our rural communities, and it adds to the many problems our 
metropolitan areas suffer with traffic congestion and excessive growth.
  In the Charlotte area, the unemployment rate is a meager 2.3 percent. 
Just two counties to the east, however, Anson County has an 
unemployment rate of 8 percent, Scotland County 8 percent, and Richmond 
County over 8 percent. We can either address this problem, or we can 
sit idly by while it gets worse.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am introducing the Rural Economic 
Development and Opportunities Act of 1999. What I am proposing is not a 
complex package of government programs and new spending. Instead, I am 
advocating that we adopt a commonsense proposal that will level the 
playing field for our rural communities by offering a basic tax credit 
for a new or existing rural business when it creates a job for rural 
workers.
  It is that simple. No mountains of paperwork to fill out, no layer 
upon layer of government bureaucracy to work through. Local governments 
and development authorities will have all the flexibility they need to 
develop a local or regional strategy. In fact, this is not a giveaway 
program that will allow rural communities to relax. That is a basic tax 
credit that gives our rural communities a better opportunity to 
increase local economic development and job opportunities.
  When we measure our nation's economic health, we have to look just as 
closely at Main Street as we do at Wall Street. Mr. Speaker, I am proud 
to offer the Rural Economic Development and Opportunities Act of 1999. 
I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in 
supporting this bill.

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