Infrastructure for a Post-Pandemic Economy

To “build back better,” we must direct funds toward constructing a robust infrastructure for 21st-century economic development. In recent years, broadband and internet access have become priority issues across rural and urban America. The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the need to expand our digital highway to all households and businesses. Broadband is now essential for schoolwork, employment, commerce, telehealth, and access to social services.

Industries — whether farming, manufacturing, or clean energy — require reliable transportation networks to move products and parts. For movement of people to and from home, school, and work, governments will need to invest in multimodal byways, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, van services in rural areas, last-mile transport,  and the like.

We also must ensure housing for families of all income brackets, particularly for our workforce. Safe, decent, and affordable housing for all is a major component of a vibrant community.

As a county commissioner, I continuously advocated for universal broadband, affordable housing, and multimodal transportation. In the NC House, I will seek to open doors so the people of Orange and Caswell counties have access to career-oriented jobs, opportunities for rural economic development, and inclusion in the economic wealth of this state.