From the Desk of Heath Shuler 3/31/2011

Last week I was back home in Western North Carolina for the March District Work Period.

On Monday, I had the opportunity to attend the opening day of the new WNC Regional Livestock Center in Canton, NC. It was great to see hundreds of farmers and local residents show up for this highly anticipated and successful event. More than 1,000 head of cattle were sold throughout the day, and many of the producers I spoke with were pleased with the prices.

Prior to the opening of the new center, producers across Western North Carolina had to travel long distances to buy and sell livestock at auction. For many farmers, the closest market was across state lines in East Tennessee. The WNC Regional Livestock Center provides our farmers with a more convenient place to do business, saving time and money and increasing their ability to compete with other livestock producers across the state. This center also provides an economic boost to Western North Carolina by creating new jobs and keeping local dollars in our region.

I traveled to Macon County on Wednesday to talk with employers at three different local businesses. My first stop was Rana Rinata, a recently opened restaurant in Franklin that will create approximately 75 new jobs. I met with the owner and head chef to discuss the challenges facing small business owners and explore ways that Congress can help eliminate some of the prohibitive federal regulations that stunt small business growth.

I also met with plant managers and workers at two local manufacturing facilities; Whitley Products and Shaw Industries. In the past few months the U.S. manufacturing sector has grown at the fastest pace in nearly seven years. I was encouraged to hear these two local businesses are beginning to see economic recovery firsthand with an increase in demand for their products and services. I am hopeful that this growth will translate to new manufacturing job opportunities in our area.

I also had the opportunity to meet with three local student groups last week. On Wednesday, I was proud to join the student body of Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva in honoring its men’s basketball team. I presented the team and coaches with a copy of the Congressional record statement I submitted to the House of Representatives recognizing the Mustangs’ outstanding 2010-2011 season. The Mustangs finished the year as the NCHSAA sectional runner-up with an impressive 26-1 record.

Following my visit at Smoky Mountain High, I met with political science students at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee to participate in a question and answer session and discuss my work in the House of Representatives. On Thursday, I talked to students at Waynesville Middle School about the importance of education and community involvement.

Last Thursday I also visited Mountain Projects, a community based non-profit organization that provides vital services to the elderly and disadvantaged populations in Western North Carolina. I met with leaders of the organization to discuss potentially devastating budget cuts to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, an important source of funding that allows agencies like Mountain Projects to provide assistance to the most vulnerable members of our community. As I continue working with my colleagues on House Budget Committee to craft a Fiscal Year 2012 budget, I will fight to protect funding for CSBG and other programs that provide aid to those who need it most.

On Thursday evening, I met with more than 75 educators and students to discuss education policy and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. This federal mandate uses standardized test scores to gauge success in public schools across the country. The goals set forth by NCLB have grown progressively more challenging since the law’s original enactment nine years ago, and many of our local schools have been unable to meet the benchmarks set forth by NCLB.

Teachers, administrators and parents across Western North Carolina and the nation have expressed serious concern about the effectiveness of NCLB for years. During last Thursday’s meeting, local educators discussed how the law impacts their classrooms and threatens students’ academic success.  Many reiterated their concern with NCLB’s emphasis on standardized testing and lack of funding to properly implement the legislation.

President Obama and Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have pushed for changes to NCLB. I will continue to work toward reform and keep an open dialogue with all of those affected by this legislation as Congress works to reauthorize NCLB later this year.

The House of Representatives is back in session this week from Tuesday to Friday.