Is small business the key to kickstarting the state's economic engine?

A new poll of 600 voters by the conservative Civitas Institute poll shows a majority of North Carolinians believe small businesses are the catalyst to creating jobs and economic growth.

According to the survey, when asked who is better able to create jobs and rebuild the economy, 59.7 percent selected small business and entrepreneurs, 18 percent large corporations, 9 percent government and 3.5 percent non-profit organizations, while 9.8 percent had no opinion.

More than 85 percent of respondents would approve of a proposal to cut taxes on small business by 10 percent, while 10.3 percent were opposed and 4.5 percent had no opinion.

"Voters are keenly aware of the power of small businesses and entrepreneurs to create jobs and grow the economy," said Francis De Luca, executive director of the Civitas Institute, Francis De Luca. "Less than one in ten voters thought government was the best vehicle to create jobs. This seems to contradict current economic policy in Washington and Raleigh where government is raising, rather than cutting, taxes on small businesses."

The poll was conducted April 21-23, 2009 by Alexandria, Va.-based McLaughlin and Associates. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Sen. Kay Hagan has been named to the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee.

Former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, whom Hagan replaced, also served on the panel, Barb Barrett reports.

Pat McCrory told a small-business group he supports raising the minimum wage.

In a candidate survey for the National Federation of Independent Business this year, the Republican gubernatorial nominee said he would back an increase, but he added an explanatory note:

"Any one-time minimum wage increase should be coupled with tax cuts to small businesses to help offset the additional cost. I would also look at alternatives such as adjusting the minimum wage to the cost of living."

The NFIB generally opposes increases in state and federal minimum wages, arguing that they hurt small businesses and do not help the poor. 

A recent ad by a Democratic group said that McCrory opposed raising the minimum wage.

Richard Moore proposed an economic stimulus package.

At a press conference this morning, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate called for property tax relief for senior citizens, reducing the waiting list for day care subsidies, cutting small business taxes and tying the minimum wage to inflation.

He noted that pension plans and Social Security already provide cost of living adjustments based on inflation. He estimated that the minimum wage would go up a dollar during the next governor's four years in office.

"All you've got to do is go to projected four-dollar a gallon gas to understand why," he said.

He also pledged that the state would pay for two years of community college for all high school graduates, though not for students who drop out and get a general equivalency diploma, or G.E.D.

"I shudder to think that any high school student in North Carolina does not take the next step to continue their education," he said.

He said that the proposal would cost around $50 million and would be paid for using interest earnings from Golden LEAF Foundation.