In her first State of the State address Monday, Governor Beverly Perdue said research conducted at the University has led to the creation of 1,000 jobs at SpiritAero Systems.

“N.C. State is leading the nation in developing lightweight textiles that are used in the aerospace industry,” she said.

House Majority Leader Tony Rand said Perdue’s speech recognized the great job North Carolina universities do with research and education.

“It’s fitting she choose N.C. State,” he said.

The rest of the Perdue’s speech focused on the economy.

“We must go after every federal recovery dollar that is available.  We need to get that money into North Carolina,” she said.

In the Republican response, Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger placed the blame entirely on the shoulders of the Democrat majority.

“Over the past half dozen years Democratic leaders in North Carolina have adopted state budgets that have seen general fund spending grow by almost 50 percent,” he said.

Berger said during the same time, the Democrats more than doubled the State debt.

“These rates of spending and borrowing can not be sustained.  The current economic situation is an opportunity to get North Carolina’s financial house in order,” he said.

In her speech, Perdue did not give details about her budget that will be submitted next week. She did, however, say her budget will cut state government programs and services that have proven effective but ones the state “simply cannot afford.”

She followed her statement about cutting effective programs by saying she will increase spending.

“Even in these tough times we will increase per-pupil spending in our public schools,” she said.

Berger, in response, said throwing more money at education won’t make the quality better.

In addition, Perdue promised new jobs in her address.

“We will put our people back to work by building bridges, paving roads and expanding and renovating our infrastructure,” she said.

To do this she called on careers that majors at the University prepare students for.

“It will take engineers, architects, contractors, technology experts and laborers of all types,” Perdue said.

The Governor said the government cannot let the citizens’ dream of a better future diminish.

“We must do whatever it takes, our own, here in North Carolina, to create jobs, help displaced workers get new jobs, and keep families in their homes,” she said.

Perdue also said North Carolina has become a “Mecca for biotech, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences.”

According to the Purdue, the interaction between government, higher education and private business in North Carolina allows ideas to “springboard from the lab into the marketplace.”

“Just look around. There’s Quintiles, Merck, Bayer, Biogen, PPD and more,” she said.

Perdue said she was serious when she said she would take South Carolina’s federal recovery funds. “I’d drive a truck down to pick up his share,” she said.

Tim Lipka, a senior in political science, said the speech was more of a rally-the-troops speech.

“The get-down-to-work speech will come with the budget,” he said.