Perdue pledges to push forward in difficult times

Moments after being sworn in Saturday as North Carolina’s first female governor, Democrat Bev Perdue pledged to lead the state through economic turmoil with bold initiatives, utilizing the determination that rose her from coal miner’s daughter to political elite.

Perdue recited the oath of office administered by the female head of another branch of government, Chief Justice Sarah Parker, before a crowd of more than 5,000 people at the inaugural ceremonies in downtown Raleigh.

The successor of two-term Gov. Mike Easley, who watched from the steps of state Archives and History Building, Perdue did not directly mention her historic feat in her address, instead focusing on the economic dilemma at hand.

Perdue, 61, takes helm of the state during an economic crisis that threatens to push unemployment beyond 8 percent and a fiscal deficit that could lead state government into a $3 billion budget shortfall.

“We are in the midst of a global economic crisis,” Perdue said, standing under blue sky in front of two massive United States and North Carolina flags in the heart of the state capitol. “People are actually worried about losing their jobs, about paying their mortgage, about their own personal future. Now is not the time for us to hunker down. We cannot just cut back. And, I will not lower my expectations for you or for the people of North Carolina.”

Perdue, who eight years ago became the first woman elected the state’s lieutenant governor, was the 10th Council of State official sworn in Saturday. Four on the Council, including Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, are new to the executive panel of state leaders.

For the first time in state history, the majority of executive branch officials are women, a symbolic milestone that represents more than a century of struggles toward equality, East Carolina political science professor and historian Thomas Eamon said.

Perdue noted that struggle during her address and promised to use her position to continue breaking achievement barriers.

“North Carolina has sometimes been slow to answer history’s call,” Perdue said. “For too long, too many were held back by poverty, discrimination, and the lack of an education. Our ability to confront these challenges is what has enabled us to continue to move ahead.”

Perdue, a former teacher, said she remains committed to education, saying she would support a seamless system “from the high chair to the rocking chair.”

She also called for increased efficiency and more accountability, echoing words she previously used to criticize a lack of communication and openness under Easley’s administration.

“The state’s business must be conducted in sunshine that will inspire confidence, not cynicism,” Perdue said. “I pledge to you to be a fully engaged, hands-on governor. The people’s problems will be solved when we listen to them.”

Famed North Carolina actor Andy Griffith, who endorsed Perdue late in her primary race against Richard Moore, followed the governor’s comments by reading a poem written by his wife, Cindy Griffith.

“When I see our morning sun, I know there’s work to be done,” said Griffith, who also took part in Easley’s 2001 and 2005 inaugurations. “Gov. Bev Perdue is the person we choose, because there’s so much she can do. She will need our best, to achieve her quest, to be the person we need, so we may succeed.”

Scores of local, state and federal leaders were on hand for the event, including U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., N.C. Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Tarboro, and U.S. Reps. G.K. Butterfield, D-1st District, and Bob Etheridge, D-2nd District.

Etheridge called Perdue a “great leader” who will follow in North Carolina’s “rich history of overcoming steep challenges.”

Perdue, the state’s 100th chief executive dating back to Colonial times, was honored following the ceremony in the inaugural parade, which wound through downtown Raleigh. More celebrations were scheduled throughout the weekend. Once the party is over, however, Perdue said she and other state leaders would go directly to work to address the state’s challenges.

“Today, a new administration begins, one that’s actually different from any other,” Perdue said. “My presence before you represents a departure from our past. It is a new beginning.”