The characterizations of the economy came from Congressman Brad Miller at a breakfast hosted Thursday morning by the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce.

Miller and Wake County Commissioner Joe Bryan were joined by N.C. House member Darren Jackson, incoming District 1 Wake County school board member Chris Malone and Knightdale Mayor Pro Tem Mike Chalk.

Jackson said budget cuts in state government had reduced spending to 1996 per capita levels. He said tax revenues are still behind 1.5 percent from projections and 4 percent down compared to last year. Jackson said the economy for the state is improving, but that it will take four to five years to return to the condition before the economy took a nosedive. Jackson said even with all the spending cuts, the state made an investment in education. He said the state budget included funds to fully enroll the UNC system and to provide financial assistance for education to those in need.

Jackson and Bryan both encouraged members of the business community to get involved in schools in eastern Wake County. Jackson said eastern Wake County has more single family parents and two-parent households in which both parents work than other parts of the county and needed community involvement.

"We are failing our students," said Bryan, noting Knightdale High School and East Wake High School's combined SAT average is 917 compared to a 1007 state average and a 1074 Wake County average.

Both called on business people to tutor and make contributions to local foundations like the East Wake Education Foundation.

Malone said he was "for magnet programs, but that he wanted to wait to see what changes to make. But Malone did say that changing the current lottery system could be "part of the solution."

Malone said eastern Wake County needs a magnet program and specifically mentioned Knightdale High.