Opinion

Editorial: 'Nothing scares away investment like hate'

Wednesday, July 27, 2016: Raleigh tech entrepreneur Jesse Lipson tells the National Democratic Convention that "disgusting" HB2 is costing North Carolina jobs.

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-- The governor and an entrepreneur offer a sharp contrast on HB2
-- For Pat McCrory it is something to joke about.

-- Jesse Lipson sees discrimination and lost opportunity.

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A CBC Editorial: Wednesday, July 27, 2016; Editorial# 8034
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

The contrast on display Monday evening from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's rally in Winston-Salem and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could not have been sharper. Gov. Pat McCrory, tasked with warming up the Trump rally crowd, opened with a joke about the controversial discrimination law, House Bill 2.

Meanwhile, Jesse Lipson, one of Raleigh's most successful young entrepreneurs, was one of the Democratic Convention's early-evening speakers. Lipson, whose start-up is now part of Citrix and employs 800 people, many in downtown, also talked about HB2. But for Lipson, it wasn't a laughing matter. It's about how the law is hurting North Carolina jobs, the state's economic growth and quality of life.

Discrimination, losing jobs and income are tough to laugh at. Look and listen -- and read what McCrory and Lipson had to say. They say much about the divided politics and culture in North Carolina today.

Gov. Pat McCrory's opening remarks at the Winston-Salem rally for Republican Donald Trump:

“Lets be safe now. We’ve got a big crowd so if you need to leave suddenly we’ve got exits this way…and exits this way. And if any of you need to use the restroom… And if you have any questions, go to the Philadelphia convention where all the Democrats are.”

Remarks at Monday evening's session of the National Democratic Convention from Jesse Lipson, founder of Raleigh's Sharefile, which was sold to Citrix:
"I don't know about you, but Donald Trump's acceptance speech left me with a lot of questions. For example, where is this losing country he keeps talking about?

"The America I live in, the North Carolina I live, is a creative engine where the innovative spirit is alive and well. Where nearly all net new jobs are created by startups. Where you can still make something from nothing, like I did.

"I taught myself how to build software on nights and weekends. When I was 26, I started my company with just $100 in advertising. Today, we are in more than 100 countries and we have created 800 jobs in Raleigh.

"Donald, I'm also a businessman. You build skyscrapers. I build in the cloud. But it’s clear that you don’t understand something simple about business. Nothing scares away investment like hate.

"Disgusting laws like North Carolina's attack on LGBT Americans are costing my state hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s cost the NBA All-Star game and it is also costing us talented programmers who are ready to build the future.

"I’ve seen venture capitalists who refuse to invest in our state. Republicans may think they are telling people which bathroom to go into, but they're actually telling people which market to stay out of.

"When I travel abroad, I hear people talking about legalized discrimination in America. Bigotry doesn’t just hurt my state, it hurts our entire country."

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