Forward march: North Carolina cannot be satisfied with mediocrity.

• Author: Mildenberg, David
• Position: UpFront

I'm part of the pack that lacks what the elder President Bush called "that vision thing," namely the skill of seeing what's ahead, then capitalizing. History, the study of how things unfolded, seems far more fascinating. Sorry, Disney, I'm in no hurry to see the new Star Wars movie.

Fortunately, our state is filled with visionaries, prompting us to focus this month's edition on projections of what's ahead for our state over the next decade. We received some ideas from N.C. State University's annual Emerging Issues Forum, which concentrates this year on work. Our writers looked at several key industries, asking what the future may hold.

We emerged with an optimistic view of North Carolina, which has advantages that make other states jealous: climate, differing geography, beauty, top research universities and racial diversity. It's disappointing that our state has not benefited more from those strengths, reflected in Civitas Institute polls showing a majority of likely primary voters-- the people who pay attention--think the state is headed down the wrong track.

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I'm influenced by memories of Tar Heel people and places that no longer exist. I miss the textile and furniture mills that created bustle in Asheboro, Hickory, Kannapolis and other towns; the tobacco smell of plants in Reidsville and Winston-Salem; Belk cafeteria in downtown Charlotte that drew blue-collar and white-collar diners; Asheville's gritty center city before the tourists showed...