Business & Economy

Holiday spending cash – or the lack of it – is on the minds of many people this time of year.  There is a group of North Carolina state employees whose job is to make sure budgets are balanced and audits are perfect.  More than 300 of these fiscal agents gathered in Raleigh this week and were asked how they were planning on spending their holiday cash this season.

Fiscal agents throughout North Carolina government and the university and community college system gathered in Raleigh yesterday to address fiscal challenges facing the state. 

Scott Ralls is President of the state community college system.  The recession hit around the time he took the helm.

Scott Ralls:  "It certainly has been a challenge, not just because the loss of revenue that has been challenging to budget and prioritize, but also the very significant increase in demand that we simultaneously faced during that timeframe."

Raleigh-based Martin Marietta wants to merge with its main competitor.  What started out as a private negotiation is now a hostile takeover.

Martin Marietta wants to merge with Birmingham, Alabama-based Vulcan Materials.  The two companies are the U-S leaders in the production of rock, gravel, sand and other building materials.   Ward Nye is the C-E-O of Martin Marietta.

Ward Nye:  "As is well know, these last few years have been challenging for our industry given economic recession and reduction in infrastructure, commercial and residential construction projects."

Occupy groups from the Triad are holding an employment march tomorrow.

Organizers expect about 200 people to participate in downtown Greensboro. Members of the occupy groups from Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point are joining together for the event. A rally will follow the march. Speakers from organized labor groups and worker owned cooperatives will address the crowd. John Kernodle is organizing the march: