We are two North Carolinas

Published August 28, 2014

Editorial by Rocky Mount Telegram, August 26, 2014.

For years, state leaders have tried to craft policies that address the “two North Carolinas” that exist here.

The one we all like to think about – and aspire to be – is a state of good jobs; great universities; compassionate people; natural beauty in mountains and beaches; well anchored in history, even as we look ahead to better days.

The other North Carolina, though, is more complicated. In the mountains and in Eastern North Carolina, in particular, we have not seen the jobs growth that more urban parts of the state have enjoyed. We don’t have the learning resources offered by the Research Triangle Park or Duke University, N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

A report released earlier this year by the N.C. Budget and Tax Center looks more closely at the disparities between rural and urban counties. In our neck of the woods, Nash County has a poverty rate of 20.8 percent – nearly 3 percentage points higher than the state’s overall poverty rate of 18 percent. And compared with many of our neighboring counties, Nash is almost a success story.

Edgecombe County has a poverty rate of 28. 1 percent. Halifax County’s poverty rate is 29.2 percent. Wilson County was measured at 23.8 percent. Even Pitt County – home to East Carolina University – has a poverty rate of 24 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum are Wake County with a poverty rate of 11.6 percent and Mecklenburg County with a poverty rate of 16.1 percent. The anomaly in the list of counties by poverty rates is Camden County, a sportsman’s paradise in the northeastern corner of the state. There, the poverty rate is just 9.7 percent. The unemployment rate is just 5.9 percent.

Camden County has fewer than 11,000 people, so that certainly plays an important role in those numbers.

In a state the size of North Carolina, with 100 counties, the disparity between wealthy and poor poses great challenges to leaders at all levels.

We can all be proud of the successes of growing metropolitan areas such as Raleigh and Charlotte. But until counties in the mountains and Down East begin to catch up, we will continue to be a state of two North Carolinas.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/opinion/our-views/disparities-challenge-state-leaders-2634687

 

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August 28, 2014 at 12:56 pm
Norm Kelly says:

So, what's the solution? Simply pointing out what everyone already knows, what multiple studies have shown, and what the disgraced lawyer Edwards used as his campaign slogan, is pointless. Did we need another editorial to tell us the same thing?

Or was this re-run because Republicans control Raleigh, and therefore this is a Republican problem?

If the demon party controlled Raleigh for the better part of a century (actually more, but I'll give some time to Republican govs), and their schemes didn't solve the disparity issue, then what do you suggest? Is the problem only in the past 3 years that Republicans have had at least some level of power/authority? What great schemes did the libs put in place that made it all better? What part of income redistribution schemes of the demon party would make it better? Would it be right for the legislature to force businesses in rural areas to raise their minimum wage but prevent the same raise in urban areas? Would it be right for the legislature to make up the difference in income disparity by stealing more from the wealthier communities and giving it, socialist style, to the residents of the poorer communities? What demon party scheme was repealed by the new Republican legislature that caused the disparity to get worse? What part of the current occupier's socialist plans haven't done the trick to eliminate the disparity? His implementation of Communist Core hasn't resolved the disparity. His implementation of socialized medicine hasn't resolved the disparity. So what do you propose? I assume there was a reason to re-run this information, but nothing is presented in the editorial. So are you simply trying to stir your lib base of low-information voters to come out to support the next demon party candidate? Who won't have any answers either, but their schemes will certainly be based on more intrusive government, more expansion of socialism to eliminate the disparity. But the demon party candidate won't have any more concrete ideas than this editorial presented, just re-runs of previously failed socialist schemes. So what's the point?

Is there a plan coming from the demons in Washington to improve the economy? Is there a plan coming from the demons in Washington to get the national debt and annual deficit under control? Is there a plan from the demon party in Raleigh that will actually improve anything? Can you or the demon party candidates be more specific as to what your plans are? If all you can do is present your socialist schemes, then please don't bother. They've been heard before. They've been tried before. They have failed every time. More intrusive government doesn't SOLVE any problems, it just moves them around. So what exactly are your ideas? Do you have any or can you only criticize other people's plans?