by Thomas Mills | Nov 14, 2013 | 2014 Elections, Economic Development, Editor's Blog |
There’s a lot of talk about North Carolina’s stubbornly high unemployment rate and job recruitment efforts lately. Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker says that we can blame a lot of our woes on people who have moved to the state to find employment but have not been...
by Thomas Mills | Oct 30, 2013 | Economic Development, Editor's Blog |
Rural North Carolina is at a crossroads. Many counties face double-digit unemployment and almost half are losing population. The loss of manufacturing to trade deals and tobacco to common sense, has left those regions with few viable alternatives. Bribing companies to...
by Thomas Mills | Sep 29, 2013 | Economic Development, Economy, Editor's Blog, Tax Reform |
John Hood recently wrote that liberals dismiss Republican’s tax cuts and deregulation as economic tools because they don’t believe in the relationship between taxes, regulation and economic development. There may be an element of truth to what he argues but he misses...
by Thomas Mills | Jul 27, 2013 | Economic Development, Economy, Editor's Blog, Education, Gun Control, Politics, Tax Reform, Voting Rights |
Back in May, Greg Lacour said in Charlotte Magazine that North Carolina was becoming a petri dish for the American far right. He’s exactly right and now, we know for certain how far they will take us. They did damage but they are not finished. They have not eliminated...
by Thomas Mills | Jun 21, 2013 | Economic Development, Editor's Blog, NC Politics, NCGA, NCGOP
North Carolina needs a serious conversation about what to do with the rural areas of our state. Since 2010, 47 of our 100 counties have lost population and the people who are left are old. Unemployment in many of our rural counties is still in double digits....
by Thomas Mills | Jun 19, 2013 | Economic Development, Editor's Blog, NC Politics, NCGA, Politics
The N&O doubled down on their Bob Luddy-inspired attack on the Rural Center on the op-ed page, where the original series belonged, and a follow-up “news” article. The paper still has not identified Luddy or his motives. However, it defends not talking to grant...
