Comments for Our Informer http://informinc.net/blog Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:05:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Comment on MOVING THE NEEDLE IS TOUGH by Brent Lane http://informinc.net/blog/moving-the-needle-is-tough/#comment-2514 Brent Lane Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:05:55 +0000 http://informinc.net/blog/?p=230#comment-2514 Thanks for covering my presentation on the NC economy. There are two points you got wrong that warrant correction. First, there aren't 3 NC counties that meet or exceed the US average wage. There are actually only 2 NC counties (Mecklenburg and Durham) that meet or exceed the US average. My finding was that there are only 3 NC counties that meet or exceed the NC AVERAGE wage. In 1990 that number was 20 counties. This reflects an extreme skewing of wages in the state in the past decade toward only a few counties. Second, I reported that if the downward trend in NC's per capita income compared to the US's continued, we will be earning 79 percent of national income average in 2020 (not 2014) which is where we were in 1969. Afer all we've invested in education, infrastructure and economic development, our citizens will be just as far behind the rest of the country as we were 50 years ago. I especially appreciate you not characterizing my comments as pessimistic. They were just facts that however however disconcerting they may be, are more instructive than wishful thinking. Just adhering to the NC motto: "To be rather than to seem". Thanks for covering my presentation on the NC economy. There are two points you got wrong that warrant correction. First, there aren’t 3 NC counties that meet or exceed the US average wage. There are actually only 2 NC counties (Mecklenburg and Durham) that meet or exceed the US average. My finding was that there are only 3 NC counties that meet or exceed the NC AVERAGE wage. In 1990 that number was 20 counties. This reflects an extreme skewing of wages in the state in the past decade toward only a few counties.

Second, I reported that if the downward trend in NC’s per capita income compared to the US’s continued, we will be earning 79 percent of national income average in 2020 (not 2014) which is where we were in 1969. Afer all we’ve invested in education, infrastructure and economic development, our citizens will be just as far behind the rest of the country as we were 50 years ago.

I especially appreciate you not characterizing my comments as pessimistic. They were just facts that however however disconcerting they may be, are more instructive than wishful thinking. Just adhering to the NC motto: “To be rather than to seem”.

]]> Comment on BRAVE NEW WORLD by Sandy Porter http://informinc.net/blog/brave-new-world/#comment-52 Sandy Porter Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:48:01 +0000 http://informinc.net/blog/?p=188#comment-52 I've been reading this newsletter for several years now, and have enjoyed your viewpoint even though it is a little more to the "left" than my views. I take pride in voting for both parties based on the individual's platform and performance, not on the party. Having read your newsletter this time, however, I can see just how desperate Democrats are at this point as even this publication has taken to cheap shots - complaining about a GOP-biased media anywhere is a cry for help, quoting a "nut case" comment about a candidate is just poor journalism, and bringing up sign placement of Republican candidates is even worse. How many Democratic candidates were making sure their signs were near Obama signs in 2008, and how many do you think would want to place theirs next to his today? At least you could try to be a little less obvious in your bias... I’ve been reading this newsletter for several years now, and have enjoyed your viewpoint even though it is a little more to the “left” than my views. I take pride in voting for both parties based on the individual’s platform and performance, not on the party. Having read your newsletter this time, however, I can see just how desperate Democrats are at this point as even this publication has taken to cheap shots – complaining about a GOP-biased media anywhere is a cry for help, quoting a “nut case” comment about a candidate is just poor journalism, and bringing up sign placement of Republican candidates is even worse. How many Democratic candidates were making sure their signs were near Obama signs in 2008, and how many do you think would want to place theirs next to his today? At least you could try to be a little less obvious in your bias…

]]>