I’m on my summer sojourn to Minnesota to see my in-laws and escape the heat. It’s my little experiment and experience living under opposites. You see, Minnesota did the opposite of North Carolina when the recession hit. They threw out the Republicans and elected Democrats.
And they got just what you would expect. Democrats enacted a big tax increase on the wealthy. They started spending money on infrastructure and education. To hear Republicans tell it, this place should be an economic mess.
But it’s not. Instead, it’s everything the GOP in North Carolina wants to be. They’ve got the fifth hottest economy in the country. The unemployment rate is 4.5%, 10th lowest in the nation, compared to North Carolina’s 6.4%, the 32nd lowest. They recovered all of the jobs lost to the recession over a year ago. In North Carolina, we haven’t done that yet. Per capita income in Minnesota is about $9,000 more than North Carolina.
In addition, Minnesota treats its poor families better. While North Carolina has a poverty rate of about 18%, Minnesota has a poverty rate of about 11%. Minnesota offers almost twice as much per week in maximum unemployment benefits.
And Minnesota is a state with no mountains, no beaches and nine months of winter. To counter, they maintain a high quality of life by investing in people and services. They’ve got a great public school system and a strong public university and community college system. They invest heavily in parks and recreation. Every night of the week in the summer, you can find free entertainment in public spaces.
I’m not ready to make Minnesota my permanent home, but I am ready to see North Carolina try to emulate some of its success. Instead, Republicans in North Carolina look to South Carolina as its model. Minnesota has proven that investing in people and infrastructure, even in the harshest of environments, pays dividends. We should do the same.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
I agree with mama but it is so discouraging to see the bozos think they are doing the right thing. Vote for every Democrat, send letters and comments to the bozos who are supposed to be representing you and send money to the Democrats while you talk to your friends and family and get every one of them to vote.
If someone figures out what NCGOP goals are, other than destruction of NC education and environment and protection of wealth for the 1%, please let me know. If citizens do not vote out NCGOP legislators (and it will be hard, thanks to the voter suppression & gerrymandering done by NCGOP), perhaps we should all consider a move away from this tempest of a Tea Party.
You have got to stay and fight. These bozo’s do not represent the NC I know and love. We can win. GOTV
Ironically, the GOP was told that their policies would be problematic in NC and yet they pursued them anyway. The point of governing is to create a more just society and improve the quality of life for all citizens. Thomas makes good points that the current NCGA and Governor have failed in the relative sense to accomplish these goals.