They say all politics is local. I suppose that is true. Look at the situation through the southern states. High unemployment, flat wage growth, continued loss of the manufacturing base, and on the social side high rates of teen pregnancy, high dependence on the social welfare system, poverty climbing. What amazes me is that those responsible for this state of affairs continue to get elected, with the blame being shifted to Washington, gays, hispanics, you name it.
As an example I give you NC. It used to be the state of Andy Griffith. A progressive bastion among the old south states. With good roads and airports, an excellent education system, adequate access to medical care, a socially responsible response to poverty. Even Jessie Helms - the famed blowhard of the Senate insisted on supporting colleges and helped in building the triangle research park. Sure, he was definitely not a nice guy, but he did understand the imperative of high wage jobs and a knowledge based economy.
But the ol' North State is changing. It simply isnt the state of Andy anymore. As the uber-cons have begun to take root in the NC legislature, NC has seen some dramatic changes. For instance:
1) NC's unemployment rate is now higher than that of low wage, no unions, no taxes, federal earmarks for corporations, SC for the first time in recent memory. Neither is very good, so this doesnt represent an improvement for SC, but rather a fall from grace of NC.
2) Over 16,000 K-12 school layoffs since the GOP took power
3) 5% to 15% cuts in college education budget each year of GOP rule
4) reduced access to medical care with cuts to clinics for the poor each year of GOP rule
5) Once third in new biotech startups, NC has now dropped to the middle of the pack
6) stagnate income and growing foreclosures
You might say the recession hit NC hard, but no harder than others. And yet NC isnt finding its way out of this mess, it is in fact getting worse. This all while some states are beginning to grow again. Why? It has little to do with the Fed and everything to do with who is on the ground. The GOP has taken a state which was doing all the right things. Only a few years ago, NC ran a budget surplus. And through their unnecessary austerity policies have turned neighbor against neighbor, and driven the state into the ground. They have been able to blame this on the governor, Bev Perdue, even though she has opposed them on every turn. She will not stand for re-election. And for what? To get Amendment 1 passed - an amendment to the constitution that will eventually get overturned and does nothing to the gay community that a slate of newly enacted GOP laws didnt already prevent. It was meant as a slap in the face to a minority group, a cock a doodle do to the fact that THEY are now in control. And what they have done with that control.
So how did this happen? How did the GOP seize power? Through a quiet and concerted effort using YOUR tax money, thats how. With representatives like V. Foxx, that has brought home huge earmarks from the feds, and given them to small companies, and individuals that contribute heavily to her coffers. Sure, she is against them now. But a few years ago she used these to raise considerable money. Interestingly - the companies that got earmarks also happen to be among the largest donors to her campaign. So much money in fact, that she didnt need it for her campaigns in conservative district 5. So she began handing it out to local GOP politicians, to form a machine that had no match. Now you might think that the Dems would have matched this. Didnt Price also get earmarks you say? Yes he did, but a similar analysis of donors to the Price campaign shows no similar donor trend for the recipients of that money. So carefully and deliberately the trap has been set and sprung. Those who chose to lead by doing the right thing - lost. And NC is well on its way to being just another southern state with high unemployment, low wage jobs, and a failing infrastructure.
Now the Coup de grace, McCrory. With the current slate of wingnuts in power, and this GOP hit man waiting in the wings, NC promises to be the next Wisconsin. Where is Andy when you need him?