Animated map showing unemployment rates growing across the nation.

Mike Walden, and economist at North Carolina State University, has predicted unemployment in NC will hit 13% by March of 2010. As we posted here North Carolina topped 11.1% in May which is the highest level in 30 years. Walden went on to state the highest levels will be in the Triad and Charlotte with Raleigh being the lowest. You know Raleigh right. that little town where they keep all the taxes.

Unemployment in North Caroline had more than doubled since April 2008 and is higher than the National average for May by 2%. When compared to other states in the Southeast only South Carolina is higher with 11.6%. When we look across the state line at our neighbors we find, Virginia at 7%, Georgia at 9.5%, Florida at 9.7%. What is even worse in comparison is when we look at the so called “Deep South” where one might expected higher unemployment we find both Mississippi at 9.6%, and Alabama at 9.3%. Louisiana with it’s 6.3% is almost half of North Carolina’s unemployment rate!.

So what are these states doing that a state with $4.7 BILLION budget deficit isn’t doing? What are these states doing that Governor Bev Purdue isn’t doing with her proposed $1.6 BILLION in new taxes? What are these states doing that Governor Bev Purdue isn’t doing with her proposed Recreation Tax which will likely force summer day camps in this state to close? Read the rest of this entry »