The blame game, or politics as usual
Brand new from Phil Berger, Republican leader in the state Senate:
"Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) today said the tax and spend policies of state and national Democrats are largely responsible for North Carolina’s ballooning unemployment rate and other economic troubles.
"On Wednesday, the North Carolina Employment Security Commission disclosed that the state’s unemployment rate spiked to 11.3 percent in February. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the state now has the fourth highest employment rate in the United States and leads the nation in unemployment growth. When Democrats assumed control of the U.S. Congress in January 2007, North Carolina’s unemployment rate was just 4.5 percent.
"For the past half dozen years, Democrats in control of both houses in the North Carolina General Assembly and the Governor’s mansion have adopted state budgets that raised taxes and increased general fund spending by almost 50 percent. During the same six years, Democrats also approved borrowing that more than doubled the state’s debt.
"This week,WTVD-TV in Durham reported that former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley received the North Carolina Chamber’s Distinguished Public Service award for economic accomplishments. 'The citizens of our state know that North Carolina’s economy is in trouble. Much of that trouble is a direct result of spending decisions and tax increases by our state’s Democratic leaders,' said Berger. '“Democrats loved to claim credit when our state’s economic picture was bright. By the same token, they should be held accountable, rather than applauded, when the economy suffers because of their failed policies.' ”
Reactions? Does Berger have a point? Should North Carolina Democrats be held accountable for the state's soaring unemployment rate?
Democrats surely heaped blame on former President Bush and the Republicans in Congress for the economic troubles that began on their watch and continue to worsen. Voters agreed.
Certainly, North Carolina Democrats can plead the same case. They aren't responsible for the national economy, which naturally has a huge impact on the North Carolina economy.
They're 100 percent right.
But why has the unemployment rate expoded in North Carolina to fourth-highest in the country, behind only Michigan, South Carolina and Oregon? (In case you're keeping partisan score, that's two Blues and one Red.) Have state spend-and-tax policies caused a more severe recession here than almost anywhere else, at least as measured by jobless rate?
Then again, this spike in unemployment is occurring at a time when state government spending is slowing dramatically in response to declining tax revenues. So what's with that? Government, too, is shedding jobs -- although not (yet) at nearly the same rate as the private sector.
I don't blame Berger for trying to gain some ground politically. The party out of power always tries to capitalize on bad news. That's how the Dems displaced the Repubs in Washington.
Whether the blame-casting is strictly accurate is almost beside the point. Sorting out degrees of accountability is very hard and lost on many voters. Just point to who's in charge, and that's who's easiest to blame.
Comments (8)
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It seems like both sides are more focused on who deserves the blame. The issue today is how do we get our neighbors and friends back to work at living wages. Let's focus on the future and learn from the past. NC needs to get to work and our leaders in Raleigh need to lead rather than snipe.
Posted on April 2, 2009 4:18 PM
"I don't blame Berger for trying to gain some ground politically."
In knowing the reality of how things get done in both houses of the General Assembly, who else should take the blam for the incredibly profligate policies of North Carolina?
Business gets done without consultation or input from anyone but the inner circle of power sharers.
No one outside of that circle gets a chance to actually see the proposals until it's too late to even protest the excess, in much the same way as business is now being accomplished in Congress.
Both houses in Raleigh have been controlled by Democrats for some time now, and absolutely NOTHING gets done unless the leaders of each house make it so.
Posted on April 2, 2009 4:29 PM
The "sniping" comes after the deal is done, when it's too late to make any difference.
It's done in an attempt to provide a little sunshine on those who run the show for their political, social, and economic interests, not those of the North Carolina public's best interests.
Posted on April 2, 2009 4:35 PM
No one political party is responsible for every problem we have. Our biggest problems always occur when one party controls the White House, and both houses of Congress.
Our problems become more problematic because we have a more and more ill-educated, and ill-informed electorate now than anytime in our history. That is exacerbated by a dishonest, overtly partisan media that goes after one party while protecting the other, the one that 80% (by their own account) vote for regularly.
Bill Clinton began his presidency as the committed liberal that his wife wanted him to be. Gays in the military, Hillarycare, and more. Then the Republicans won control of the congress and dragged Clinton kicking and screaming to a balanced budget, and welfare reform, for which he took the credit. That's fine, that's how it works, because most have no clue as to the actual duties of a president.
Most believe he is like a mayor or governor,who actually governs, rather than being beholden to the congress to actually accompish anything. Since our schools have been failing us for the past 30-40 years, most coming out don't know what most of us learned in fifth grade civics class (when the had such classes!), that "only the congress can spend money."
The problem becomes acute when one party controls the country. As happened with the Republicans after a few years in power, they abandoned their principles and went on a spending spree with the president refusing to veto even one spending bill.
Now we have the situation in reverse, but with the spending on steroids. Despite the profligate spending when the Demo-Rats took control of congress in January of '07 unemployment was 4.6%, inflation, 3.9%, GDP +3.6%, the deficit was 2.3% of GDP, now projected to be north of 6+% for as far as we can see, and the Dow was at 12,621, and please remember that Bush INHERITED a recession from the previous administration, and we had a few months later, the 9/11 attacks, and the bursting of the Internet bubble. But things got better, not worse.
The genesis of this financial crisis was sub-prime lending market fueled by the corrupt Fannie and Freddie. We keep hearing about the lack of regulation. By now we have all seen the videos of the House hearing where a regulator was villified by members of the congressional negro caucus, for having the audicity to detail the problems at those quasi-government agencies.
Maxine Waters went so far as to praise Franklin Raines (who was later forced out, and required to repay millions for submitting phony growth figures, figures that determined his, and other tops executive's BONUSES!) for the "wonderful job he was doing at Fannie Mae!"
John McCain, certainly no favorite of mine, warned on the senate floor in 2004 of the potential problems at Fannie and Freddie. But Bawney Fwank, who told us just weeks before the implosion, that there were no problems with Fannie or Freddie, and Chris Dodd, beneficiaries of hundreds in thousands of dollars in bribes (campaign contributions) continued to protect their cash cow right up until the end when, of course, it became Bush's fault!
It's no accident that we are the highest taxed of the 12 Southern states. The Demo-Rats have been in charge of taxing and spending, and taxing and spending, and mis-using highways funds, tobacco settlement funds, "education" lottery funds, and I'm sure many more that I haven't listed. Yet the "enlightened" voters of a state that is education "challenged" keeps voting them back to office. But of course, it's all Bush's fault!
Posted on April 3, 2009 8:36 AM
Correct me if I am wrong, the liberals have been running Raleigh for a 100 years, and have yet to be helded accountable by the liberal NC media. I have withness, republicans holding their hands up for hours trying to ask a question. Right are wrong capital hill reporter?
I have yet to see this in the media.
Any wonder papers are going south!!!!!!
Tonymo, I have warned you, do not use facts!, it confuses liberals!
Posted on April 3, 2009 9:03 PM
"This week,WTVD-TV in Durham reported that former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley received the North Carolina Chamber’s Distinguished Public Service award for economic accomplishments*Doug
That is like Stalin recieving the Lenlin peace and humantarian award in the 20 century!
Posted on April 4, 2009 1:28 PM
Tonymo, I have warned you, do not use facts!, it confuses liberals!*Don
That is like Joe The Plumber using Glen Beck as a source of facts to back phony conservative insanity!
Posted on April 4, 2009 1:33 PM
Tonymo, I have warned you, do not use facts!, it confuses liberals!*Don
That is like Joe The Plumber using Glen Beck as a source of facts to back phony conservative insanity!
Posted on April 4, 2009 1:33 PM