ICYMI, the News & Observer had an oped recently that showed how North Carolina liberalism is failing — on its own terms.
In “Unfortunate policies lead county to a paler shade of Orange,” UNC professor Michael Jacobs notes that:
Of the 25 largest counties in North Carolina, only two had a decline in African-American population over the last decade. Of the two outliers (which happen to be the two most “progressive” counties in the state) the one that saw the largest drop in its black population was Orange County. The other was Buncombe.
It turns out – surprise! – progressive Orange County has high taxes and fees. That pushes up the cost of living, driving away many lower-income people, including members of minority groups.
So it turns out that the liberal policies so beloved in Orange County sabotage another liberal goal: more ethnic diversity.
Meanwhile, it’s always very interesting to see the state’s unemployment numbers. The April Civitas Capitol Connection newspaper reports that the January unemployment figures show that Orange County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state. What a coincidence!
Liberals proclaim they are out to help the poor and unemployed. It just happens to turn out that out of 100 counties, the most “progressive” also has the best employment situation. And most of those jobs are government-funded – paid for by taxpayers. (Jacobs also points out that this isn’t likely to change: private industry is shunning Orange County: “Of the 128 companies that planned to locate or expand in the RTP area in 2011, only one planned to do so in Orange County.”)
And low-income people are being pushed out of Orange County, making it harder to find and get jobs there.
Meanwhile, unemployment rates in the rest of NC range up above 20 percent. Isn’t that interesting? Liberals want to help the jobless, but somehow liberal Orange County does very well for itself.
So government-loving liberals get government to provide jobs, a process that happens to feather liberal nests like Orange County. Then liberals lament that there’s stubborn unemployment — especially in areas that are not hotbeds of government, but instead depend on people growing things or making things.
This pattern is repeated in many places where liberalism dominates. Liberalism is failing on its own terms. It says it wants to help the poor and minorities, but strangely enough, liberal bastions such as Orange County tend to become cozy havens for those who are affluent and part of the elite, while the poor, ordinary working people, and minority group members are slowly squeezed out by liberal policies.
Phillip Williams says
Thanks for eloquently presenting an issue that has bothered me for ages – I have noticed this phenomenon – of the “Rich young ruler” mentality among well-to-do progressives.