Posted in the Hickory Daily Record on March 19, 2009. The metro areas Unemployment rate is 13.6% (13.0 percent in Alexander County, 14.0 percent in Burke County and 14.6 percent in Caldwell County). These numbers represent unemployment as og January 1, 2009.
On January 1, 2008 the unemployment rate was 6.1% in Catawba County. That means there are 123% more people unemployed now than were unemployed one year ago. Drastic measures must be taken to change the direction we are headed in.
This does not take into account those who are have run out of benefits, those working part-time, and/or those who would be termed underemployed. It took this area a while to invent the conditions that have led to a debacle where close to an estimated 1 in 4 of our local citizens are suffering these real conditions.
Our local officials need to understand that now IS the time for drastic action. If those actions are principled, then people won't give up on our areas leadership; but if we see area leaders continue to play the blame game and state that they have no control, then it will be time to find a new direction.
We have gone from local leaders stating that things are looking up to saying problems aren't that bad to begrudgingly admitting that things don't look good (but the future is bright) to saying that external forces are to blame. All of this has happened since September. What reason would we have to support that kind of "no control" leadership, which is none whatsoever. You cannot get to this level of unemployment without everyone being responsible for part of the blame.
Some people belittled what I stated in the Wall Street Journal article in January, North Carolina's Celebrated Rebirth Proves No Match for This Downturn. Now we can see that the issues in that article cannot be denied. Read that article again and see if it is not right on target. Should we pray for mass emigration of the working class people in the Hickory Metro area or are we going to demand more from ourselves? We must reinvent this area!!!
