Becoming Alabama? Hey, at least we’re not becoming CHARLOTTE.
The Prius-driving, low-T, latte-sipping NPR-swooning lefty-snobs at The Charlotte Observer, one of McClatchy’s many failing media holdings in The Carolinas, are aghast that this state might become more like — *GASP* — Alabama.
How are we accomplishing this dastardly deed? By cutting taxes, the really really really smart people in The Observer newsroom tell us. Actually, by cutting taxes, we’re becoming less like Alabama. According to The Tax Foundation, Alabama is ranked 25th out of 50 in terms of average state and local sales tax rates. (North Carolina is #6.)
The American Legislative Exchange Council rated the states according to their projected 2014 outlook. Alabama came in at #20. North Carolina came in at 6th place. Area Development Online ranked the states in terms of being the best places to do business. Alabama came in at #4, and North Carolina was at #5. (So, there’s one case where we’d want to be more like Alabama.)
Alabama is becoming a national and world power in automobile manufacturing. South Carolina landed BMW. (And — um — I don’t think we have anybody in that line of work.)
So, there are plenty of examples where we are outpacing Alabama, as well as some circumstances where we need to be more like Alabama. 
Maybe — to please the lefty pointy heads at Charlotte’s Low-T embassy — we should be more like The Queen City. Charlotte is regularly ranked as the highest taxed locality in the state. It’s noted for its crime and its traffic congestion. They spend a lot of money on things like light rail that (1) no one uses and (2) really sock it to the taxpayers. Their last city manager described the city as being “in decline.” Charlotte has been doing everything the Observer editorial board wants, and it is in decline. Imagine that!
It appears the arrogant lefty Yankee transplants are moving on to Alabama, since their attack — or attacks — on Mississippi went soooo well. Ever notice how these high-tax, hyper-bureaucratized localities the lefties love to rave about (DC, NYC, L.A.) are actually some of the honestly least attractive places to live?
This is really all about trying to beat down McCrory and Tillis. If we’re really going to get on a soapbox about legislative performance doing economic damage, what about the U.S. Senate — where Kay Hagan lives and works?
Jeff Sessions from Alabama, is the only Senator who completely opposes the amnesty, tech worker and guest worker expansions and that is why he is unbeatable.
Alabama is a beautiful state. The only problem they have that I know of is they are forced to grow genetically engineered cotton. This is the reason our sheets don’t have that wonderful sunshine smell after being hung on the clothesline and yes I still use my clothesline as my neighborhood has not outlawed them.
How much $$$ does The observer lose?
Charlotte is also where they steal money to build and remodel houses for billionaires like Jordan and Richardson. The Queen City is a big part of the Welfare States of Obama. The Queen continues to rob her subjects. Is the Disterber reporting on on ex-mayor and criminal Cannon? Was Foxx involved?
A correction you may want to make – Alabama is 6th highest in state and local sales taxes. NC is 25th.
The Observer put it glasses on its nose lecturing us on how corporate and personal taxes have no effect on business – which is just another example of how a leftist is always anxious to believe anything contrary to common sense. Their “McCrory and Tillis as the anti-Robin Hood” tax cuts theme ignores that state income wise, NC was 7th in the entire country. Sales and local brought it down to 17th, and only by virtue of property and other was NC able to reach around the middle of the states.
Business wise, at 6.9% the state was bordering on trouble. At the present 6% it is still no great bargain, but it can compete with SC at 5%.
These sort of things should not be hard to defend. Jesse Helms could have done it with half his brain tied behind his back…