Raising water rates considered for NC

As the severe drought continues in North Carolina, a proposal is being considered to raise water rates for some areas to encourage more conservation. No doubt Raleigh's Mayor Meeker and those considering this idea can afford to pay higher rates and have the means that this would not be a significant burden added to their living expenses.

A problem comes about if yet another cost increase is added to the expenses of a large portion of the population with lower incomes or living on a fixed income after retirement and feel the impact of every increase that comes along. Yes, a rate hike during times when the water supply is decreasing should encourage greater conservation but there is no evidence this will actually produce the desired results of a substantial decrease in overall water consumption in the region. It is more likely this will become a way to squeeze more money out of the general population and add to the revenues of the municipalities that impose the increase.

A more realistic approach would be to penalize those that continue to water grass for the sake of having a green lawn and continue to use excessive amounts of water beyond what is needed for health and living purposes and reasonable watering needs. Some local homeowner associations are threatening homeowners and reported to be fining them when they don't water lawns and keep them green. To date fines for watering during dry conditions are for the most part not being given out. Sprinklers are routinely seen spreading water on grass and plants around shopping centers, institutional sites and large homes in wealthy neighborhoods.

It is a known fact that lawns simply go dormant when not watered and will return to a green state when enough natural water is available. Cars do not need to be washed during dry times and yet there are lots of pricey automobiles seen along roads every day that have obviously been washed. Let's devise a plan that will actually reduce water consumption in these and other situations that can make a dent in water consumption and let our citizens have water at a reasonable rate without gouging them on top of other cost increases already forced on them.

NBC17 Online
January 17, 2008
By - Ken Luallen

Raleigh City Council to discuss water rate increase

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Raleigh's mayor turned water conservation into a financial issue Monday, unveiling a proposed 50 percent increase in the price of water sold to the city's customers. The City Council plans to discuss the matter today.

"If the crisis gets much worse I think we are all bound to suck it up," Poole said. He is a homeowner willing to accept the higher fees if it ensures Raleigh's water supply will last beyond its current 120 day mark.

Mayor Charles Meeker proposed the rate increase as a way to prepare the city for a potentially dry summer with less than half its normal water supply in Falls Lake. For a typical home with moderate to heavy water use, the current bill for 6,000 gallons used per month is $356.14. Under Meeker's proposal that would increase to $535.76 per month, about $15 more per month.

"What this is designed to do... is to get practices in place that will get us through this summer and through next fall by reducing our amount of consumption so we're where we want to be come May first when the warm weather starts," Meeker said.

Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen believes citizens can easily absorb the higher cost.

"If you look at our water and sewer bills they're not significant components of people's budgets so this percentage with a reduction really should not have large impacts on a household budget," Allen said.

City Council must first approve the proposal, which would take effect March 1 and appear on customers' bills May 1. Meeker said the surcharge could be avoided if it rains significantly before March 1. The surcharge could be lessened or removed by City Council if the drought eases during the summer.

Meeker also called on all citizens to install low flow shower and faucet heads as well as outdoor rain barrels to ease the burden of the proposed higher water cost.

Cary-based Lowe's Home Improvement salesman Jemitrus Harris said the cost of new shower heads should be seen as an investment.

"You're looking at $35 per bathroom and that pays for itself over time," Harris said.

Raleigh City Council is expected to be presented with Meeker's plan at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon. Read viewer responses online...

Rolling sneakers breaking bones

Been to the store and had the thrill of seeing a child bearing down on you rolling on "heelys"? If not, go to your nearest mall or big box store and stand in one of the main aisles for a few minutes. Some care-free young boy will soon come down the aisle straight at you. If all goes well he will turn or stop at the last second and spare you from a collision.

One of the hottest trendy items in shoe wear for young people over the past year has been "Heely" shoes , a sporty tennis shoe with a wheel embedded in the bottom. When the wearer decided to take off down the aisle all they need to do is take off running, tilt back on the rear of the shoe and roll right on down the aisle.

According to a Health & Science news report, doctors from Ireland to Singapore have reported treating broken wrists, arms and ankles, dislocated elbows and even cracked skulls in children injured while wearing roller shoes. Doctors in Singapore reported that 37 children had been treated for similar injuries at a hospital there during seven months in 2004. None wore protective gear.

Injuries have become so common that The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, based in Rosemont, Ill., is "issuing new safety advice that recommends helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes" according to the report.

"As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security -- that they are like any other shoe," said Dr. James Beaty, academy president and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Memphis.

When store security staff members are asked what they are doing to stop wreckless skating in stores, many simply they shrug and say parents become hostile when asked to stop children from skating in stores and they can't do anything. It's a difficult issue to address because store managers are faced with making customers mad if they ask them to control children or if they post signs banning the activity.

Original article...

News and Observer
June 4, 2007
Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press

Rolling sneakers cited in injuries
"Heeling" leads to fractures, doctors say

CHICAGO - Trendy wheeled sneakers that let kids zip down sidewalks, across playgrounds and through mall crowds also could send them rolling into emergency rooms on a stretcher, doctors say. They blame a rash of injuries on the international craze.

It's called "heeling," named after Heelys, the most popular brand. They're sold in 70 countries and are so hot that their Carrollton, Texas, maker, Heelys Inc., recently landed atop BusinessWeek's annual list of fastest growing companies.

But doctors from Ireland to Singapore have reported treating broken wrists, arms and ankles, dislocated elbows and even cracked skulls in children injured while wearing roller shoes.

Over a 10-week period last summer, 67 children were treated for injuries from Heelys or strap-on wheels called Street Gliders at Temple Street Children's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, according to a report in the June edition of Pediatrics.

From September 2005 through December 2006, one death and at least 64 roller-shoe injuries were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a spokesman said.

And doctors in Singapore reported last year that 37 children had been treated for similar injuries at a hospital there during seven months in 2004. None wore protective gear.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, based in Rosemont, Ill., is issuing new safety advice this week that recommends helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes.

"As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security -- that they are like any other shoe," said Dr. James Beaty, academy president and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Memphis.

Heelys and their knockoffs look like gym shoes, but they have a wheel socket in each heel. They can be used for walking, but the wheels pop out when users shift their weight to their heels.

Balancing on the wheels can be tricky, especially for novices. In the Irish study, most injuries affected new users and occurred when kids fell backward while trying to transfer their body weight.

Nine-year-old Noah Woelfel of Davidsonville, Md., wasn't a novice but still tripped and fell, breaking several fingers and wrist bones in his right hand last year.

"All it took was a tiny piece of gravel in the driveway that went up in the wheel and stopped him cold," said his mother, Nancy. "He required surgery and pins, and he was six weeks without using his hand, right at the beginning of school."

Heelys said in April that a study it commissioned shows the shoes have a lower injury rate than skateboarding, inline skating or even swimming. Original article...

The shoes are sold with safety information including a recommendation to wear protective gear. The company says it has shipped more than 10 million pairs since their 2000 introduction.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.

Raleigh listed as top spot for business

Raleigh has been listed by Forbes magazine as the top spot in the US for doing business and advancing a career. Durham is listed as number seven.

News and Observer
April 5, 2007
Business editorial

Raleigh is the top place in the nation to do business and advance a career while Durham is close behind at No. 7, according to Forbes magazine.

In it's annual Top Ten Places for Business and Careers list, Forbes notes that Raleigh and Durham, like much of the Southeast, boast strong job growth and low business costs. North Carolina and Tennessee are the only states to count two cities on the list.

Last year’s No. 1 spot, Albuquerque, N.M., fell to sixth place due to slower household-income growth. Still, most economies in the West outperformed their peers in the Northeast and Midwest, but have seen a dramatic increase in living costs. Criteria for rankings include job and income growth, business and living costs, education of the workforce, migration trends, and quality-of-life issues such as crime rates and cultural opportunities.

UnitedHealthcare puts more NC clients at disadvantage

UnitedHealth care again makes it harder for thousands of North Carolina clients to get to doctors so it can improve its profit margin. As many as 100,000 clients of UnitedHealthcare will no longer be able to use doctors at Wake Radiology in addition to losing access to WakeMed hospitals.

UHC recently broke off negotiations with WakeMed in a dispute over how much would be paid for medical charges leaving clients struggling to find other resources for hospital services. The insurance company claims WakeMed charges too much and refused to agree to new contract terms. Now the carrier is dropping more problems on its clients while again claiming Wake Radiology also charges too much.

Unfortunately all this big business squabbling leaves customers struggling, many with no alternatives, while UHC goes on its merry way. A news report in the News and Observer gives more details on what the insurer is doing...

News and Observer
April 4, 2007
Anne Krishnan, Staff Writer

Insurer to end another contract
United will drop Wake Radiology

UnitedHealthcare has split with another large Wake County health-care provider, a move the insurer says will allow it to lower premiums for local employers and workers.

United plans to terminate its contract with Wake Radiology May 1. But even as that change threatens to disrupt care for thousands of local patients, officials with the insurer have re-opened negotiations with WakeMed, which United terminated March 1 amid a dispute over rates. Read more...

Golden Leaf Foundation to be abolished, funds passed to NC Rural Economic Development Center

The Golden LEAF Foundation was created in 1999 as a non-profit foundation to receive one-half of the funds coming to North Carolina from the master settlement agreement with cigarette manufacturers and distribute the funds to help areas that were heavily tobacco income dependent. The Foundation is supposed to help North Carolinians make the transition from a tobacco-dependent economy through grants and investments that would positively affect the long-term economic advancement of the state.

Recent complaints that Golden LEAF was not doing enough to help counties hurt by the loss of tobacco production has prompted introduction of legislation to abolish the Foundation and direct money now disbursed by Golden LEAF into a trust fund to benefit "tobacco-dependent communities." That money would be distributed by the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. Sen. Clark Jenkins, D-Edgecombe, said many projects were approved in areas, including western counties, that did not rely on tobacco.

News and Observer
March 30, 2007
Jerry Allegood, Staff Writer

Control of tobacco millions may shift
Bill would kill LEAF Foundation

More than half the state Senate has endorsed legislation that would abolish the Golden LEAF Foundation, which distributes millions of dollars from the state's settlement with tobacco companies.

The legislation, introduced Monday by Sen. Clark Jenkins, D-Edgecombe, would direct money now disbursed by Golden LEAF into a trust fund to benefit "tobacco-dependent communities." That money -- now about $600 million -- would be distributed by the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, a private not-for-profit organization that works with rural areas.

Jenkins said the legislation was prompted by complaints that Golden LEAF was not doing enough to help counties hurt by the loss of tobacco production. He said many projects were approved in areas, including western counties, that did not rely on tobacco. Read more...

Circuit City cuts pay, lays off better-paid workers

Ever go into a Circuit City store and get overrun by eager sales representatives trying to hustle you with a sale? This has long been one of the tactics used in CC stores that intimidates customers and encourages them to go elsewhere.

The stores are usually well stocked with lots of items consumers want and prices are pretty good. But is being over-run by an aggressive sales staff good for business? For as long as I have patronized CC stores when entering any store I cringe as I walk into the entrance and immediately start watching for sales reps converging on me before I get my bearings.

The company is now starting down a path that will likely push many of their better sales reps out the door and could cause customers to think twice about going into the stores. A plan has been set to lay off better paid employees and replace them with lower paid ones or hire some back at considerably lower pay. It would seem that corporate management thinks customers won't care and that sales will remain the same or improve. This is yet another bad idea hatched by executives out of touch with the real world that will likely bring lower sales and profits and backfire. They don't seem to realize that at in the same effort to cut salaries they are also pushing out thousands of customers that are employees at the same time.

Read more about a plan that is sure to scuttle CC's business...

News and Observer
March 29, 2007
Nae Anderson and Ellen Simon, The Associated Press

Circuit City to lay off better-paid workers

NEW YORK - A new plan for layoffs at Circuit City is openly targeting better-paid workers, risking a public backlash by implying that its wages are as subject to discounts as its flat-screen TVs.

The electronics retailer, facing larger competitors and falling sales, said Wednesday that it would lay off about 3,400 store workers -- immediately -- and replace them with lower-paid new hires as soon as possible.

The laid-off workers, about 8 percent of the company's total work force, would get a severance package and a chance to reapply for their former jobs, at lower pay, after a 10-week delay, the company said. Read more...

Is higher cost pet food better?

Is there a real difference in higher cost foods you buy for your pet?

Most pet foods, and food for humans also, generally contain the same or equivalent ingredients. Some of the higher cost pet foods may have extras blended in, such as canola oil or other enhancers.

A March N&O article quotes David Kirkpatrick, spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association as stating "Pet-food companies distinguish the more expensive brands by blending in higher-quality ingredients such as canola oil, lamb meat or vitamin supplements. But a few building block ingredients are common to almost any pet-food brand on sale in a typical grocery store aisle."

"Commodity products such as corn gluten, wheat gluten and meat meal form the nutritional backbone of many pet foods", said Robert Backus, assistant professor of small animal nutrition at the University of Missouri.

Read more about food content...

News and Observer
March 24, 2007
Christopher Leonard, The Associated Press

Fancy food for Fido?
Pet-food recall makes owners consider costs

ST. LOUIS - When dog lover Carol Will heard that tainted wheat gluten had spurred a pet-food recall, she wasn't surprised to find that the commodity ingredient was used in a lot of generic brands, such as Hy-Vee and Price Chopper.

But Nutro Natural Choice? That's top-shelf stuff.

"That made me sit up and say: 'Wait a second, I need to look into this further,'" Will recalled.

Will has more than her own pets to worry about. She makes a living selling high-end dog food -- along with doggy dresses and raincoats -- at her store, Lola & Penelope's Premier Pet Boutique and Wellness Center. Read more...

NC aiming for more jobs - recruiting airplane builders

North Carolina efforts to get companies to move to the state now include trying to get airplane builders, parts manufacturers and engine manufacturers to create more jobs and revenues. A recent announcement included a new Honda airplane building facility in Greensboro that would bring 483 new jobs.

Read how recruiting efforts for these new manufacturers could help the state's job climate...

News and Observer
March 23, 2007
Jonathan Cox, Staff Writer

Recruiters aim for the skies
Goal is aviation jobs with higher-than-average pay

North Carolina is trying to live up to its tag line: First in flight.

Recruiters are stepping up efforts to attract plane builders, engine makers and parts manufacturers to the state that claims the birthplace of aviation. Their goal is to win industry jobs that pay double the average weekly wage in North Carolina.

In the past two months, Gov. Mike Easley has announced 483 new positions in the aviation industry. Honda Aircraft Co. in February said that it will build a jet plant in Greensboro, and Smiths Aerospace this month said it will expand in Asheville.

More could be on the way. Rolls-Royce, one of the world's largest jet-engine makers... Read more...

Rural NC areas continue losing people, businesses

Ten eastern NC counties lost population from 2005 to 2006, continuing an alarming trend. Of the counties that lost population, a dozen had fewer people than in 2000. Ten of the 12 are in Eastern North Carolina.

Lost industry and jobs in those areas has fueled the migration of people away from these areas and efforts to draw new businesses to the region has not helped as expected even after the state spent millions of dollars to attract new companies and jobs.

The N&O report paints a gloomy picture for that part of the state. "We keep hoping things are going to get better, but it hasn't happened," said Claudia Cahoon, a Hyde County native who works nights at Hyde Correctional Center and runs a struggling seafood business during the day. "You've got to love it to stay here."

The article further states that "eastern North Carolina leaders say the biggest challenges lie ahead for counties that are too far from the coast to attract tourists and retirees and too far from urban centers to attract commuters. Without the textile plants and small tobacco farms that once fueled their economies, some say, there are few prospects for growth."

News and Observer
March 22, 2007
Kristin Collins and Jerry Allegood, Staff Writers

Rural East losing people
Ten Eastern counties are among 15 in the state that lost population from 2005 to 2006, new estimates show

SWAN QUARTER - Jobs at the state prison are all that separate many

NC using flawed formulas to calculate benefits from give-aways?

According to a study by the N.C. Budget & Tax Center in a March 21, 2007, article by Jonathan Cox at the N&O, the method NC uses to estimate benefits to be gained from large give-aways to lure business to NC is flawed. This means lawmakers making key decisions to give away future income and tax benefits to companies in exchange for building in NC are based on misleading information that does not accurately predict the benefits of the deals.

"Instead of pumping millions of dollars into state coffers, some economic development deals might actually be costing revenue and hurting taxpayers, according to the study by the N.C. Budget & Tax Center, a non-profit group that advocates for the poor."

Read the complete article...

News and Observer
March 2q1, 2007
Jonathan B. Cox, Staff Writer

Report challenges N.C.'s incentives formula

State officials overestimate the benefits gained from companies that get rich incentives to expand in North Carolina, a report says.

Instead of pumping millions of dollars into state coffers, some economic development deals might actually be costing revenue and hurting taxpayers, according to the study by the N.C. Budget & Tax Center, a non-profit group that advocates for the poor.

At issue is a computer spreadsheet that Department of Commerce officials use to assess economic development deals. They plug in variables -- from the number of jobs expected to the amount of sales an operation will generate -- to determine whether future benefits will outweigh the costs.

The report says that the model is flawed and that officials too often use inflated assumptions that make projects look better than they are... Read more...

NC Issued 27,000 licenses on invalid social security numbers

More alarming news from the office of Les Merritt, our state auditor working on the state payroll and in his own personal business.

North Carolina has issued some 27,000 drivers licenses on invalid social security numbers. Why is this a big problem? This means that thousands of drivers licenses accepted for identification in all sorts of situations can't be traced back to known US citizens and could be used for virtually any purpose and could allow holders to gain access to places they should not be allowed into, cash checks or withdraw funds illegally, etc.

In a state audit report released March 20th it has been stated that "auditors don’t know if the invalid Social Security numbers were intentionally used to obtain licenses" according to Chris Mears, a spokesman for the auditor’s office. “We’re assuming that some of those simply will be keypunch errors [by DMV clerks], but we thought that 27,000 was a big number,” Mears said.

Yeah, right. This is a pretty large blunder to simply write off to possible data entry errors. This means we could have hundreds or thousands of unscrupulous people loose in the state that have accepted means of identification that could now gain access to many places where they can do harm or proceed to arrange further means to obtain funds or illegal accounts or whatever might serve their purposes without anyone knowing it.

Read the report out today..

News and Observer
March 20, 2007
Dane Kane

27,000 licenses on invalid Social Security numbers

A state audit released today has found that North Carolina has issued roughly 27,000 drivers licenses to motorists based on invalid Social Security numbers.

State Auditor Les Merritt said the problem lies with licenses issued under an older system that the state Division of Motor Vehicles now uses. The new system, which the division began using in August, checks Social Security numbers automatically before issuing licenses. The old system did not.

“The hole we discovered was that DMV did not review previously issued licenses," Merritt said in a news release. “That hole presents a potential threat to homeland security and exacerbates the problem of identity theft.” Read more...

Enola Gay artifacts aquired by NC Museum of History

The North Carolina Museum of History has acquired artifacts from Thomas Ferebee's military collection, including notes written on Aug. 6, 1945, maps, his dress uniform, desk nameplate, reunion pins and mugs, and a substantial amount of paperwork documenting his 30-year career in the Air Force. Why is this important? Thomas Ferebee (on left in AP file photo)was an North Carolina native and was the one that pulled the lever to drop the atomic bomb on Hirosima and helped end the war. Read the fascinating story about how this unfolded...

News and Observer
March 15, 2007
Craig Jarvis, Staff Writer

Airman's artifacts come to N.C.

RALEIGH - Col. Thomas W. Ferebee had a distinguished military career that lasted from World War II to Vietnam, but it was a single day that ensured him a place in history. On Aug. 6, 1945, he pulled a lever aboard the Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The attack -- so horrific and so significant in ending the war -- did not define the North Carolina native's life. But it did add historical significance to the souvenirs of his military service that he so scrupulously saved. Now those artifacts have been returned to his home state.

The N.C. Museum of History announced Wednesday that it has acquired Ferebee's military collection, including notes written on that day, maps, his dress uniform, desk nameplate, reunion pins and mugs, and a substantial amount of paperwork documenting his 30-year career in the Air Force. Read more...

Terror leader studied in North Carolina

Terrorist leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed "first came to the United States as a student at Chowan College in early 1983, according to the 9/11 Commission Report" as reported on the March 16th N&O.

News and Observer
March 16, 2007
Jay Price, Staff Writer

Mastermind of 9/11 studied in N.C.

The confessed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks spent three years in North Carolina as a college student, his only opportunity to learn the lessons about how to blend into U.S. society that later helped his plotting.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed first came to the United States as a student at Chowan College in early 1983, according to the 9/11 Commission Report.

Mohammed studied a semester at Chowan, a small Baptist college in Murfreesboro -- which is in Hertford County in the northeastern corner of the state. Then he transferred to N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro, according to the commission report. Read more...

UNC system will have to accomodate 300,000 by 2017

North Carolina's university system must undergo massive planning to accommodate up to 300,000 students by the year 2017. In the next ten years the annual high school graduation rate is expected to increase by 30,000 students, and almost 22,000 of those will be Latino students.

New programs and methods must be implemented to allow the university system to be flexible and accommodate the growth. Read more from the news release from today with remarks from UNC President Erskine Bowles...

News and Observer
March 15, 2007
Jane Stancill, Staff Writer

UNC system plans for growth

GREENVILLE - By 2017, the number of students enrolled in North Carolina’s public universities could reach nearly 300,000, with no majority race among high school graduates by then.

The future UNC system will be substantially bigger and more diverse, according to projections presented today to the UNC Board of Governors.

The trends are startling. During the next decade, the number of annual high school graduates in North Carolina is expected to grow by 30,000 — and almost 22,000 of those are Latino students.

“That will change this university,” said UNC President Erskine Bowles. Read more...

States spending billions on pre-kindergarten education

The trend is increasing to find ways to start educating children before the kindergarten age.

A report being released Wednesday finds "states spent at least $3.3 billion last year on pre-kindergarten. That doesn't include money from federal and local governments, which contribute to the state programs. The state funding is up from $2.8 billion in 2005, according to the report by the National Institute for Early Education Research at New Jersey's Rutgers University."

The trend is increasing to find ways to start educating children before the kindergarten age.

CNN.com
March 14, 2007
Associated Press

States stress benefits of pre-kindergarten programs

ARLINGTON, Virginia (AP) -- Yasmine Carrizo has trouble pinpointing exactly what she likes best about pre-kindergarten at Carlin Springs Elementary.

"I like the toys, and playing house, and book time, and sleep-over (nap) time," the wide-eyed 4-year-old says one morning as she colors with markers at a table just her size.

Barely taking a breath, Yasmine starts to list additional favorites when she gets a cue from her teacher. "Gotta go," she tells a visitor, dashing off with pigtails bobbing to join her friends at the classroom door. "It's library time!"

It's not hard to find such enthusiasm at the cheerful school, one of several hundred in Virginia that offer state-funded preschool to low-income 4-year-olds.

Nationwide, children typically enter school at around age 5, when they're ready for kindergarten. But research highlighting the importance of early learning is prompting more and more states to add pre-kindergarten programs. Read more...

Don't walk, don't even run

Don't even think about walking across Raleigh's Capital Boulevard. Even if you follow all the rules and do everything right there's a greater chance of being killed on the road than on most others around the region.

The boulevard is as wide as half a football field and has no crosswalks or pedestrian signals. Read the full report...

News and Observer
March 14, 2007
Sam LaGrone, Staff Writer

Crossing Capital on foot poses risk
Since 2002, road has claimed eight

RALEIGH - Sandra Hicks does everything right. She looks both ways. She crosses on green. But even then, Hicks, 42, says she has almost been hit at least five times this year while crossing at North Raleigh's Capital Boulevard and Calvary Drive.

Easy to see why.

Capital at Calvary is half a football field of asphalt from curb to curb with no crosswalks or pedestrian signals.

"It's not safe for the pedestrian," Hicks said. "And these drivers have a hard time screeching on the brakes." Read more...

Best US city for jobs

Back in February Forbes magazine listed Raleigh as the best city in the US for jobs. This is great news for the area and is backed by facts indicating the region has "low unemployment, strong income and job growth, and high incomes -- yet it still maintains a relatively low cost of living." according to Hannah Clark in a Forbes report.

Also see recent reports from the North Carolina Progress Board on employment and long term economic growth from the NC Progress website.

WRAL.com
February 17, 2007

Best City in U.S. for Jobs? It’s Raleigh-Cary, Says Forbes Magazine

RALEIGH, N.C. - Raleigh-Cary is the hottest metropolitan area for jobs in the United States, says Forbes magazine in its annual survey of the top 100 cities.

Raleigh-Cary vaulted to first from seventh in the 2006 list, which was announced on Friday.

The area scored best in job growth rank, 10th, and income growth rank, 12th, in five separate statistical surveys that made up the survey.

“Raleigh, N.C., topped our list this year,” wrote Hannah Clark in the Forbes report. “The city has low unemployment, strong income and job growth, and high incomes--yet it still maintains a relatively low cost of living. Raleigh is part of the "research triangle," including Durham and Chapel Hill. Three major universities - Duke, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University - make their homes in the area. The result: A city with good weather, a relatively low cost of living and a highly educated population.”

"There isn't much of a negative in Raleigh," Steven Cochrane, an economist with Moody's economy.com, told Forbes. "It has a lot of the amenities of Florida, except not the hurricanes." Read more...

UNC laboratory draws map of cancer

Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are helping create the national Cancer Genome Atlas to map mutations found in cancer tumors. The goal is to point the way to better tests and treatments.

Chuck Perou's laboratory at UNC-CH is conducting an analysis of hundreds of tissue samples from lung, brain and ovarian cancer tumors and plans to build an map that could aid doctors in finding better treatments for the cancers.

News and Observer
March 14, 2007
Jean P. Fisher, Staff Writer

UNC helps draw map of cancer
Genetic study of tumors might help scientists with detection, cure

The scientists in Chuck Perou's laboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill plot cancer genes like towns and roads on a map -- coordinates that one day will result in a cancer atlas guiding doctors to smarter treatments.

In the next few weeks, Perou, a cell biologist and geneticist, will lead his research team in an analysis of hundreds of tissue samples taken from lung, brain and ovarian cancer tumors. All three have limited treatment options and have never been thoroughly analyzed at the genetic level.

Advances in care for other types of cancers have shown that understanding the genetic characteristics of tumors can be clinically valuable.

Read more...

Plants big business in North Carolina

Steve Troxler, state Agriculture Commissioner said in a recent news article about the "green industry in North Carolina" “We always knew the green industry was big business in North Carolina, but we didn’t know how big.” The plant business is big business in NC and includes all sorts of job resources - "greenhouses, nurseries, florists, sod producers, landscapers, irrigation contractors, lawn and garden centers, and Christmas tree farmers".

News and Observer
March 13, 2007
John Murawski, Staff Writer

N.C. plant biz pumps in $8.6B yearly

North Carolina’s plant and garden industry contributes about $8.6 billion a year to the state’s economy, according to a study released today by the state Department of Agriculture.

The industry comprises greenhouses, nurseries, florists, sod producers, landscapers, irrigation contractors, lawn and garden centers, and Christmas tree farmers.

The study concluded that the industry employs 152,000 people statewide and includes 120,741 acres in production. The average homeowner spends about $838 a year on lawn and landscape expenses.

“We always knew the green industry was big business in North Carolina, but we didn’t know how big,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement. Read more...

Pensions still fading away

The accelerating trend for corporations to move away from company provided pensions and retirement benefits has brought about a lot of anxiety about whether benefits will be available when they will be needed. Many companies have already eliminated traditional retirement plans and have been steadily moving to pass the cost of medical benefits on to employees or eliminate plans altogether.

Those already retired face a constant fear of losing benefits they have begun to receive or being overloaded with rising costs for benefits they expected to last a lifetime. Most retirees now absorb annual cost increases passed on to them by companies not willing to carry the expense of keeping up with rising costs.

A March 8, 2007, article from the News and Observer gives insight into yet another example of this scenario and describes what IBM is doing to help prepare employees for a freeze of its pension plan next year by offering employees an opportunity to learn more about managing their own retirement...

News and Observer
March 8, 2007
Anne Krishnan, Staff Writer

IBM eases shift away from pensions
Employees to get free financial counseling

IBM wants workers to be prepared when it freezes its pension fund next year and switches workers into investments they will have to manage themselves.

So this month, IBM will introduce a financial education and coaching program for its 127,000 U.S. employees.

The program, which IBM expects will cost $50 million over five years, will provide seminars, online planning and one-on-one financial help, all free for employees.

"We're going to give them the tools and the guidance and the knowledge to make decisions on their own," said Randy MacDonald, IBM's senior vice president of human resources. "We don't want people to make decisions in a vacuum."

The program could soothe employees struck by pension cuts over the past several years. It could polish IBM's image, as well. Read more...