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Bladen Journal Friday December 30, 2011 Page 4A EDITORIAL ... LETTERS ... Here’s WHat We tHink Little value Y es, that time of year is upon us again: during the December holidays we were especially good to each other, and on Jan. 1, we resolve to be especially good to ourselves. We’ll eat healthier, we’ll make our lifestyles more sustainable, we’ll be more frugal (the current economic climate leaves us little choice), we’ll turn over that new leaf that pops up every year around this time … Blah, blah, blah. Enough already with the resolutions! You’ve been there, done that, got the bumper sticker, bought the teeshirt, misplaced the button, and chipped the coffee mug. In two places. Fear not — you can relax, because we’re not going to exact a single pledge from you. After all, you’re slogging through the vicissitudes of winter and you’ve got enough to deal with. Those who still make New Year’s resolutions do so with every good intention they can muster to follow through with them. And every once in a while, one of those resolutions might actually find a way to achieving success — though it’s probably more through luck than willpower. For those who understand how resolutions can be a source of self-torture and disappointment, we offer you this small piece of comfort: You are not alone. In fact, you are in the majority. While it’s nice to use the dawning of a new year to re-evaluate your personal and professional standing in life, there is little reason for setting yourself up with lofty “wants” that you know good and well will only fall flat. The sad truth is, more than 90 percent of the resolutions made on Jan. 1 never survive the month. And if you stop making resolutions, we are sure you will quickly see just how far less stressful your life will be. So as 2012 approaches, we will wish for you the simple things that are so important in life — family, friends, health, a comfortable lifestyle and a realization that God loves you. Everything else is secondary. Happy New Year, y’all. Write to us! The Bladen Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be about issues of general interest, brief and to the point. We reserve the right to refuse letters longer than 250 words; poetry; letters that are in bad taste or libelous; and letters from outside our readership. Letters may be edited, but content will not be altered. Letters should be original. They must be signed. Please include your address and daytime phone number. Street addresses and phone numbers will not be published. A photograph of the writer will be used if provided. Send letters to: Bladen Journal, P.O. Box 70, Elizabethtown, N.C. 28337 or fax them to (910) 862-6602. Letters can also be sent by e-mail to editor@bladenjournal.com or through the Bladen Journal’s Web site at www.bladenjournal.com. Bladen Journal Published by Heartland Publications, LLC 138 West Broad Street, P.O. Box 70, Elizabethtown, N.C. 28337 (910) 862-4163 Opinion I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. They just don’t seem to work out, which is true for most of us … so why waste the time? The argument to that, of course, is that there are those who will tell you (and me) that it is up to you (and me) to lay the groundwork for our own destiny; that it’s up to you (and me) to put the pieces in place to ensure future successes; that it’s imperative for you (and me) to create the goals, set a course and follow it through. Blah, blah and blah. I can’t say exactly what I want to do tomorrow, much less for the next year or 10. Sure, I’d like to lose some weight, but it’s not yet something my doctor says is necessary. And I wouldn’t mind exercising more often, but you sure won’t see me out running the streets anytime soon … or in this lifetime. Then there’s the bit about being a better person — and if anyone needs a resolution for that one, it’s already too late. So resolutions of any kind aren’t my thing. I’ve just never felt the need to set myself up for disappointment, which is exactly what resolutions do nearly every time. If YOU don’t mind disappointment and regret … by all means, have at it. Instead, my annual first-of-theyear “thing” is to think about the things I’d like to see happen around me in the new year — kind of “My Hopes for 2012.” These don’t always work out, either, but at least I know that I had very little control over their success or failure. And, in some cases, absolutely NO control over them. So here are my Top 10 hopes for 2012 … — No. 10: I would hope there would be no tragedies caused by God, man or beast in all of Bladen County. We had more than our share in 2011, which really ought to buy us a reprieve for the next 365 days. — No. 9: I would like to see the economic doldrums of this nation — and, by extension, this state and county — truly begin to recede. It’s gone on long enough. Far too many folks have been hurt by it already. — No. 8: I would like to see the NCAA stop its ridiculous reasoning for not having a Div. I college football playoff. We know who the best college basketball team was in 2011 (Connecticut); we know who the best college baseball team was in 2011 (South Carolina); and we know who the best college hockey team was in 2011 (Minnesota-Duluth). We know this because there are playoffs in each. We have NEVER known for sure who the best college football team is. It’s time. — No. 7: I would like to see Harmony Hall Plantation in White Oak somehow become the historical icon and tourist attraction it should be — perhaps through a mix of local creativity and state support. — No. 6: I hope the furious pace of social networking slows to a snail’s pace. While things like Facebook and MySpace and Twitter and even email and texting have provided the world with a much quicker way to communicate, it has also created many destructive and dangerous opportunities. We’ve moved too far away from handwritten letters, talking and handshakes. — No. 5: It is my hope that America becomes, once again, a Christian nation. We need to put The Bladen Journal’s opinion is expressed only in its unsigned editorials. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. My hopes for 2012 B W. Curt Vincent GM/Editor God back in the schools. We need to remove agendas from those churches that teach anything but the true word of God. We need to elect leaders who put God above all else. And we need to get back to prayer. There was a time when all of these things were in place, and this nation was far more accepting, compassionate and worthy of God’s blessings. — No. 4: I hope this country has had enough of “Yes, we can!” when clearly “No, he couldn’t!” After four years of “The Great Half-Black Hope,” this country needs yet another new direction before we are forced to bail out everyone except ourselves. There is nothing better today than it was three years ago. In fact, it is worse. If the donkeys want to keep the White House, then they need to find someone to run against Mr. O-No-I-Can’t. — No. 3: I hope, somehow, we can start to eliminate our reliance on China for manufactured goods. Too many things we purchase say “Made in China” on them, when they need to be made right here in the United States. NAFTA should be eliminated and jobs brought back home. And YOU, the consumer, should refuse to buy anything made in a foreign country. Now THERE’S a New Year’s resolution for you! — No. 2: It’s about time peace on earth meant something. Over the past handful of years, we’ve seen the downfall and even death of many of the world’s most heinous dictators — now I hope we start to see a rebuilding toward a peacefulness that has been far too quiescent for far too long. — No. 1: And finally, I hope for the simple things in life … health, happiness, prosperity, joy and love. If we each strive for these things in our own little world, it just may begin to spread. Happy New Year, everyone. LADEN JOURNAL TIME CAPSULE ... n Dec. 31, 1953: Bladen County Sheriff John B. Allen reports that “10 illicit liquor stills (and) 1,925 gallons of mash” have been destroyed during the year. A total of eight arrests have been made. n Dec. 30, 1976: Elizabethtown Police Chief Charles Taylor is featured in the winter edition of the “North Carolina Police Officer” magazine. n Dec. 29, 1986: The personal income average in Bladen County jumps at a higher rate than either the state of North Carolina or the United States between 1984 and 1985. The increase in Bladen County was 7.9 percent; the increase in North Carolina was 7.2 percent; and the increase in the United States was 6.7 percent. (USPS 057720) Second class postage at Elizabethtown, N.C., and additional mailing offices *Published Tuesday and Friday* Web address: www.bladenjournal.com Contact us For news: cvincent@heartlandpublications.com For school news:esmith@heartlandpublications.com For ads: bwoodell@heartlandpublications.com For sports news: cvincent@heartlandpublications.com For legal ads: toxendine@heartlandpublications.com Bladen Journal headlines from ... n Dec. 28, 2001: A primary election in Bladen County remains on hold while the U.S. Department of Justice works to approve a new state redistricting plan. n Dec. 29, 2006: Cory Hester pops the big question to his girlfriend Leann Edwards as part of the Bladenboro Christmas Parade. To his delight and relief, Edwards said “yes.” THE STAFF W. Curt Vincent general manager/editor cvincent@heartlandpublications.com Erin Smith ........................ reporter esmith@heartlandpublications.com Jenny Hayes-Carroll .... front desk jcarroll@heartlandpublications.com Subscription rates: In-county, $39.78 year; out-of-county, $58.08 year; out-of-state, $68.40 year.
lzheimer’s. Just the word scares you to death, doesn’t it? A few years ago, I saw an article that described and gave examples of a new mental test that can make a very reliable preliminary diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s. I read every word. I answered every question. I will tell you why in a minute. My family has a long interest in this disease. It slowly robs its victims of the ability to remember and to reason. Then it takes their personalities and slowly steals their lives away. My father was a victim. After his death, my mother spent the last part of her life comforting the families of victims, organizing support groups, and raising money to find the causes of Alzheimer’s. But there is more to it, more that explains why any article about Alzheimer’s always stops me in my tracks. More than 40 years ago my father, only 58 years old, learned he was afflicted with early onset Alzheimer’s. A successful col- December 30, 2011 n www.bladenjournal.com n Bladen Journal n Page 5A Who can teach us how to live and die? A Most people judge the economy by the job market, and certainly the job news in North Carolina during the last few years has been challenging. For 34 straight months beginning in January 2009, our state has had an unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) above 9 percent, and in 23 of those months the rate was over 10 percent. Today there are more than 300,000 fewer jobs than there were in early 2008, and although there’s been job growth since 2010, the growth rate has been quite low, at 0.6 percent. And what’s more worrisome to many is that the state’s job situation has underperformed the national numbers. In the last three years, North Carolina’s unemployment rate has been higher than the national rate in all but one month. Also, since the beginning of 2010, the nation has added jobs at a rate three times faster than North Carolina (1.8 percent versus 0.6 percent), and even the national growth is sluggish. So this isn’t a very positive picture for North Carolina. But what if I told you another broad measure of the economy actually shows North Carolina performing much better and even better than the nation for two straight years? This would give us some hope. The good news is that such a measure does exist, and it gives a much more upbeat view of our state’s economy. The measure is “gross domestic product,” usually shortened to GDP. It calibrates the value of what is produced in an economy, and the measure is available for the nation as well as all states. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have 2011 GDP information available, so my comparisons are based on 2009 and 2010 data. The worst of the recession occurred in 2009, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that GDP fell in both the nation and in North Carolina during that year. But GDP fell less (2 percent) in our state compared to the national drop (2.5 percent). Fortunately, 2010 was a growth year for GDP, and once again North Carolina did better, with our state GDP rising one-third faster than national GDP. These results create an economic paradox. While North Carolina has performed better than the nation in the past two years by a broad measure of production (GDP), the state’s job market has lagged national trends. Why? There are several possible answers. Usually it takes time — especially when the economy is coming out of a recession — for increases in output to translate into increases in jobs. One reason is that businesses must be convinced the economic improvement is permanent, so they will hold off on hiring until they are certain the recovery is for real. Yet there’s no requirement that the time between output improvements and hiring is the same in North Carolina as in the nation. In fact, traditionally the time span between output improvements and jobs has been longer in North Carolina. For example, in the economic expansion of the 2000s (2002-07), employment growth was faster in North Carolina than in the nation over the entire period, but it was slower in the first three lege president, widely admired and loved, he seemed happy with his work and ready for many years of additional service to his college and community. It never seemed fair. But, of course, the killer diseases that bring about premature death never seem fair. Now, why did I try all the questions on that test that made the preliminary check for Alzheimer’s? Well, we all worry sometimes, don’t we? We worry about losing little bits of memory and wonder if perhaps, God forbid, it might be Alzheimer’s? I worry, too, but then I think about my dad, and it is more than worry. I am older than my dad was when he found out about his Alzheimer’s. So I think about it more. It is not so much worrying about losing my memory. In fact, I did well on the test. Instead, I mourn the loss of what my father would years. Job growth in North Carolina could also be lagging due to the continued downsizing in some of the state’s traditional industries. Tobacco, textiles and furniture, which dominated the North Carolina economy for almost a century, have been cutting output and jobs during the last 30 years. These changes have occurred in both expansionary and recessionary periods. However, trends since early 2010 don’t suggest this downsizing has been a big factor in the state’s job market. Since then, cuts in tobacco and textile (including apparel) jobs have been relatively small, accounting for only 0.1 percent of all state jobs. The furniture industry has actually added some jobs in the last two years. D.G. Martin Contributing Columnist have taught me had he been spared. My father’s life was full of monuments for me. He showed me how to live and serve with grace and honor. His example was a good one, all the way until Alzheimer’s brought him down. Now I ask myself, “Who teaches me how to live the rest of my life? Whose example do I follow now?” I miss not knowing how he would have dealt with all the things life brings in late middle age and retirement years. And now, when normal old age would almost certainly have brought about his death even if Alzheimer’s had not taken him so early, I miss most of all not having had the chance to watch and learn how he would have faced his normal aging and death. You see, Alzheimer’s stole not just his life. It stole his ability to face death and deal with it. This brings us to an explanation for the North Carolina economic paradox that can be a short-run negative but a long-run plus: worker productivity. During and immediately after recessions, businesses strive to use their workers smarter and more efficiently; that is, to improve output per worker. This can be done by improving production techniques, using better technology and upgrading equipment and machinery. Indeed, spending on technology, machinery and equipment has been a strong factor in the recent economy. North Carolina is one of the leading states in worker productivity. In 2010 (latest year available), the state ranked 11th among all states in a broad measure of worker productivity. Also, from 2009 to 2010, North Carolina’s worker productivity I wish I had his example. I think it would have been a good one. But I will never know. Meanwhile, I can watch and learn from others. Terry Sanford, for instance. When the former governor and senator received a diagnosis of “inoperable cancer,” he turned it into a challenge to live to the fullest until his death in 1998. He figured out new ways to persuade people to support good causes. He seemed to be telling us, “I am going to live a lot longer than you might think, but however long it is, it is going to be good.” I like that example. When the time comes, I hope I can follow it. And, if I do, I know that my dad would be proud. n D.G. Martin hosts UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs Fridays at 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. For more information or to view prior programs visit the webpage at www.unctv. org/ncbookwatch/ What explains N.C. economic paradox? improved twice as fast as the national rate. Obviously, if two people can do the work that three used to accomplish, job gains will be slower in the short run. This could be what has been happening in North Carolina and may be one reason for the state’s economic paradox. Yet there can be a silver lining. Businesses like to locate where worker productivity is high. So the payoff for the state may be a burst of jobs down the road. I know many people are waiting, and I’m hopeful it will happen, but you decide! n Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Professor and North Carolina Cooperative Extension economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics of N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook and public policy WALKING UP THE STAIRS, JUNE QUANDT F E LT HER CHEST SQUEEZE TO G E T H E R. O H BOY, H E R E WE GO AG A I N, SHE THOUGHT BEFORE SHE COLLAPSED. “I had a mild heart attack in 2008. My first thought was I was having another, but this was different,” said June. “I couldn’t breathe, and it felt like my body was shutting down. For the first time in my life, I was scared I was going to die.” Turns out, June wasn’t having a heart attack, but did need a pacemaker. “During my surgery, everyone at Southeastern went beyond the call of duty. I had such confidence in the doctors, especially knowing they were with Duke,” June said. “I know I’m not going to live forever, but I’m going to be healthy and enjoy life.” Mike Walden Contributing Columnist LUMBERTON, NC | 910-671-6619 | WWW.SOUTHEASTERNHEART.ORG
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