Last month there was a murder in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. According to local news outlets, the murder happened “feet” from security cameras installed by the city to help combat rising crime.

However, due to “budget cuts” the cameras service had been shut off since 2018.

The state of North Carolina is controlled by Republicans who cut taxes every chance they get, and have proposed an amendment to the state Constitution saying taxes CAN NOT be raised past a certain level, thus limiting the amount of income available to the state now and forever.

The heavily-gerrymandered Republican Legislature is also proud of a “Rainy Day” surplus of about $6 billion.

Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, has employment vacancies in both its Fire and Police departments, and both public service groups recently protested low pay as a problem. So did Emergency services.

The state is also trying to deal with a very public lawsuit that resulted in a court decision ordering the state to spend more on Public Education. The Leandro case determined the NC Legislature has been under-funding Public Education by millions of dollars a year for many years, and was–therefore–not providing a proper education to its citizens.

In the meantime, the legislature has refused to expand Medicaid in the state, leaving close to a million citizens uninsured. Why does the legislature refuse to accept Federal Money to expand a state program? Politics.

These are all random, but connected, facts. Many different reasons can explain all of them, and spin the narrative of each issue to the liberal or conservative viewpoint.

But simply put, the state of North Carolina is a “business friendly” state. Not a citizen friendly state. And we are true “Trickle down” state in the eyes of our elected politicians: all boats will be lifted by the rising tide of new jobs flooding the state.

It’s an experiment in true Capitalism, free market forces, and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

As a 71 year old, healthy, financially secure, white man with two adult kids, I appreciate all the legislatures has done for me.

Is everyone else in North Carolina as grateful?

Maybe not. Health outcomes, marginalization, low-income jobs, low income housing, climate change, mental health…none of these issues matter to our politicians as much as Critical Race Theory or Second Amendment Rights, or what bathrooms will be used by what people. We even have a Lieutenant Governor who is religiously against abortion, now, but not years ago when he needed one.

Ah, well. Maybe one day politicians will realize when they win an election with 51 percent of the vote it is not mandate to forget the other 49 percent.

If you’re worried about the end of democracy, and even civilization, look to North Carolina as the canary in the coal mine.