Commentary/Opinion
You Decide: Have Cities Reached Their Peak?
By Mike Walden I grew up in a rural region outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1950s and early ‘60s. Our home was around the corner from my paternal grandfather’s…
You Decide: What’s The Biggest Issue Facing The Country?
By Mike Walden At the numerous presentations I give during the year, I am frequently asked this question: What is the most important issue facing the country? Since I know…
You Decide: Will We Soon Have A Four-Day Workweek?
By Mike Walden The common five-day workweek has been around since 1940. That was the year the five-day, eight-hour workweek became standardized by the federal government. The legislation required companies…
You Decide: Is ‘Greedflation’ Keeping Prices High?
By Mike Walden Although the pace at which prices are rising has moderated, prices are still going up. In 2021, average consumer prices surged 7%, in 2022 they jumped 6.5%,…
Letter To Editor: Investing In Healthcare Education: A Win-Win For Johnston County
By Tommy Williams CEO of UNC Johnston Health Johnston Community College Trustee Johnston Community College has formally requested that the County Commissioners approve an $85,000,000 bond referendum for the college.…
You Decide: Do International Investments Help Or Harm?
By Mike Walden Recently the Japanese Prime Minister visited North Carolina to celebrate a major new investment in our state by a Japanese biotechnology company that will spend over a…
You Decide: Why Are Jobs Increasing?
By Mike Walden The American job market just seems to keep rolling on. The recently released March labor market report showing 300,000 net additional jobs in the country was significantly…
You Decide: What’s The Future Of Small Business?
By Mike Walden I am now a small business owner. Since retiring from North Carolina State University, I have operated a one-person business offering speaker services as well as economic…
Social Security Matters – When Should My Wife Claim Her Social Security Benefit?
By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens Ask Rusty – When Should my Wife Claim Her Social Security…
You Decide: Can Homeownership Be Made More Affordable?
By Mike Walden Traditionally, one of the ways to accumulate wealth was to buy a home. Indeed, owning a home was part of the “American Dream” of getting ahead economically.…
Social Security Matters – How Do Survivor Benefits Work For A Married Couple?
By Russell Gloor, National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens Dear Rusty: How does Social Security handle the death of one spouse?…
You Decide: Has The State Labor Market Changed Since COVID?
By Mike Walden Think about where you were four years ago, in February 2020. My wife and I have birthdays early in the year — mine in late January and…
