Editorial: Unemployment Woes - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Unemployment Woes

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  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;

  • Tuesday, May 14 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-14 23:20:07 GMT
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 
    Kudos, or perhaps, cheers to the Alabama Legislature for passing HB9, the home brewing bill. Legalized home brewing may not be up there with education reform or prison funding, but it was overdue. 

  • Thursday, May 9 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-09 23:20:06 GMT
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
    What was the old Pan-Am gas station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa is now no longer.  Last weekend that landmark was demolished with nothing remaining where it once stood other than the outline of a foundation. What
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Plentiful jobs.

Always has been and always will be the mark of a strong economy.

Unemployment is now just under 11% for the state of Alabama, double what it was last year at this time.

In our region, the numbers are worse, exceeding 25% in Wilcox County, 21% in Dallas County,  18% in Lowndes County, and 16% in Butler and Bullock Counties.

Unemployment is also greater than the state average in Macon, Coosa and Tallapoosa Counties.

The unemployment rate exceeds 10% in Montgomery and Covington Counties and is just under 10%  in Autauga County.

With hundreds of thousands unemployed, tax revenues are down so job cuts will likely continue in state and local governments. 

It is welcome news that the stock market is back around the 10,000 mark.

But without job creation, our recession will linger.

We need to turn the stimulus money into real jobs that will spawn more jobs.

Until we do and tax revenues improve, our economy will not improve.