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November 2012

Nov 30, 2012

CALS students enhance State Fair gardens

For the second year, Barbara Fair’s landscape students from N.C. State University’s horticultural science department have played a role enhancing the State Fair’s flower and garden area, while learning valuable skills that will help them professionally. 

Nov 30, 2012

Student gives top presentation

Jennifer A. Kimball, a doctoral student in the turfgrass breeding and genetics program, gave a first place presentation during the joint annual meeting of the Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America in late October in Cincinnati. 

Nov 30, 2012

Jon Brandt, Agricultural and Resource Economics head, dies unexpectedly

Dr. Jon Brandt, head of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, died unexpectedly at his home Monday, Nov. 26. He was 65. 

Nov 30, 2012

Will we fall off the fiscal cliff?

Will we fall off the fiscal cliff? Now that the election is over, Washington’s attention has turned to something called the fiscal cliff. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden describes what it is and why it matters. “Well, there’s been a lot of discussion on this … . It’s really the result of a failure of the Congress and the president last year (2011) to reach a budget deal. So what they did is they said, ‘Look, we’re going to set up a trap in some sense. If we don’t reach a budget deal in another year, we’re going to … have a lot of bad things really happen quickly, and that’s going to give us motivation to really get to a deal. “And so what these bad things will be if, at the end of 2012, a deal’s not reached is several taxes will go up, hitting virtually everyone in the country, as well as federal spending will go down. “Now we can debate whether, long run, that’s what we want to have happen in the federal government -- and some say that’s exactly what we want to have happen -- but what concerns economists is the suddenness of this and the size of the changes will be all at once, and that’s the where the term cliff comes from. “And many, many economic analysts shows that if we did see this happen -- that is, the increase in tax rates combined with the cut federal spending -- we would see the economy shrink at least for a quarter, at least for the first three months of 2013. Unemployment would go up. … More people would be put out of work. And of course no one wants that to happen. “So, this is why many think that a compromise will eventually be reached. A deal will be reached, but obviously we’ll have to wait and see.” 

Nov 29, 2012

What is entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is one of those $50 words related to business and the economy. In fact, in one of the presidential debates, it was used several times. But what does it mean? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains. 

Nov 28, 2012

Where we shine

A major new survey of business leaders was recently released. Among the questions asked were a series about pluses and minuses of doing business in the United States compared to other nations. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden sums up what the leaders said. 

Nov 27, 2012

White House Christmas tree is from Ashe County

While Rusty and Beau Estes certainly deserve all the credit for producing a Fraser fir suitable to grace the White House at Christmas, a bit of North Carolina Cooperative Extension traveled with the tree to the nation’s capital. 

Nov 27, 2012

Worldwide income inequality

There’s been much discussion in the United States about the increase in income inequality. This means that incomes at the top of income distribution have grown faster than incomes at the bottom of the distribution. Is this an issue confined to our country? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden answers. 

Nov 26, 2012

Energy independence

For more than 40 years, the United States has had the goal of becoming energy independent. But for most of those years, the U.S. has gone the other way and become more energy dependent on other countries. Has the tide finally been shifting? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden responds. 

Nov 26, 2012

YOU DECIDE: Should 'tax expenditures' be part of a budget deal?

Can something called “tax expenditures” be the silver bullet to avoid a fiscal cliff and put the federal government on a better financial footing? Mike Walden explains.