This whole situation makes me think that pretty soon Republicans are going to have to commit to being either the "pro business" party or the "traditional values" party. Seems like if you really cared about government stepping out of the way of growth, you wouldn't go out of your way to implement shitty social policy that alienated a notable part of the potential workforce, and then double down when a number of really influential businesses threatened to boycott your state. McCrory six months ago, on what attracts a company to your area: Great breakdown, Pat, good job, buddy. Conspicuously absent from the list, though: whether or not you codify discrimination. Business or old-timey moral values, pick one.they look at factors of do you have the talent, which includes education, are you affordable, and that includes both the tax and the incentives, and they also look at transportation [which] is becoming a big issue.
oh... but that's when they WANT government intervention: "Don't tell tax me too much or implement rules on how much I can take at the expense of others. But please stop the gays and the trans folks from entering my personal space. In fact, please don't let me see anything that makes me uncomfortable. But also I should be able to practice my religion in whatever way I want even if it makes YOU uncomfortable... because... Murica."Seems like if you really cared about government stepping out of the way of growth, you wouldn't go out of your way to implement shitty social policy that alienated a notable part of the potential workforce
I've been harping on this enough that it's probably getting tedious, but it's better/worse than that. Charlotte decided to let people use the bathroom they wanted, without too much controversy. The state government intervened. That's how federalism works, they can do that, but there's a reason "states' rights" rhetoric still works in the south. We were never sold on the whole federalism thing, the distant overriding the local smells undemocratic to us. Religious enthusiasm comes and goes, but southern politics have been pretty much the same since Jefferson. I think this is how Republicans loose the south.
Today's Fresh Air spoke to your point a few times. Worth a listen: http://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473244707/from-fracking-bans-to-paid-sick-leave-how-states-are-overruling-local-laws More I hear about this, the more furious it makes me. I mean, I'm a big government kind of guy, but there's big government and there's bad governance.