By the Numbers

by Greg Petty
February 2010

As the saying goes, "Every picture tells a story," but I believe that numbers paint a much more detailed statement than you can achieve with a visual. I hope the facts below interest you as much as they did me. As Sgt. Joe Friday on Dragnet always said, "Just stick with the facts Ma’am."

North Carolina elementary & secondary school free lunch eligible (per capita) - 0.568; Rank among states - 14th

Percentage of NC 9th graders who do not receive a high school diploma - 30%

North Carolina unemployment percentage November 2009 - 10.8%

Average weekly wage in Wake County, NC - $833

Food stamp assistance: Wake County, NC - All People - 6.0%; Children - 13%; Percent change since 2007 - 32%

Edgecomb County, NC - All People - 26%; Children - 48%; Percent change since 2007 - 17%

Number of Americans in 2009 reporting no other income other than food stamps - 6 million.

Percentage American workers in a union in the 1950s - 35%, in 2008 - 12.4%

Years it took to elect a union at the Smithfield Food hog plant in Tar Heel, NC - 16

Number of NC jobs lost 1996 - 2006; Furniture - 25,870; Textiles & Apparel - 150,000

NC percent homeless persons per 10,000 population in 2007 - 13%. Increase 2005-2007 - 10%

Percent of credit cards offered online by leading bankcard issuers continuing practices that will be outlawed by legislation in May, 2010 - 100%

Percent of bankcard issuers allowed to increase rates on outstanding balances before legislation takes effect - 99.7%

Total brand-name prescription drug price increases 2002-2009 - 56.8%, total inflation 2002-2009 - 19.6%, Difference 37.2%

American national debt total as of January 21, 2010 - $12.3 trillion; Debt per taxpayer - $112,704

American unfunded liabilities (Social Security, Medicare & Medicare Part D) - $107 trillion; Unfunded liability per person - $347,101

United States trade deficit total - $27.2 billion, of that amount the deficit with China - $13.3 billion

Salary; House and Senate rank and file - $174,00, Majority Leader - $193,400, Speaker of the House - $223,500

Average lifetime congressional pension; Under Civil Service Retirement Plan - $60,972, Under Federal Employees Retirement System - $35,952

Percentage of congressional member’s healthcare premium paid by the government - 75%

Congressional reelection rate in 2008, House - 94%, Senate - 83%

Amount spent by Elizabeth Dole in loss of Senate seat in 2008, Personal funding - $2,518,896, Raised from others - $16,989,816, total - $19,508,712

Percentage of members of congress who are millionaires - 45%

Percent of US budget spent during Eisenhower administration on infrastructure - 12.5%

Current US budget for infrastructure - 2%

American Society of Civil Engineers estimated amount needed in next five years to bring America’s infrastructure grade from a D to a C - $2 trillion

Amount to be spent in the next 10 years by China on high-speed mass transit - $300 billion

Proposed amount for high-speed rail under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through 2015 - $13 billion

Personal savings rate in China - 25%, in United States - peaked at 5% in third quarter of 2009.

2009 auto sales in China - 13.6 million vehicles, United States - 10.4 vehicles

Greenhouse-gas emissions per person, 2007, Tons of CO2 equivalent; United States - 7.1, China - 7.2, EU-27 - 5.0, Japan - 1.4

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