War between the states.

As residents of this "vale of humility," it behooves Tar Heels to keep a constant eye on what's happening on the "mountains of conceit" that flank our state. Down through history, Virginia and South Carolina have led -- "dragged" is more like it -- us into all sorts of mischief that ended in misery. In the 1860s, it was the Civil War. In the 1990s, it was the bidding war for automobile and microchip plants, two battles that ended as badly for North Carolinians as Pettrigrew's assault, covering the Virginian Pickett's left, on Cemetery Ridge the third day at Gettysburg.

The struggle continues. And make no mistake, this time we're not fighting on the same side. That's why the charts I found in the February issue of Virginia Business, our counterpart to the north, so fascinating. The magazine's editors had Chmura Economics & Analytics, a Richmond econometrics firm, determine how the Old Dominion stacked up against the other states. Comparing that with data for the Carolinas found in the charts was easy. But I found little comfort in the fact that numbers don't lie.

Growth in gross state product (change 1997-98): No. 6, Virginia, 8.2%; 12. North Carolina, 6.7%; 19. South Carolina, 6.1%. U.S average, 6.1%.

Growth in employment (change 1998-99): 12. Virginia, 2.5%; 18. South Carolina, 2.3%; 20. North Carolina, 2.2%. U.S. average, 2.2%

Per-capita personal income (1999): 14. Virginia, $29,789; 31. North Carolina, $26,003; 38. South Carolina, $23,545.

Growth in personal income (1998-99): 8. Virginia. 6.4%; 15. South Carolina, 5.7%; 43. North Carolina, 3.6%.

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