Congressional Committee asks Perdue to explain release of embargoed data

By RICK HENDERSON/MANAGING EDITOR Carolina Journal   January 3, 2012   RALEIGH — The U. S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce  has requested that Gov. Bev Perdue provide information spelling out how  she was able in August to release North Carolina employment data that was  supposed to be protected by an embargo. In a letter sent to Perdue Dec. 21, Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline,  R-Minn., cited a Carolina Journal Online story published Dec. 19 reporting  that Perdue, in a speech, publicly discussed information from the state’s monthly employment report before its scheduled release. The letter also stated that emails between the state’s Employment Security Commission (now the Division of Employment Security) and Perdue’s office  showed information was shared that may not have been authorized by the  cooperative agreement between the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and  each state that is meant to protect the unauthorized release of protected  employment data. A CJ Online story published Monday reported BLS had concluded that  Perdue’s August remarks before the Rotary Club of Asheville violated the  cooperative agreement with BLS. At the time, state ESC Labor Market Information Division director Betty McGrath reported the violation to the BLS regional office in Atlanta, and BLS Regional Director Janet Rankin followed up with interviews of ESC officials. Rankin would not say if any further action was taken. The committee gave Perdue until Wednesday to produce copies of the state’s cooperative agreement with BLS; CJ requested that and other related information last week and was told the request was being  reviewed by DES lawyers. In addition, Kline’s letter asks the governor to produce a series of  documents and communications, including those: • “related to the protocols your office and [the N.C. Employment  Security Commission] have put in place to protect against the  unauthorized dissemination” of employment data; • “relating to the potential unauthorized released of BLS data;” • between the governor’s office and ESC relating to unemployment  data, and; • between ESC and the U.S. Department of Labor related to    unemployment data. Read the letter here (PDF download). U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican who represents North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, is a member of the committee. Attempts to get comment from the committee, Foxx, and Perdue  have not been successful. Rick Henderson is managing editor of Carolina Journal. Executive  Editor Don Carrington also contributed reporting for this story.

©2010 John Locke Foundation | 200 West Morgan St., Raleigh, NC 27601, (919) 828-3876

New ESC Unemployment Stats for NC demonstrate that Democrats botched it!

STATE GOP CHAIRMAN ROBIN HAYES SAYS PERDUE HAS NC 'STUCK IN THE MUD'

 http://www.ncgop.org/May-2011-Jobs-Number

Today (June 17) North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes released the following statement regarding today’s announcement that North Carolina’s unemployment rate remains at 9.7% for the third straight month and above 9.2% for twenty-nine straight months:

“Today’s announcement from the Employment Security Commission provides a clear picture that North Carolina’s private sector is stuck in the mud thanks to out of control spending and failed policies pursued by Governor Perdue and the tax and spend Democrats in Raleigh. 

This week, Republicans in the General Assembly were able to override Governor Perdue’s budget veto to pass a fact-based bi-partisan budget that right-sizes state government without raising taxes so the private sector can be free to flourish and create jobs.  Our state’s fiscal problems were not caused by Republicans but the Republicans in General Assembly have started laying the groundwork to put our state’s fiscal house in order and get North Carolinians back to work.”

Verne Strickland Blogmaster:   BARAK AND BEV, PLEASE PACK YOUR BAGS!