David what I think is ignorant or shall I say misleading is the idea that Knoxville is represenative of eastern TN. and Western NC. Fourteen counties in western NC are considered transitional now, but only because of tourism, four are still distressed.

Another boost was in large part due to the spread of the Old Age and Survivors Insurance program under Social Security, and to a lesser extent the spread of private pensions, poverty rates decreased in the last half of the 20th century, faster for older people than for other age groups. Just under 10 percent of older people nationwide reported family incomes below the poverty level in Census 2000. Poverty rates are typically higher for older women than for older men: Nationwide, 12 percent of older women had family incomes below the poverty line, compared with 7 percent of older men.

Poverty amongst whites in Appalachia is still vastly larger in these regions than elswhere in the land of plenty, in fact anywhere. When Blacks are brought into the equation that is another matter.

Oh yeah, about my ignorance, Confederate General Kirby Smith had the same opnion about the local folks when he was commander of the Department of Eastern TN.. In April of 62 he would state the people "were an ignorant primitive people." I'm glad to be amongst the ranks of those mountain folks.