Garrett Perdue belongs to a group of economic developers.

Earlier this year, the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue joined the N.C. Economic Developers Association, a statewide association of site consultants, engineers and Chamber of Commerce types who help recruit business.

He was also listed among the attendees of the group's mid-winter conference, one of three it holds each year. Speakers included economics professor Mike Walden and Dan Gerlach, former budget advisor to Gov. Mike Easley.

Executive Director John Peterson said the group was founded in 1966 to offer training to economic developers and advocate for local, state and federal policies that would benefit the state's business climate.

Its roughly 600 members pay $200 a year to belong.

Much of the group's work focuses on state business. Its 2009 legislative agenda calls for support of three corporate incentives programs run by the N.C. Department of Commerce, funding community colleges, and lowering the state's sales taxes, among other things.

Peterson said the group is also concerned about a federal card-check bill.

Mike Walden thinks the White House may be overstating the number of new jobs.

The N.C. State economics professor says he believes the $789 billion stimulus package signed by President Obama will not necessarily lead to 105,000 jobs in North Carolina.

The crux of the issue is what multiplier to use on spending. The White House assumes that the stimulus will not only directly employ people to build roads, for example, but also lead to secondary jobs in related areas, such as selling paving equipment.

Walden isn't so sure. He thinks that effect will be offset by the massive borrowing the federal government has to undertake to pay for the stimulus.

Essentially, Walden said that the government's borrowing may use up some of Wall Street's line of credit and "crowd out" private borrowers looking to refurbish a factory, for example.

Still, he said that even a lower figure would have a "noticeable" effect on the state's 8.7 percent unemployment rate.

More after the jump.

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