A guest editorial by Mark A Palmer & Sherman Peabody:

LetÂ’s Make A Deal No Matter the Cost

The Name of Charlotte has become, “Lets Make A Deal No Matter the Cost.” On Monday, May 14, 2007, the Charlotte City Council gathers for another episode of whoring out Queen Charlotte. This time it was for a land swap to accommodate a baseball stadium for uptown Charlotte.

The vote was 8-3 in favor of this deal and the usual casts of characters were on boad to help facilitate the wishes of uptown crowd no matter what. The only Council members that showed any backbone was Don Lochman, Patsey Kinsey and Nancy Carter. Why officials put their eggs in one costly basket of failing projects, is their Cinderella dream. The reaccuring theme, is major cost over runs and the decimation of CharlotteÂ’s welfare and the people's well-being.

Our city is going down the tubes in favor of development once again. Our city and county officials turn their backs on the core responsibilities of government. Instead, our city and county officials will not be satisfied until charlotte has become the Ecumenopolis, like the fictional world of Coruscant.

Downtown development, along with the rail projects are to helping to push out the "undesirables of the city" and make way for a more desirable trendy crowd. This has been one of the main goals from the start. CATS even stated in their plans that various neighborhoods and areas of Charlotte could be weeded out, thus pushing out the undesirable factions they name. By tearing down and building more costly structures, helps push out the poor and "limits" cityÂ’s crime, according to some people's thinking.

Again, our core services are as beggars in street, when it comes to funding. What is wrong with this picture? Our city councilmemberÂ’s rather point fingers at the state legislators, than look in their backyard. It does not matter that our police department needs funding help deal with CharlotteÂ’s crime problems, such a more officers, police cars and under covers agents. Our city has made it clear we do not have the budget and was quickly to blame somebody else. Interesting, they will come up with million of dollars for horses, than take a bite out of crime where it counts.

Charlotte city council still has not learned when it comes to their many costly mistakes.

Like the arena, the taxpayers are obligated help pay traffic control for the Knights. This time, city has agreed to pay $52,500 and the Knights will pay $157,500, for a total cost of $210,000 a year. Now, if you add the basic yearly cost for the arena of traffic control, which Charlotte taxpayers pay close to a million year this does not include other yearly cost as; cones and employee to staff, a cab lane at arena events, CATS service CIAA games and CATS service after Bobcat games. This goes to show us that our city officials do not care about the citizens of Charlotte. Because if they did our city would not be in the mess, itÂ’s in and they would not continually make these types of bad business decisions.

Charlotte lawyer, Jerry Reese, spoke to city councilmemberÂ’s asking them not to agree to this deal for a land swap. Mr. Reese filed papers in Mecklenburg County Superior Court block a transfer of school headquarters to Mecklenburg County. Will the county take a stand and make this right or will they pimp out Queen Charlotte too? Only time will tell the story.

Sherman Peabody
Mark A. Palmer
Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg

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