Should businesses that pay more than minimum wage with healthcare benefits, located in mixed-use, “impoverished†regions, be eligible for tax credits? Asheville intends to name Urban Progress Zones to do just that. One proposed UPZ includes a rather wealthy historic district and crosses the highway through old neighborhoods all the way down to Pisgah View, a housing development known for drug dealing and gun discharges. In Asheville, the myth persists that it is the role of government to stimulate vibrant economies.
by Leslee Kulba
Wild West blogger