nnWhen David Murdock tells the city of Kannapolis to jump, things happen. Things like junking $14,000 worth of banners honoring Dale Earnhardt because Murdock has a VIP coming to town. Possibly none other than Oprah.

So let’s get this straight, Murdock comes to town with his $1.5b. N.C. Research Campus scheme — aka Dr. McHealthy’s Fruit and Nut Project — and convinces state and local officials to part with $168m. in initial tax-increment financing for the idea. State law is re-written to accommodate the project. Everything is proceeding according to the central plan.

Except that we now have a consultant’s report arguing that local residents are not remotely qualified for the kind of jobs the center will spin off if all goes right. For a project that was supposed to address the Pillowtex layoffs, this is not good. Moreover, this puts squarely back where we where when the campus was first announced: How are you going to get workers who would otherwise work in Austin, Nashville, Boston, or the Triangle to plop down in the City of Looms?

Evidently by completely remaking Kannapolis into the “Home to Science” — and scrubbing the city of the grubby NASCAR association. That is the problem with government deciding to get in the marketing biz — there is always a new campaign.

City officials may be completely in sync with Murdock and Oprah et al, but what if residents still prefer the Intimidator?