An absolutely perfect illustration of just how damaging the League of Cities tax-and-spend mindset can be. Charlotte’s recent, in historical terms, foray into business handouts can be spun as conservative when compared to the policies of League big-hitters:
City economic developer Brad Richardson is turning into a city tour guide this week, taking elected officials from across the nation for a trolley ride, a peek inside the new arena and a spin around the speedway. …
The downtown tour, Richardson said, will highlight the importance of public-private cooperation in bringing the arena, the EpiCentre development and Johnson & Wales University.
“Charlotte’s a conservative government,” he said. “We don’t throw money at everything, but when we do participate, we do it with partners.”
Other tours include discussions of community policing, affordable housing policy in Davidson and transit-oriented development in South End.
Let’s be clear about this. There is nothing remotely conservative, in any sense, about taking the money you tax away from one business and giving it to another business. Toss in all the “partners” — i.e. hangers-on and rent-seekers — you want. It is still central planning.
What’s more Charlotte officials and staff need to understand something as they fete the Leaguers around, and that is this:
These people are our enemies. They have, by-in-large, run their cities into the ground with big public sectors, high tax rates, and horrible schools. Our only interest in having them around is to study what not to do. We do not want to emulate them or follow in their footsteps.
Let them go about finding new ways to beg and plead for more federal pork, or placate their huge, unionized public-sector workforces. Politely wish them luck and send them on their merry, deluded way. And then thank your lucky stars that Charlotte has not fallen so far.
Quite. Yet.
