Liddy gives $1 million to Novartis via Holly Springs

Holly Springs promised $20 million and the state added another $21 million in incentives last July for drugmaker Novartis to locate a flu vaccine plant there.

But Holly Springs was short $9 million and sought other sources to help, including the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Toby Coleman deserves credit for reporting last August on the money hunt and pointing out that Holly Springs will be spending five percent of its budget for debt service on behalf of Novartis on top of roads, sewers, and tax breaks. But his response to Sen. Dole’s pork provision of the last $1 million for Holly Springs — “Rest assured, the folks in Holly Springs Town Hall applaud you too, Sen. Dole” — is cheerleading pure and simple.