Antiplanner almost had me here:

Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown said that the state’s financial problems are so bad that it should end urban-renewal subsidies. So the state’s urban-renewal agencies have selflessly stepped up and turned over surplus funds to the state to help it solve its financial problems.

Just kidding.

You guessed it —-cities are rushing to get so-called redevelopment projects underway:

Los Angeles was one of the first to move. Its redevelopment commissioners voted Friday to hand control of nearly $1 billion, for more than 275 projects, to the city. The projects range from building affordable housing in rundown neighborhoods to putting $35 million toward the planned Eli Broad art museum downtown and contributing nearly half a million dollars to a bicycle facility.

Particularly interesting is the fact that the state’s redevelopment agencies “mostly are run by city council members, and thus are a considerable source of power for them.”

Watching California try to pull themselves out of the mess they’ve made will hopefully serve as an instructional video for states —like North Carolina —-that aren’t in as bad shape. Emphasis on hopefully.