In Charlotte’s continuing tradition of “it-ain’t-corrupt-if-we-tell-ya-upfront” — turns out public tax dollars are being used to try to lure the DNC to town in 2012. And is also custom, we get the don’t worry, this goes on all the time excuse for it:
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, supported by taxes on hotel rooms and prepared foods, has contributed an additional $25,000 in staff time and travel. CEO Tim Newman said that’s in line with what it spent to land this spring’s National Rifle Association convention and comparable events.
Guess what? Spending tax dollars on the NRA was wrong too. Newman seems to think this is a goose-gander, left-right deal. Wrong, Tim. It is wrong to tax grandmothers $25 or more to come to Charlotte to visit relatives just so you can dole that money out to conventioneers and corporations to have a big party.
Oh, and notice that Thom Tillis has already been totally co-opted by the magical figure of a supposed $200m. in “economic development” from the convention.
“Any time you can spur economic development and shine a light on our region, it’s a good thing,” Tillis told Jim Morrill.
What an absolutely moronic thing to say. Guess that makes all the public money spent on the CIAA tourney a great deal, Thom. Once you buy into the lingo of the convention scam, you are doomed.
But from your basic CRVA view, this is great stuff. You can bet Duke Energy didn’t kick $100K towards bringing the NRA to town. Which gets us back that Duke and Jim Rogers — along with Bank of America and Brian Moynihan to a lesser extent — remain CLT’s two best features when wooing the DNC.
To paraphrase Charlie Cook, at this point I’ll be somewhat shocked if the DNC does not land in Uptown in 2012.
