Good to see Mayor Pat McCrory trying to explain why he vetoed the $150 million Charlotte arts package fuding plan last month. As we have noted and as McCrory underscores, there is just no way you can assume that the $24 million or so in upkeep costs the plan would transfer to local arts groups would not just boomerrang right back to the city or the Arts & Sciences Council.
The ASC would have to almost certainly cut funding for actual arts programs to cover the tab, while the city would almost certainly have to dip into general revenue or come up with some other fiscal slight-of-hand to raise the money. Either outcome would be net bad for the city and for the local arts scene, which would be left with sparkling new city-owned venues and nothing in them.
As for the mayor’s other points about setting spending priorities, yes, yes exactly. Which brings us to a certain $450 million choo-choo train and the half-cent sales tax that enables it…….
