Guilford County Commissioner Mike Winstead (did he add some highlights to his hair?) is again taking heat for being less than excited about fellow Commissioner Steve Arnold’s incentive plan because it doesn’t include tax breaks for building houses and apartment complexes. Fair enough —- I think tax breaks for building apartment complexes is about as good an idea as using federal stimulus money to build a hotel.
Which brings us to east Greensboro, where there’s been considerable discussion about District 2 City Council candidate Jim Kee’s development interests near the White Street landfill. I concede the point that Kee couldn’t expect to win the District 2 seat by advocating the reopening of the landfill. But the good doctor backs me up, based on comments by Mayor Yvonne Johnson at last night’s mayoral candidate forum:
At the tail end of the meeting, the Mayor spoke about a desire to evaluate the use of technology for waste disposal. But she also made what I consider to be a glaring error.
She said that if the White Street Landfill was to be opened to residential trash to a greater extent, it would jeopardize development that has taken place recently on that side of town; and would threaten future development there as well.
There are two problems with this statement. First, I am not sure it is correct. It is not clear why development would be threatened if the landfill is well managed, and utilizes state of the art practices for minimizing odors.
But her statement also suggests that development concerns should trump having waste disposal options that are cost-effective. Handling of trash is a fundamental, nuts-and-bolts activity of local government; and it is folly to suggest it should be rendered subordinate to protect development considerations. Those priorities, in my mind, are backward.
This is something to keep in mind as the City Council election heats up. On a side note, I realize it looks like I’m picking on Jim Kee while simultaneously cutting Robbie Perkins slack. Put it this way —should Kee get elected and provide stronger leadership than his predecessor Goldie Wells, I’ll be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, just like Perkins. Then again, how hard would it be to provide better leadership than Wells?
