Asheville City Staff reports of late make a bond referendum appear inevitable. I should be happy the city didn’t sidestep voter approval with TIFs. The second step in the city’s Capital Projects Development Timeline is, “Departments identify possible bond projects.” And thus we see that government, unlike the people who created it, can sit around and dream and then demand funding for fulfillment. Step 7 is, “Communication/Voter Outreach.” This means, as we are constantly reminded, that stupid voters need to be taxed more to fund propaganda programs to convince them that government needs their money more than they do.

Mayor Terry Bellamy has often expressed interest in finding out about how the city can use bonds. I recently unearthed a packet sent to members of city council by Linda Giltz, Asheville Greenway Commission chair. It had the audacity to state:

· A capital funding program that leverages a strong mix of public and private funding sources to match City taxpayer investment is critical to success and in the best interest of the community. Strong public-private partnerships are critical for gaining this leverage.
· Given the scale of need and in order to establish a strategic programmed approach to complementary fundraising and project development, a general obligation bond on the November 2008 ballot that gains strong voter support is key.

The report goes on to demand fifteen miles of greenway in the next five years, and thirty in the next ten years. In addition, “In order to serve the broad community interest, the City of Asheville will opportunistically incorporate affordable housing and community redevelopment initiatives into planning, acquisition, and design of greenways segments and other open space initiatives.”