Only Parks could, without any evident sense of irony, compare himself to the Prophet Isaiah and take credit for Charlotte’s cultural development by virtue of sponsoring a local liquor-by-the-drink referendum while in the General Assembly 30 years ago. It is a wonder his ego ever fit in the GovCenter.
Special non-ironic shout-out to Commissioner Dan Bishop, who is also hanging up his spurs after two-terms of fighting a spirited rear guard action against the growth of government. For daring to question the prevailing wisdom of staff, the Uptown paper, and the Powers That Be on Uptown baseball, land-use planning, and transit among other issues, Bishop was lampooned and marginalized by the forces of the status quo.
As Euripides observed several thousand years ago, “The best prophet is common sense, our native wit.”
Dan’s common sense will be missed in the coming battles.
