Waaa!
Sorry, folks. UNCC Chancellor Phil Dubois’ insulting pitch for continuing to throw millions at light rail doesn’t merit much of a response. As I’ve said before, Charlotte is now seized by Train Envy. The South Blvd. line, whatever it may cost, is supposed to engender that response. And boy has it.
Dubois, Smoky Bissell, and other UNCC insiders — recall they are also big backers of Speaker Jim Black — really think a $600 million plus train connection will make UNCC something it has never really been — the University of Charlotte. And open up lots of subsidized re-development opportunities along the way.
Plus, the whole point of getting Jim Black to cough up $45 million in state money for the Uptown UNCC building which UNCC absolutely does not need was to create a bogus excuse for light rail. And — bam — what do you know, here comes Phil Dubois citing the new building as an excuse to use the train to “knit” the University City area with Uptown. What a joke.
No, the correct move is the use the $45 million to build, oh, two middle schools or some roads or something this community actually needs. Dubois can insinuate that road building is crazy if he wants. Fine. He then gets the same challenge as everyone else who spouts this line — show me the Golden Age of road building in Charlotte that failed to improve traffic congestion?
There isn’t one, as recent Census data on commute times show. Even the lousy, broke-down Crackhead Beltway was enough road-building to keep Charlotte moving. Imagine what a proper road-building plan, using, say, $50 million a year previously spent on choo-choos, might accomplish.
Just like Parks Helms isn’t fooling anyone, and Jim Black isn’t fooling anyone, Phil Dubois isn’t fooling anyone. He thought he’d play along with the Uptown crowd and get lotsa nice new stuff to play with.
Time to grow up, Phil. The adults are gonna take the toys away from the bad boys and girls.
PS — Stroll down to UNCC transportation expert David Hartgen’s office some time. He can keep you from sounding foolish the next time you address this topic.
