I'd like to think Councilman Zack Matheny is on the up and up with his proposal to add a $20 Million Dollar economic development bond to the November ballot along side the $30 Performing Arts Center Bond that is already being pitched by Mayor "Pave-it" Perkins. I mean, like your's truly, Zach is currently unemployed and has to be facing the stark reality that our current economic situation is dire but I can't help but wonder if perhaps this is only an issue designed to gain the favor of those of us who have long believed that East Greensboro has been cheated out of its economic development so that downtown could be made to prosper.
Of course, Milton Kern said, "I'm not sure that makes a whole lot of sense. We don't want to put too much on the ballot." Kern is a rich downtown developer who started out with his Daddy's fortunes, later married into money, never worked a day in his life and owns large chunks of downtown properties he is just dying to get we-the-taxpayers to pay to develop. As a matter of fact: at least one of those properties stands to gain from the building of a downtown performing arts center. Could Uncle Milton's statement be interpreted to mean, Kern is scared he won't get his cut?
And the Mayor? Well of course the News & Record portrayed him as being unhappy with Councilman Matheny's proposal. The Mayor is scared his downtown performing arts center just might not pass the bond referendum and he stands to lose $Millions.
As for UNCG Economics Professor Andrew Brod: I doubt Andy has ever set foot in my East Greensboro neighborhood and without the GPS unit in his car he'd probably never find the little green circle. "It may be a little harder. It may be a lot harder." sounds real scholarly, don't you think? Seriously, N&R reporters, Donald Patterson and Amanda Lehmert couldn't have painted Andy any dumber if they'd tried.
But back to Councilman Matheny's proposal: If the economic hocus-pocus is true then why would another bond issue be an issue in the first place? I mean, I don't know if economic stimulus works or not but if it does work then why would Uncle Milt and the mad Mayor object to more economic stimulus at a time when so many people are hurting? Is Zack's proposal simply a response to East Greensboro Needs A Facelift Too or is it another token gesture or broken promise on behalf of the Greensboro City Council?
Look, I'm not saying Councilman Matheny isn't being genuine. While I didn't think much of Zack when I first met him back in 2007, I've gotten to the place where sometimes I think him the most honest of the lot. Sometimes I even like the guy which is something you'll never hear me say about Mayor Perkins and his merry band of Perkinites. But 50 plus years of watching my East Greensboro neighborhood die at the hands of downtown developers and the Greensboro City Council has left me leery of all who meet on Tuesday nights to
This is the 47th article I've written concerning the Greensboro Performing Arts Center. To find them all, click on the Table of Contents or use the link at the top of the page.
Update: Ed Cone has more info on the proposal.
More Updates: MyFox8 and Joe Guarino.
3rd Update: Allen Johnson of the Greensboro News & Record does his usual PR BS in an effort to remain in the loop of favor. Let's not forget that the N&R also owns the #1 location being considered as a possible site for Greensboro's Downtown Performing Arts Center.
Continue to article #49 Before Greensboro Destroyed My Home
