"GREENSBORO — A task force of city business and arts leaders began its work today to study the feasibility of building a downtown performing arts center."
Like I've said before, how can a study that only studies one part of the city be considered a feasibility study?
"The task force, convened by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro at the request of the Greensboro City Council, will look at whether such a center is feasible, what type of center the city needs, and how it would affect the local economy."
There's the F-word being thrown around again. I can't help but wonder if perhaps the downtown boosters are trying to sell themselves on the idea still?
"If the city council pursues the idea of a downtown performance center, much of its cost could be financed by about $30 million in bonds and $11 million in hotel and motel tax revenue. The task force also will explore raising about $8 million to $10 million in private money to pay for the rest."
Let's see, 30 + 11 + 8 + 10 = $59 Million Dollars. But the figure tossed around earlier was $72 Million. What are they not telling us about? Did they forget to include the cost of the land they'll be buying from Robin Sauls, owner and publisher of the Greensboro News & Record?
“This is about the soul of our community, about how we are going to feed it to grow and thrive as a 21st century community,” Community Foundation President Walker Sanders told 55 task force members gathered at the Greensboro Downtown Marriott."
Downtown Greensboro has preyed on East Greensboro for 50 plus years and they want to talk about the city having a soul? Please. They taxed us, bulldozed thriving east side businesses to build lanes they didn't need, taxed us to get rid of the extra lanes, flooded our neighborhoods with City owned housing projects, dumped their garbage on us, made empty promises ignored our cries for safe neighborhoods, made promises they never meant to keep, they lied to us and now they plan to spend our tax dollars to entertain the rich-- am I the only one who can see what has been going on for the last 50 years? The good news is always on the other side of town-- why?
“Many people have questioned why we are doing this in this economy,” Sanders added. “This is the right time. We have let this issue fester for way too long and let our differences in the past polarize us to do nothing.”
Everybody knows why they want to do this now-- why do you think Robbie Perkins wanted to be Mayor in the first place? The banks won't loan them the money to build houses we don't need so they've decided to take the money from us. The Mayor is one of the developers and realtors who stands to pocket $Millions from this deal. They're lying to us. Want to see less festering? Put the jobs where the people who work them live and quit ripping-off the taxpayers!
"For the city council, the issue is whether to put a bond referendum for building a downtown performance center on the November ballot. If it decides that it is not feasible, it would explore replacing War Memorial Auditorium in the Greensboro Coliseum complex."
This is called covering your bases, folks. They plan on spending your money whether you like it or not and they plan to make sure their bulldozers and cranes have plenty of stuff to lift, push, knock down and run over beginning with your wallets.
“As you look around this room, and you’ll see a lot of different interests,” Sanders said. “Those who are for a performing arts center, those who are against it. Those who have been for putting it downtown, those who have been for putting it at the War Memorial Auditorium complex ... This task force is bringing all those perspectives.”
Lots of "different" interests but still no mention of East Greensboro or any other part of the city-- why? And why no mention of children's programming?
"He said that task force meetings will be open to the community. The task force also will hold three community forums in March, April and May."
This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to walk into those meetings!
"The group doesn’t have much time to finish its work. It will give its preliminary report to the city council May 15, so that the city council has enough time to take required steps to put it on the November ballot."
If only I could be a fly on the wall. Oh well, there will be another leak sooner or later.
Seriously folks, it's not a matter of soul and it's not a matter of civic pride. It's a matter of padding the pockets of Mayor Perkins and his developer buddies who have been planning this con for years. As far as I'm concerned the The Randall Jarrell Performing Arts Center should be located in the little green circle or not at all.
But hey, it's your money.
Continue to article #45 Greensboro Tax Dollars Spent To Spread Lies
