Well it looks as if Mayor Robme Perkins has figured out yet another way to steal Downtown Greensboro properties for his most important customers. Earlier today, at the request of the Mayor, the Greensboro Zoning Commission approved a plan that will allow the City of Greensboro to take possession of Downtown properties and then resell those properties for "violations" as simple as broken doors, windows and awnings.
Of course, the Mayor is claiming this is about keeping Downtown buildings in good repair but the ordinance allows the City of Greensboro to make any "repairs" the City deems necessary then bill the property owner any amount the City wants to collect. And if the property owner cannot afford to pay the City's inflated bill the City then has the legal "right" to take possession of the property and sell it at auction.
And of course, the only people who will be able to afford to buy the auctioned properties will be friends and customers of the Mayor and the Mayor's commercial real estate brokerage, NAI Piedmont, aka, NAI Maxwell.
Have you ever thought about the possability that these buildings need repair because their owners are short on cash just like the Mayor is short on cash and allowing his $1.2 Million Dollar Irving Park mansion to be repossessed. The difference is: they're not robbing the rest of us to make up the difference.
A better way would be for the City of Greensboro to offer loans to the owners of these buildings. At least then the City would be taking the high road and trying to help. And if a property owner defaults on a loan then at least the City tried to work with the property owner before the City took their property away.
But would our 4% Mayor ever think like that? Hardly. Shame, guilt, empathy and remorse are simply beyond his abilities.
Of course, the Mayor is claiming this is about keeping Downtown buildings in good repair but the ordinance allows the City of Greensboro to make any "repairs" the City deems necessary then bill the property owner any amount the City wants to collect. And if the property owner cannot afford to pay the City's inflated bill the City then has the legal "right" to take possession of the property and sell it at auction.
And of course, the only people who will be able to afford to buy the auctioned properties will be friends and customers of the Mayor and the Mayor's commercial real estate brokerage, NAI Piedmont, aka, NAI Maxwell.
Have you ever thought about the possability that these buildings need repair because their owners are short on cash just like the Mayor is short on cash and allowing his $1.2 Million Dollar Irving Park mansion to be repossessed. The difference is: they're not robbing the rest of us to make up the difference.
A better way would be for the City of Greensboro to offer loans to the owners of these buildings. At least then the City would be taking the high road and trying to help. And if a property owner defaults on a loan then at least the City tried to work with the property owner before the City took their property away.
But would our 4% Mayor ever think like that? Hardly. Shame, guilt, empathy and remorse are simply beyond his abilities.
