It's not to hard to see through Robbie Perkins' latest scheme from today's News & Record. The same man who as a city councilman helped to eliminate rules that would require landlords all over Greensboro properly maintain their rental properties now wants to force owners of downtown properties to meet minimum standards that have nothing to do with safety and relate only to appearances.
And if the owners refuse the City makes the repairs and bills the owners. And if the owners cannot pay the inflated City bills then the City confiscates the property and places it up for public auction where the only people who can afford to buy the newly restored properties are the already wealthy downtown developers with which Mayor Perkins already has a cozy relationship. This effort to beautify downtown Greensboro could be better served if the Greensboro City Council would look at the possibility of making loans available to property owners for the needed repairs. The properties and buildings themselves stand as collateral. The cost and risk to the City would be the same and the good will gesture would go a long ways towards solving issues between downtown property owners and the City of Greensboro.
Of course, Mayor Perkins knew that all along but that sort of approach doesn't put money in his and the pockets of those with who he prefers to do business. Why is the Mayor like that? Because he's one of the 4%.
