In the comments, Attorney and co-founder of NoMegasiteHere.com Alan Ferguson, sums it all up when he writes:
"I can't help but note the irony of your story appearing in the same edition of the paper as a column by John Hood entitled, "Can't Blame Slow Economic Growth on the Politicians". He recited many of the factors he believes have held back our economy for many years now. Astoundingly, he then expressed his belief that even the Democrats were not to blame! Here is proof that everyone can learn. He didn't say so, but the corollary would have to be that even the Republicans, even now when they are in full control of State government, cannot reverse all of this.
As for the program, I cannot perceive of a change in public policy more likely to produce scandal and corruption. There is no part of this process to which the word "transparency" could be applied. "Transparency" has become a junk word that is used more to cut off public discourse and to hide facts from the public than to describe aspirations of public officials.
The entire public incentives business has been run for years on a need-to-know basis, with the public most definitely not included in the exchange of information except when it came time to pay. And all of this has been done under a cabinet secretary responsible only to an elected Governor. Now we are removing the process another step or two from elective oversight by making it private. Under this program, we will be paying what are really brokerage commissions to the beaters who will then go out and try to convince businesses to come to a state which already has the second best business climate in the country.
Human nature being what we all know it to be, I predict that you will have a number of colorful stories to report for a long time if we indeed create this private business brokerage. This program is designed for the expenditure of public money by groups operating in ever darker rooms, with the discussion of the ultimate recipients of that public money buried ever deeper in secrecy. We can all imagine what happens when a pile of money is put on a table in a room full of strangers, and then the door is closed and the lights turned out. That's our brave new economic development world.
And all of this is being done to climb from number two back to number one?"
I can't say for certain but I think Mr Ferguson agrees that economic development is not a race.
For reference: John Hood's article was also published in the Winston-Salem Journal with the title, John Hood says it's not just Obama's fault.
Previously: Alan Ferguson On North Carolina Politics.
