On the light rail subject, couldn't we have a referendum on the subject? Oh yeah, I forgot. In Charlotte, they do what they want after we have referendums.
Posted on 07/02/2004 3:31:41 AM PDT by Huber
ALLIES.........And The Misinformed
I apologize to my vast e-mail audience for misstating the operational cost of our cute little uptown trolley in last week's e-mail. New figures from the city reveal the cost will be $1.1 million per year, not $750,000. With ridership projections remaining at 100,000, the cost per ride is now projected to be $11.00! The rider will pay $1.00----you, the taxpayer will pay $10.00! Here's a very real example of how it will work: a rider from the uptown area, who chooses to have lunch in the Southend, will pay $1.00 each way and you will subsidize the lunch to the tune of $20.00, $10.00 each way. Hopefully, included, will be the cost of the security guard, who stops cars at each of the ten road crossings and the two convention center workers, who close doors to keep visitors from walking across the tracks and then open garage-type doors allowing the trolley to pass through the building! Clang, clang, clang goes the trolley----cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching goes the taxpayers' cash register! Wachovia Bank economist Mark Vitner, speaking at the Piedmont Club meeting this week, was asked about Charlotte's high taxes and the proposed light rail system. He said our high taxes and fees were a concern, resulting in the flight of citizens to surrounding counties and business location and re-location just outside Mecklenburg County. He also said that a good trolley system in and around the city would be a much better solution to our transit problems, with the savings spent on other transit solutions, such as busses and roads. But don't tell this to our Mayor and especially Councilman Pat Mumford, who accused the transit experts at last week's John Locke Foundation Town Hall meeting of distorting the facts on light rail. Give Pat Mumford credit----at least he attended and listened. Invitations were extended to all elected officials, top city and county bureaucrats and CATS officials. As far as I know, no one from the city staff or CATS attended the meeting. The only response from CATS was an accusation that John Locke illegally used the transit system name(logotype), in its invitation. The main message at the Town Hall meeting was a warning to go slowly------that there was a pattern characteristic of all light rail systems-----ridership is greatly overestimated and cost vastly underestimated! We have already seen this in Charlotte. Wachovia's Mark Vitner also said this: "There is a great misunderstanding about mass transit systems----never has one been built that reduced congestion or pollution." As I'm writing this e-mail, I'm listening to Mayor McCrory hosting the Jason Lewis show on WBT, with CATS czar Ron Tober as his guest. The Mayor is saying that he didn't attend the John Locke Transit Conference because Locke was not willing to work with him on an acceptable date. Tober says his department was not invited. Both men are not being truthful. The date and time for the meeting was changed at least two times to accommodate the Mayor's schedule. We finally picked a time that he agreed upon, then later cancelled, too late to change the meeting. As for Tober, his office received an invitation and Councilmember Don Lochman personally asked City Manager Pam Syfert to send staff members, including CATS and Tober, to the meeting. The Mayor, while criticizing those of us who question this light rail boondoogle, just stated that to pave our way out of congestion would require widening Providences Road threatening churches and homes along the way. This of course is the big scare, big lie technique that he and transit advocates used to sell the public on the half cent sales tax. Will the Mayor please explain how light rail will affect Providence Road, since there won't be a light rail line within miles?? The Mayor and Tober have mislead the public on costs, on ridership, and effects on pollution and congestion. Both refused to attend a transit forum featuring experts who have studied mass transit and light rail.....and who have the facts to show the false assumptions in Charlotte's 6 billion dollar plan......McCrory should be thrown out of office and Tober, along with the city manager should be fired!
Can you believe the city's contract with the Bobcats includes a provision that any money saved from the $200 million arena budget will be spent on equipment for the Bobcats? Instead of trying to save and build under budget, city engineer Jim Schumacher states that he will invest "as close to the $200 million as I can!" Incredible as it may seem, there is no incentive to protect the taxpayer by saving money that could be used for roads, potholes and police. Instead, you'll be asked to approve a $130 million plus bond issue in November, $101,800,000 of which is Street Bonds. Thanks Mayor----give the Bobcats $300 million and give the taxpayer a $130 million debt! As terms of the contract with the Bobcats continue to be revealed, we see a complete give-a-way by our bureaucrats, approved by our Mayor and Council. There is still, at least, one piece missing and I have asked for the details: WHAT IS OUR CONTRACT WITH THE BOBCATS REGARDING USE OF THE TYVOLA ARENA for the coming year. Will have this information next week and am willing to bet right now, that it's another loss to the taxpayers.
Ten year old Samantha Forlenza, participating in the Junior Achievement and Kids Voting "If I were the Mayor challenge", told Mayor McCrory that we should scrap the light rail and build more sidewalks and streetlights. With a little help from her mother, Julie, Samantha did the research and arrived at her platform----very smart mother, very smart daughter! Samantha has the makings of a great Mayor. Keep a good record Samantha, because there's a very good chance you'll be running against Mayor McCrory unless his job search is more successful!
Pay attention folks! The election of county commissioners is just around the corner. One thing you can always count on is that Democrats love to spend your money and raise your taxes. At a recent westside breakfast, three Democrat at-large candidates, Parks Helms, Wilhelmenia Rembert and Jennifer Roberts, ALL said they would consider a payroll tax as an alternative to raising property taxes. Please notice that not raising taxes is not an option for them. As commission chairman, Parks Helms raised taxes and fees to the point that Mecklenburg is tops in the state, sending people and businesses out of Mecklenburg County. A payroll tax would mean huge job losses for Mecklenburg. The three of them also favor giving taxing authority to the school board, another idea that would bring additional tax increases to our citizens.....and to top off their breakfast meeting, they pander to the predominately black audience by stating their support for holding a conference to address reparations for slavery and its legacy. These three are a threat to our freedom in Mecklenburg and we should listen to Parks when he told the audience "don't elect me if you don't elect the other two." I agree....don't elect any of them!
If you favor less spending, lower taxes and greater fiscal responsibility, there is one very key race in the Republican primary for county commission.......Carla Dupuy vs. Dan Bishop in District 6. Dan is a young attorney, family man, conservative, protege of long time Republican leader Bob Bradshaw. Dan has been active in Republican politics, working in several campaigns and understands the proper role of government. Carla, a very fine lady, also has been active in Republican politics and was former chairman of the County Commission. Carla, as former chairman of the county commission does have a record on taxes. Here it is: 1. 1986 Voted to raise property taxes by 1 3/4 cents, which included $536,000 for a new baseball stadium 2. 1987 Voted to raise property taxes by 1/2 cent and did not adjust for revaluation, meaning a big tax increase for most homeowners. The vote was 4 to 3, with Carla voting with the Democrats. 3. 1988 Voted to raise property taxes by 3.8 cents, the biggest jump since 1981, again voting with the Democrats 4. 1989 Voted to raise property taxes by 3.3 cents, a 4 to 3 vote, Carla voting with the Democrats 5. 1990 Voted to raise property taxes by 4 3/4 cents
All the above information from Charlotte Observer news stories.
Also, a look at a recent fund raising invitation gives further incite into Carla's political philosophy and our expectations. Among the sponsors are at least three Democrats, African-American Pastor George Battle, developer Peter Pappas, and former city councilmember Cyndi Patterson. Other sponsors include former First Union exec John Georgius. former mayor Ken Harris, Art Fields of Duke Energy subsidiary company, Chuck Grace former Chamber of Commerce executive, and Mark Erwin, appointed by Bill Clinton as ambassador to the Seychelles (sp.?) If you connect all the dots, it's easy to conclude that a vote for Carla will mean higher taxes and support for all the uptown toys, including the big art budget. Yes, Carla is a fine person but her record shows her as a RINO. Republican in Name Only! Since District 5 is a guaranteed Republican District, the primary on July 20 will decide who represents you on the county commission. More taxes---big government: Vote Carla Dupuy; Responsible spending----lower taxes: Vote Dan Bishop
The more I read, the more I realize that the banks are very similar to our Water-Sewer Department: If rains too little our rates increase.....and if it rains too much our rates increase. Today's article in the Observer on the Federal Reserve interest rate increase states, "Banks reaped huge earnings in the past few years when interest rates were low. But now(the banks), say they're poised to profit if the Federal Reserve begins boosting rates." Wow, what a great business. I'm beginning to understand why the big banks find ways to make large contributions to BOTH political parties! Ah! But what about the consumers? Let 'em eat cake!
Please ping others in NC. Thanks. Also, for those in Mecklenburg, the Dan Bishop race is shaping up as critical to maintaining some level of sanity in our county government, as reportedly his opponent makes RINO Tom Cox look like (the old*) Jesse Helms in comparison!
*NCSteve, Please note the qualification.
I just got thru viewing Lilek's short photo essay and commentary about the new trolley in Minneapolis. Charlotte residents can take comfort in the knowledge that Minnesotans are being fleeced to a degree that makes CATS look like a gift.
Check it out:
http://www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/04/0704/train/2.html
We're having this light rail boondoogle shoved down our throats here too. It's for the common good, don't ya know? Hey where have I heard that one before?
Luckily we have a local conservative talk show host that is keeping this front and center on the agenda and providing truth to the media lies about it. I don't think for a second this will help though. The crooked, head in the sand, politicians want this SO bad they can taste it, they don't want to be confronted with the facts.
Study: Regional rail to struggle in Triangle
The policy study the Reason Foundation referenced in the above article is VERY eye opening. Past Performance vs. Future Hopes: Will Urban Rail Improve Mobility in North Carolina?
MKM
I cannot for the life of me figure out how this light rail is suppose to help the traffic in Raleigh, unless I am suppose to pick you up on my way to the station over on Millbrook, thus taking one car off the road!
As bad as it might - seem Charlotte still is far ahead of many other cities. If you compare the cost of living in Charlotte with cities like Boston or SF it's half! Charlotte looks pretty good!
Did y'all see the "Observer" yesterday? (Our houseguests bought one at the Bi-Lo.) One of the articles was about a child who won an essay contest, "If you were the Mayor ...". Her theme was that she would use the light rail millions to make road improvements!
Glad I moved from Charlotte to Union Cty. Tooooo high of property taxes
This "head-in-the-sand" behavior has to make you wonder what personal gain Tober and McCrory are achieving by sticking to "The Plan".
Are senior officials being paid off, in some way, by mass transit equipment companies?
Surely you realize that this was only a temporary fix? Mecklenburg WILL find a way to get y'all involved in paying for their boondoggles.
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Her parents must be conservatives. Smart girl!
MKM
Boston, SF and NYC are water-locked; that automatically increases the cost of living. The cost of living in those cities is radically affected by the level of property taxation. Charlotte will very rapidly catch up over the next thirty years as the bills for all this railroad-stadium extravagance come due.
Our biggest threat, though, to our reasonable way of life, is the influx of northerners who move south for the lower costs of living, then happily--and stupidly--support all the tax increases with their "it's still cheaper than Philly" mentalities. They never understood corruption--and the dimension of the destruction wrought throughout their northeastern cities by a lack of accountability or zero-based budgeting--while they lived there, and they probably never will.
They simply move to a lower cost area when they can no longer stand it, and they become the "nouveau" sheep in their adopted cities. Furthermore, by following the "it's for the children" political leaders--who care only for their own families' appointments to high-paying positions in various non-profit corporations--they drive the cost of living through the roof and create more "smart growth" designed, inner-city, living hells. (After all, they are the experts at rounding up the poor and cramming them into projects and ghettoes, are they not?)
Thank G_d they are all coming down here and showing us how it's done.
< /rant
Must be.
Since the Reason Foundation came out with their study, our powers that be have quieted down about all of the things like less pollution, will help traffic etc etc. Now they are coming right out and saying "It's a new social program for the poor".
Absolutely shameless!
MKM
In some of their minds, mass trans has always been a social program for the poor. They know that "welfare" doesn't sell to the voters, so they've stayed mum up until now.
The fact that they have finally admitted it in your area bodes well for future conservative candidates; wish we could get the RINO's and libs here to come clean.
If it's truly a welfare transport system, it will look a lot in the future, like Winston-Salem's system does now.
All routes and schedules in W-S favor the poorest parts of town and there are very few usable routes for mid-income commuters or teenagers; which means everyone has to take their cars to work and school; which clogs up the roads, makes the potholes, ties up the buses, increases cries for public transportation,...
Oh-oh. Hate to tell you. Here's another northerner moving down to Charlotte - part time at least. It is such a beautiful city! I agree - too many northerners moving there.
Dan Bishop is running for Mecklenburg County Commissioner in a safe Republican district. His opponent is a big spending RINO being sponsored by the establishment. If Dan loses, the best case scenario is the balance of the county commision tipping toward the big spenders, with 4 Republicans, 4 Democrats and 1 big spending RINO (Carla Dupuy)!
On the light rail subject, couldn't we have a referendum on the subject? Oh yeah, I forgot. In Charlotte, they do what they want after we have referendums.
Referenda are used by Charlotte/Mecklenburg officials to determine how much they will need to raise taxes to increase marketing, promotion, nepotism and political favors to either sway public opinon or to simply ram-rod support of their pet projects.
Sabates sues for $400,000 loss in fire
Charlotte Business Journal - by Erik Spanberg Senior staff writer
Nearly two years after a fire destroyed the almost-completed Quail Hollow mansion of Felix Sabates, the Charlotte businessman is still trying to recoup his losses through a legal battle with Potter Builders Inc. and Kemper Insurance Cos.
Soon after an arsonist destroyed Sabates' 10,000-square-foot home at 7430 Baltusrol Lane in July 2002, Potter Builders, through its insurer, Kemper, paid Sabates $1.3 million, plus $55,000 for debris removal and other costs.
Since then, Sabates, a minority investor in the Charlotte Bobcats and a longtime NASCAR team owner, has been seeking reimbursement for additional losses related to the fire.
His lawsuit over the losses, now totaling more than $400,000, is expected to go to trial May 10.
"I've never been sued and I've never sued anyone in my life," Sabates says. "But I'm out several hundred thousand dollars and I want my money back."
Potter Builders, in turn, has sued Kemper Insurance. Attorneys for Kemper and Potter say settlement discussions are ongoing.
The house was 30 days from completion when it was destroyed. All of the parties agree it was worth more than the $1.3 million awarded so far.
The insurance policy was for $2 million -- and the dispute between Potter Builders and Kemper arose over policy language.
Last month, Potter won a judgment making Kemper responsible for paying additional damages, if any are awarded at trial. The insurer's attorney says Kemper is considering an appeal of that judgment.
Potter is seeking $922,074 from Kemper and may also seek a bad-faith judgment that would triple the amount awarded. The $922,074 includes $400,012 for Sabates, plus 8% interest for both parties dating from September 2002, says Dan Bishop, the attorney representing Potter.
Sabates isn't interested in determining whether the problem rests with the home builder or the insurance company.
"(The builder) says it's the insurance company's fault and they say it's his," Sabates says. "I'm the one that's squeezed in the middle."
The destruction of Sabates' mansion is among at least 12 suspected arson cases involving expensive homes in Mecklenburg and Union counties during the past three years. The fire at the Sabates house started inside and spread to the attic and roof before neighbors noticed the blaze and called the fire department.
The case remains unsolved.
The lot on Baltusrol Lane overlooks the Quail Hollow Club golf course in south Charlotte.
As the court date looms, Sabates continues rebuilding work. He has hired Peter Anderes of Anderes Custom Homes, and reconstruction is under way.
Potter Builders isn't involved in the project, which now features a brick and precast stone exterior.
The house is expected to be completed next year.
Elizabeth Clarke, counsel for Kemper Insurance, says the dispute boils down to policy language and provisions. In addition, she says Potter Builders' contract failed to include Felix and Carolyn Sabates on the insurance policy.
"This case is about getting the proper coverage paid by Kemper," says Bishop, who represents Donald C. Potter III, owner of Potter Builders. "The Sabateses brought their case, and we brought additional claims, in order to get the proper insurance paid."
There is a possibility the dispute will be settled before it reaches trial. A March court date was rescheduled for May in hopes that an agreement could be reached.
Now, Potter's attorney says, talks hinge on the insurance company.
"It's entirely up to Kemper whether we go to trial," Bishop says. "We've already won a ruling that Potter is entitled to more coverage, so the only question is quantifying the damages."
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