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Please let your Greensboro City Council Member know that the you don't approve of the additional overlay restrictions that are being proposed for the Central Business District without the consent of a majority of the property owners and business owners. This is only for Downtown. It is unfair, unless it is applied to all areas of the city. And, not many of us want that.
DGI and others have prepared a 103-page document on design and other building restrictions for the CB. It is another instance of unfair treatment of the businesses operating downtown, especially small independent merchants and property owners.
Recently, the City Council approved selling a public parking lot to a developer who will put up a building that is out of character with the area. Plus, they gave him several perks and incentives that the rest of us didn't get when we moved into downtown and contributed to its revitalization.
This is not the first time that city property has been sold underhandedly to a developer without knowledge of the public and without an open bid process.
We, the people, can change the way business-as-usual is done in Greensboro. It might be too late for this stupid project; but, we should know what is happening in downtown and in other areas of the city that is unfair and sometimes illegal.
When one of our current city council members said that the businesses downtown want free parking and everyone else has to provide parking for their customers, she was wrong. She apparently didn't know that every bit of property in the Central Business District pays an additional 5% tax which is supposed to be used to help the downtown businesses. So, we do pay for parking and other amenities. (UPDATE: I was informed last night by a reliable source that the extra downtown tax is actually 9%)
And, downtown property owners are not the only ones being treated unfairly. It happens too often in all areas of the city.
Downtown needs your help. If you love downtown and you want open, fair government in Greensboro, do something. Find out what your present council person is doing and what his/her opponent in the next election plans to do. Go to forums, meetings, read the blogs and the news papers. And then, vote for a better Greensboro government.
Thank you.
Money, Power, Control
. . .
There are a few major ways to control people - Fear, Brutality, Religion and by Controlling Resources. In more civilized societies, the controlling force is the Power of Money.
I have been saying for years that one of the major problems in the US AND PROBABLY IN THE WORLD is that fewer and fewer people are controlling more and more of the wealth (money).
These big banks that we are told are too big to fail are really too big to succeed.
I was beginning to think that I was the only person in the world who thinks this is true. Then I read a comment in News-Record columnist Doug Clark's blog, Off the Record.
In the comment section, Steve Harrison suggested that the government should be breaking up the merged mega banks instead of forcing them together.
I agree.
Banks that loan money and insurance companies that insure those loans and advisors who determine the collateral value and evaluate risks associated with the loans should not be owned (controlled) by the same mega company. And, one bank operating under several names is still one company.
Competition is the hallmark of capitalism; but when capitalism gets in the way of doing the right thing and private enterprise, with the help of government, becomes government, something is wrong.
There are a few major ways to control people - Fear, Brutality, Religion and by Controlling Resources. In more civilized societies, the controlling force is the Power of Money.
I have been saying for years that one of the major problems in the US AND PROBABLY IN THE WORLD is that fewer and fewer people are controlling more and more of the wealth (money).
These big banks that we are told are too big to fail are really too big to succeed.
I was beginning to think that I was the only person in the world who thinks this is true. Then I read a comment in News-Record columnist Doug Clark's blog, Off the Record.
In the comment section, Steve Harrison suggested that the government should be breaking up the merged mega banks instead of forcing them together.
I agree.
Banks that loan money and insurance companies that insure those loans and advisors who determine the collateral value and evaluate risks associated with the loans should not be owned (controlled) by the same mega company. And, one bank operating under several names is still one company.
Competition is the hallmark of capitalism; but when capitalism gets in the way of doing the right thing and private enterprise, with the help of government, becomes government, something is wrong.
Mountain Top Update
. . .
This is from Representative Pricey Harrison today:
Mountain Top Removal
"House Bill 340*, the bill I introduced to prohibit the use of mountain top removed coal in North Carolina power plants, was heard in the House Environment committee this week. NC is the second largest US consumer of mountain top removed coal, a barbaric practice that has lead to the destruction of more than 500 of the oldest mountains on the planet, burned and poisoned more than 1200 miles of streams, contaminated drinking water wells and caused other health problems for neighbors of the mines, and laid waste to dozens of Appalachian communities. The room was packed with coal and utility lobbyists. It was clear that they had effectively convinced members of the committee that increases in energy costs for consumers would ensue from a conversion from such coal, although the allegations were unsubstantiated. In fact, it may have an impact of about fifty cents ($.50) on a monthly homeowners’ power bill. We did not take a vote on the bill this week. Appalachian Voices, who has been working on this issue at the national and regional level and helping me with bill, and I are contemplating how to proceed."
This is from Representative Pricey Harrison today:
Mountain Top Removal
"House Bill 340*, the bill I introduced to prohibit the use of mountain top removed coal in North Carolina power plants, was heard in the House Environment committee this week. NC is the second largest US consumer of mountain top removed coal, a barbaric practice that has lead to the destruction of more than 500 of the oldest mountains on the planet, burned and poisoned more than 1200 miles of streams, contaminated drinking water wells and caused other health problems for neighbors of the mines, and laid waste to dozens of Appalachian communities. The room was packed with coal and utility lobbyists. It was clear that they had effectively convinced members of the committee that increases in energy costs for consumers would ensue from a conversion from such coal, although the allegations were unsubstantiated. In fact, it may have an impact of about fifty cents ($.50) on a monthly homeowners’ power bill. We did not take a vote on the bill this week. Appalachian Voices, who has been working on this issue at the national and regional level and helping me with bill, and I are contemplating how to proceed."
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