Just what Greensboro needs, alright

I’ve read this post several times and I really can’t tell if I’m pretty sure I’m starting to believe I’m almost positive the N&R’s Doug Clark is being sarcastic when he says Greensboro needs “a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled, domed football stadium added to its existing facilities — the Coliseum and the coming-soon Aquatic Center.”

I’ll go ahead and give Clark the benefit of the doubt, because surely an editor for the watchdog local daily would never believe that G’boro’s city government (that’s who would build it, you know) could competently tackle such a project when they’re having so much trouble with a swimming pool, for heaven’s sake. Then again, maybe I’m assuming too much.

Interesting that Clark cites Ford Field as a prime example. Guess he knows its predecessor the Silverdome —- built for $56 million a mere 30 years ago—- just sold for a paltry $600k?

Tom Keith’s last day

Today is controversial Forsyth County District Attorney Tom Keith’s last day in the job. The Winston-Salem Journal editorializes on the controversy hanging over Keith’s retirement —his battle with District Court Judge Laurie Hutchins over a questionable reduced speeding ticket charge.

The Journal notes that Keith was also involved in a questionable speeding ticket charge when he approved a dismissal of a charge of speeding 92 mph in a 65-mph zone against then-state legislator Walter Church Sr. That said, the Journal also said it looks forward to Hutchins’ explanation for the reduced charge.

Also note that the Journal renews its call for Forsyth County commissioners to take Dell’s $7.9 million repayment and re-invest it in economic development, since a reduction in the property tax rate would be “negligible.”

News flash: Confusion surrounds aquatic center funding

I’ve been beating myself up lately for the initial confusion over additional funding for Greensboro’s new aquatic center, which the outgoing City Council will more than likely approve at a special meeting right before the new council is sworn in on Tuesday.

I don’t feel so bad now:

Just the notice of the special meeting caused a stir amongst old and new councilmembers because it is enormously confusing, and there was an even more confusing revised notice sent out on Monday, Nov. 23. The revised notice added verbiage about the $6.875 million that made it sound like the money was coming from the parks and recreation bonds. However, Young explained that was not the case. But the notice also included language that made it sound like the entrance to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Hall of Champions was going to be built with the aquatic center money.

(City Manager Rashad) Young said that was also incorrect, although he agreed the sentence was confusing. He said the same contractor would be building the entrance to the ACC Hall for about $900,000, but that would be paid for with the state funding already allocated for the ACC Hall.

Both old and new councilmembers are confused by the whole deal, which is understandable considering it was put together since the last meeting on Nov. 17.

Coliseum director Matt Brown tells the N&R that “his earlier estimates did not reflect the reality of what it would cost to build a competitive facility with all the required elements.” Imagine that.

Ken Green battles back

NYT profile of professional golfer Ken Green, who lost his leg in an RV accident back in June. Green was the 1989 Greater Greensboro Open winner and his girlfriend Jeannie Hodgin, who was killed in the accident along with Green’s brother Billy, was a G’boro native:

Every morning in the mirror, Green sees the scars on his head and under his eye staring back at him. Sharp bolts of pain shoot through the stump of his right leg. These are reminders of where he has been and how far he has to go if he is to succeed in his quest of returning to the Champions Tour.

…“I don’t know why I didn’t die,” Green said, scratching the dog’s head. “And I haven’t asked the questions, ‘Why didn’t I die, and they all died?’ I lost my three best friends in the world. I’m not happy about anything that happened. But it happened, and I have to accept that and make things better. Obviously, I’d much rather have my friends back. And my leg. But I have a choice, and maybe I’ll do something good.”

Green adds that on the day of the accident he told his brother and his girlfriend that he’d finally rid himself of the demons that left had him divorced twice and broke.

Update: The other accident, considerably less tragic but more mysterious. What’s Tiger trying to hide?

Wake up, Ms. Campbell

Since local blogger Roch 101 enjoys fact-checking N&R letters to the editor, he should have a field day with this howler from Siler City reader Sandi Campbell, which appears under the headline ‘Years of cutting taxes have hobbled California’:

California is a microcosm of what 30 years of relentless tax-cutting brings. Thirty years ago it had the nation’s No. 1 public school system. Now, it is near No. 48.

Its public college system was top-tier. Thousands of innovative, high-paying jobs in aerospace, computers and engineering were created there because they knew how to invest in their people. Now they’re cutting classes and staff and raising tuition for in-state students.

How many potential engineers, scientists and innovators will not be educated because of the short-sightedness of those who don’t understand that the “free market” isn’t free? Human capital is not just a wasted expense.

We blame “government interference” for our plight. But regulations and programs to help the poor and working classes better their lot are not the problem.

The fact is there simply aren’t enough taxes to cover the California’s runaway spending, especially on entitlements and support for illegal immigrants. What’s really sad is several other states have the same problem, and the federal government is quickly following suit.

Hope and pray for the LandMark Inn

Maybe I’m missing something, but when talking about the third shooting victim in the past five weeks at the Landmark Inn on Elm-Eugene and I-40, Greensboro Police Chief Tim Bellamy sounded like he just doesn’t know what to do. I don’t discount the power of prayer, but hearing the police chief say we “just pray and hope nobody else loses their life” at what he describes as the “the No. 1 spot for homicides in the city” doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Even though occupants are — as Bellamy put it —-”are leaving and coming back with drugs and prostitution,” adding –no kidding —–”lot of the problems are happening in the rooms, so it’s hard to make an arrest.” If police know this is going on, then why is it hard to make an arrest?

As I said earlier —- new mayor, new city manager, new police chief…… Even better—- the N&R is going to start demanding full disclosure!

Triad Watch out front on Berger audit

Triad Watch breaks the story on the State Board of Elections’ audit of Sen. Phil Berger’s campaign finance reports; the N&R follows up.

America needs better sheeple

Appearing in today’s N&R, Thomas Friedman offers up his definition of ‘better citizens,’ which he said America desperately need right now:

The standard answer is that we need better leaders. The real answer is that we need better citizens. We need citizens who will convey to their leaders that they are ready to sacrifice, even pay higher taxes, and will not punish politicians who ask them to do the hard things. Otherwise, folks, we’re in trouble. A great power that can only produce suboptimal responses to its biggest challenges will, in time, fade from being a great power — no matter how much imagination it generates.

Ah yes, a rehash of the old Joe Biden argument that it’s patriotic to pay taxes. Is this the best Friedman can do?

The joke here is that the politicians force higher taxes on citizens whether or not they have permission. Just wait until they pass government health care.

Tom Keith: Controversial to the end

No doubt you’ve heard by now that controversial Forsyth County District Attorney Tom Keith is retiring next week. The Winston-Salem Journal bids him adieu, saying Keith “can be, by turns, charmingly open and frustratingly stubborn.” The Journal also believes Keith should have recognized that the Daryl Hunt case had been bungled by his predecessor and that he also needed to show a little more enthusiasm for Silk Plant Forest case, where Calvin Smith still sits in prison for the brutal beating of Jill Marker.

It should be little surprise then that Keith is in the news again, asking a judge in Forsyth Superior Court to appeal a decision made by District Court Judge Laurie Hutchins that reduced speeding charges on a driver going 122 mph on Interstate 40.

Hutchins fired back, however, comparing Keith to disgraced former prosecutor Mike Nifong.

Gov’t definition of ‘tweaking’

Let’s just start with the notion that Greensboro planning director Dick Hails’ assertion that the city’s proposed 500-page land development ordinance is just a minor tweak to zoning regulations is crazy and go from there.

Interesting that concerns have been expressed that the “new rules would limit or eliminate new gated communities.” Right off the bat, I’d say that sets up more territory for the city to annex, since gated communities generally have the means to pay for their own roads, water and sewer, not to mention legal counsel to fight annexation in court.