A proposal to name North Carolina’s state cat was purring toward passage. But the measure designating the bobcat as the state feline became entwined in controversy after basketball legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan began a dogged campaign to stop it, with the help of the NBA, Carolina Journal has learned. House Bill 74,...
On July 22, the day after the National Basketball Association announced it would remove Charlotte as the host for its 2017 All-Star Game, the NCAA revealed a plan requiring all future host sites for NCAA-sponsored intercollegiate athletics to verify whether they are subject to “bathroom laws” that allegedly discriminate against transgendered people. The NCAA Board...
RALEIGH — The real estate investments in North Carolina’s pension fund lost about a third of their value last year; this was the worst loss among the categories of investments in the fund’s portfolio. Because information about specific real estate investments is not considered a public record, it’s impossible to know which investments brought down the pension fund’s value.
The mayor of Raleigh apparently sees this as a success story to be emulated, rather than as a debacle that continues to embarrass and anger Charlotte taxpayers.
It has not been a good summer for government-subsidized sports stadium deals in North Carolina. Two expensive, high profile stadiums have disappointed, one slowly and subtly, one loudly and obviously.
For their deceptive and harmful misuse of language, I’m not going to rake politicians and news organizations over the coals.
CHARLOTTE — In the last six years, Charlotte and other nearby local governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in sports and recreation-based economic development projects. Far from being a slam-dunk, the projects have badly underperformed versus expectations.
Politicians and the media aren’t straightforward. Time to restate some lexicographical parameters and reaffirm the propriety of parsimonious pellucidity.
Susan Burgess is currently serving her second term on the Charlotte City Council. As a Council member, Burgess has worked to balance the budget and preserve services without raising taxes. Charlotte's explosive growth has contributed to many problems for the city, including transportation and business growth. From the standpoint of transportation, Burgess is wary of mass transit's approach to traffic congestion. As business continues to grow, Burgess fears that the use of incentives will erode the public's faith in local government.
Charlotte, like many other American cities, will soon see a new sports arena completed. But the Carolina Bobcats project is distinctive -- and not in a good way.
North Carolina's most populous county is also the most-taxed among urban communities in the state. Now local officials are talking about raising taxes for schools — and funding new ballparks and museums. Talk about irony.
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