Interesting column in Sunday's Watauga Democrat (not -- yet? -- on-line) by Donald Bolster, "chairman for the Watauga Country [sic] Republican Media Committee." Mr. Bolster declares in unmistakable terms that the local tea party's next target is Boone town government.There's much to chew on, but this is particularly noteworthy:
...Citing a loss to the town's tax base, council members routinely fight Appalachian State University's expansion efforts. Such actions show a lack of insight and understanding. The fact is, as the university grows, so does Boone's economy. If town leaders are truly interested in the tax base, they would work with, not against, the university...."
Taking time off, evidently, from blaming the "liberal" university for indoctrinating the minds of NC's young and from grumbling about the fact that those indoctrinated students are allowed to vote in Watauga County, the Watauga Country Republican Party now discovers that ASU is a poor, put-upon victim. That's situational ethics at its finest and most cynical.
1. "the town's tax base" -- Yes, every expansion of ASU means a loss to tax revenue, like the former Quality Inn property at the corner of Hwys 105 and 321. That's nothing to sneeze at.
2. "council members routinely fight Appalachian State University's expansion efforts." That's not true. What is true is that ASU -- until perhaps rather recently, following the flap over the location of the College of Education bldg. -- routinely ignored the town's development regs. and flagrantly violated them. Without breaking much of a sweat, I found five such instances of Civil Penalties accessed against ASU from 2003 - 2007 for breaking the law. The College of Education was another, separate case, and ASU agreed to changes in their building plans to get the required permitting.
3. "as the university grows, so does Boone's economy" -- I'll grant you that one, but you left off another key phrase: "and so does Boone's financial burden in police, fire protection, traffic, and a few dozen other expensive incidentals."
The Watauga Republicans' bleeding heart for poor ASU rings more opportunistic than true. If they were really all that concerned about the university, they might be raising holy hell with the Republican budget cuts coming to the institution from the General Assembly, or they might be defending its wind generation and alternative energy research from the attacks of the John Locke Foundation.
6 comments:
They don't need to defend wind technology from the John Locke Foundation. They need to defend it from view shed Nazi's like the Towns of Boone and Blowing Rock.
Steep slope and view shed were passed by a liberal Boone town council. Despite the public outcry that was against it.
Dear G.I.G.,
You got a firm grip on history there, fella.
After steep slope regs passed, the Templetons and their puppets ran candidates against those horrible "lib-ruls" and spent literally tens of thousands of dollars to unseat them, and what was the upshot? The Templetons lost their one sure vote on the council ... Whatisname Wilcox.
In fact, there have been two town elections since steep slope regs passed, and the hated, awful lib-ruls won both times.
"Public outcry" does not equal "majority of voters". First lesson of democracy.
The Tea Party has been plenty loud too but doesn't represent the majority of voters. I know you won't/can't accept that.
Oh, and glad to see the classiness of you right wingers on here ... making the "Nazi" charge. That's really really persuasive!
Henry, I do not try to speak for you please do not speak for me. IN what party you assume i am for. I claim no allegiance to either party. I vote who i feel does the job best.
I accept that the council voted in steep slope with out a public vote being made available, when one was being called for.I would have loved to have seen the outcome of a public vote on steep slope/view shed rather then the council getting to decide whats best for the property owners of Boone. After all it affected the value of the vast majority of property in Boone.
But the owners of that property were denied a voice in steep slope/view-shed. The property does not belong to the town council it belongs to the owners of the property.
Last election when the candidates were asked which ones would overturn the steep slope ordinance, every single one said "no."
Anon there is no reason for them to overturn it now. They have their office and they have said what property owners can do with the land that the property owners have. They know whats best for you of course.
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