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So, either the four municipal bodies that voted for a resolution to strip Charlotte of it's authority over the airport are very brave (after all why did they need to have a vote to begin with) or very stupid if they thought they could do so without discussing it with the City AND not have it affect regional cooperation.
In other words, work to take our airport control away, don't expect us to be very excited about your little by-pass projects.
The regional transportation commission (formally MUMPO) is weighted by population. In other words, Charlotte is the 600lb gorilla.
"The implied threat Monday from Charlotte City Council members, to withdraw support for the proposed Monroe Bypass, is more fallout from an increasingly fractious local political battle over control of Charlotte’s airport. And now, that battle might be putting at risk some long-nurtured regional cooperation."
Now, since having the votes at say the county level of these other governments probably didn't sway much, I think it would have been better for them to sit down and shut up.
Surely, no politician is stupid enough not to see POLITICS in their decisions but also not stupid enough to pick a fight with the City. Either way, someone is either willing to risk a lot in order to stand up to the humongous issue of an airport in tremendous disarray (sarcasm) or they didn't think very much at all when it came to fixing something not broken.
The fact of the matter is that every time Charlotte wages a war against its neighbors and the state gets called in to fix it, Charlotte loses big time. If CLT starts these kinds of wars, guess where these other places are headed? Charlotte has 0 power against the state. It's time they figure this out.
I've said before the current city council and Mayor are collectively are the worst at running this city that I can ever remember. The decisions are reckless, petty, juvenile and they continue to damage their larger reputation in this state which is something that is not good for Charlotte.
The fact of the matter is that every time Charlotte wages a war against its neighbors and the state gets called in to fix it, Charlotte loses big time. If CLT starts these kinds of wars, guess where these other places are headed? Charlotte has 0 power against the state. It's time they figure this out.
I've said before the current city council and Mayor are collectively are the worst at running this city that I can ever remember. The decisions are reckless, petty, juvenile and they continue to damage their larger reputation in this state which is something that is not good for Charlotte.
I'm trying to recall which battle Charlotte has "lost big time" because of THE STATE.
The fact of the matter is that every time Charlotte wages a war against its neighbors and the state gets called in to fix it, Charlotte loses big time. If CLT starts these kinds of wars, guess where these other places are headed? Charlotte has 0 power against the state. It's time they figure this out.
I've said before the current city council and Mayor are collectively are the worst at running this city that I can ever remember. The decisions are reckless, petty, juvenile and they continue to damage their larger reputation in this state which is something that is not good for Charlotte.
Wages or starts? Or do you mean something besides the airport authority? Surely the four counties didn't pass resolutions to take away airport control in retaliation for CMPD taking over policing.
As for the council, the mayor and Dulin are out though I think I'll miss the latter.
Charlotte is not waging war. Charlotte is being attacked by spiteful Bob Ruccho and his cronies. The only reason he's given for an airport authority is that the city "maybe" won't be able to handle the airport in the future. Bob Ruccho has a personal, hidden agenda that he's been able to successfully hide. He's powerful enough in the legislature to pull the sheep behind him.
In the original plan, the authority would also take over other municipal airports in Lincoln, Iredell, and Union Counties. But once Ruccho's bullies assured the surrounding counties that they would be able to keep control over their own airports yet share control over Charlotte's airport, they agreed to support the takeover. The counties that voted in support of the regional authority truly are hypocrites!
Charlotte is not waging war. Charlotte is being attacked by spiteful Bob Ruccho and his cronies. The only reason he's given for an airport authority is that the city "maybe" won't be able to handle the airport in the future. Bob Ruccho has a personal, hidden agenda that he's been able to successfully hide. He's powerful enough in the legislature to pull the sheep behind him.
In the original plan, the authority would also take over other municipal airports in Lincoln, Iredell, and Union Counties. But once Ruccho's bullies assured the surrounding counties that they would be able to keep control over their own airports yet share control over Charlotte's airport, they agreed to support the takeover. The counties that voted in support of the regional authority truly are hypocrites!
I'm trying to recall which battle Charlotte has "lost big time" because of THE STATE.
One I remember very well involves the Mecklenburg county food & beverage tax. Charlotte & the 6 towns petitioned the NC state government to allow this tax as it would allow construction & support of the Charlotte Convention Center and thus be good for the entire county. Once the tax was approved, the towns discovered that CLT took used the tax money being collected for the Convention Center to back new debt that was then being used to pay for other CLT only projects. The towns objected, CLT said too bad. The towns went back to the state and asked to keep their share of the tax since CLT wasn't working with them. CLT protested, State said CLT, you lose and gave the tax control back to the towns.
Another that I'm familiar with involves the "sphere of influence" agreement between the towns & CLT. This agreement involves annexation of the county by the 7 municipalities. Richard Vinroot as Mayor tried to have the agreement tossed as he claimed that when the agreement was made CLT (1960s) was a much smaller place. He was especially appalled that Huntersville, Cornelius, & Davidson controlled ~1/5 of all the county's land. State basically told CLT "go pound dirt".
When a small town or one of the other counties goes to the state to claim they are being "bullied" by the 600 lb gorilla (OP's description), it gets a very sympathetic ear.
Thus, IMO, when CLT goes to the state against the municipalities, it loses. I blame the city council and especially the Mayor(s) present & past, for being too insular and not attempting to engage the state more on better terms.
I've said before the current city council and Mayor are collectively are the worst at running this city that I can ever remember. The decisions are reckless, petty, juvenile and they continue to damage their larger reputation in this state which is something that is not good for Charlotte.
I agree. I do not want idiots running anything that has a huge affect on our economy, security or health. That means that the mayor and his council need to control something they can handle which even excludes themselves. Send the to Washington and and let them be with others with the same intellectual capabilities. They could build a one way trolley to D.C.
This hasn't been my favorite mayor/council... but I fail to see where they've demonstrated gross incompetence. Folks love the drama of hyperbole, don't they...
If the street cars is your answer to that question, don't bother. The only existing street car rail in the ground was constructed years ago and no one gave it a second thought. On any normal year the street car initiative gets passed without a second thought. Normal years will be a few more years away though, thanks to the tea party's new focus on class warfare.
I've said before the current city council and Mayor are collectively are the worst at running this city that I can ever remember. The decisions are reckless, petty, juvenile and they continue to damage their larger reputation in this state which is something that is not good for Charlotte.
I agree 100%
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