Orlando Magic, Tourism and Light Rail

[alysnwndrlnd]

Hi gang! It's been a while since i visited but am thinking about a summer dis trip, so i dropped in to lurk and listen to the latest podcast.
Wow!

Charlotte is so much like Orlando. Charlotte "powers that be" pushed through plans for tax funding our downtown Bobcats arena despite majority voting that said NO (it was voted down in city/county elections) at least twice. We really got reamed on that one. Now the Bobcats have to get semi-famous bands and musicians to perform concerts after the games to DRAW people to the games. ("Concert is free with your Bobcat ticket purchase") what a laugh riot.. well it would be if it weren't so sad.

We did "win" the light rail project funding, but I have to say.. it may have been a blessing for Orlando that we did. You see, Charlotte/Mecklenburg County has to put up so much money also to go with the awarded federal money... and guess what.... well I'll let you read this from a local journalist blog.

CATS [Charlotte Area Transit Authority] has suddenly figured out that the growth path for half-cent sales tax revenues will not be ever-upward. In fact, some $252m. less through 2018, or about $20m. less every year compared to the 2006 forecast. You remember that one, the numbers that Rob Tober defended and archly dismissed any questions about by declaring the forecast had been “scrutinized” by Bank of America and Wachovia. But that is just the beginning of this latest travesty.

Also recall that CATS’ 2030 plan intended that the half-cent would pay for $400m. worth of streetcars through the middle of the city. Last year that project was pulled out and fast-tracked by the city, which is rushing to cobble together some fantasy funding via property tax revenues from along the streetcar line. This means the 2030 plan today stands at least $652m. short of original projections, more once the cost of the Northeast line to UNCC is adjusted north of $1b. from $900m.

In other words, the transit plan which CATS, city and county government, the Charlotte Chamber, [UNC-Charlotte], and The Charlotte Observer stood shoulder-to-shoulder to defend during the half-cent repeal campaign barely 18-months ago is dead. In truth, the plan was always a shambling heap of lies, would always require more revenue that projected. But the economic contraction has stripped away the pretense. Reality always wins.

Now comes the part where the public will be told a different lie. That to failing to supply CATS with additional taxpayer revenue will jeopardize all the “progress” that has been made. How do I know that? Because the agit-prop has already started.

The original Uptown paper of record hed on this development was: CATS projects $252 million shortfall over 10 years. That was changed several hours later to: Charlotte’s tax shortfall could brake Lynx progress. Big difference in tone — and less accurate. The city of Charlotte does not generate the tax revenue, all of Mecklenburg County does. And the “progress” is a totally subjective bit of editorializing on the part of the headline writer. To top it all off, were we not repeatedly told for six months in 2007 that only a fraction of the half-cent money goes to build trains? That to repeal the half-cent would cripple the bus system up to and including possibly killing dialysis patients dependent on CATS? Now the headline writers at the Uptown paper are back to tying the taxpayer revenue directly to trains and “progress.”

Shameless. But not unexpected. They have no choice.

So you see, every town has their idiot politicians and self serving businessmen, who want things "for the good of the community". Thankfully, Orlando and the area down there have plenty of other strengths. Glad to hear that the area, so far, prospering despite the economy.

As mentioned earlier, I personally have a personal mini-stimulus package being planned to be delivered early summer in Orlando. HAHAHAHA.