Another “green” scheme

Local politicians have bought into another central planning scheme under the “green” mantra. Wilmington Mayor Saffo and County Commissioner Ted Davis extoll the wonders of a “comprehensive greenway plan”—another strand in the web woven by multimodal spiders. (link)

The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization joins the East Coast Greenway Alliance to gin up local interest in an East Coast Greenway from Key West, Florida to Canada; “one of the most ambitious trail projects in American history.” (link)

You bet. And likely one of the most expensive—probably not justified for the small number of Americans who travel by foot or bicycle. (For those who paddle to Wal-Mart in canoes and kayaks there will be “blueways.”) In New Hanover County we have sections of a cross-county trail that cost at least $100,000 per mile to build, and likely will be very expensive to maintain.

Mike Kozlosky, Executive Director of the WMPO, is soliciting public comments on a questionnaire that I found stacked at Halyburton Park on 17th Street. Most of the questions ask how one would use a greenway; what type of trails and amenities are wanted (a dozen suggested); and where should the trails take users.

This is one of those projects that benefit a few people at large expense to many other nonusers. Further, it’s a publicly-funded luxury that isn’t a priority in our transportation needs. The money used for multimodal projects diverts funds from much more useful highways and bridges.

We just can’t afford these “green” feel-good projects. But they will be foisted on us by central planners and supported by feckless, irresponsible politicians pandering to small political interest-groups.

Wilmington: NO Sea Level Rise In Twenty Years!

Not covered by the press but available if anyone would look is the sea level monitor off the coast since 1934.  Just darn funny that the StarNews that wants more sea-level rise legislation will NOT run the story that there hasn’t been any in 20 years.

Here’s the image:

Roy Cordato over the Locke Foundation does an excellent job of really picking apart the silliness of the sea level alarmists.  Just a shame that folks rarely look at the data in their own back yard!

$42 Million is “Too High”???

The Mayor recently said that $42 million seemed “too high” with regards to citizen, but let’s not take his thought out of context:

(StarNews) To pay off the $42 million in debt, the city would need to initially increase the property tax rate by up to 3.5 cents per $100 of value, according to the resolution.

The Mayor also felt the previous deal that included funds from Flywheel/Trask was not good and the figure wasn’t anywhere near $42m.  It seems like every time the deal moves it becomes worse for taxpayers as the Mayor keeps pushing the ball stadium further along.  You can’t really have it both ways.  If it was a bad deal at $17 million or $25 million, certainly it’s FAR worse now.

BUT, NO print or televised media is discussing the TOTAL COST.  $42m, financed at 20-years, @4% interest = $61m,

Total cost at 30-years – $72m.  Where does the REST of the money come from???  The city is leaving out at least $21m, minimum!

And “evidence that publicly financed stadiums generate significant economic development is shaky. . . .” according to the Economist.  The city and StarNews have ignored ALL major studies showing that economic impacts barely exists and most of the time do not exist at all.

Insiders say the Wilmington deal is falling apart, but taxpayers are NOT comfortable with this loser.  No leadership has yet risen to the occasion to say this isn’t needed and isn’t a taxpayer priority.