None Of The Above

 Editorial

What would happen if everyone went to the polls this November and wrote in "none of the above" for every office in the land?

Many assume that those in power would remain in power but I don't think so. You see, the law in this nation requires that elected officials actually be elected but if everyone wrote in "none of the above" then none of the above would be sworn into office. You see, it's the law.

Yes, some of the above-- incumbents-- would claim the right to remain seated but their challengers would see none of the above as an obvious indication that we-the-voters wanted the incumbents out. And while that might not be 100% true, the challengers would use the vote to take the incumbents to court to challenge their standing.

At that point the courts would be forced to consider that because we voted for none of the above, that means neither incumbents or challengers would be allowed to hold office.

Here's where it starts to get sketchy. Because everyone or at least a majority voted for none of the above, the courts can't seat any of the above. Again, the law requires elected officials to be elected in most instances. How the courts would resolve the issue is beyond me but one thing that would be certain is the fact that the courts would be forced to recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters. And when the courts recognize that none of the above represent we-the-voters then all of the above would be forced to go looking for private sector jobs. You know, like most of we-the-voters are forced to do.

I'm not sure how it would all end but I'm not sure it would be all bad. Would government break down? What, it's not already broken down? Would the (insert hated political party here) not gain more control? You mean (insert hated political party here) isn't already in control? Would that turn us into Socialists? Would it turn us into Conservatives? Would activists judges take control? You mean they haven't already?

No, I don't know how it would all end but I do know one thing that would happen if a majority of we-the-voters were to write in, "none of the above" on our ballots come November: The Democratic and Republican Parties would both be forced to admit that neither side represents we-the-voters of the United States of America.

I'm casting my ballot for none of the above come November.

Soap Box

Letter to the Editor

By Laura Smith

i went to dinner with 5 friends tonight and 4 of us admitted to running out of money before the end of the month... but, that seems to be the norm these days instead of being exceptional.

we have lowered the standard of living and just surviving is what so many people are doing and it has to stop. we have to change something...

i did everything right, i went to school got a great job, had savings...

it isnt about "pulling yourself up by the boot straps" anymore.. good people, honest people have lost so much so recently.

i dont even want to talk politics, neither side has a feasible answer and they spend more money and time tearing down the other side so that no progress is made..

we have a system that is rigged and broken and the politicians aint about to fix that.. the people will have to do it by realizing we are all humans and will have to work together to build a better future for ourselves and our children.

if you are comfortable and happy... you are so lucky. i remember that feeling of security. it was fantastic. but you are in the minority.

this isnt the country it was made to be. and people have to open their eyes to see what it is becoming for so many displaced americans and work to change that.

struggling to survive.. is becoming the american way of life. that is no way to live... do something! before it gets any worse, as if it isnt bad already.

The writer lives in Greensboro.

When Local Media Fails

Editorial

When myself and others reported George Hartzman's blowing the whistle on Wells Fargo, it was assumed that bigger media outlets would soon pick up the story and run with it but as George points out, that hasn't been the case.

This, dear readers, is one of the reason the working class is loosing faith in media, banks and government. And in the end it will be one of the reasons publications and media outlets like the Greensboro News & Record, WFMY TV and other local media outlets go out of business or get swallowed up by bigger publications with even less interest in reporting the truth.

And if you don't believe me then read this.

Expand The Airport Where?

Letter To The Editor

By JM Wallace

I recently read of plans to expand Piedmont Triad International Airport. Being familiar with the area I find myself wondering where? With the airport bordered by West Market Street to the south, NC68 to the west, Bryan Blvd. to the north and I-73 to the east there's no place for PTI to grow. Are we going to move all those brand new limited access roads to make way for airport expansion?

Maybe they should just elevate the entire airport and let it cover the whole west side of Greensboro?


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The writer works in Uptown Greensboro.

Interesting Notes From The Tabb Study

The Tabb Study, aka, A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro raises a lot of interesting questions and a lot of facts the residents of west Greensboro most likely don't know or don't understand. Today I'm pointing those things out along with more than a few comments of my own.

...the residents of East Greensboro spend a disproportionate portion of their income."

The cost of feeding a well-to-do family is no higher than the cost to feed a poor family but when the poor are forced to buy from higher priced convenience stores-- many owned by the same few people-- or travel across town, then the cost to feed a poor family becomes higher than the cost of feeding better-off families.

Then there's the failure to take into account residents in Eastern Guilford County-- most more affluent than East Greensboro residents-- who travel outside of Guilford County to buy groceries and shop because other cities are closer than West Greensboro shopping centers. How many millions are being lost annually to other counties?

And might I remind more affluent Downtown residents who recently lobbied the City of Greensboro to help bring Deep Roots to Downtown that most East Greensboro residents live even farther away from grocery stores than Downtown residents.

"East Greensboro has experienced a considerably sharper economic decline than any other part of the City."

Remember: with economic decline comes increased crime and as crime increases on the east side it starts to spill over into more affluent areas of the city. Already, Downtown has a higher crime rate than most of the city including most of East Greensboro.

"The highest population density
Largest decrease in home ownership
Lowest residential rental rates"

For those of you West Greensboro residents who have long profited from the rental homes you own in East Greensboro, what does that say about the future of your business model? If I were you I'd be selling my East Greensboro properties. Only problem is: no one is buying in East Greensboro. Not even the slum lords. In one .03 of a mile radius in my East Greensboro neighborhood alone there are currently 40 empty single family homes plus apartments.

"11 of 16 public schools are in the process of working to improve their overall performance"

The same was true in the 1960s and early 70s when I was a student in East Greensboro. When I applied for college with my honor roll high school diploma in hand, I was told I would have to repeat high school before I could be accepted, as my East Greensboro High School was so poorly rated. And so it is, as school performance suffers the problems that plague East Greensboro grow and continue to spill over into the west. Is that something West Greensboro is prepared to face? And if so-- how?

On the office market:

"Vacancy rates, however, have grown steadily each of the past 10 quarters and remain above 14.5%. Given the size of the office market, this high vacancy translates into approximately 500,000 square feet of unoccupied space in the market, or 35 buildings based upon the market’s average building size of 14,660 square feet."

I can't help but wonder what that will do to office rental rates city wide.

On the industrial market:

"The Industrial market in Greensboro has experienced a steady and relatively large (10%) decrease in quoted rental rates since 2007. "

About those planned water and sewer extensions along the eastern and western county lines...

On the residential housing market:

"Avg Listing Price $236,776 Avg Sale Price $122,000"

That figure is city wide, people. You do the math. For some of you that means the value of your home may well be half of what you thought it was. If that's not enough motivation for you to seriously consider doing something about East Greensboro then you're probably beyond intellectual reach.

"One of the most difficult challenges the area faces is the large inventory of low and extremely low income housing. These communities of older housing stock have below market rents and offer a mixture of quality levels ranging from the poorly-kept, unsafe renter housing to high quality, market leading Hope VI communities. In order to see new multi-family housing successfully developed by market rate developers, pricing must increase and housing quality levels must improve across the entire Study Area."

Again, we're not talking about the value of my East Greensboro home-- it's already tanked lower than it was 20 years ago-- we're talking about retaining value in your west Greensboro home as the economic problems continue to spill over.

The eastern half of the City of Greensboro has a total of 8 shopping centers. Overall, Greensboro has 93 shopping centers.

"Only Wendover, Lawndale and Green Valley have higher actual sales than East Greensboro."

And to think, you're spending a fortune to keep your business in Downtown Greensboro...

"Transportation is a very interesting, yet well known issue for East Greensboro. While the area has good local road access, and should be the centerpiece of several attractive entrances into Greensboro, its connectivity through interstates and major roads is perhaps the worst in the City and effectively cuts off access to the entire eastern and northern part of the Greensboro."

Okay, here's where the study authors start to show their true colors. Up until now everything they've written is established fact but if anyone is hoping to use the study as an excuse to build bypasses around East Greensboro then you can bet they'll start quoting the line above. Well here's a little secret: you can travel twice as far in East Greensboro in half the time that it requires to navigate west Greensboro even though the population density of East Greensboro is higher than the west side.

"Ultimately, the goal is to see household incomes in the area grow to the point that there begins to be an increase in the projected Consumer Expenditures."

Hard to argue with that.

"New traffic patterns on the Murrow Boulevard edge of E. Market and Friendly Streets culminating in a new signature architectural roundabout and greenspace at the current site of the Exxon gas station. This traffic corridor needs to be upgraded to improve traffic flow in and out of Downtown. The current configuration has two one way streets that converge between S. Dudley St. and Murrow Blvd. This bottleneck creates a difficult island of retail/office and accentuates the divide created by Murrow Blvd between Downtown and the universities. By modifying this traffic pattern and creating a signature gateway into Downtown, we hope to bring life to both Downtown and the universities."

As I wrote before, "The study is pointing to a portion of East Market and East Friendly where the cement used in the most recent redesign of the "gateway" has hardly had time to dry." Seriously, you can see the hand of Mayor "Pave-it" Perkins and Jim "Bobblehead" Melvin all over this study.

"A new select service or boutique hotel on the current bus depot site and incorporated into the surrounding adaptive reuse projects located off of Murrow Blvd, along the Downtown side of E. Market Street. Our research with RLJ Lodging Trust indicated that Downtown is underserved by hotels, with the select service and boutique classes almost non-existent in the entire City. This planned redevelopment site is ideally located to take advantage of the Downtown CBD, the S. Elm Street retail and the proximity to the universities and proposed retail and performing arts venue."

As I also wrote before, "I was under the impression this study was about East Greensboro but the study is discussing areas (the Depot) that are clearly a part of Downtown Greensboro. I think we may now know the sudden interest in a part of the city that has been systematicly destroyed for the last 50 years. Remember: East Greensboro used to have all these things even before it was a part of the city." That's right, for those of you who might not know, East Greensboro had Greensboro's first fast food restaurants and big box retailers before the area was incorporated.

"A new mixed use retail and destination venue located on the site of the former post office, now controlled by the United House of Prayer would allow the area to receive much needed quality retail, while introducing a destination use that would be beneficial to the schools, the Church and the City. Today, only the Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Harrison Auditorium serve the assembly needs of the E. Market area. We recommend a joint study with the UHOP, the city, and the universities to identify an appropriate destination use that supports all of the major stakeholders."

Again, like I said before, "Actually, there are several privately owned venues in East Greensboro that are capable of meeting assembly needs and currently exist to offer such services-- two are located on East Wendover Ave. There are also multiple empty commercial buildings in the immediate area that could be retrofitted to meet such needs." For them the issue isn't East Greensboro but expansion of Downtown Greensboro.

"Facilitate an expansion of North East Plaza through the assemblage of adjacent property to add an additional anchor tenant.

2. Inquire as to the long term viability of Bob Dunn Hyundai, and a possible relocation West to the adjacent land between Bill Black Chevrolet.

3. Redevelop Bob Dunn Hyundai for a possible “Club” retailer such as Sams, BJ Wholesale, or Costco."

Me again, "There are literally thousands of acres available in East Greensboro for big box retailers that would not require the relocation of East Greensboro's only new car dealerships, Bob Dunn Hyundai and Bill Black Cadillac-Chevrolet." But if Bobby Dunn and Bill Black Jr. would like to relocate their businesses to another East Greensboro location then I'm all for using tax incentives to make it happen for them as both are second generation businesses with huge potentials for growth and long records of serving East Greensboro. To loose either to the west side of the city would be devastating to East Greensboro.

Like I wrote before, the hand of Greensboro's development crowd is written all over this study but facts are facts and dealing with these facts are 50 years overdue. All of Greensboro should be talking about redeveloping East Greensboro not from a developer's point of view but from the point of view that as homeowners you want to see your own investments to remain protected and your children's lives better than your own.

East Greensboro doesn't need 85 or so new shopping centers to bring us up to parity with the 85 shopping centers located in west Greensboro but the 8 somewhat empty shopping centers we have isn't enough. Smart business leaders should be looking hard at East Greensboro locations for their own businesses be it through locating your businesses in the hundreds of empty shops that already exist (the preferred way) or building new locations. And remember: every time a property goes empty in the east, the tax burden increases for the entire city.

East Greensboro doesn't need an urban loop-- that's for folks from out of town who don't plan to shop in East Greensboro. Nor do we need development along the east and west county lines as the writers of the A Strategic Plan for East Greensboro would have us believe. The residents of East Greensboro are the least likely to own cars-- we need jobs in East Greensboro. The development crowd will use this study to support the very same kinds of activities they've done for the last 50 years-- the very activities that destroyed East Greensboro in the first place.

Recognize the development crowd will use this study to spend millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars to fatten their own wallets. Don't let them. Things like a downtown performing arts center as recommended by the study authors were put there to appease the development crowd but jobs Downtown and along the county lines will be of little benefit to my neighborhood here in East Greensboro or the rest of Greensboro. But understand that if the rest of Greensboro doesn't soon step up to help the community that built this entire city... Well, don't come crying to me when East Greensboro's problems come back to bite your Downtown and west Greensboro butts.

If you'd like to read the study for yourself: Parts 1 and 2.

Comments are welcome and will be published. E-mail your comments to uptowngsonews@gmail.com with the words, "Interesting Notes From The Tabb Study" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Hemming In Cities Might Be The Best Thing That Could Happen

Editorial

State Senate leader Phil Berger wants to reign in North Carolina cities and their almost constant "need" to expand their borders. And with the help of the rest of the NC Senate, he's doing just that. The Senate even went so far as to overturn a number of annexations across the state taking land away from cities and making cities smaller.

As a self avowed liberal I find myself strangely in agreement with the conservative majority currently tooting their horns in Raleigh. Power hungry local politicians on the left and right have long used forced annexation as a means to make up for irresponsible spending. Rather than solve the problems created by urban sprawl and runaway development, they choose instead to increase urban sprawl and runaway development as bandaids for the problems they helped create.

The argument that cities provide the right environment for business won't wash. All one needs do is look at how Greensboro's Uptown has long been ignored and left to die while Greensboro's political elite expand our city's borders far into the county, stretching ever thinner the budget and resources the Uptown and much of the rest of the City of Greensboro, never gets enough of.

City leaders apparently needed to be reminded to tend to their own business rather than looking to spend Greensboro's money beyond our current borders in an effort to tend to someone else's business. Increased sprawl is simply unsustainable and it's time Greensboro-- a city that nears the top of the list when it comes to urban sprawl-- needs to come to grips with reality. We cannot afford to keep improving infrastructures beyond our borders.

If communities outside of our incorporated cities want to go it on their own then have at it. Let them hire their own police, build their own infrastructure and collect their own taxes. Why should Greensboro taxpayers subsidize the burbs and make it less expensive for people who work in the city to live outside the city? Let them take care of themselves so cities like Greensboro will be forced to look inward and concentrate on what needs to be taken care of so that the inner cities aren't laid to waste while the suburbs grow. Lot of cities around the world are landlocked and yet many of those cities continue to thrive. Why? Because it's the best thing that could happen.

Let's hope these new bills become law very soon.

Uptown Greensboro Performing Arts Center?

Editorial

The recent announcement by Walker Sanders that the Downtown Greensboro Performing Arts Center will suggest to City Council that a proposed November bond not be placed on the ballot was no surprise to me. I've known since day 1 that Greensboro voters have lost all trust for those downtown entities who lead our city. Nor was I surprised that COPs (Certificates of Participation) as a financing option, were not mentioned in the various articles in the Greensboro News & Record, 99 Blocks and the Triad Business Journal. But rest assured COPs will be brought into the conversation before the final GPAC2012 obituary is written.

But there is another way to bring a PAC to Greensboro.

In the very heart of the Uptown at the intersection of East Wendover and US 29 lies a long abandoned Bell South Telephone Company property. The address is 1026 Tucker St, it's over 2 acres in size and it has less than 1 minute access from US 29, East Wendover Avenue and East Bessemer Avenue. And with an appraised value of just over $200,000 is far less expensive than any Downtown location.

Picking the Uptown over Downtown has several other advantages for PAC supporters. For starters, there are far more voters living in the Uptown than downtown. If the real goal is to serve the most people then an area with more people might be better accepted by voters.

Yes, I know I talked and talked about the little green circle on Phillips Avenue but to those of you who accuse me of being unwilling and unable to accept compromise... You're bigger fools than I am. It's called poker and I know how to play the game.

If the goal is building a healthy local economy then Uptown with its lower income levels would be the perfect place to start. If you want to win voters then you must convince them there's something in it for them. Most Greensboro voters don't see a downtown performing arts center as having anything in it for them.

Jobs? Unemployment in the Uptown is far higher than downtown.

Public safety? According to the Greensboro Police Department there's twice as much crime Downtown than in the Uptown.

Space to build amenities and locations for new business? There is over twice the available space in the center of Uptown Greensboro as is available downtown.

So the question becomes: Is building a Greensboro Performing Arts Center about Greensboro-- all of Greensboro-- or is it just about a few wealthy elite who own property in Downtown Greensboro?

Mayor Attempts To Rob Taxpayers

Editoral

Greensboro's Mayor Robbie Perkins recently suggested the City of Greensboro use taxpayer monies to buy up foreclosed properties from banks then resale the property to... Well, nobody knows who? He says the City should buy larger parcels that are suitable for commercial development. His plan calls for a city wide property tax increase and the buying of land west of Piedmont Triad International Airport and in eastern Guilford county.

What the Mayor didn't make clear is that the properties he plans to buy are outside of the Greensboro City Limits-- far outside very near the Burlington and Kernersville City Limits. He also didn't mention the fact that as a commercial realtor and developer, he stands to make thousands of dollars if his plan is approved. He also didn't mention the $Millions of Dollars per mile the taxpayers will have to spend to pipe city water and sewer into his pet projects.

It's pretty easy to see through the Mayor's scheme. As the Piedmont's largest commercial realtor he profits when the city buys the foreclosed properties then profits again when Greensboro sells these same properties. Here at Uptown Greensboro News & Reviews we are all for economic development. That is: as long as that economic development is inside the current Greensboro City Limits and isn't designed to benefit only the wealthy.

Uptown Greensboro Deserves The Same

DGI (Downtown Greensboro Incorporated) touts their successes. It's time Uptown Greensboro had the same.