From Rhino Times Reader “Term Limits.” (This was actually a comment on a story but I am running it in this space because it does raise an important question as to whether the incentives structure in the area has gone too far. After all, it is likely most of these companies would locate here anyway and, since those companies are expanding, it means it is money taken from strapped taxpayers and being given to prosporous companies. This also raises the question of whether rocket speed growth is always a good thing for a community.)
I have an idea, let’s prohibit anonymous corporations from receiving incentives. If a corporation wants to move here, make it known to the public. Maybe we don’t want the business in our county. We have a right to know who is taking our property tax money BEFORE it is given out. Why should the public’s water supply be threatened by growth that the government orchestrated?
In the past when a business was considering moving to a location, the considerations were taxes, transportation systems, a skilled workforce, and schools. Today NC cannot build highways fast enough and corporate taxes are low and going lower. More than 60% of the cost of roads is being paid for with federal dollars; NC could not build these huge concrete highways without federal money. These highways are creating rainwater runoff rather than the rain being absorbed by the ground. These highways benefit the local population very little. Yes, they shave off a few minutes, maybe, from a shopping trip. But the roads are being built for businesses and travelers passing through. Regarding skilled workers and schools, businesses are bringing in their own employees and using robots and AI to eliminate the need for local two-legged animals. So, what is the the benefit to having corporations that are paid with property tax money to move here? Ask the governor, the NC legislature, and Guilford County. What is the cost benefit analysis of the battery plant in Liberty, using the environment in the formula. I posit that the water problems are tied directly to the road building and the businesses moving here. This is something the government has direct control over but chooses to side with growth that will come back to bite the population on the butt.
Term Limits
Well this is what the transplanted majority keeps voting for so…. here we are. As usual.
There is a term for that, it starts with “f”.
I’m a transplant and I do not support incentives.
Tax incentives have never made sense, in doing so 100% of the infrastructure burden gets shifted to the taxpayer. Your article is spot on.
Roy Cooper’s “pay-to-play” accusations during the Atlantic Coast Pipeline negotiations, where it was alleged that he accepted $58 million for Pet projects in exchange for favorable decisions. The General Assembly ultimately redirected the disputed money to school districts in eight NC counties.
More than half of the firms that received state incentive awards through Cooper failed to deliver on their commitments. Out of 211,881 jobs promised, only 99,935 jobs were delivered.
Basically what Term Limits is saying is our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, people who are supposed to be acting for our benefit are acting for the benefit of these large corporations (not to mention certain people who will remain nameless) . They don’t seem to give a hoot in hell about those of us they appear to look upon as cash cows and annoying peasants.
As the old commercial goes, ‘you asked for it, you got it’.
Businesses like the battery plant generate jobs, but the also create new housing developments that increase traffic in the area. The city and county are doing nothing to increase the roads or manage traffic on the roads to handle all of the new housing complexes. I often sit at one specific intersection on Randleman Road in south Greensboro for 5 to 10 minutes waiting on multiple school buses to unload small school kids in to one new housing development. I don’t have a problem with the kids unloading, they are quite cute to watch and bring back memories of my kids. But the problem is all of the buses unload on Randleman Rd. There is a long road leading down to the housing complex, but the buses don’t use it. Therefore, traffic on Randleman Rd backs up for blocks in both directions.
This is an example of just one problem these new developments have caused. I can only image the traffic problems that are going to development when that new Amazon facility opens at the intersection of Elm St and Ritters Lake Rd is up and operating. The construction trucks are already a problem. In addition, the city and Duke Energy been blocking and closing lanes in from of the Food Lion on Randlemen Rd for more than a year, and there are no signs of anything changing. They just keep moving wires around. But, as I stated nothing is changing. I looks like they are going to widen the the road, but if should not take over a year to widen one block of roadway.
Sorry about the errors in my post.