Guarino

Break 10 Days

I will be taking a break for about 10 days.  Things are piling up.  Will be commenting on other blogs during that time.  See you later.

Landfill Closure: Ten Years

No, I am not talking about White Street.

Once again, I am speaking about what was the largest landfill in the country.  It handled all of the New York City's trash for the better part of a half-century.  (New York has roughly 28 times the population of Greensboro).

I found another video that illustrates the magnitude of the problem that existed there.  Yet, here in Greensboro, we adopted a solution similar to that adopted in New York-- shipping trash elsewhere at great cost.

My two cousins-- Guy and Susan Molinari-- are featured in the video.  Giuliani and Pataki also make appearances.  Jim Molinaro (no relation) is the current Borough President of Staten Island.  (Jimmy was the administrative assistant in charge of Guy's congressional district office during the 1980's-- so he used to be my boss at that time when I worked there.  In addition, he has been a high-ranking officer in New York State's Conservative Party):

Guy and Susan make some statements regarding alleged health effects with which I disagree.  But otherwise, it is clear how the problem we had in Greensboro was so much smaller than that which existed on Staten Island.

Clubbing in Greensboro

John Hammer has a fascinating story about the proposal to regulate nightclubs in the city of Greensboro.  It appears that one particular local politician might be backtracking after having initially been the primary mover of this proposal.

Hammer thinks the proposal as it is currently written will kill the local nightclub industry. 

Governmental regulation tends to create barriers to entry for new businesses; and tends to create certain advantages for larger entities.  Bigger businesses can often more easily absorb the costs and meet the administrative challenges associated with complying with a given set of regulations.

As a conservative Christian, I could care less whether we have even one nightclub in Greensboro.  It would not bother me to see all of them close.  I viewed with skeptical detachment all the celebration in some quarters over the fact that the clubs had resuscitated downtown.  Former Mayor Holliday, if I remember correctly, was among those enthusiastic about the downtown nightclub scene.  It is unsurprising where this ultimately led.

The small-government conservative, however, cannot help but be offended by a municipality's excessive intrusion into the affairs of a private industry; and by the spectre of targeting that industry with excessive costs.

Let's see how far we backtrack. 

Public Broadcasting

JLF Medicaid Solutions

The John Locke Foundation weighs in with respect to proposing solutions for North Carolina's enormous Medicaid problem.  It recommends:

• Changes to funding of long-term care
• Reducing optional services covered
• Changing to a system of federal block grants

Joe Coletti explains:

Public Education vs. Catholic Church

We saw yesterday a story that seems to follow a pattern-- high school teacher, male or female, accused of sex with a student.  There have been so many stories such as this in recent years that it is impossible to keep count.

The Catholic Church took a major public relations hit because of the phenomenon of male priests having homosexual contact with minors in their charge.  But I suspect if you looked, in aggregate, at sexual offenses in the field of public education, the dimensions of that problem might be much greater. 

Of course, it is not reported or regarded as a major indictment of the field of public education.  It is not regarded as a systemic problem within that discipline.  Yes, there are numerous school systems involved nationwide, and that tends to dilute those who would make across-the-board accusations.  But there is no question there is still a double standard. 

Robbie Perkins Watch: Requiring We Pay 3-4 Times More for Trash

We learned this week the per-ton costs associated with continuing to ship our trash to Montgomery county versus the per-ton costs associated with restoring full use of the White Street Landfill.  The implications of the data are that we would be paying 3-4 times more if we continue on our present path.

That is apparently what Councilman Robbie Perkins wants.  It is also what T. Diane Bellamy-Small, Yvonne Johnson, Keith Holliday and Goldie Wells have wanted-- to use taxpayers' money to pay 3-4 times more. 

But one of the key determinants of how this issue will be handled is the position to be taken by Councilman Zack Matheny-- whatever that turns out to be.  It will be interesting to see whether the "conservative coalition" unites behind the best proposal for the taxpayers. 

Train Tracks

A couple of readers enrich the dialogue regarding the federal stimulus money that will give us "high speed rail" in North Carolina.

GH advises that the $461 million project will reduce the travel time from Charlotte to Raleigh by a grand total of 13 minutes.

And my friend Fred Gregory demonstrates his esteem for trains by passing along some photos of the scenic Durango-Silverton railroad in Colorado.  I do not know which will be faster-- Obama's North Carolina rail renovations, now the object of some celebration locally, or the scenic line on which Fred is depicted:

(click to enlarge)

 
 

What is Obama Doing?

Some of us have concerns about how Obama has gotten us militarily involved in Libya; and how it contrasts with the manner in which he campaigned for the White House.

John Kass, the Chicago columnist who had the opportunity to observe the president as he rose through the ranks in Illinois, made the following remarks about Obama's politics of artifice and illusion:

When the president returns to the U.S. on Wednesday, and if his teleprompter is working, he'll put on a blue suit and a red tie and a white shirt and look quite presidential.

He'll speak forcefully. He'll speak reasonably. He will appear to the world like a leader.

And he won't look anything like the back bencher in the Illinois Legislature who never confronted power and spent his entire career accommodating the bosses so he could climb the political ladder. He won't look anything like that fellow who voted "present" time after time after time.

Instead, he'll look the picture of clarity.

Best White Street Landfill Proposal to Save Taxpayers $7.6 Million per Year?

The Greensboro City Council now has at its fingertips the proposals for trash disposal.  Here is a summary. 

We are currently paying approximately $46.00 per ton to dispose of our waste in Montgomery County.  At 230,000 tons per year of trash generated-- the number used in the bids-- this would amount to $10.6 million per year.

The lowest bid came from Advanced Disposal.  Their price was $10.88 per ton to dispose of our trash at the White Street Landfill.  They would essentially hire and employ nearly all of the city's sanitation employees; and would manage the entire process from collection to landfilling.  This would amount to a total of $2.5 million per year in expense.

That means city taxpayers would be saving $8.1 million per year to allow Advanced Disposal to take care of our trash at White Street.  If you adjust for the $2.00 per ton tax that has to be paid to the state, the savings would be $7.6 million per year.

The next bid (Waste Industries at $15.00 per ton) would also incorporate the costs of closing phase 3 and the opening of phase 4 at the landfill.  The third entity (Gate City at $22.00 per ton) would perhaps incorporate technology at some point.

In any event, the savings to taxpayers associated with using the White Street Landfill once again would be dramatic.  And the savings likely would be higher than the numbers quoted in the News and Record this morning.  The headline said, "Landfill savings could top $5 million".

All the members of the city council have a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers.  They have a responsibility to act as good stewards of taxpayers' dollars.  The fact is that we are now paying approximately 3-4 times more to dispose of our trash in Montgomery County than the low bidder would charge to dispose of our trash at White Street.  That is awful stewardship.

The City Council needs to bring this process to a close, and do the right thing for taxpayers. 

North Carolina Trains and Economic Growth

The announcement yesterday by the state that we will be getting $461 million in stimulus funds to speed up the trains running between Charlotte and Raleigh has been greeted with some enthusiasm.  Dave Ribar cites the 4,800 jobs associated with the project and the faster, more reliable train service we will enjoy.   He also bemoans legislation submitted by two Republicans to derail the project.

Here are some pertinent questions:

1. How much faster will the train ride be between Charlotte and Raleigh?

2. How many more people will use the train as a result of these improvements?

3.  What will be the average duration of those 4,800 jobs?  Are they temporary jobs or permanent jobs? 

Brian Balfour over at Civitas reminds us of the economic fallacy that stimulus spending spurs economic growth.  He says the legislation submitted by the two Republicans is justified because North Carolina taxpayers will be left holding the bag when cost overruns begin to mount.  He says other states have refused federal monies intended for high-speed rail.  (But this project, of course, is not really high-speed).  In addition, he indicates North Carolina cities are not sufficiently dense to take maximal advantage of rail. 

There is ample reason to be skeptical about this proposal.  Rail continues to compete in the United States with the automobile and the bus.  This project will not alter the playing field with respect to that competition in a major way within our state unless the economics and convenience associated with using motor vehicles deteriorates rapidly compared with the economics and convenience associated with taking trains. 

Huckabee's "A Simple Government"

I read Mike Huckabee's "A Simple Government" this weekend.  As we consider the various potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, it is useful to see where they stand on the issues.

Overall, I liked the messages in the book.  He embraces all three kinds of conservatism-- fiscal, social and national security.  He makes some specific suggestions to begin to tackle the entitlement debt time bomb.  He uses many anecdotes and illustrations to drive home his points.  This is not great literature, but it is a useful look into what a potential candidate is thinking.

I know there are some reservations about Huckabee in certain quarters.  We shall see how the whole process plays out-- and even if he is going to run.

Here are a couple of my favorite passages from the book:

What happens in our day to the traditional family will determine whether we remain a morally healthy nation of self-reliant families, for the most part, or degenerate into a decadent welfare state of shattered, chaotic and dependent families...

I'd say that representation without taxation is as threatening to our national character as taxation without representation.  Those who don't pay taxes-- that is, who are not pulling their weight in the community-- have no real reason not to vote for more and more governmental services.

"Longevity Pay"

Common Sense on Broadband

Hieb:

(Councilman Danny) Thompson steadfastly maintains government should not be involved in the broadband business. “If government needs to prevent monopolies, the answer is not to become a player itself,” Thompson said.

Thompson may be verbalizing common sense; but that is not necessarily a majority perspective on the Greensboro City Council. 

Is Governor Perdue's Veto Strategy a Mistake?

Governor Beverly Perdue has delivered two high-profile vetoes-- to support Obamacare and to protect corporate incentives.  Bills to exempt North Carolinians from Obamacare, and to make budget cuts for the current cycle, were respectively being considered.

John Hood argues this is a bad political strategy for Perdue.  He says it will alienate swing voters.  And Jack Betts indicates Perdue is in trouble for 2012.

It appears she might want to reconsider her veto strategy as the state legislature produces additional pieces of legislation.  She needs to move away from partisanship, and do what is best for the future of the state of North Carolina.

Pawlenty Announcement #1

Tim Pawlenty Exploratory Committee for President of the United States Visual Announcement from Tim Pawlenty on Vimeo.

Rand Paul: Pro-Choice

Check out how Senator Rand Paul confronts this lady from the Obama administration: (HT: Wendell)

City Council Switcheroo

What's up with this?

Hammer:

(A) motion to table the motion to officially cancel the extra early voting places failed on a 5-to 4 vote, with Vaughan voting with Perkins and the Perkinettes, and the conservative coalition holding together.

But then something strange happened. Matheny changed his tune.

Matheny started talking about how he needed more information. He didn't know how many voting machines were going to be in the Blue Room in the Old Guilford County Court House – the one early voting site – or how the room would be set up, questions that are the concern of the Guilford County Board of Elections, not the City Council.

The much-ballyhooed "conservative coalition" on the City Council is very fragile.  The broadband vote is another example.  And I wonder if we are now going to see the council add dramatically to the costs and regulations facing nightclubs, now that the police chief is behind it.   

 

PARTing with More of Your Money

Sam Hieb has been keeping us posted on the PART proposal to raise the vehicle registration tax fee in Guilford County by $3 to subsidize its activities.  And as he pointed out this morning, even the N&R editorialized skeptically regarding this proposal, even though the beneficiary is mass transit.

The county commissioners might be considering this matter soon.  Many mass transit advocates likely fear that usage will be impacted if operations are not heavily subsidized, and if riders have to pay their own way.  One of their ploys is to get drivers to subsidize mass transportation.  I recall that clearly from my years growing up in New York, where bridge toll revenues have been used to subsidize mass transit heavily. 

I suspect PART will see its ridership increase with higher gas prices.  But ultimately, we need to understand that any subsidy is unacceptable, and that riders must pay their own way.  Otherwise, this is just another income redistribution scheme.  Yes, I understand some routes may not be viable if riders have to pay their own way, but that is a market signal that should not be obscured.