Some of the N&R bond endorsements (and lack of same) were stunning. Some were unsurprising. In the “I can’t believe they didn’t endorse” department we have the Greensboro Historical Museum and the War Memorial Baseball Stadium. Talk about obliterating history in one fell swoop! What do they say about people who fail to learn from history?
Although I never expected the N&R to understand the importance of the Swim Center, I do take issue with their failure to recognize the economic impact of sports venues. Their “con” reason they cite? It’s not “needed.” They list only 3 advantages that the swim center would provide and missed the most important one. Bryan Park, a soccer facility in Greensboro, was also a want and not a need, but behind Furniture Market, it’s the largest tourism dollar generator in Greensboro.
Let’s repeat that: Bryan Park brings in more tourism dollars than anything else in Greensboro, except Furniture Market. It is not, as the N&R writes, a luxury. It’s an investment in the economy, in jobs for tourist-related businesses, store owners, hotel owners (remember, we want one downtown), restaurants, and new businesses that will spring up around it (as they have around the downtown baseball stadium). The failure to endorse the Swim Center is perhaps the most short-sighted negative endorsement made by the N&R.
Sue, Help me out here….”Bryan Park brings in more tourism dollars than anything else in Greensboro” ???? More than the coloseum ?? More than the Koury Convention Ctr? More than the 4 Seasons Mall … How can that be ??
Even more than a county commissioner’s meeting (oh yea that’s free on public access TV) !
Seriously, I didn’t know that, Please explain that to me ?? !!
Without taking a position on the merits of any bond proposal, I would simply point out that substantial private money (particularly from the namesake family) went into Bryan Park in addition to the city’s investment.
Sure, a lot of Bryan money did, but the result was something that makes economic sense. Is your position that economic development is the responsibility of private foundations alone? I put a little more of the chore on the people who live here and work here.
Sue’s opinion: It’s time for us to see an example, learn from it and make it our city’s responsibility to promote Greensboro as an economically vibrant town with family-friendly things to do and events to both compete in and watch.
No, my point is simply that a comparison of the swim center to Bryan Park is complicated by the fact that Bryan Park was the product of private AS WELL AS public money. Who, if anyone, is ponying up private money for the swim center?
I’m generally skeptical of using public money for projects whose benefits go primarily to the private sector, infrastructure improvements aside. But I look at things on a case-by-case basis, assuming there’s a credible cost-benefit analysis to be had.
My point is that Greensboro cannot keep hoping that private foundations will build what should be lesser-private, higher-public partnerships and that there will be a time that the city will have to take over a bigger portion of what used to be privately paid-for venues (like Bryan Park, like the stadium downtown). People who live in a city and want to use a venue or want the $$ generated from a venue may have to pay for that venue.
“I’m generally skeptical of using public money for projects whose benefits go primarily to the private sector,”
Really? Isn’t that what economic development is all about? And what about those pesky taxes people pay for services at the publicly-paid-for venues?
Oooh, yeah! This is my favorite topic … public money for private institutions (usually sports stadiums, but brought to you today by the proposed Greensboro Swim Center).
This is one of the issues that I’ve actually convinced Sue (mom? I dunno, that’s what I call her) to come over to my side on. Back when the Coliseum expansion was up for debate, the hot topic was that the Coliseum itself, if built with public funds, would only benefit private businesses and wouldn’t make the city any money.
(Sort of what we seem to be saying about the swim center)
To that, my answer is … well, duh. Isn’t that the point of a municipality? To provide for the public good?
No city-financed private institution is ever going to directly monetarily beneift the municipality.
Didn’t, of course, stop the city of Greensboro from throwing all sorts of tax-breaks and financial assistance to Fed Ex to bring a hub there. And guess what that is … it’s public money used to help a private institution that will then create jobs and help improve the municipality.
That’s the view that helps a city grow. The vision to build a Bryan Park (even if it did have private assistance), which is one of the finest soccer centers in the Southeast, is the kind of thing that forward-thinking leaders figure out how to get done because it raises the visibility, and most importantly, the coffers of businesses in the city. Then they hire more employees to deal with demand. New businesses show up around to support the new demand. More jobs.
Kids play soccer. They’re going to go somewhere to play those games. Luckily, because of some very bright people, our friends from Pinehurst are the ones driving to Greensboro to play soccer games and not to Raleigh or Charlotte … because the good tournaments come to the best location. They’re the ones staying in hotels, eating food and spending money at businesses (usually Wal-Mart, but whatcha gonna do?) that never would have happened without a hub.
This swim center will get built somewhere. And when there are tournaments (meets? what do they call swim tournaments?) going on that attract top talent from all over the southeast, do you want them all going to Winston Salem or Raleigh? Or do you want them coming to Greensboro?
And that’s what a city government’s for. The City should get this done.
I told you all: I love my kids more every day.
(But we do not shop at Walmart, sweet thang… maybe MoJo does.)
“I’m generally skeptical of using public money for projects whose benefits go primarily to the private sector,�///Really? Isn’t that what economic development is all about?
Yeah, really, for two reasons. One, the benefits of a strong infrastructure are more widely distributed and therefore serve a greater public purpose, and, two, both the federal and state constitutions forbid appropriating public money for private benefit. Congress has long ignored the federal Constitution on this issue, and in the Maroney case the N.C. Supreme Court ignored the plain meaning of the state Constitution in ruling incentives constitutional, but the fact remains.