http://billjames.org/ListBuilder/listbuilder-email-7-19-2006%20-%20GOP%20COPS.htm

Democrats favor political patronage rejects GOP compromise proposal

Observer editorial tacitly backs suburban discrimination

Well..........where to begin.

First of all the County Commission meeting last night lasted until 11:55PM and the issue of the night was the question of "COPS" (Certificate of Participation) funding for Schools.

First a little history. Last spring, the elected GOP on the County Commission and School Board presented a proposal for COPS funding designed to address CMS' HIGHEST PRIORITY short-term needs.

Over the last ten years the County has issued about $1.9 billion in bonds and most ($1.5 billion) has been spent on the inner-city and renovations of those schools.

"Suburbia" voted for those bond packages contrary to racial assertions by Commissioner Norman Mitchell that suburbanites were only out for themselves.  Commissioner Mitchell also asserted that the "public" voted no last year and should therefore get nothing.

During this period, suburban schools have become crowded and filled with trailers. The Democrats last year figured that rejecting a GOP COPS package in 2005 didn't matter because the ballot initiative of $427 they proposed would pass.  After all, it was "mostly" for suburbia they mused. They were wrong, misjudged public anger and the bonds were defeated by 57%.  They figured that a "mostly" suburban package that also contained the typical Democrat patronage and spoils allocations would pass.

During last years debate the Democrats rejected using COPS and swore that if the bonds failed they would never vote for COPS funding for the remainder of their term. Last night, two D's held to that position (Rembert and Mitchell) while three Democrats 'catfished' and reversed course supporting a COPS proposal developed by a committee chaired by Gov. Martin.

The Martin committee (like all appointed committee's) did good work but they are not perfect and mistakes and political pandering became a part of the $172 million package. The Martin proposal did not arrive from Mt. Olympus and it was not carved in stone by God.

During the committee debate over the last 6 months CMS provided a clear prioritization list of what was most important. On that list, two inner-city schools (Harding and Idlewild) were MOVED UP on the list (above CMS' assessments) by the committee and given FULL funding at the expense of HIGHER PRIORITY suburban schools. There was no clear justification for raising Harding and Idlewild above some 9 other suburban schools but the "powers that be" insisted that it was a "compromise".

It is political pandering and a spoils system. It is business as usual.

This sort of approach has become standard operating procedure in Charlotte where the Democrats hand out projects in the inner-city to keep constituents happy. The effect of this political spoils system is to benefit Democrat constituencies (namely urban black groups) at the expense of suburban school projects.

Like most things in Charlotte, the public was expected to accept half a loaf and smile about the both the unfair process that created such spoils and to wink at the resources squandered on lower priority urban projects just to "keep everyone happy".

No one seemed the least concerned about keeping the parents and children at those suburban higher priority schools that were dropped from the COPS package  "happy".

In the midst of all of this the GOP (Commissioners Puckett, Bishop and myself) asked the Democrats to consider some small changes that would allow planning for Harding and Idlewild to remain in the package while adding suburban schools that were "dissed" (to borrow an urban term) by the committee for patronage reasons. We (the GOP) wanted to add in planning for Long Creek and South Mecklenburg both of which were classified by CMS has higher priority needs.

The Democrats however would have none of it. Two of the six Democrats refused to support any package. One was absent and three insisted that no relief be allowed for these higher priority suburban/rural schools. The Democrats were fractured and incoherent.

Over the years, the County has received a variety of reports from "bond committees". In most every case, the decisions made by the County Commission change the committee proposal. That is what political bodies do. In this case, the Democrats were asked repeatedly by the GOP to consider a compromise to make the plan more affordable and to correct what was clearly a slap in the face to suburban voters (the leap frogging over of higher priority suburban needs to placate certain inner-city leaders).

They refused and the plan went down to defeat.

The GOP have said that they have placed that revised COPS package on the August agenda for a vote again.

We will see if political patronage and a spoils system are more important than compromise. Perhaps after 4 weeks of thought, cooler heads on the Democrat side of the isle will prevail.