Ellie Kinnaird: The Republicans’ war on cities

[G_j]

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2014/07/04/3983442/ellie-kinnaird-the-republcans.html

Ellie Kinnaird: The Republicans’ war on cities
BY ELLIE KINNAIRD
July 4, 2014


We’ve heard of the Republicans’ “War On Women,” “War On the Poor,” “War On the Unemployed,” the Uninsured. But not much has been said about the “War on Cities,” which is really a “War on Local Government” waged by the North Carolina Republican legislature.

It started three years ago when a legislator from Henderson County decided it was time to take over Asheville’s billion dollar water system. He decided to create an authority with equal power in Asheville, Buncombe County and parts of Henderson County, so he ran a bill to force it, including a legislative study commission on which there was little representation from Asheville. He hadn’t asked the Asheville City Council if they wanted to give up their Asheville water system that was paid for and maintained by the water users in Asheville and for which they had issued bonds. Or the people of Asheville that owned the system. The Asheville water system had sold water to surrounding counties since its inception and, it was agreed, had done a good job.

Having accomplished that, the next year the Republican legislature, stripped Asheville of its airport. Not content with that, they decided to take over the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and take it away from the city of Charlotte.

High on those victories (which are still in the courts, wasting taxpayers’ money), they went after Guildford County where they redistricted the county commissioners, again without asking Guildford County if they wanted to be redistricted which it distinctly did not. Then they went after Wake County Schools by rewriting the districts, again against the wishes of the school board.

So why stop there? Freshman Republicans forced the Sanford City Council and school boards which had been non-partisan, to switch to partisan elections, again without a request or permission from those jurisdictions or voters. In fact, a Republican school board member came to the legislature to plead them to not turn a harmonious, effective non-partisan board partisan. She was so angry that she actually changed her party affiliation.

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[randys1]

1. When will people wake up, dear god

[barbtries]

2. good question.

and i do not know the answer.