Joe Coladarci, High Rock Lake
♦I just spent this fine Saturday morning with my fellow Republicans over at Ryan’s Steakhouse. I was happy to see some new faces in the group and somewhat surprised to see Salisbury’s Mayor. Two months ago we had one of the other council members, so I guess there is a city election coming up soon.
I am a conservative first, and by choice, and a Republican second. I have read the North Carolina Republican platform, and based on what I read I could be a Republican. Now, after reading it and looking at past primary candidates and some of our elected local and state officials, I wonder if they ever read it. For example, the Mayor’s position is “unaffiliated”, yet he still calls himself a Republican. He touts the success of Fibrant, a government utility, created by him and a former City Council in direct competition with no less than 5 private companies. He told us today that Fibrant has turned the corner and will be profitable by 2016. This rings as true as Vice-President Joe Biden announcing the “Recovery Summer of 2010.”
I watched TV the other day as Salisbury’s City Council congratulated itself as it made plans to build the Rowan-Salisbury School System a new Central Office building. Well, surprise, surprise, and surprise again. Under what authority does the failing City of Salisbury decide it can take on a project like that? A ”progressive” city government of 33,000 thinks it has the right to usurp the duly elected County Commissioners’ authority, that of 144,000 people. Talk about the tail wagging the dog.
Now let’s examine Salisbury “The Jewel of Rowan County”, our county seat. One of the main reasons it has not crumbled and blown away is that it is supported by the county government.
Fibrant has negative $75 million, bad service, outdated equipment, and outages many more times that of private companies. Maybe the Mayor and the City would like to start a City-Owned dry cleaner?
Crime. You have all read the statistics. The City of Salisbury is in the top 1/3 statewide for violent crime.
Our Historic Downtown
Today, the mayor talked briefly about new business. What about the constant parade of stores and eating establishments that have come and gone in his 15 year tenure? Has the space in Downtown turned over once or twice in the past 15 years, or has it been a constant parade of one failed business after another? Why do they fail? I hear stories of city inspectors holding up the renovation process. What should take 1 or 2 months takes 6 months and that eats away at a new business capital.
So, in conclusion, this open letter is to you and the other progressive Republican’s on the City Council. Clean up your own act before you try to usurp the responsibilities of our duly elected County Commissioners.
Respectfully,
Joe Coladarci
