B. Honeycutt, 152-Rowan County
♦ Ed McMahon had all the talking points down of those in Salisbury who want to inflict their vision on the rest of the county and take our money along with it. Was there divide and conquer methods used in this forum? Looked like it. At my table all they talked about Salisbury agendas like Fibrant, the new Salisbury panhandler park, bike paths and thread trails. Anything remotely county never got into the conversation. The table’s leader steered things to Salisbury desires. This Salisbury forum avoided anything to do with the actual betterment of the county. The people at the tables were picking and choosing for the county. They had a preconceived agenda that was easy to see through. Anyone can see where this shebang was going.
McMahon, the main speaker, has a track record of a “city only” promoter whose articles and books focus on making counties into rec areas and green spaces for the pleasure of urban dwellers. In McMahon’s vision the city retains the lion’s share of economic growth, jobs, and buildings of substance while those vassals in the county fork over for the city’s “master Plan”. Perhaps some in the county will have low paying jobs in Salisbury’s motels and restaurants.
One thing stood out loud and clear, the Salisbury people seem to ignore the bad conditions their city is in and it is real bad believe me. A quarter of Salisbury is impoverished. 68% percent of the public school kids are on school lunch programs. A lot of those kids come to school to eat breakfast and lunch which for some maybe their only meals of the day. If the schools provided dinner–they’d probably come back for it. They’d be lucky to eat chips and pop at their homes which is shameful.
For decades its been the same Salisbury leadership with their bunch packing the county commission, the school board, and their city council. The Salisbury privileged always forced their selves on the county and took advantage. The same people pulled the strings and held back the county and made Salisbury into the terrible condition it is today. But their record seems lost on the Salisbury people. They seem clueless that Salisbury’s leadership turned Salisbury into a vacancy filled dump where people fear setting foot.
One thing is assured and it’s that in a few years even these progressive Pollyanna types will be forced to pull up stakes and scatter to the winds. I hope they learn their lesson then. All those high-toned houses in downtown Salisbury will be made into cheap apartments where people will pay only their first month’s rent and hang on for months for their free ride. Salisbury will be swallowed up and there won’t be any difference in any of the neighborhoods.
