John Q. Public, An Op Ed
♦ Under the guise of “revitalization” Salisbury’s city council talked up a two-part plan to fight Salisbury’s deadening poverty and blight at taxpayer expense. The first part is the proposed removal of Salisbury’s blighted properties (Some 750 derelict properties) across many of the city’s impoverished badlands. A extremely costly undertaking for a city already wilting under debt and showing limited city services.
The second part would be “redevelopment” utilizing low-cost housing following in the mold of a Raleigh redevelopment project. This redevelopment approach raised many questions. Who would pay for this massive redevelopment? Who will really profit from it? Contractor ”friends” of the city? And in the end will this redevelopment serve as a beacon to attract those living on entitlements? And what impact will this have on Salisbury’s soaring poverty? Its Education? Its “drug culture” and gangs? Lofty ambitions to better house the poor usually undergo a 5 to 10 year cycle where people move out and tougher elements move in.
Look between the lines. Think about offering market-rate homes for “mixed-income levels”. Just examine the end results of Salisbury’s previous excursions into public housing. Long-term incubators for poverty, crime, gangs, and drugs. Need I say more?
What about the remaining of us under the iron heel of “urban renewal”? Won’t this in time do what it’s always done in the past here? Can you hear the wheels of urban flight? The emptying of our schools of the best and brightest as parents trundle Johnny and Sue to safer places and far better learning environments? In the long-run here and elsewhere what have these urban development ploys actually attracted? Think: 5 to 10 years later who lives on entitlement street?
But who cares when “friends” of the city line their pockets and do-gooders plan with no thought of tomorrow?
Well at least the city admitted today they are losing young families and professionals. They are packing up and leaving. Why? Salisbury’s lack of safety, the swarming decay and blight, the increasing badlands, and bad schools. As new public housing is built, other areas of the city will find more boarded up and abandoned properties. It is a never ending cycle here set in motion by progressive minds decades ago.
Over 750 derelict vacant properties and counting. And Salisbury wants to build a beacon to attract the poor? To compound our “traffic calming” on Innes and our glorious future ”needle park” with its divine festivals. Let them eat cake! And who will mow the city properties? And police our brightening badlands?
Shall the new redevelopment be called “Freedom City” or “Dystopia”? Heaven forbid if we don’t act now we will be missing out on unpaid taxes, active Fibrant and water-sewer accounts!
Give Salisbury a kiss goodbye…
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