Who is McCrory Working For?
The General Assembly’s recent flip-flop on funding of Charlotte’s light rail may be an indicator. Many conservatives were hopeful when news broke that the NC Senate budget did not include state funds necessary to get federal funds for Charlotte’s light rail extension (link). The very next day Pat McCrory was very busy talking to legislators, and shortly afterward House Speaker Thom Tillis announced funds for the light rail may be found (link). Just days after declaring light rail money could be better used for much needed roads, influential Senator Bob Rucho said Thom Tillis put forth a strong argument that light rail is needed for Charlotte and included it in the budget (link). In defending his actions Thom Tillis is quoted as saying, “I’m not one that sweats the small stuff. None of the line item issues concern me.” (link). Well, the millions of dollars of “small stuff” seemed to be of great concern to Thom when the Senate killed it.
Since being mayor of Charlotte Pat McCrory has been a proponent for mass transit and a fund raiser for the GOP (link). In 2010 while advocating fiscal restraint and tax cutting in NC, Pat McCrory made at least three trips to Tampa in support of a one cent sales tax to pay for light rail (link). Both the Cato Institute and John Locke Foundation have taken a look at Charlotte’s existing light rail, and the costs are alarming. Both concluded taxpayers subsidize Charlotte’s light rail in excess of $20/rider (link) (link). So why is Pat McCrory such a strong advocate for a very expensive nineteenth century mode of public transportation that was replaced decades ago by much less expensive and more flexible busses? Randal O’Toole, Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute, blames contractors, developers and other special interests that feed handsomely from the trough of taxpayer financed construction for promoting rail transit around the country (link). The campaign to convince Charlotte voters light rail is a good investment for the community was paid for by guess who (link)?
It was recently announced that Thom Tillis and Senate GOP leader Phil Berger will be stumping for Pat McCrory (link), even though Pat has yet to announce his candidacy. Considering all the fund raising Pat has done for the GOP, it only seems fair.
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