GMAC just announced it will be closing two offices in Charlotte, eliminating 115 jobs less than a year after their opening. Of course, the majority government-owned GMAC received government subsidies in exchange for their promise to “create” 200 jobs in Charlotte (ah yes, the joys of our “free market”).
Gov. Perdue naturally attempted to gain positive exposure for herself during the exciting “new jobs!” pep rally last year:
Gov. Bev Perdue even came to Charlotte to cheer the company on for bringing jobs that pay nearly $100,000 per year.
No word yet on whether the Gov. will travel to Charlotte to cheer on those 115 folks as they get in line at the unemployment office.
Influencing GMAC’s decision to expand in Charlotte was $4.5 million in bribes incentives from the state and local governments. GMAC posted $5 billion in losses in 2009 fourth quarter alone, so state lawmakers really picked a winner to shower with special breaks – all in the name of “economic development,” of course.
GMAC’s deal, however, pales in comparison with North Carolina’s top ten largest incentive deals.
As I read through the Charlotte Observer’s partisan primary run down of municipal elections in the Queen City, I was looking to see if some of my friends on the right had been victorious in Tuesday’s balloting. Instead of fully enjoying the victory of Tea Party Activist Matt Ridenhour as well as the win by longtime conservative activist Jaye Rao, I was stung by an inaccurate thorn in one of the stories.
I just love when the press has the theme of the story all laid out and then tries to shoe horn the facts to make them fit their agenda. Here is the worst part of the article:
“The facets of race, protest
Democrats hope to win their first mayoral race since 1987, when Harvey Gantt won a second term. The primaries leave the party with a ticket that features its first African American mayoral candidate since Gantt and three black at-large candidates. They’ll face an all-white Republican slate.” (emphasis mine)
Pretty clear, huh? Those darn white Republicans are at it again. Except, there’s only one problem:
Charlotte’s GOP slate of municipal candidates are not “all white.” Jaye Rao is from an Indian heritage and Tariq Bokhari is obviously not from a European background.
My disdain for this lack of good reporting was replaced by shock when I looked up the byline of the article and saw that it was by Jim Morrill, one of the top political journalists in the state. Now, I’m sure Morrill knows for a fact that the GOP slate is not “all white.” So the next question becomes why would he put this in the story?
Its because it fit the story line that the leftist media want readers/voters to hear. Charlotte is becoming a more and more diverse city every year and that is reflected in the city’s elections. Just don’t mention the fact that the GOP is diverse too. It confuses people.
Next time I want to check election results in a city outside of my media market, I’ll just look up the numbers with the county board of elections so I won’t have to read the media’s version of what happened.
In Sunday’s Charlotte Observer, reporter Mark Johnson takes a look at Perdue’s struggling popularity in Charlotte.
Wait, haven’t you heard this one before? Yep, when I wrote about it last month.
Lesson here: read Civitas publications now or read it in the paper next month.