Guilford County Commissioner Linda Shaw, who is facing a Republican primary challenge from Samuel Spagnola, responds to criticism from her opponent that she's "become too cosy with the developer crowd."
"Mr Spagnola said something about how I was real close with the developers," Shaw says. "I said to a friend of mine: 'Who — all four of them that are left? Right now, you bet, I’ll do whatever I can to help them. That’s the ones who are going to create jobs and get the economy going."
Shaw adds that she would like to retain her seat so she can keep working on better cooperation between the city of Greensboro and Guilford County to get water and sewer service extended beyond the city's borders to locations such as the Oak Ridge Military Institute and Pleasant Garden. Previously, the city's policy has been to require that would-be water and sewer users agree to be an annexed in return for services. That policy has run into trouble, with residents near McLeansville revolting against annexation by the city, and a judge overturning the city's decision.
1 comment:
I think most people are tired of politicians using taxpayer funds to subsidize the development plans of millionaires. I call that corporate welfare.
Perhaps that is where Linda Shaw and I disagree.
In 2006, Linda Shaw voted to give nearly $1,000,000 in tax incentives to Roy Carroll to build his upscale condos downtown.
Roy Carroll kept the top two floors of the building for himself, constructing a two story penthouse valued at $2,000,000. So who really paid for his $2,000,000 penthouse? Guilford County taxpayers.
So yes, I think Linda Shaw is too cozy with developers and I think most people are tired of this kind of corporate welfare being supported by politicians.
She also voted for the downtown hotel bond package that is going to provide a windfall to fellow commissioner Skip Alston.
I'm not against development or developers. I am against using taxpayer funds to make them rich. There is nothing free market or conservative about that.
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