McCrory makes a political decision to listen to a local government

by Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch and NC SPIN panelist, January 28, 2016.

It’s not very often that a governor issues a press release touting the benefits of a new economic development project his administration has negotiated and then two weeks later says the project is no longer viable, but that’s exactly what Gov. Pat McCrory has done.

The reversal on the proposed CSX railroad hub in Johnston County came after the county commissioners voted to oppose the project after local residents complained about plans by the company to use the power of eminent domain to force property owners to sell their land.

A McCrory spokesperson said this week that the commission vote and “serious land issues made the Johnston County site no longer a viable option for the project.”

The about-face raises many questions. The details of the project were hardly a secret to the McCrory administration. The company was in line for $100 million on state transportation funding under the new Strategic Investments Law that McCrory touted in his initial release celebrating the project.

That means state officials surely knew the company needed the land that was privately owned and was willing to invoke eminent domain to get it—so it must not be a philosophical opposition to that practice that caused the turnaround by the governor.

The outrage of local residents and the overwhelming opposition of the county commission certainly must have helped change McCrory’s mind. But the fact that eminent domain was involved no doubt played a major role too, especially when the story gained statewide attention.

Much of McCrory’s conservative political base is adamantly opposed to eminent domain and the state House has passed a constitutional amendment to limit its use. In light of the I-77 toll road controversy near Charlotte, the last thing McCrory needs as he faces a tough reelection battle is another local issue angering his core political constituency.

But McCrory in this case can say he is listening to local leaders, something that must puzzle folks in places like Stokes County, another Republican stronghold.

Just before dawn on the last day of September in the waning hours of the 2015 legislative session, the General Assembly passed a so called “technical corrections” bill that is designed to make non-substantive changes to bills already passed during the session.

But the version passed last year with virtually no debate included a provision that prevents local governments from restricting or regulating fracking in their own communities. Governor McCrory signed the bill the next day.

Just two days before he signed it, the Stokes County Commission unanimously approved a three-year moratorium on fracking to allow local officials to make sure land use regulations were in place if fracking ever comes to the county.

Chatham County commissioners had already approved a moratorium and several other county commissions were considering similar votes to keep fracking out of their communities for the foreseeable future too.

But McCrory and state lawmakers couldn’t stand for that. They wanted to make sure that the wishes of local governments would not restrict energy companies determined to frack for natural gas. Never mind the intense local opposition and “serious land issues.”

Lee County adopted a two-year moratorium in a vote in December in defiance of the law. Sanford Mayor Chet Mann said last fall that he was disappointed that “the legislature would try to tell us what’s best for us when our county is going to be affected.”

McCrory and the General Assembly do think they know best and don’t really care what local elected officials or community leaders think—unless as in the case of the CSX railway hub, it’s an election year and they don’t want to upset their conservative political base.

The hypocrisy is stunning to behold.

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2016/01/28/mccrory-makes-a-political-decision-to-listen-to-a-local-government-for-a-change/