It would have been six to three against if it had gone to a vote, but Dr. Linder withdrew his request for $300,000 of taxpayer incentives to help him build a WalMart anchored shopping center on the old Carolina Circle Mall property.
Councilwoman Carmany wouldn't say who might have voted how. But Councilman Phillips has no such qualms.
When this comes up again I will support infrastructure improvements for such a development, but a cash payment to the developer to make it happen?... never.
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Sidebar: Councilman Phillips suggests that turning some lights on in the backroom helped kill this deal... "I was amazed that a proposal that passed 7 to 2 behind closed doors... would have failed tonight 3 to 6 if we had voted."
Illuminating the dark crevases of government is something that weblogs accomplish very well. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I sense that the demise of this ill-conceived $300,000 boondogle was more than a little influenced by the almost unanimous outcry against it within the local blogosphere.
If you question the above statement of bravado, just think about how such a previously-agreed-to-behind-closed-doors deal might have played out just a few short months ago.
Take a bow Blogsboro. You just helped govern yourself.
12:03:18 AM 
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