Things to Fix Before the DNC: Things Requiring Tax Increases
Each month leading up to September’s Democratic National Convention, Jeremy Markovich profiles one aspect of Charlotte that needs fixing up.

In June, some Democrats on Charlotte’s city council went all Grover Norquist and decided to reject a city budget that would have raised property taxes. That effectively killed new police stations, roads, sidewalks, and a proposed streetcar. So get ready to explain to visitors that those tracks on Elizabeth Avenue don’t actually, you know, do anything.
Can It Be Fixed? Not in this budget cycle, so may we humbly suggest other sure-to-be-rejected ideas for Charlotte’s tax money:
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Bronze Ric Flair statue
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Ballantyne cougar preserve
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Jerry Reese honorary loge at the new uptown ballpark
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Kudzu irrigation system
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Velvet Renelvis portrait at the Blumenthal
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Mortgage-Backed Security Hall of Fame
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U.S. National Bathwater Center
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Mint Hill border fence
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Emily Maynard wardrobe storage facility
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Wachovia stock
You’ve got your mission, council. Don’t let us down. On second thought, please do.
Related:
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: Lights That Go Out on the Interstate
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: Molting Uptown Skyscrapers
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: Disappearing Bike Lanes
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: Corridors of Crap
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: Those Things on South Tryon Street
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: The Harris Hole
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Things to Fix Before the DNC: The North Carolina Democratic Party