99 blocks on Greensboro's Performing Arts Center project

"...nine months to design a facility, find a place to build it, put the funding together, solve all the other problems and convince the community to vote in favor of it on Election Day.

Much of it is up to a task force that will be appointed in the coming weeks.

Isn't the taskforce supposed to objectively tell if it's feasable?

Can the task force say it's prudent,

and be objective at the same time?

Wasn't Denise essentially a lobbyist

for those most likely represented on the "task force"?

Are the answers to the questions already known

and unreported by our local press?

...big problems facing the task force and the city.

What do you mean by "the city"?

The folkes that are going to pay more

to make a few more money?

Keep in mind, they will have to work fast to overcome them.

Arn't they supposed to be objective?

...the task force will quickly have to get both dissenting groups on board before it moves forward.

So members of the task force

are the ones who are going to sell the PAC to the public?

...we’ll have to get voters beyond thinking of the facility as primarily for the symphony, opera and ballet.

If voters see it as a playground for the rich -- the "elites" as New Gingrich likes to say -- it will be summarily voted down.

Overcoming that image will be a hard task.

One downtown leader had a wise idea: fashion the performing arts center as being more for the family, something where events for children, on a large and small scale, could be held.

After all, photos in ads showing children and families enjoying an arts center are more likable than pictures of pirouetting ballerinas and cellists in tuxedos.

And is there enough time

to overcome those "elite" perceptions?

What would be the actual truth,

or does that not matter?

What is the demographics of DPAC?

Are some suggesting misleading propaganda

to achieve something some would financially benefit from

by charging everyone?

What is Fascism?

We’re not sure there is anyone out there who wants a performing arts center for downtown more than we do.

At what price?

How much would you be willing to borrow?

What would be the max?

What would the decision be based on?

Does it matter that Guilford County is broke?

Downtown is our passion.

But we need to be realistic.

We need a bond issue that has at least an even chance of passing.

In this politically charged climate, we’re just not sure this one will have enough support.

In a blog posting on Wednesday, Mayor Robbie Perkins had this to say: "Let’s see what the facts are before we come up with ways it can’t happen.

The support for the effort is strong, and I believe we have a real chance of success this time."

We hope he’s right.

At what cost?

How big will the tax increase be?

Think tax revenues are going to keep up?

Did you know the city spends savings?

Does an honest, impartial analysis mean anything?

But in addition to seeing what the facts are, we hope the task force, the mayor and the city council will take a careful look at the time clock and an even closer examination of the political realities of the 2012 elections.

It remains a very big gamble."

That's for sure.

Don't steal from my kids.

George Hartzman