Meeting Report from April 9, 2002

Meeting

Rotary Wheel

Report

April 9, 2002
By HENRY H. BOSTIC, JR.

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     Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory made his annual presentation to Charlotte Rotary Tuesday, the day after what he called "a unique day in my seven years as mayor."
     He traveled by US Airways to Knoxville for a noon meeting with the President, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and seven other governors and elected officials to talk about locally generated ideas for dealing with terrorism and how they can complement national and state efforts.
     From Knoxville, it was off by private jet to New York City to talk with Commissioner David Stern and other NBA officials about the future of the Charlotte Hornets, then it was back to Charlotte by private jet again in time for the City Council meeting that evening.
     "I got home last night," said the mayor, walked in the door and said "hello" to my wife. She replied, 'Go walk the damn dog.' I guess that put me in my place."
     Returning to a theme from his talk to the Club a year ago, the Mayor said decisions we make today on national, state, and local issues will be felt by "generations to come."
     At the national level, homeland security is a new issue post September 11. New terrorism concerns require new forms of communication at all levels of government, McCrory said, and that was one of the reasons for the Knoxville meeting — to share Charlotte's and other cities' ideas and suggestions for working together with the federal government on this critical challenge.
     He said the President and Director Ridge consider Charlotte "a role model" in this respect. The mayor said he presented the city's idea of City Corps, "a way to protect the homefront by coordinating efforts through existing volunteer resources."
     City Corps will bring together organizations — such as churches, clubs, neighborhood groups, schools — to be the eyes and ears in our community to be on guard for terrorist activities and to help communicate what to do when serious situations arise. He explained that City Corps would help communicate what to expect and what to do under Director Ridge's five-phase, five-color system for delineating the magnitude of a terrorist warning.
     At the state level, the mayor said, the city is already dealing with the impact of a looming $2 billion state budget deficit. "It's really no surprise" that we have a deficit, he said. "The fact of the matter is that we've been spending too much and not projecting right for years." But, he said that Governor Easley is taking the wrong approach by "punishing us on the local level" by holding back tax revenues collected by the state for local purposes.
     Cities in the state, the mayor explained, are required to have reserves of around 12 percent. "Several years ago we (Charlotte) decided to up ours to the 14 to 15 percent range." Now the governor comes along and without warning says he's going to hold back $17 million. "We get punished for doing what we're required to do." Those revenues are from a utility right of way tax imposed in 1947. They represent the third largest source of funds in the city's budget.
     "We need you to help us fight this," McCrory said. "We will have some very difficult decisions" in Charlotte, including the prospect of five or ten percent cuts in city services, if the governor doesn't change his mind.
     At the local level, he continued, the city is dealing with issues related to keeping Charlotte's growing economy on track and redirecting growth so that 25 years from now we're not still dealing with problems of "pavement, congestion and pollution. We've got to start now," he said, then he was off on the economy.
     "We can't take Charlotte's diverse job base for granted," he continued. "We've got to bring the jobs here and keep them here," mentioning specifically the city's work to bring a branch of the Rhode Island-based Johnson and Wales culinary school here.
     And he did spend some time talking about the Hornets and the proposed new arena. He said New Orleans has the edge for relocating the Hornets because of incentives and guarantees by the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. Charlotte is "not that desperate" and will not guarantee the team owners any money. "We believe in the long run Charlotte is the best place for the Hornets, but we stated our case to the NBA."
     Calling downtown "a jewel" among Charlotte's economic attributes, he said the city needs a new arena to complement the convention center and major hotels. But, he reiterated, the city "cannot afford an arena without a major tenant."
     Former member Bert Green, head of the local Habitat for Humanity, honored the Club and specifically Club member Tom Robertson for efforts in coordinating the latest joint Rotary homebuilding project. Tom also recognized two other Club members: Mike Wilkinson of The Ray Company, Inc. for providing and installing the roof shingles and Bob Alexy of Trane for providing a heat pump heating and air conditioning system for the house.
     In other activity at the meeting, Gene Williams introduced a new member, Mike Rash with Prudential Realty. Ron Vinson expounded on ten humorous laws of golf in Health and Happiness. Yours truly introduced guests and visitors and made a plug for the Alzheimer's Association 2002 Golf Challenge on May 8 (call 704-532-5478 for more information). Mac McCarley gave the invocation.
     President Jim was "in the chair." Others at the head table included John Lassiter, Tom Bartholomy, Mike Hawley, Wesley Clark and Charlotte City Manager Pam Syfert who introduced the mayor.

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The Object or Rotary

The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

First. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

Second. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

Third. The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

Fourth. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

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ABOUT YOUR BILL ...

Are you having trouble with our new bill format? Maybe this will help;

For Active Exempt Rotarians, you will receive a bill for quarterly dues and actual meals. Your bill period covers dues for April, May, and June and meals for January, February, and March. AE-Attended ate meal (5+0 Guests) *$15.50 means you are classified as AE (Active Exempt) and are billed for 5 meals, 0 guests.

For Active Rotarians, you will receive a bill for quarterly dues, meals, and your quarterly Foundation pledge (if applicable). Your bill period covers dues and meals for April, May, and June.

Your opening balance can be one of three things (amounts vary):

Opening balance $0.00 — your 3rd qtr bill has been paid.

Opening balance $389.50 — balance due for 3rd qtr carried forward.

Credit balance ($16.00)— correction of overbilling guest meals in 3rd qtr.

Please ignore the amount showing in the 61-90 days column. Amount due is shown in the Amount Owing box.

Your bill saying Statement instead of Invoice is a software problem (it's the only way to include past due amounts). We'll work on that with the software support group.

If you have any questions,
feel free to call
Sandy Osborne
at the Rotary Office.

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