(01-27-2015 11:24 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(01-27-2015 11:11 PM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  I agree. IMO, that could change (being associated with Delaware) with sustained success and the addition of a football team.

Football would make a difference. Wilmingtonians having a willingness to grow our city a little would as well, as we've discussed previously. Minor league baseball, a train station, an improved/growing ILM and an overall push to keep people from having to leave the city to find jobs. All of that would have a big impact on putting our fine city more "on the map" and making the "UNC" in our name no longer necessary. Not so easy. You don't see UNCG or UNCA making that change like Charlotte did.

Sad thing is we have about 30-40,000 more citizens in Wilmington NC than there are in Wilmington DE. Yet they're a more well known city.

The answer to that is simple, they have more industry and a better job Market.

(01-28-2015 08:40 AM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  Should be a real barn burner tonight with the Fighting Christians taking the floor.I don't get the Elon thing at all.I know they have money and are very close by in comparison to most CAA schools but Elon,really?Changed the name but it's still the same little ole Elon to me.
Wilmington as a city has passed on some great chances IMO in regard to being a better sports city with baseball and football leading the way.It seems like a few very vocal folks killed baseball and Depaulo and company did the same with football.

The downtown convention center with minor league baseball would have been a start. Old school Wilmington folks are too concerned with the near term slight tax increase rather than the long term financial implications(gains) of such a project on the downtown area.

I recall years ago when Elon dropped the Fighting Christians. The left leaning politicos were making noise about federal tax dollars being used to fund "christian" schools. Students were at risk of losing Pell Grants and other financial aid.......Atlantic Christian aka Barton College also followed suit as did many more.

The big question with the new logo will be the University's commitment to using it. If they really want it to stick, then they need to require its use across the entire campus. Jimmy Bass has planned for every contingency and I'm sure the Athletic Department will be on board. We sure are lucky to have him at the helm.

(01-28-2015 09:12 AM)Seahawkhoops Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 08:40 AM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  Should be a real barn burner tonight with the Fighting Christians taking the floor.I don't get the Elon thing at all.I know they have money and are very close by in comparison to most CAA schools but Elon,really?Changed the name but it's still the same little ole Elon to me.
Wilmington as a city has passed on some great chances IMO in regard to being a better sports city with baseball and football leading the way.It seems like a few very vocal folks killed baseball and Depaulo and company did the same with football.

The downtown convention center with minor league baseball would have been a start. Old school Wilmington folks are too concerned with the near term slight tax increase rather than the long term financial implications(gains) of such a project on the downtown area.

It's more a matter of trust. It has to do with the lies and misuse of monies in the past. Promises that bond money would be used towards certain priorities, only to be funneled elsewhere. Sometimes even "lost" money. Groups being promised their projects or interests would be the #1/priority if they voted for particular bond issues. Then, only to be forgotten for other interests. I have personally experienced it.

Not sure I could name any projects like that myself.Can you lend some light on your experience?I know a lot of new residents were recruited to vote no to baseball without really knowing the benefits to the area as a whole.I have known the mayor here for years and like him but I also don't get as involved as maybe I should be-that is the case with to many of us I think.UNCW could really benefit from strong leadership right now.

(01-28-2015 09:42 AM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 09:12 AM)Seahawkhoops Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 08:40 AM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  Should be a real barn burner tonight with the Fighting Christians taking the floor.I don't get the Elon thing at all.I know they have money and are very close by in comparison to most CAA schools but Elon,really?Changed the name but it's still the same little ole Elon to me.
Wilmington as a city has passed on some great chances IMO in regard to being a better sports city with baseball and football leading the way.It seems like a few very vocal folks killed baseball and Depaulo and company did the same with football.

The downtown convention center with minor league baseball would have been a start. Old school Wilmington folks are too concerned with the near term slight tax increase rather than the long term financial implications(gains) of such a project on the downtown area.

It's more a matter of trust. It has to do with the lies and misuse of monies in the past. Promises that bond money would be used towards certain priorities, only to be funneled elsewhere. Sometimes even "lost" money. Groups being promised their projects or interests would be the #1/priority if they voted for particular bond issues. Then, only to be forgotten for other interests. I have personally experienced it.

I'm sure that stuff happens in a lot of cities, 33. It shouldn't be a reason for 70 % of voters to turn down something positive for the city. I remember talking to quite a few average taxpayers around the time the vote was going down. Many felt that stadium costs should be 100 % taken care of by the private sector (ridiculous concept) and weren't willing to see their taxes go up a penny.

It's especially maddening given that, according to the "North Carolina Stewardship Index", Wilmington is the # 1 municipality in NC in terms of local government efficiency. The chart was too large to post as an image, but can be found at the link below.

http://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/city_manager...ency_index

Quote:Local government efficiency in NC

In an effort to understand and compare the relative efficiency of local governments, a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill developed the “North Carolina Stewardship Index.” The index takes into account the charges for basic services in each of the 25 largest municipalities in North Carolina.

The index uses a hypothetical property value of $300,000 and uses that as the basis for calculating the cost of municipal services in each municipality.

Wilmington ranks #1 in this index, meaning that Wilmington taxpayers get more for their tax dollar money than the other 24 largest municipalities in North Carolina.

One example involved two bond issues. It included the building of a new softball complex. The first bond issue was approved. None of the money was used for softball improvements. And apparently $500,000 was lost in the shuffle.
Down the road, another bond issue was proposed for softball, tennis, the MLK center and some parks. Meetings were then held with the softball community. We were told that they knew we were screwed over on the previous bond issue and, if we would vote for the new bond issue, softball would be #1 priority. That never happened.
Tennis became the #1 priority. The MLK center never got showers installed. Instead a computer room was put in place. So now traveling basketball teams have nowhere to shower.
All the while, the land donated for softball by Mrs. Olsen sat untouched. It took Mrs. Olsen threatening a law suit to get it going. Still, plans were cut. The softball wheel was nixed, along with the center building. There's not even a water fountain in the whole park. To cut costs even more, an engineer was not used, creating other issues.
While some youth tournaments are played there. They are unable to draw adult softball tournaments as planned. I play in tournaments all over the southeastern US. This complex is a joke.
Oh yeh, the missing $500,000 resurfaced and used to purchase a run down par 3 course in the Inland Greens community.

We should rename this thread "Wilmington Politics and the Local Economy"

(01-28-2015 01:02 PM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  We should rename this thread "Wilmington Politics and the Local Economy"

"The short attention span thread"

(01-28-2015 11:24 AM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  One example involved two bond issues. It included the building of a new softball complex. The first bond issue was approved. None of the money was used for softball improvements. And apparently $500,000 was lost in the shuffle.
Down the road, another bond issue was proposed for softball, tennis, the MLK center and some parks. Meetings were then held with the softball community. We were told that they knew we were screwed over on the previous bond issue and, if we would vote for the new bond issue, softball would be #1 priority. That never happened.
Tennis became the #1 priority. The MLK center never got showers installed. Instead a computer room was put in place. So now traveling basketball teams have nowhere to shower.
All the while, the land donated for softball by Mrs. Olsen sat untouched. It took Mrs. Olsen threatening a law suit to get it going. Still, plans were cut. The softball wheel was nixed, along with the center building. There's not even a water fountain in the whole park. To cut costs even more, an engineer was not used, creating other issues.
While some youth tournaments are played there. They are unable to draw adult softball tournaments as planned. I play in tournaments all over the southeastern US. This complex is a joke.
Oh yeh, the missing $500,000 resurfaced and used to purchase a run down par 3 course in the Inland Greens community.

There is a tremendous amount of distrust when it comes to local government in wilmington and new hanover county. If people trusted the city council the stadium would have passed. Look at brian berger. He Unfortunately got on the county board because people were so fed up with the same ole crew

(01-28-2015 01:35 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(01-28-2015 01:02 PM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  We should rename this thread "Wilmington Politics and the Local Economy"

"The short attention span thread"

The "CG06 Doesn't live in Wilmington, so he doesn't give a shizz" thread