Up & Coming Weekly

Docks: A Capitol Offense What We Said In 2005 by DAVID G. WILSON The Fayetteville City Council meeting this past Monday night was indeed not its fi nest hour. Rather, it was an indicator of how far our elected city government has not come. The council voted on a controversial issue along strict racial lines, supporting an appeal by a black entrepreneur for a city-backed loan to build an entertainment center in the former Capitol Department Store building, to be called Docks. Whether the planned use for the to-be-recycled building has suffi cient merit to justify the city-backed loan is one issue; how the approval was reached is another. It would appear that each councilperson’s vote was consistent with the views of the voters in their respective districts, as they perceived them. If that was the case, then so be it, but it does not deny the fact that the vote was along racial lines. Mel Henderson who is developing the project is black, as are the fi ve council persons who voted on the project. Councilman Johnny Dawkins is quoted as saying the vote was not on racial lines. Sorry Johnny, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck it, you guessed it, it is a duck. Lois Kirby, a white council member, did not vote because she was out of town. The city manager’s offi ce was alerted to her absence well ahead of the time this past Monday’s agenda was set and therefore — hmm. So the vote on this matter was both a victory and defeat for our mayor who would have this diverse community be racially unifi ed — if that is possible. For Dr. Henderson, the vote was a solid victory after years of struggle to obtain public fi nancial support for his private enterprise. Independent business people are intrinsically risk takers, but as Dr. Henderson is quoted as saying, “This is speculative and you’re either a fool to do this project or you have to have incentives.” arm to the local economy. Let us vote for it. But wait, isn’t the enterprise to deliver about $75,000 in sales taxes to the city? On a two percent sales tax return rate basis, that means Dock’s should realize gross revenues of about $3,750,000 annually. But payroll alone is going to be $2,000,000 — more than half of gross revenues. This does look risky. Better vote against it. But wait, what about property taxes of $110,000? That’s good isn’t it? Yes, but we have to forgive half of that for fi ve years. Gee, not so good, maybe vote against it. Well, what about 178,000 people annually coming downtown to patronize this facility? Won’t that be good? Sure, assuming the business is open 360 days a year, to about 500 people per day. On a nine hours-per-business-day basis, that works out to one person a minute every day, day in and day out, throughout the year. But wait, to gross $3,750,000 per year, each of these 178,000 only have to spend $20 per visit. That is an awful lot of video games per person every minute. In all seriousness, a business that would attract that much traffi c would be up and running somewhere in this community and it would not have required nine years of wrangling to get it off the ground. So the offered numbers are suspect and the taxpayer’s money is very much at risk. Perhaps the coldest wind this council decision blows is Docks opening in 2007. Or maybe, Dr. Henderson, both. But who is fooling who? Let us trot out our trusty calculators and legal pads and run the numbers, as they have been provided to us by local media. First we all want publicly backed projects to have some “greater good” spin. In this opportunity, jobs seem to be in the forefront, 110 of them. So, if this number is representing full-time equivalent employees, as it should, and if they all earn something near minimum wage, the payroll, including appropriate taxes, should be about $2,000,000. This will be a nice shot in the toward those community members that are currently ensconced in the downtown area, and particularly those in the historic district. They took risks with their own money (and do not get a 50 percent property tax relief consideration) and have not had an easy time getting their respective businesses to a successful point. Now comes Docks, which, if it works, will exacerbate an already serious parking problem. How does the city address this? Something akin to, “Tough bananas you Downtown Alliance members. Your parking, precious little as it is, is to be given to the new guy.” And fi nally, what about appropriateness? Are antique stores truly second class? Is a facility for bowling and war games the right direction for our downtown historic district? Whenever the last chapter is written on this situation, the then-sitting city council members may look back and say, “How could we have made such a decision? So You Want to Buy A Gun: North Carolina’s Gun Laws by JANICE BURTON Buying a handgun is a big decision to make. It’s not as easy as going down to your local gun store and picking your favorite. There are legal steps that you must complete, and there are safety steps that you should take before you take a weapon into your home. First and foremost, in order to purchase a handgun in the State of North Carolina, you must apply for a gun permit. The permit request must be placed at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Offi ce in the Special Services Offi ce. Pistol permits are $5. You can download the application at www.ccsonc.org/specialservices.htm. The permit requires you answer personal question such as your address, height, weight, Social Security number and distinguishing marks. The second section of the permit serves as a background check. Those who have been convicted of a felony, dishonorably discharged from the military, renounced their citizenship, or convicted of domestic violence charges will not be able to receive a gun permit. After the permit is fi led at the Special Services Offi ce, the staff will run a background check, which will include a criminal history check. If it can be established that you are of good moral character and that you desire the gun for the “protection of the home, business, person, family or property, target shooting, collecting or hunting” your permit will be issued. Your permit may be denied for good cause, and if it is denied, you should receive a written statement of the reason of denial within seven days. The license must be approved or disapprovied within 30 days. After your permit is approved, you should go to a licensed gun shop and try several fi rearms before you purchase one. If the sales staff does not seem knowledgeable about 8 UCW AUGUST 11-17, 2010 the types and selections of guns on hand, you should try another store. Once you determine the type of weapon you like, you should try it on a range before you purchase it. Guns, even of the same caliber, handle differently. You should fi nd a gun that you feel comfortable with, and that you can handle with a degree of skill. If you are not familiar with guns, you should take a basic gun course. Many types of these classes are offered in the community. A Google search will give you a wide number to choose from. Ensure that the instructor is a certifi ed fi rearm’s instructor and ask about the content of instruction. North Carolina is an open carry state, so you can carry your weapon in public as long as it is in the open. There are some places, like schools, parks and bars, where weapons of any kind are not permitted. Know the law. Carrying your gun in your purse or in the console of your car does not meet the law. It must be visible. If you do not want to open carry, then you must apply for a Concealed Carry Permit. Concealed Carry Permits may also be obtained at the Special Services Offi ce. The application is also on the website. There is a $90 fee. You must complete a Concealed Carry class in order to obtain the permit. Once you get your permit, there are some things you should know: 1. Your permit to carry a concealed handgun must be carried along with valid identifi cation whenever the handgun is being carried concealed. 2. When approached or addressed by any offi cer, you must disclose the fact that you have a valid concealed handgun permit and inform the offi cer that you are in possession of a concealed handgun. You should not attempt to draw or display either your weapon or your permit to the offi cer unless and until he directs you to do so. Your WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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