Anthony Foxx's 1st Agenda: Climate Change Agreement...No Jobs? See, I Told Ya Charlotte

So Anthony Foxx's first priority is signing a Climate Change Agreement. Hmmm, how convenient for him.

The Charlotte Observer doesn't want to admit that their Editorial Staff may have endorsed the wrong Mayoral Candidate.

A Candidate whose First Priority should be saving JOBS and attracting Businesses NOT signing a Climate Change Agreement.

For the Charlotte Observer staff to admit they were wrong would no doubt cause them to lose even more Subscribers.

As you continue reading the contents of this post notice how Mayor-Elect Anthony Foxx doesn't mention doing anything immediately to save Jobs or attract Businesses to this region.

Foxx recently told WSOC-TV reporters he plans to pull together a Bi-Partisan panel for the purpose of getting public input about how to accomplish this task. (Doesn't this sound like Pres. Obama?)

Interesting. I wonder if he will invite John Lassiter to join this "Bi-Partisan" panel.

That's fine but what is Anthony Foxx's personal Agenda for saving Jobs or attracting new Business to Charlotte?

Doesn't he already know how to do this?

Excuse me but Pres. Obama has four years to turn the Economy around, Foxx only has two years to turn around Charlotte's Economy.

Furthermore if Foxx does pull together a "Bi-Partisan" panel to help straighten out Charlotte's Economy, Republicans will most likely have the best ideas on Fiscal Responsibility but he and the Charlotte Observer will make sure that Democrats receive ALL the Credit.

No offense to Pres. Obama but Foxx's conversation yesterday with the President about keeping BOFA's headquarters in Charlotte is futile.

President Obama doesn't control Bank Of America. The Share Holders and Board of Directors do.

If President Obama could control Wall Street how were the Bailed out banks able to give out huge bonuses to their employees in a Recession?

Don't you think Anthony Foxx already knows this information?

Come on the guy is a Civil Litigation Lawyer. Of course he already knows this!

Foxx just used news of that conversation with Pres. Obama as a Photo Op. (Opportunist: the kind who forgets about his Blood Cousins, middle class and low income voters)

In case Foxx hasn't read the latest news reports President Obama doesn't have time to be concerned about Charlotte's problems at the moment.

He is too busy trying to save the Democratic Party from experiencing another brutal loss during the upcoming 2010 Elections.

Signing a Climate Change Agreement is Foxx's first priority??

I told ya Charlotte and you haven't seen anything yet.

Just wait until Anthony Foxx continues to unfold his true agenda for the city of Charlotte.

Let this be a lesson learned. Next time do your own thinking instead of allowing the Charlotte Observer to blindly lead you into a political ditch.





Foxx pledges to sign climate agreement


Anthony Foxx said his first act as Charlotte mayor will be to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which incumbent Republican Pat McCrory refused to do.

More than a dozen N.C. cities have joined the campaign against global warming. By signing, the communities pledge to work toward cutting emissions of greenhouse gases to pre-1990 levels.

McCrory helped draft the measure as chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors environmental committee. But he refused to sign it two years ago because it didn't include nuclear power as an alternative energy source.

Foxx said he would put Charlotte on board "with the stroke of a pen."

Foxx outlined his plans for the city Thursday, two days after he was elected Charlotte's first Democratic mayor in 22 years. Foxx will take office Dec. 7 with a City Council that's more Democratic, with an 8-3 majority instead of 7-4. Since the city went to partisan elections in 1977, no party has had such a commanding majority.

A Democratic mayor and a five-member majority on council could alter the city's agenda over the next two years on a number of issues, from streetcars to city budgets.

Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess, a Democratic incumbent, was the top vote-getter Tuesday, getting nearly 5,000 more votes than Foxx. She said the council votes unanimously "99 percent of the time," and she doesn't expect significant changes.

But she added: "We won't have, of course, the McCrory vetoes that we've had to deal with in the past."

McCrory said Thursday that city government will suffer under a council tilted to Democrats.

"There isn't any balance anymore," McCrory said.

Here are a few issues the new council may consider:

Rental ordinance

Council members are scheduled to vote Monday on an ordinance that would require landlords of crime-ridden rental properties to register with the city.

Problem landlords would have to meet with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police to map out a strategy to reduce crime at their properties and could ultimately lose their ability to collect rent if crime isn't reduced.

Some Democrats, including council member James Mitchell, want all landlords to register with the city.

Foxx said he hopes the ordinance is deferred.

"I think we can strengthen it," he said. "I don't think it's the best we can do."

McCrory said he's opposed to the ordinance, in part because it expands city government. He said he might veto it.

Eastland Mall

The council has held closed sessions this fall on buying all of Eastland Mall, to make it easier for a developer to buy the entire 90-acre site and redevelop it. The city is concerned that the large number of property owners at Eastland - nearly a dozen - will make it difficult to transform the failing mall into a mixed-use center of offices, stores and houses.

Council members haven't talked about the purchase in public, and many are reportedly hesitant about such a complicated deal. But a larger Democratic presence in city government could increase the likelihood of an Eastland deal. Democratic council member Nancy Carter, who represents east Charlotte, is lobbying colleagues to invest in the blighted area.

Collective bargaining

In late October, during the height of the mayoral campaign, McCrory asked council members to oppose a bill working through Congress that would allow collective bargaining for police and firefighters nationwide - even in states that already forbid it, like North Carolina.

The item was sent to committee but will return this fall. Foxx, who had union support during the campaign, didn't take a position on the issue during the debate.

Foxx said the National League of Cities is already lobbying against the bill, and that the Charlotte City Council's voice isn't important.

"I don't know what the point is, other than to make a political point," he said.

McCrory said it's important that Charlotte's voice be heard. He said collective bargaining could have "dire consequences" for the city financially.

"We should add this as part of our federal lobbying efforts," McCrory said.

Streetcar

The streetcar debate has been settled - at least for the next year. Seven council Democrats this fall voted to override McCrory's veto of a decision to spend $4.5 million on designing the line through central Charlotte.

But in 2010, that phase of engineering work will be finished, and the council may face another fork in the road: Spend more money on designing the line or freeze the project until a funding plan is in place?

Foxx campaigned on his willingness to advance the streetcar, though he said he wouldn't raise property taxes to pay for it. Having another Democratic vote on the council could increase the chances of the streetcar advancing.

Foxx said he may make a trip to Raleigh and Washington, D.C., before he takes office to continue lobbying for transit projects, such as the light-rail extension and a commuter train to Lake Norman.

Development

In the last two weeks of the campaign, Foxx said his opponent, Republican council member John Lassiter, was beholden to developers. Lassiter said they were important to building the city and that he could work with them effectively.

One test of the new council will be revisions to the city's 1978 tree ordinance. The changes, which have been debated for more than two years, would require developers to set aside at least 15 percent of property for trees, among other changes.

The Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition has balked at some of the changes, arguing it would increase the cost to build homes and businesses. Council could vote on the revisions in the next six months.

Budget

Foxx also said he would appoint citizen advisory committees, including one on city spending. He wants the group to report on possible cost savings before the City Council adopts a new budget next spring.





Charlotte Mayor-Elect Anthony Foxx Sits Down For Exclusive Interview With Channel 9 (WSOC-TV)

Anthony Foxx, Charlotte's mayor-elect, sat down with Eyewitness News anchor Scott Wickersham Thursday morning for Foxx's first live TV interview since Tuesday's election.

Foxx made history Tuesday, becoming the youngest man elected as mayor in Charlotte. He's also poised to become Charlotte's first new mayor in 14 years and only the second black mayor in Charlotte.

Tuesday's election changed the dynamics of Charlotte politics. Democrats now have a 8-3 majority on City Council and Foxx, a Democrat, has the mayoral power to veto. Foxx said the change is significant but the job of mayor is to represent everyone in the city, not just Democrats.

Part of Foxx's campaign promise included putting together a bipartisan group to go through the city budget, line-by-line. Thursday, Foxx said he is still committed to that goal and trying to find savings in the budget for the Queen City.

Foxx said his first priority is working to retain current jobs while recruiting new ones. He said Charlotte will have to work harder to retain jobs this year than in years past.

The White House called Foxx Wednesday. The mayor-elect spoke with President Obama, mostly about keeping the financial services industry in Charlotte. There have been fears that Charlotte could lose the Bank of America headquarters. Foxx said it's necessary to continue forward with confidence in Charlotte as a good place to live and do business. He also said to remember Charlotte is not a one-trick pony; the Queen City has other strengths to draw from and must continue to diversify.

Foxx also addressed the city's relationship with Raleigh. He is currently serving as Chair of the City Transportation Committee and has worked with Raleigh. Foxx said he spoke with Governor Bev Perdue Wednesday about how to support I-485 and other projects going forward.

As the interview concluded, Foxx admitted he doesn't know what the next year holds for Charlotte, but the he will work for the city and utilize the strengths of those with talent to deliver on promises he's made.





W.H. feels pressure on jobs, spending



Caught between Tuesday’s election results and Friday’s unemployment numbers, the White House faces increased pressure to slow spending next year but also to produce more Main Street jobs to match Wall Street’s recovery.

Going into the 2011 budget cycle, the administration now appears on course to impose close to a freeze on new discretionary appropriations after the double-barrel increases in 2009 and 2010. The costs of the Afghanistan war are a wild card, but even before the polls closed Tuesday, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag was talking up deficit reduction in New York, and his earlier guidance to agencies calls for alternatives that assume a freeze at 2010 funding levels, or a 5 percent reduction.

Republicans warn that President Barack Obama can’t ignore what they see as Tuesday’s backlash against the “overspending” and “overgovernment” in his first year in office. “The Obama administration would do well not to underestimate the intensity of voter opinion on these issues — or the impact they have on independent voters,” Republican pollster Neil Newhouse told POLITICO.

Matched against this sentiment is the increased frustration among Democrats over the jobs outlook — and a continued stalemate with the White House over funding for highway construction.

The Labor Department will release new monthly numbers Friday, and Democrats anticipate no improvement over September’s 9.8 percent unemployment rate. “We face a long road back,” said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.).

To help the jobless through the holidays, Congress sent Obama a bill Thursday that would add up to 20 weeks in assistance for those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. But the future of the highway program, hurt by a drop-off in gasoline tax revenues, remains a bone of contention.

The White House has said it wants to extend the current program only through the 2010 elections and then address increased funding. But 15 states are already so short of cash they can’t meet their 20 percent matching requirement. And that number could double next year — greatly reducing the chance to let contracts and create jobs.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) has argued for an upfront investment of $80 billion over two years to get over this hurdle.

“The concrete is cracking,” Oberstar said, laughing, hinting that the administration’s resistance is weakening. And though he denies any role in the discussions, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel keeps popping up in conversations, drawn into the fray through his ties to old House colleagues, seen in the gym or at dinner.

The big question is where the money will come from. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) said he is prepared to round up 30 Republican votes for a plan tapping unspent stimulus funds — an idea that he said had been discussed by Emanuel with an old Chicago friend, Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.). House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.) said he knew nothing of this approach and would oppose it — leaving others to look for revenues.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is most insistent on action requiring some give from the White House.

“I’ve told the administration, I don’t care who says it, that [it] is absolutely wrongheaded,” the South Carolina Democrat told POLITICO. “We have to reauthorize that highway bill for at least four years. I would prefer five or six,” Clyburn said, even if it meant imposing a securities transaction tax on the financial community to cover the costs.

“There are some painless ways to fund the highway bill,” Clyburn said. “Transaction taxes, that’s a painless way; that’s a painless way.”

“Where are the shared contributions to all this? If you’re sitting there on Wall Street, if you’re Goldman Sachs, if you’re making all this money, if you got all this federal money [in a] bailout, and you are paying all these big bonuses to your folks, where is your contribution to this recovery? That’s why it’s painless.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio, a major player on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a gymmate of Emanuel’s, has been drafting legislation along these lines: “Let Wall Street Pay for the Restoration of Main Street Act.” And the Oregon Democrat argues that the proposed 0.25 percent excise tax would have a negligible impact on the average investor and yield sufficient revenues to both cover increased highway funding and make a down payment toward reducing the deficit.

The financial industry is sure to fight any such levy and enjoys powerful allies, such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). But the anti-Wall Street sentiment in Congress goes well beyond DeFazio’s populist caucus. And the administration admits it will also be looking for new sources of revenue as part of its 2011 budget, due in February.

In this context, some transaction tax could potentially be part of a compromise in smoothing out the adjustment in capital gains taxes as Congress and the president decide which of the Bush-era income taxes will survive — and which will expire.

The capital gains tax rate is slated to rise from 15 percent to 20 percent, but if House Democrats succeed in adding their surtax on the wealthy, it could be a swing of 15 percent to 25.4 percent for big investors in January 2011. That’s enough to have some officials worried about the impact on the markets as individuals cash in on gains at the end of next year, and one option would be to use transaction tax revenues to craft a gentler glide path.

Obama in the past has cast himself as a supporter of long-term investments encouraged by capital gains tax breaks. By contrast, advocates of a transaction tax argue that it would fall more heavily on frequent traders and short-term speculators.

“It would be a good thing if we could do it internationally, but those transactions are so internationally mobile you can’t do it in one country,” House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) told POLITICO. “Stocks trade on multiple exchanges. That’s one of the few where the business community has a legitimate anti-competitive argument.”






Unemployment tops 10 percent


Democrats – headed into an historic health care vote this weekend — got smacked in the face with a 10.2 percent unemployment rate in October, the government reported Friday.

The 10.2 percent figure is well above the 9.9 percent that economists expected and breaks the psychological barrier of 10 percent, breaking double digits for the first time in 26 years. It's the last headline the Obama administration wanted to see going into the House healthcare vote.

In all, employers shed 190,000 non-farm jobs last month.

The tough numbers arm House Republicans with fresh political ammo against the trillion-dollar House health care bill, which could come to a vote as early as Saturday. The GOP has been relentlessly pushing the narrative that Democrats obsessed with creating ever-bigger government at the expense of the economy.

"As unemployment tops 10 percent this holiday season, Republicans have put jobs and the economy first, and are focused on developing real solutions that will put Americans back to work," House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said. "Increasing taxes on small business, as Democrats will do to pay for government run health care, is the wrong approach."

Even thought it was a point higher than expected, the upward trend in unemployment comes as no surprise to economists and administration officials alike. Nonetheless, the increase is an uncomfortable reminder for the Obama administration that they’re facing a long string of bad headlines on the economy, despite other evidence that the economy is shaking off the recession.

There’s wide consensus that the jobless rate will surpass 10 percent before it starts to head back down, and it could remain above 10 percent well into 2010. Hiring typically lags behind other signs of economic recovery in a recession, and this recession has seen deeper job cuts than previous recessions.

It’s also sure to up the pressure on Democrats to take steps to boost job creation – all while being careful not to do anything large enough to earn the label of “stimulus,” which would suggest that the first one they did this year didn’t work.

Democrats did what they could to insulate themselves ahead of the October jobs report, clearing an extension for jobless benefits Thursday, as well as some tax breaks, including an expanded homebuyer tax credit.

“The bill will mark another step toward a boost in our economic growth and it will make critical investments for our families and our workers,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.





Foxx tells Obama: Charlotte needs BofA


Charlotte Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx said he spoke with President Barack Obama on Wednesday about the importance of banking to Charlotte's economy, and said Thursday he thinks the White House could play a role in whether Bank of America keeps its headquarters in Charlotte.

"The federal government has some skin in the game," said Foxx, who was receiving a congratulatory call from Obama after winning Tuesday's mayoral election. "I hope there is a conversation about stabilizing the communities they serve," he added.

Foxx is among local leaders concerned that Bank of America's search for a chief executive to replace the departing Ken Lewis could lead to the uprooting of the bank's headquarters. The Charlotte Chamber and other officials said this week they have been in contact with the bank about the issue, but it's unclear whether they will have any influence on a decision normally relegated to the corporate boardroom.

The bank's board has no directors with ties to Charlotte, except Lewis. Federal regulators are also expected to have a veto on the final candidate. The worry is that if the new CEO doesn't want to live in Charlotte, the headquarters could migrate to New York, Boston or another city.

Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., said he has talked briefly with House Financial Services committee chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., about Bank of America and its jobs. "The essence of what he said to me is to assure me he's not out there to try to move Bank of America headquarters to Boston," Watt said.

Mayor Pat McCrory said he has an effort under way that involves a combination of strategies and includes players from business and government.

"The governor, the secretary of commerce, myself, the chamber and even our senators are working closely together to support Bank of America during their decision-making process," McCrory said this week. "Part of that is first respecting the process that they've got to go through ... while also selling our assets." He declined to be more specific.

Beyond public officials, two of the bank's most influential individual shareholders live in Charlotte - former CEO Hugh McColl Jr. and investor C.D. Spangler. Both declined to comment on whether they were reaching out to the bank.

"I think that whomever is made chief executive officer of the Bank of America is someone that Charlotte should welcome," McColl said in an interview. "And I would stop at the word 'welcome,' as opposed to 'welcome to town.' In other words, whining won't get us anywhere. We need to try to build a relationship."

But even the best efforts of a city and state might not be enough to dissuade a CEO who wants to make a move, experts said.

"The natural thing to do is to say, 'What changes do we need to make in our facilities? ... Maybe we can do something on the property tax side,'" said Steven Smith, director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis. "But with a company the size of Bank of America, and the size of its financial troubles, we know that property taxes are hardly a major concern."

N.C. politicians have a mixed record on banding together around issues affecting local companies.

In 2001, most of the state's congressional delegation, except then Democratic Sen. John Edwards, argued in favor of a merger between United Airlines and US Airways, which has its biggest hub in Charlotte. The plan was quashed by the U.S. Justice Department.

Last year, then-state treasurer Richard Moore was the only major political voice to speak out against Wells Fargo's purchase of Wachovia, saying that an independent company was better for the state. He urged North Carolinians to write letters to a Charlotte judge who ultimately rejected a lawsuit that sought to stop the deal.

Other regions have had more luck. Senators in Minnesota, Arizona and New York have successfully pressured General Motors, which has government loans, into not closing dealerships in their constituencies. Pittsburgh almost lost the headquarters of Westinghouse Electric last year, but local, regional and state leaders worked together to persuade the company to stay, said Dewitt Peart, president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

In 2004, Frank used his position on the House Financial Services Committee to pressure Bank of America into keeping a major presence in Boston following its purchase of FleetBoston Financial. After Frank and other local politicians questioned whether Bank of America was reneging on its commitment to the region, the company moved 400 wealth and investment management executives to the city.

In an interview Thursday, Frank, chairman of the committee, said he thought it was inappropriate to try to influence the choosing of a private company's CEO. But he said he "will insist on a continued strong presence in Boston in particular and New England in general."

Some in Charlotte have worried about the influence of the bank's Boston-based leaders. Consumer banking head Brian Moynihan is a former Fleet executive who is considered a leading internal candidate to replace Lewis. Three former Fleet directors are on the search committee.

Frank said he talks with the bank's Boston-based marketing executive, Anne Finucane, and other bank officials, but he hasn't contacted the board. Frank said he and Watt, also a committee member, have discussed the importance of the bank to both of their communities. "I think it's a big enough institution that Charlotte and Boston can have a significant presence," he said.

Watt said that while he's been talking Charlotte up as a place to do business, Congress won't likely influence the outcome anyway. "Because it ain't our business. It ain't our decision to make," he said. "The board has to make that decision."

Rep. Larry Kissell, D-N.C., also has been talking with Watt about the issue, his spokeswoman said. Charlotte Republican Rep. Sue Myrick has not heard that Bank of America would move its headquarters, and so has not been working on the issue, her office said.

In addition to taking Obama's congratulatory call, Foxx said he also spoke Wednesday with Valerie Jarrett, Obama's political advisor, and David Agnew, a White House liaison to mayors, and reminded them of how important banking is to Charlotte. None of them offered specific assurances of help.

Foxx is hoping that a Democratic mayor in Charlotte will yield benefits for the city, because his party is in power in the governor's mansion and in Washington.



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Sources: Politico, Huffington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, WSOC-TV, WBT, Charlotte Conservative.com, Google Maps