The Bad News Report

[RANYC]

2 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

PayPal canceled a 400 person job expansion in Charlotte because the state countered Charlotte's non-discrimination ordinance with HB2, that limited the statewide protection of LGBTQ individuals. Some felt like PayPal was really hurting the very city (Charlotte) that was trying to pass a non-discrimination ordinance more than it was actually hurting the state / conservative GOP. Most of the employers that backed out of NC during the HB2 fiasco were in all the most liberal areas... which really made most of the conservative areas rather happy that HB2 was only punishing the cities. Ultimately it took the public shame of the NCAA refusing to host any championships in North Carolina (bye bye precious ACC basketball) for some GOP members to get on board for voting for a partial repeal.

PayPal ultimately never opened a 400 person job expansion in Charlotte or any other location. 

Also.... if you want the state to be responsible for vetting corporate culture / inclusiveness.... I suspect we would be disappointed the controlling parties in the state legislature would find many companies TOO progressive / inclusive if that was a factor in getting incentives. NC Legislature: "This company requires at least 20% of the board to be women... NOPE! PASS. No Incentives."

Well, don't expect anyone in the assembly to be a guru on inclusiveness, but for what it's worth, it would be a good practice for the state to consider issues of culture, personnel management and retention, and a company's reputational risk management framework when deciding on whether to dole out grants from the state's coffers.   If that's not being done, I could see that blowing up in the state's face one day.

[Bikeguy]

HELP! please keep your eyes out! Our Truck was stolen!!!

[deleted account]

20 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

HELP! please keep your eyes out! Our Truck was stolen!!!

This should be easy to spot. You have to be a special kind of asshole to steal from a nonprofit. BTW, I've donated 4 bikes here previously and have a decent one coming your way next week. Didn't know you were part of this, fantastic organization!

[elrodvt]

Yeah, protecting that plane is definitely worth a nuclear war.

[DH17]

27 minutes ago, dnlleffingwell said:

Who remembers this plane that camr to CLT on a few occasions? It doesn't exist anymore due to the cowardness of the United States government. It was destroyed by the Russian forces. Not to blame only one person in the government that people want to blame but the government as a whole is what I blame. It is only a machine. Many people are dieing in the Ukraine because of cowardness of government of the United States and Europe. Only now do the all pretend to be strong with their sanctions that will not stop the murders of the people in Ukraine. Every nation fears one person in the world. Vladimir Putin. It is proven to be undeniable. Prove me wrong. How can one person control the word that is so horrible. Vladimir Putin is equal as Adolf Hitler. The United States will not out of fear to do something about it unless the United States is Force to do something. I hope that we will do something without being forced as cowards but I believe it will be the only way. America only picks on small countries but coward down to countries less than half the population. Lol.

Shame about the plane.

However, please explain what else the US should do to "do something" that DOESN'T end in a nuclear war?

[rancenc]

Looks like waste water capacity issues might be putting a crimp on development in  the North Meckenburg/Cabarrus County area.

https://www.wbtv.com/2022/03/21/sewage-limit-puts-development-hold-north-meck-cabbarrus-county/

 

[kermit]

1 minute ago, rancenc said:

Looks like waste water capacity issues might be putting a crimp on development in  the North Meckenburg/Cabarrus County area.

https://www.wbtv.com/2022/03/21/sewage-limit-puts-development-hold-north-meck-cabbarrus-county/

 

Its almost as if the population growth that hits us EVERY YEAR for the past 50+ years comes as a surprise to local officials.

[davidclt]

On 3/22/2022 at 4:29 PM, kermit said:

Its almost as if the population growth that hits us EVERY YEAR for the past 50+ years comes as a surprise to local officials.

Just don't raise my taxes to pay for increasing capacity! It will "just work" like it always has. Union County is increasingly going to be in a world of hurt going forward, one way or another, the poo has to go somewhere.

[videtur quam contuor]

https://www.wbtv.com/2021/07/15/construction-stops-wastewater-plants-union-county-near-capacity/

https://www.wbtv.com/2021/09/28/union-county-lifts-permit-cap-longterm-wastewater-solution-still-not-decided/

Union County has had issue for years with waste water and waste treatment. These above are just some of the most recent.

[jednc]

1 hour ago, davidclt said:

Just don't raise my taxes to pay for increasing capacity! It will "just work" like it always has. Union County is increasingly going to be in a world of hurt going forward, one way or another, the poo has to go somewhere.

I'm pretty sure the poo in Union Co. just runs for school board and gets elected.

[davidclt]

2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

https://www.wbtv.com/2021/07/15/construction-stops-wastewater-plants-union-county-near-capacity/

https://www.wbtv.com/2021/09/28/union-county-lifts-permit-cap-longterm-wastewater-solution-still-not-decided/

Union County has had issue for years with waste water and waste treatment. These above are just some of the most recent.

I don't feel even a little bit of schadenfreude, not even a little bit.

1 hour ago, jednc said:

I'm pretty sure the poo in Union Co. just runs for school board and gets elected.

I didn't say that (note I didn't say I didn't think it). Some of them live in Mecklenburg County and run for the US HoR . . . and get elected in Union county (and points east).

[videtur quam contuor]

Union has been surviving on Interbasin Transfers (IBT) for years. See slide 23 in this report:  https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water Resources/files/ibt/Union/UC_IBT_EIS_Scoping_Meetings.pdf

There is nothing inherently wrong with IBT. It is expensive, puts the county in a disadvantageous position, requires sensitive planning and relationships with neighboring counties and basin members, costs money for pipe and infrastructure. Most important, it requires public education and co-operation, always limited commodities.

[davidclt]

2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

always limited commodities.

There are no shortages in Union County of anything. Lots of land, lots of gas, no taxes (especially compared to the Soviet of Mecklenburg). It's always someone else's problem to solve and always someone else's fault.

Edited March 25, 2022 by davidclt

[Hushpuppy321]

I hope that stifled growth from North Meck, Cabarrus and Union spill into Charlotte and not leave the Metropolitan Area for another.  I love all the growth.

 

[KJHburg]

At my Cabarrus County econ development 101 class on Friday I got down and dirty and asked the question that was lurking in the room.    To the county manager I asked about the sewer capacity issue.   

First off the good news: there is an expansion of the Rocky River treatment plant in progress now and will be done in 2024 and another expansion to be complete in 2027.  This plant serves all of Cabarrus and east of I-77 in Mecklenburg County covers the town centers and points east of Davidson Cornelius and Huntersville.    Water is not the problem.  Sewer capacity is.   

What was explained to me is the state uses what locals consider an out of date sewer capacity estimate per household.  For example if you own a 4 bedroom home in the affected area, the state says you will use 120 gallons of water a day PER bedroom regardless of how many live in the household.  Cabarrus County is trying to show this numbers are out of date with recent hookups of homes showing much less than that water and sewer use.   ( I have a 4 bedroom home and use no where near that much water per day)  So WSACC the water sewer authority of Cabarrus County is trying to show the state they do have more room in the plant than the state says.  However that process is ongoing with the state.  Concord the biggest user of sewer in the affected area is making most of its future sewer capacity for new industry.  They are actually discouraging large box warehouses in favor of higher paying less water intensive users.  For example they said the new Eli Lilly plant uses not much more water/sewer than a big box warehouse but provides much higher paying jobs.  Big water users will not be able to come to the county like computer chip plants or water intensive businesses.  Big box warehouses are really spreading north to Rowan county anyway but Cabarrus County does have some bigger projects in the works too. Housing projects may slow down big approvals.  Cabarrus County does not run water and sewer lines outside towns and cities and will continue not to do that.  Parts of Cabarrus County are rural and remain so because some of the soils only one septic tank per 5-10 acres!   Concord has a scoring system to approve new projects in the next few years and other towns can adopt whatever they want but all towns and cites in Cabarrus and 3 northern Meck towns are affected.   This problem will last the next few years and could affect plans for major new subdivisions in the affected areas. 

this article explains the issue a little bit better.  Package treatment plants could be used for larger developments as talked in this article.  

https://www.lakenormanpublications.com/articles/wastewater-issues-threaten-to-stall-new-north-mecklenburg-development/#:~:text=The 45-year-old Rocky,26 million gallons per day.

So if Meck county would keep their $%#^ in their county Cabarrus would not have any problems LOL.  

I would remind everyone even Southend had a  water/sewer problem with too many toilets flushing into older pipes.  

https://www.wsacc.org/

If all else fails this could be the answer in new subdivisions in Davidson, Concord or Harrisburg! 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

So I visit my brother in Kannapolis today and ask about this water usage. He quickly looks it up.  He has a 3 bedroom home which the state says would use 120 per gallons a day per bedroom.   That would be 10,800 gallons a month.  His highest usage in the last few months was 5300 gallons, he had a month with 4200 gallons.  His family size, 5 including 2 teenage daughters and my mother living there.  Even with 5 people in a 3 bedroom he is no where near the water/sewage usage that the state says when making these capacities.  My usage would even be much less in my house.  Oh yeah my brother works from home too and has a hot tub which is drained occasionally. 

The point is that the state uses very old water consumption numbers in figuring out sewer capacities.  Not every drop of the 5300 gallons he use went down the drain either as it was drank or boiled away.  

I am curious tell when you water consumption and remember to use the 120 gallons a day per bedroom.   

[videtur quam contuor]

What figure does Meck water use, if any?

[KJHburg]

6 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

What figure does Meck water use, if any?

it is statewide standard but I thought they said some places are pressing for 80 gallons per bedroom per day. 

[tozmervo]

8 hours ago, KJHburg said:

The point is that the state uses very old water consumption numbers in figuring out sewer capacities.  Not every drop of the 5300 gallons he use went down the drain either as it was drank or boiled away.  

7 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

What figure does Meck water use, if any?

2018 real water use data averages across Mecklenburg:  Charlotte/Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer (mcmap.org)
I assume the real culprit visible in the QOL map isn't bedroom count but yard acreage (and watering of grass), but runoff from irrigation isn't contributing to sewer capacity.

[KJHburg]

Great information and as you said water usage is not an exact 1 to 1 on sewer usage especially with homes that use irrigation.  Interesting chart.

and if you look up in Davidson Cornelius Huntersville area east of 77 only in River Run Country Club community  and Northstone Country Club is where water usage is the highest and these would be the biggest homes in the town and likely have irrigation systems. 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by KJHburg

[KJHburg]

we still not have regained all our jobs in the metro area pre Covid.  

from the Triangle Biz Journal

''The statewide unemployment rate for December (3.7 percent) can make it look like North Carolina has recovered from the shock of Covid-19. Sadly, that’s not the full story in many communities across the state.  Nearly three-quarters of our counties still have fewer people working than before the pandemic arrived. In many cases, the losses during Covid-19 piled on top of longer-term declines that date back to before Great Recession.""

Edited April 4, 2022 by KJHburg

[rancenc]

Looks like British EV maker Arrival is delaying the start of its manufacturing in York County.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/electric-vehicle-maker-postpones-start-production-rock-hill-facility/AQ4JRCPX2VGO5KM6B4EZGB3CYA/

[CLT2014]

10 hours ago, KJHburg said:

we still not have regained all our jobs in the metro area pre Covid.  

from the Triangle Biz Journal

''The statewide unemployment rate for December (3.7 percent) can make it look like North Carolina has recovered from the shock of Covid-19. Sadly, that’s not the full story in many communities across the state.  Nearly three-quarters of our counties still have fewer people working than before the pandemic arrived. In many cases, the losses during Covid-19 piled on top of longer-term declines that date back to before Great Recession.""

People are retiring like crazy! Every week at work we are having retirement parties. COVID changed people's outlook on life and many realized life is short. This was inevitable as baby boomers exited the workforce, but I think COVID accelerated some people to early retirements. Have not seen so many people retiring prior to 65. With a male life expectancy of 76... working until you are 70 may mean you have a very short retirement before death. People saw neighbors die, shut downs keep them from family, et... making working until 70 not so appealing. 

Older retirees have also left their part time retirement jobs. An senior woman on my street had retired from her career, but was working part time at Lowe's for side money, Christmas gifts, et... Throw in the craziness of the pandemic and feeling vulnerable as a senior and she was done. She quit two months into the pandemic with no plans to go back into part time retail. 

With childcare issues in the pandemic, some two parent households are still making a single income work after one parent resigned to focus on the kids with daycares shut down, et... That parent has stayed out of the labor force with no plans to return.

It will be very interesting to watch the demographic tsunami cascade across the country over the coming years as boomers complete their retirement and the US population flatlines before an inevitable decline without more international migration. Even fast growing places like Charlotte and Austin will eventually be largely reliant on stealing a shrinking national population from other areas as birth rates decline and deaths accelerate.

Edited April 5, 2022 by CLT2014

[JRCLT]

People are retiring like crazy! Every week at work we are having retirement parties. COVID changed people's outlook on life and many realized life is short. This was inevitable as baby boomers exited the workforce, but I think COVID accelerated some people to early retirements. Have not seen so many people retiring prior to 65. With a male life expectancy of 76... working until you are 70 may mean you have a very short retirement before death. People saw neighbors die, shut downs keep them from family, et... making working until 70 not so appealing. 
Older retirees have also left their part time retirement jobs. An senior woman on my street had retired from her career, but was working part time at Lowe's for side money, Christmas gifts, et... Throw in the craziness of the pandemic and feeling vulnerable as a senior and she was done. She quit two months into the pandemic with no plans to go back into part time retail. 
With childcare issues in the pandemic, some two parent households are still making a single income work after one parent resigned to focus on the kids with daycares shut down, et... That parent has stayed out of the labor force with no plans to return.
It will be very interesting to watch the demographic tsunami cascade across the country over the coming years as boomers complete their retirement and the US population flatlines before an inevitable decline without more international migration. Even fast growing places like Charlotte and Austin will eventually be largely reliant on stealing a shrinking national population from other areas as birth rates decline and deaths accelerate.

Quick note…Death rates don’t accelerate. That sounds apocalyptic in the sense more people will die faster. Instead death rates have slowed and will continue to do so with advancements in healthcare and tech. Birth rates slowed and therefore people aren’t getting replaced as they die so that is what happens when the population is seen that it shrinks. The slow death rate is why the population has swelled. The population of the US is also not set to flatline as of yet. By 2060 the US population is set to increase to over 400 million.

Another note is Charlotte has not been growing mainly on births it is because it is stealing from other places. It is already doing what you said it would have to do. Steal from the rest of the US.

[RANYC]

11 hours ago, rancenc said:

Looks like British EV maker Arrival is delaying the start of its manufacturing in York County.

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/electric-vehicle-maker-postpones-start-production-rock-hill-facility/AQ4JRCPX2VGO5KM6B4EZGB3CYA/

Was it owed any incentives from Rock Hill or was a bond issuance expected?