The Charlotte Observer, a McClatchy newspaper, removed the following comment in the online discussion board regarding article " Public, private investments boost Plaza Central district" printed in the Sunday paper on 5-27-12......My comment-"It's not the role of government to provide millions of dollars of tax money in an attempt to set up certain connected business owners. Several years ago Charlotte's property taxes were 42 percent higher than Raleigh's, it can be verified online. They are currently trying to increase property taxes again. Add in Charlotte's extra flat fee tax per car, the rainwater tax, the yearly increasing water/sewer fees, the Happy Meal Tax/prepared food/drink tax, extra added county sales tax and you can see why Charlotte is viewed the way it is in North Carolina. The Mecklenburg County ABC Board spent nearly $30,000 for a party to open a new liquor store. Unbelievable. Charlotte doesn't belong investing in or buying and operating businesses to compete against the true Private Sector. City and county government should be as small as possible. Charlotte has lost hundreds of millions of tax money with one failed project after another for decades and then often lies about the details. It is disgraceful how easily and with great disregard to tax payers the city spends our limited money. If businesses want more customers, they should spend their own money to attract them. The profits they may make will certainly be for their own pockets, so shouldn't the investment and risk be their's too? We will make a point of patronizing genuine private restaurants and businesses not those subsidized by redistributing taxpayer's money to specific establishments. We hope to see these anti-American, anti-free enterprise schemes fail.".......CENSORSHIP OF FACTS ON NEWSPAPER DISCUSSION BOARDS COULD BE PART OF WHY THIS PAPER HAS BEEN DYING. After learning of the censorship, our family is no longer interested in getting news from them that is filtered.
