Hypocrisy? Out of Raleigh?

Durham hoteliers warned a Raleigh lobbyist and former Raleigh hotelier not to stir up opposition over here to the Durham incentives for a Greenfire Development project Downtown.

Alas, it was still no surprise when he got his orders from three Raleigh businessmen to use their names on a last minute letter of opposition to the Durham plan under the guise that they each have interest in a lodging property located here.

It’s anyone’s guess how vehement the three were but they knew they had nothing to lose. Durham doesn’t hold grudges or retaliate (remember when another Raleigh businessman lied to get the names on the co-owned airport reversed?) nor do we interfere with or even give much attention to Raleigh issues unless like Falls Lake, they are trying to strong-arm Durham to clean up their water supply.

Ironically or should I say hypocritically, these Raleigh businessmen, so willing to stick their noses into Durham’s business, avoided stirring up a stink back where they live, when a few days ago their hometown upped a slush fund used to bribe groups into using its convention center, oh, and adjacent hotel, where that city owns an upfront equity position by purchasing the land, not the mere back-end incentives Durham approved.

These are among the same Raleigh businessmen who hypocritically enabled or funded opposition to a prepared food tax proposed in Durham for tourism-related uses, while their own city was already using the very same tax to build the convention center, subsidize the adjacent hotel and build a sports arena.

Bug off Raleigh!…stop shamelessly carping in an effort to deny things for other communities around the state until you can first walk the walk at home. Let us see you start with pushing for repeal of your prepared food tax.

Oh, and stop hiding behind that “holier than thou” defilement of the term regionalism (in that guise these same guys have openly resisted the emergence of Durham over the years as a distinct destination even as it was making their projects here viable.)

Kiss my Harley seat!