CRAVER'S COMMENTS

December 2001

IN THIS ISSUE

·         A HOLIDAY REFLECTION

·         DINING AND TRAVEL TIP

·         THE REAL IMPACT

·         RANDOM THOUGHTS

 

FUTURE ISSUES

        EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO.

 

THINGS TO BE PROUD OF

·         TO BE AN AMERICAN !!!

·         NEW YORK CITY FIRE FIGHTERS AND POLICE

·         PASSENGERS OF FLIGHT 93

·         OUR ARMED FORCES

·         GENEROUSITY OF OUR CITIZENS

DID YOU KNOW?

          DID YOU KNOW THAT 35.4 PER CENT OF TRIANGLE RESIDENTS HOLD A BACHELOR’S DEGREE? IN A RECENT NATIONAL SURVEY OF METROPOLITAN AREAS ONLY WASHINGTON, DC HAD A HIGHER RATE. DON’T YOU WONDER WHY OUR POLITICIANS DON’T ALWAYS ACT AS SMART AS THEY OBVIOUSLY SHOULD BE ?

 

A HOLIDAY REFLECTION

     One advantage of having a few years under your belt    is that it gives you a license to reflect. That is especially helpful during the Christmas season. Reflections enhance the wisdom that my generation tries to pass down to younger generations in an effort to save them the time and pain it takes to learn it on their own, knowing full well that they rarely listen. Personal reflections have taught me that it does not matter what you do for a career as long as you do it to the best of your ability.   It has also taught me that you raise your children, love your family, and try to help some others along the way.

      This has been a year that we as a nation have done collective reflecting: reflecting on our resolve to preserve freedom; reflecting on our core values as a nation itself.

We have learned that the true heroes are not the sports stars or entertainers who make the big bucks but the soldiers, fire fighters, police and all of the hard-working every day people who stand up to be counted when the need arises. We have also learned that America is a diverse country whose people come from every part of the globe and have many holiday traditions. Even though many of you will celebrate the holiday season in different ways based on your own heritage, my family and I would like to wish each of you a very merry Christmas and a joyous and prosperous New Year.

 

DINING AND TRAVEL TIP

    One of my favorite things is sharing good experiences with others, especially when eating is involved. Since the last writing I have had several sharable experiences.

       Those of you from the northeast should pay particular attention to this. If you miss visiting that “New England fishing village”, I have found a reasonable substitute, Beaufort, NC. I am almost embarrassed to say I had never spent any time in Beaufort until recently. In fact I had only ridden through the town once in my life. That trip convinced me that I wanted to go back. Beaufort, for those of you without a map, is located on the North Carolina coast adjacent to Morehead City and Atlantic Beach. Take US 70 east for three hours and fifteen minutes and you’ll be there. Beaufort is the third oldest town in North Carolina and has been restored to mint condition. It is chock full of lovely homes, bed and breakfasts, quaint shops, excellent restaurants, and, oh yes, lots of fishing boats. One of the days we were there it stayed foggy all day and I really felt like I was on the coast of Maine. When you go, be sure to dine at the Stillwater Café.

       Another recent dining experience I want to pass along to those of you who might not have tried it yet is             “Tosca”, an Italian café in the heart of the restored West Village complex near Brightleaf Square. Great atmosphere and great food make Tosca a real addition to the already superb dining experiences in Durham.

 

THE REAL IMPACT

     Impact fees are coming to a neighborhood near you.  Don’t be fooled. This is a TAX  increase hidden in the word “Fee” and under the label “For the Children.” The Durham County Commissioners voted to impose these fees beginning next July without the approval of the General Assembly. I want to address a few points on this subject so that you will better understand what you are up against.

·         The initial fee will be $2,500 per new housing unit, paid by the developer. Here is the first way they try to fool you. They say they have a study that says the developers will actually pay this  fee and not pass it along to the consumer. If you believe that, well I have some swampland in Florida that…….

·         Where will this new revenue go? They (County Commissioners) are saying it is for the schools and that without this new fee (tax) we cannot build the new schools we so desperately need. My contention is that our tax dollars should be used as originally intended-- for schools, police and fire protection. Then if there is any left over we can do all the other things we are now doing with our tax dollars. I don’t think they feel that you would be as agreeable to a tax increase for non-essentials.

·         You can’t run away from impact fees. Orange and Chatham counties were the first two in the state to convince the General Assembly to allow them. My favorite part of this story is that the new ordinance allows for fees up to $5,000 per unit but the benevolent commissioners are going to only charge $2,500. They claim they will be reluctant to increase the fees because they built in a provision saying all increases would have to be matched by county funds. Am I wrong, but doesn’t the County get its funds from our pockets also?

  • Finally, they are so afraid you’ll notice what they are really doing that they are not counting on this new revenue until 2004 after an expected long court battle.  Please notice!!

Speak up and be heard!

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS

***According to Site Selection magazine North Carolina in now the top state in which to do business, edging out California.

***The Streets at Southpoint Mall released its first list of new stores. They gave us the names of 100 tenants. There will be 140 in all. I did not recognize a lot of the new store names which is good news for you professional shoppers. My kids always claimed I was “mall challenged” and certainly never read “GQ.”

***The “bigger is better” philosophy certainly has hit the real estate industry in the Triangle. Three of the five largest companies in the area have undergone big mergers in the last year or so. Despite all this, Fonville Morisey Realty is still the largest real estate company selling 1.6 billion dollars worth of the 9-10 billion dollars in home sales this past year in the Triangle. It is interesting to note that there are approximately 1,000 real estate firms in the Triangle and the top five do well over fifty per cent of the business. Size has proven to be a valuable asset in the effort to lead the way with innovations in technology and customer service.