#AYSM? : Charlotte area planners PRAISED by Third World, Red China

Here’s the latest from the #AYSM department.  The Centralina Council of Governments — a bunch of bureaucrats and politicians from the Charlotte area fixated on “planning” your communities — is crowing about some recent praise their work received:

Centralina’s CONNECT Our Future regional growth framework and strategies were recently highlighted in a keynote presentation at the 1st Annual Conference on International Exchange of Professionals held in Kunming, China June 13-16.

Yep.  YOU AND I paid for this.  (I’m sure.)  MORE: 

Centralina was invited and sponsored by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) to be part of a five-member delegation to present and confer with several international organizations focused on regional economic development and growth strategies.

CONNECT’s data based methodology tied with an intense, structured public engagement has previously been identified as a “best practice” nationally and now internationally.

“People are noticing our efforts because this approach has led to rapid adoption of CONNECT growth framework systems and strategies that support job and economic growth as well as improved quality of life for residents living in communities throughout our region,” commented Centralina Council of Governments Executive Director, Jim Prosser. “Research supports that the growth framework and strategies adopted by our region are keys to attracting businesses and jobs. These principles include walkable neighborhoods, access to transportation and quality of life features.”

Gee, Charlotteans.  *You must be proud that the folks “planning” your communities are thought so highly of by a police state with nightmarish environmental conditions and a penchant for deploying tanks and troops against their own people to quash that pesky ”free speech” stuff when it gets out of hand.* MORE:

A few of the examples of progress to date cited at the Conference included the soon to be completed Regional Freight Plan which links economic development and transportation, Healthy Communities initiatives in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties, downtown redevelopment in Statesville, Salisbury and Bessemer City, pedestrian plans in Bessemer City, Waxhaw and Kings Mountain, bike plan in Kannapolis and Career Headlight (an innovative web-based career tool).

Pedestrian plans?  Healthy communities initiatives?  (State-subsidized freezers in convenience stores?)   Ay caramba!  I know it would give me a warm feeling inside to receive all that praise and adulation from a communist dictatorship and a bunch of Third World banana republics.  *Congrats, Charlotte area!*