Smart Growth Pounces

The Friday Commercial Appeal has a story, a guest editorial and a coming series, starting Sunday, on smart growth. That's another term for the idea of trying to get a handle on all the problems caused by City/County governments that allowed rampant growth since it poured money into government coffers. When cities were exploding, government was making big bucks. Now that things are slowing down, and getting spread out, problems with schools, roads and environment suddenly need solving. The developers had free rein; now the government wants to tussle with them. It means lots of new laws, new charges and taxes on building. Lots of control.

I warned that this was coming back when AC Wharton was elected County Mayor. The Commercial Appeal began to drop the phrase into editorials and opinion-page columns. It was obviously the first shots in a coming campaign. Now begins the big push.

I'll wait for Sunday to tackle the whole thing in one big post. You have been warned.