With Mayor Meeker talking about raising taxes again, and the City Council talking about spending $11 million more than it has, Republicans should be recommending ways to trim the budget.

Here’s a small idea.

The City publishes a newsletter, “Liveable Streets Update: Downtown Raleigh.” The newsletter seems to exist for only one reason – to be a public relations vehicle to promote Mayor Meeker’s pet downtown projects. Like his convention center. And hotel. And five-star restaurant. And up-scale supermarket. (All funded with tax dollars.)

The April issue of the newsletter opens with a paean praising the Mayor for his role in bringing Spanish artist Juame Pensa to Raleigh and leading the effort to get a $2.5 million for Pensa to build a “grassy plaza” in the middle of Fayetteville Street – which according to Mr. Pensa will resemble a silicon chip.

Defunding the Mayor’s PR vehicle isn’t going to balance the budget. But every penny helps. And it beats raising property taxes, again.

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