After focusing for months on the 2020 election and COVID-19 pandemic, this week's FlashPoint with Ben Thompson is all about Charlotte! Guests on this week's show include City Council members Larken Egleston and Tariq Bokhari.
Topics on this week's program include Charlotte's biggest obstacles entering 2021, as well as renaming streets that are named after Confederate generals and white supremacists. Is the matter of renaming streets worth considering during the pandemic?
In 2017, Charlotte and North Carolina became the epicenter of American politics with the controversial House Bill 2. When the bill was repealed, a section in the law barred local governments from enacting or amending non-discrimination ordinances regulating private businesses until Dec. 1, 2020. Now that the ban has expired, will Charlotte look to pass another non-discrimination ordinance? If so, how can they keep the city's desires from becoming another disaster that leads to state intervention?
The Silver Line light rail extension has been the talk of Charlotte transportation plans for years. The proposal would create a new rail line from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Matthews on the southeast end of Independence Boulevard. But how would it be paid for? Larken and Tariq discuss the city's options and where they could go to find the money for the huge project.
