Kevin: Urban Renewal Attacks Wrong

According to state Rep. Robert Schaefer’s world view, urban renewal offers nothing that can’t be achieved with a loaded gun. Urban renewal was devised to help cities fix blighted areas. This financing tool isn’t needed in small towns, Schaefer said during a recent legislative hearing, because it’s understood that most locals are packing heat. Unfortunately, Schaefer isn’t the only legislator with a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later mindset about urban renewal. Many of the Legislature’s conservative stalwarts — lawmakers who never pass up a chance to rail about what they consider federal overreach — have no qualms about meddling in local governance. Lost in this commotion is the fact that, when it’s done right, urban renewal fosters economic development, to the benefit of local and state government/ Kevin Richert , Idaho Statesman. More here .

Question: Why do conservative legislators who rail about federal overreach have no qualms about meddling in local governance when it comes to urban renewal?