All I know about this subject I know from this post, which says up top that it's incomplete and argumentative, so maybe there are details that might make NC state government look like less of a bully and Asheville look like less of a victim? Please share such if you got 'em.

Comments

[Lex]

I have no knowledge of the facts of the case (I'm making inquiries with Asheville friends), but to the best of my knowledge, Moffitt is correct in his interpretation of the School of Government's interpretation of the state Constitution: If the General Assembly wants to do this, I don't believe there's any constitutional obstacle.

[Ed Cone]

Yeah, as we've seen a lot recently, state government calls the tune in NC.

[Stephen]

Just clicking one of the links at your link, I find the exact opposite of what you are looking for. Why does North Carolina want to privatize municiple water?

Macquarie Capital. Their Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Geoff Segal, is the “ALEC Private Sector Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Task Force”. He proposed the “Establishing a Public-Private Partnership (P3) Authority Act” (adopted) at the 2011 ALEC conference. It is this proposed legislation that would be the blunt instrument to force govt. entities all over North Carolina (and whatever other state enacts it) to strongly consider privatizing their infrastructure. Macquaries NC lobbyist McGuireWoods strongly pushed this legislation in Tim Moffitt’s House PPP Committee, and recently gave money to Tim Moffitt’s campaign.

[hugh]

When the economy finally goes to hell (human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria) and the state/municipal governments are broke, selling off "public" infrastructure will be a revenue generator.

Public power cities are sitting on a gold mine (High Point, Lexington, etc.) that they will not be able to afford to keep.