To: The North Carolina State House, The North Carolina State Senate, and Governor Roy Cooper
Put a stop to closing down historical sites in North Carolina
Stop destroying historical sites around the state by closing them down. Instead build them up through advertising and keep the employees employed rather than laying them off and putting them on the welfare roles. If you need to make more money for these sites, start charging a nominal, inexpensive fee for areas such as the Governor Vance Birthplace.
Why is this important?
Recently the Governer and State Legislature have been attempting to close down famous historical sites around the State to "save money". One of the main reasons my wife and I moved to the state seven years ago was because North Carolina placed an emphasis on it's very interesting history. We moved from California, where we had both resided all of our lives. One of the reasons we moved from the state was because California had lost it's soul as a result of getting rid of similar programs in that state. Several years ago Downtown Asheville, NC was a "ghost town". Instead of tearing down the old boarded up buildings the city fathers decided to renovate these buildings and make the downtown area into a tourist Mecca. It was a brilliant idea. Most of the old Multi story buildings opened shops and restaurants on the first floor. The upper floors were converted into condos or apartments to encourage a growing population in the downtown area. Subsequently, Downtown Asheville has grown into a thriving city unto itself and became a successful tourist area. Part of the charm of the area has been it's emphasis on the history of the area and the friendliness of it's occupants. Los Angeles, California took a different direction. They tore down the old and replaced it with cheaper, less interesting buildings. Nobody goes to downtown L..A. because it has no "charm". It's inhabited mostly by "projects", is unfriendly, even hostile, and dirty.