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ACC Hall of Champions a teapot museum?

In its continuing series on waste in state government (a very good series, by the way) the News & Observer of Raleigh this week cites Greensboro's ACC Hall of Champions among a list of legislators’ expensive "pet projects."

It even mentions the $23 million project in the same breath as the (gasp) notorious teapot museum in Sparta, which became the poster child for frivolous spending.

Of course, it's human nature to see your own pet project as state lawmakers doing what they are supposed to do: Bring home a share of state money for local initiatives. Or in the more casual lingo, bring home the bacon.

But the N&O makes some good points:

1. No private money has been raised for the ACC hall.

2. The ACC has not contributed a penny to the effort, and intends not to despite having "$30 million in hand" and despite paying
Commissioner John Swofford $924,000 in annual salary and benefits.

3. An ACC spokeswoman still says the league does not have the money to spare.

Don't get me wrong. The ACC project was a creative master stroke by Greensboro Coliseum Managing Director Matt Brown, who conceived the idea. It will be a boon to the coliseum and the city.

Kay Hagan worked hard to secure funding for it when she was a state senator.

The N&O probably can find similar goodies wedged into the budget for Wake County. Or Forsyth. Or so on.

And, yes, for now, this is how the game is played.

But it doesn't look great.