"Despite the undeniable short-term workforce deficits caused by the Black Death, the resulting easing of affordable housing pressures will be a lasting benefit to the survivors."

WFAE's "Charlotte Talks" show is one of the best public affairs programs in America. Mike Collins, the host, and his staff, make it so, five days a week.

Today's show was a great example. The topic was "Repairing Charlotte's Damaged Reputation" in the wake of our riot and HB2.

Alas, the guests were not at all up to the task.

Michael Smith, president and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners, and Bob Morgan, president and CEO of the Charlotte Chamber, have no soul I could discern.

If they'd worked for the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce, they'd have been calling the atom bomb "a tragic event, to be sure, but one we should not let blind us to the remarkable and unexpected opportunities it offers the city for improvements in infrastructure, housing, health care, and research into alternative energy sources."

Here's a link to the show.