[Durham INC] Clarification: Information on Nov 8 election: please don't sit this one out! [1 Attachment]

[Melissa Rooney]

Clarification: In my previous email, the word 'plaintiffs' should be replaced by the word 'opponents,' as no lawsuit has been filed against DPS regarding their dissemination of information related to the education sales tax. Sorry for any confusion!

Melissa


________________________________
From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
To: INC <inc-list at rtpnet.org>; Durham Enviro <durhamenviro at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, 6 November 2011 9:57 AM
Subject: [durhamenviro] Information on Nov 8 election: please don't sit this one out! [1 Attachment]


  
[Attachment(s) from Melissa Rooney included below]
Please don't forget to vote on the transit and sales tax (for our schools) referendum this Tuesday, November 8. Turnout has been very poor in early voting, and these are very important issues for our county. And please ask your Durham friends and co-workers to vote as well. 


To view your precinct and polling site, see this link:

http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/elec/Documents/Durham%20County%20Precicnts%20and%20All%20Jurisdictions.pdf 


There has been a lot of confusion regarding the sales tax, because state law will not permit actually indicating on the ballot what the sales tax is for (although they will permit the funds to be used for specific purposes) -- see the links below. In addition, the county is very limited in its ability to inform the public about what the tax is for b/c, by doing so, they are accused of spending public money to support their cause. I won't get on my soap box about my frustration with the powers that be regarding this inhibition/prohibition of providing vital public information and transparency.

The county commissioners have passed a resolution that states that these funds will be used to help fill the shortfall in state and federal education funding and that they will be used specifically for hiring and maintaining our TEACHERS.

If the sales tax referendum for teachers does not pass the referendum, we will likely not get the chance to vote on it again in the near future. (The school impact tax referendum was not passed several years ago b/c it was on all home sales and not just new development, and we've not seen an improved referendum since then, nor any attempts toward this end.)


Links:

The county commissioners passed a resolution saying that this tax will be used for education with most being earmarked specifically for our teachers (this resolution contains information regarding the General Assembly's passage of legislation allowing sales taxes to be designated for specific purposes):


http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/bocc/Bond_Issues/Education_and_Transi1.html


The legality is already being questioned with regard to DPS and the county actually informing people that the sales tax is specifically to support education; plaintiffs are arguing that this is the same as advocating for the tax to be passed, because it accuses those who don't vote for it as not supporting education:

http://www.johnlocke.org/site-docs/research/Bakstpublicfundsdps-103111.pdf


Recent article in the Herald Sun:
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/16221106/article-Advocates--Education-sales-tax-would-plug-holes--fuel-dreams-?instance=main_article

(note that the Friends of Durham political action group is well known to represent development and business interests)


More links regarding this issue in the People's Alliance Email below.

Thanks for caring and for VOTING :)

Melissa (Rooney)


----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Laura Drey <lauradrey at ncrrbiz.com>
To: Laura Drey <lkdrey2 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, 5 November 2011 9:18 AM
Subject: TODAY Early Voting End.; Nov 8 election; redistricting lawsuit; events: rate hike hearing & more

From Durham People's Alliance (PA)

"Early Voting Ends Saturday at 1:00

A friendly reminder that Early Voting ends at 1pm on Saturday. You can early vote at the North Regional Library, South Regional Library, and the Board of Elections.

[For more information about early voting see
http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/elec/2011_Election/Documents/2011%20Election%20Ad.pdf 

Take a PA endorsement card with you......
http://www.durhampa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Peoples-Alliance-Mailer-2011-v.2-3.pdf

On November 8, 2011, Durham County voters will have the
 opportunity to say “yes” for
 increased bus and rail service in Durham and support for our local schools and teachers. In a political climate where state and federal funds are lacking,...

The 1/4 cent Education Tax, that will save 150 teaching positions in Durham....

.... every vote counts!"

---

Durham People's Alliance Political Action Committee (PAC) (919) 682-7777
"Through candidate questionnaires, interviews, and public forums, the Durham PA PAC seeks to elect progressive candidates to all levels of public office." (from web site from 2010) 
http://www.durhampa.org

Durham People's Alliance (Durham PA)
Durham PA "is a grassroots organization of Durham citizen-volunteers that works . . . on a wide range of city and county issues including education, the environment, economic justice and sound economic growth for our community . . . campaign finance reform, watershed
 protection, solid
 waste, public transportation, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender rights, and affordable housing." (from web site from 2010)

------

For my endorsements see November 3 email with subject line of Early & same day voting; endorsements, events

------

For information about the redistricting lawsuit see the redistricting attachment.




------

Events (for more events see my November 3 email)

through November 13
Saturday, November 5 (8pm)
Sunday, November 6  (2pm)
Wednesday-Saturday, November 9-12 (8pm)

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY; a Little Green Pig production
"a savage comedy with tight acting and stunning design by Harold "Uncle Cuddles" Pinter. 
More shows/details: http://littlegreenpig.com/tix.htm

Common Ground Theater 919-452-2304
http://cgtheatre.com/

-----

Monday, November 28, 1 pm

NC WARN Hearings - Utility Rate Hike

Join NC WARN in Raleigh at hearings regarding a potential 17% hike in our utility rates from Duke Power. The Raleigh hearing will be at the Dobbs Building (430 N Salisbury). Contact Connie Leeper at connie at ncwarn.org for more info.

WHY: Duke Energy is seeking an 18.6% rate hike for residential electricity customers and over 14% for businesses. That’s on top of an 8% increase since January 2010 and this September’s 5% increase in fuel surcharges.  If Duke’s rate request passes, residential bills will have jumped over 30% since the beginning of last year. 

And Duke has already announced that it is coming back for another rate hike next year. 

Duke is also pushing the
 General Assembly to allow annual rate hikes so
 customers pay years in advance for nuclear plants that might never come on-line.  

Such continuous rate hikes are intended to finance Duke’s expansion of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, a path that feeds climate change instead of pursuing the path of conservation, energy efficiency, and renewables.

(I tried to inform people about this weeks Utility Rate Hike hearing in Durham but my electricity was out because a limb had fallen on an electric line.)

NC WARN (North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network) (919) 416-5077 
NC WARN tackles "the accelerating crisis posed by climate change – along with the various risks of nuclear power – by watch-dogging utility practices and working for a swift North Carolina transition to energy efficiency and clean power generation. In partnership with other citizen groups, NC WARN uses sound scientific research to inform and involve the public in key decisions regarding their
 wellbeing." (from 2010 web site)
http://www.ncwarn.org

Laura




__._,_.___Attachment(s) from Melissa Rooney 
1 of 1 File(s)  
 Redistricting
Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) 
Recent Activity: 
Visit Your Group 
MARKETPLACE
Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get the Yahoo! Toolbar now.<img width="1" height="1" alt="" src="http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=b6c728a0-0887-11e1-a125-dbea793baea9&T=1csqn7ne3%2fX%3d1320591477%2fE%3d1705064225%2fR%3dgroups%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d938864913%2fH%3dY29udGVudD0iRXZlbnRzO0ZsaWNrcjtZYWhvb19TZWFyY2hfTWFya2V0aW5nO0VkdWNhdGlvbjtHcm91cHM7V2lkZ2V0cztOZXdzO1BvZGNhc3RzO01hcHM7Q2FsZW5kYXI7IiBkaXNhYmxlc2h1ZmZsaW5nPSIxIiBzZXJ2ZUlkPSJiNmM3MjhhMC0wODg3LTExZTEtYTEyNS1kYmVhNzkzYmFlYTkiIHNpdGVJZD0iNDQ1MjU1MSIgdFN0bXA9IjEzMjA1OTE0Nzc3OTQxMTMiIA--%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d9F238962&U=13cd9ncf3%2fN%3dTpOAAmKJiSA-%2fC%3d493064.14543979.14562481.13298430%2fD%3dMKP1%2fB%3d6060255%2fV%3d1"> 
 
Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use
. 

__,_._,___ 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20111106/a2bf10f5/attachment.html>