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

[Melissa Rooney]

The Durham County Resolution clearly states that:
"The NC General Assembly has given authority to counties to seek voter approval to increase sales taxes for a specific purpose," and I have been told by reasonable sources that this is the case.


I do not understand how informing the public that this sales tax is to be used solely for education can be equated to advocating for a position. What is more wrong is to be prohibited from informing the public about what their taxes are paying for.

Yes, the majority of the tax is going for teachers jobs, the rest is for DPS debt reduction, which will only free up $ that the admin, school board and parents/teachers can advocate for use in the classroom and for teachers.

It is well known that education funding is being slashed at the state and federal levels. The county will have to make up for this or our schools and our kids will greatly suffer, as will our prisons as a result no doubt.

As for discussing this via the INC listserv, I see no better forum. INC has always been a place for discussion. This tax directly affects everyone in Durham. All views should be accommodated and discussed, but there should be no prohibition against a person stating (or pleading) their side of an issue.

If we can debate same-sex couples and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, surely we can debate how to improve funding for our schools.

Again, we may all wish that all of this sales tax goes directly to pay teachers, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't vote for this much needed funding for our schools.

Please read the County Commissioners' resolution carefully, as well as the other links I provided.

Not informing the public that the large majority of this tax is expressly earmarked for our teachers and our schools is a sad requirement.

Sincerely,
Melissa Rooney



________________________________
From: Richard Ford <rbford at aim.com>
To: inc-list at rtpnet.org
Sent: Sunday, 6 November 2011 8:14 PM
Subject: [Durham INC] Information on Nov 8 election: please don't sit this one out!


Hi,

Not wanting to turn this site into a debating society and knowing that not much can be said to change anyone's mind, I do think the INC listserv should serve as a source of data and not advocacy.

I want to  suggest the following:

1. I do not see anything in the DC Commissioners resolution that says tax dollars can be dedicated. Perhaps someone can help me.
2. At the INC meeting in Oct, we had a distinguished member say that dedication is not provided for.  Many of you were there.
3. Per. Supt Becoats in the DHS, there are 150 jobs which may be at risk, but only 35 of them are teacher jobs. This  is not to say that 35 teachers are not important, but that we need to be accurate.
4. Per the DHS, 67% of the tax increase would go to the 150 at risk jobs, but  33% to other expenses, not virtually all.
5. The proposition that governments may not use public funds to campaign is the rule in every state, not a JLF tactic. Think about how you would feel if the GOP used your tax dollars to advocate for their positions. The 2010 NC statutes that specially forbid this  were passed in 2010  while the Democrats were in the majority.
6. The requirement that counties  not claim that a tax increase is dedicated was passed in 2007, also when the Democrats were in the majority.
7. Links to advocacy sites such as the PA will just lead to other sites being linked.  I do not think this is in the best interest of INC as a representative of all neighborhoods.  Think about how you would feel if someone posted links to GOP sites.

Reasonable minds will differ on these tax proposals; I am just suggesting how INC should navigate the elections to make sure INC is an effective organization to representall neighborhoods.

Dick
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