Mr. Chairman, We Need You
Several times a year local political issues capture the public’s attention. Such a time was Thursday, May 19. The Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to allow citizens to express their opinions on the proposed FY 2012 budget.
As you may have heard, Chairperson Jennifer Roberts wants to keep the county property tax rate at the current rate of $.8376 per $100 of assessed property. The scrupulously objective county bureaucrats who figure out how much your property is worth say (SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!), that despite the economic tsunami that has clobbered this area, the value of property in Mecklenburg County has substantially increased since the last evaluation.
Which means Madame Roberts gets a tax increase of $40-$50 MILLION by keeping the same tax rate. Now gentle reader, as I have written many times before, 85% of the citizens of Mecklenburg County live within the Charlotte city limits. For the last 10 years (10!!) the citizens of Charlotte have been the highest taxed citizens in North Carolina, by double-digit margins. For the FY 2009 budget year (latest available numbers) the average Charlottean paid $2,360 in local taxes and fees. The typical North Carolinian paid $1,304.
Jennifer intends to pour gasoline on the fire. “It’s For the Children” of course. If “We” just spend another $40 MILLION on public education “WE” will be able to maintain the wonderful progress Superintendent Gorman has achieved, which he will no doubt parlay into a higher paying position in a more elite school system in one of our nation’s tonier communities.
There is of course no evidence whatsoever to indicate that academic achievement is produced by monetary expenditure. Our highest performing students receive much lower government funding than the system’s poorest performing students.
But Chairperson Roberts is hooked on a feeling, facts be damned, and she’s going to sequester your money and blow it down the biggest rathole local government has ever devised because she is totally, emotionally, committed to doing something about the plight of poor people in this community.
Rather than address the main cause of dysfunction, the breakup of the nuclear family, Roberts is trying to empower government to take the family’s place in society. This is of course absolutely impossible; but you see, it is her duty to try. It’s the American Way.
In the abstract, the local GOP is opposed to this policy, but since no one other than the four GOP Commissioner’s has spoken against leaving the tax rate as is, I’m being presumptuous in drawing that conclusion. On the 19th about 50 or so citizens spoke to the BOCC with 40 in favor of holding the property tax rate steady, and 10 (20%) in opposition. I understand what passes for the GOP leadership was busy that night with their monthly board meeting.
Chairman Moore has offered up platitudes about changing the local GOP “brand.” Mr. Chairman: The only way to change the public’s perception is to use language to persuade them of the validity of the principles you supposedly profess. Politics is about words. The press was focused on the 19th on that public hearing. You wasted a great opportunity to let this community know the Republican Party opposes this latest tax increase. You might have done some good, unfortunately you blew it.
Please accept some unsolicited advice. You still have some time to rally opposition. I would suggest you call a press conference. Get Sue Myrick, “Mr. Conservative” – Pat McCrory, Jim Martin, Richard Vinroot, John Lassiter, every past GOP office holder, every current GOP member of the Mecklenburg State House and Senate Delegation, every GOP member of the School Board (scratch Lennon and Morgan), City Council, and BOCC, everybody anyone can think of, to join you.
Tell the citizens of Mecklenburg County that you and your fellow attendees have signed a letter to Roberts stating that, due to the terrible economic conditions in the county, it is absolutely critical that the BOCC enact a property tax rate that will give property owners a 10% property tax cut. In other words, act like Republicans. If any of the current elected politicians you invite declines to sign your letter, make that information public at the press conference.
Mr. Chairman, being a pansy never wins. Change the brand. You want the power, do something constructive with it. Prove you aren’t an elitist corporate lawyer. We really need some backbone, Sir.
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