Very soon, we will begin early voting and Election Day is November 2. Along with the normal ballot items there will be an opportunity to vote for a small increase in the County sales and use tax. Note that I said COUNTY. Yes, it will add a quarter of a cent to our current 7 and three quarters sales and use tax.
There may be some confusion out there; it doesn’t add a quarter to the current tax, it adds a quarter of one cent. Thus, we are talking about 1 penny on a $4 purchase or 25 cents on a $100 purchase. It will not apply to food or medicine and anyone who buys things in Orange County will pay. This is one of the reasons I support this small increase: it captures taxes from visitors and retains the dollars for Orange County priorities. Another benefit is that the dollars from the tax are already targeted.
Of the expected $2.3 million dollars raised, 42.5% ($975,000) will be spent annually on economic development and local job creation; another 42.5% ($975,000) will be spent annually to support Chapel Hill-Carrboro & Orange Co. Schools; and the remaining 15% ($345,000) will be spent annually on improving emergency services and libraries. All of this will cost the average consumer $20 per year. Doing this reduces the need for future property tax increases and it prohibits future Property Transfer Tax increase referendum.
Yes, I fully support this very small increase because of the very big things it will do to help our schools, the business environment, and services like EMS and libraries. Please vote in this election and please vote FOR this to support Orange County’s future
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! (A WCHL Commentary)
It’s September again and you know this is the month that those government named big storms that come in alphabetical order love to visit us. If you watched any of the recent coverage of the Hurricane Katrina five year anniversary, maybe you were struck as I was with the number of people who said that they now regret their decision not to comply with the evacuation order and how they will never refuse to evacuate again. Maybe, maybe not.
The government mandates, requires, and directs many things, but we all know that some people are just not the complying types. Here in North Carolina the Governor has started a push to call attention to the need to be prepared for this busy and potentially dangerous storm season. Gov. Perdue has proclaimed September as Emergency Preparedness Month to encourage everyone to be disaster-ready at all times. Since I’ve lived here, hurricanes in 1996, 1999 and 2004 stand out as reminders of how devastating these things can be.
Yet in spite of all of the pleas to get prepared, some just won’t. I guess they believe that it just can’t happen here again or it won’t affect them. We all need an emergency plan, and an emergency kit. The state has a site up to help, www.readync.org. Lots of good emergency prep info is there, as well as several useful links. Hope is not a strategy, and as much as we might hope for no storms, we all still need to be ready if one does comes. Trite as is sounds, it’s still true that failing to plan is planning to fail.
The government mandates, requires, and directs many things, but we all know that some people are just not the complying types. Here in North Carolina the Governor has started a push to call attention to the need to be prepared for this busy and potentially dangerous storm season. Gov. Perdue has proclaimed September as Emergency Preparedness Month to encourage everyone to be disaster-ready at all times. Since I’ve lived here, hurricanes in 1996, 1999 and 2004 stand out as reminders of how devastating these things can be.
Yet in spite of all of the pleas to get prepared, some just won’t. I guess they believe that it just can’t happen here again or it won’t affect them. We all need an emergency plan, and an emergency kit. The state has a site up to help, www.readync.org. Lots of good emergency prep info is there, as well as several useful links. Hope is not a strategy, and as much as we might hope for no storms, we all still need to be ready if one does comes. Trite as is sounds, it’s still true that failing to plan is planning to fail.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
PERCEPTIONS (A WCHL Commentary)
Someone once said that our perceptions are reality. The problem, of course, is that it matters not whether our perceptions are factually based. Different people perceive different things about the same situation. But more than that, we assign different meanings to what we perceive and might even make things mean something else.
Chapel Hill’s downtown seems to be something that people perceived differently. Recently, there has been some attention paid to a criticism of our downtown by a UNC alum who also happens to be the mayor of another North Carolina city. Holding aside the breach of tradition in political circles where leaders don’t criticize other jurisdictions, the alum’s perceptions just don’t hold up to factual scrutiny. So why is it that so many think that we have a terribly low occupancy rate, no parking, unsafe streets, limited shopping and dining opportunities, or that one will face a host of unpleasant experiences if they venture downtown?
On the WCHL “Who’s Talking” show, I recently interviewed the executive director of the Downtown Partnership. He said that his professional peers would love to have our downtown and its extremely high occupancy rates, the retail mix, the cultural opportunities, and yes, a major research university as an anchor. Of course we have work to do to improve the downtown, but if more people ventured downtown I’m willing to bet many perceptions would change, and for the record, using the free valet parking on east and west Franklin is really a good deal.
Chapel Hill’s downtown seems to be something that people perceived differently. Recently, there has been some attention paid to a criticism of our downtown by a UNC alum who also happens to be the mayor of another North Carolina city. Holding aside the breach of tradition in political circles where leaders don’t criticize other jurisdictions, the alum’s perceptions just don’t hold up to factual scrutiny. So why is it that so many think that we have a terribly low occupancy rate, no parking, unsafe streets, limited shopping and dining opportunities, or that one will face a host of unpleasant experiences if they venture downtown?
On the WCHL “Who’s Talking” show, I recently interviewed the executive director of the Downtown Partnership. He said that his professional peers would love to have our downtown and its extremely high occupancy rates, the retail mix, the cultural opportunities, and yes, a major research university as an anchor. Of course we have work to do to improve the downtown, but if more people ventured downtown I’m willing to bet many perceptions would change, and for the record, using the free valet parking on east and west Franklin is really a good deal.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
TOUGH CHOICES (A WCHL Commentary)
That we are in a very serious recession is no secret, nor should it surprise anyone that many of our citizens are great needs feel the recession in very painful ways. The great truth is that in a recession we tend to cut programs that help those with the greatest needs. Many governments start new budget years on July 1st and they will struggle to balance those budgets in the face of lower receipts from taxes and their other major income streams.
What’s interesting is something that seems to occur at all levels and it surprises me not that right here at the local level you see it as well: we as citizens have no problem at all holding two conflicting opinions at the same time. We do it all of the time! What you might ask are these opinions? One is that we want government to do more. The other is that we don’t want government to raise our taxes.
Something has to give folks! We can’t do it all. All of our wants and needs have price tags. We elect folks to make tough decisions and maybe they might feel better if they knew exactly what we wanted them to do. Right here locally we have a discussion going on. We talk about spending bond money to fund the town’s library expansion and some are upset that we are not spending tax dollars to fund a local museum that happens to be a non-profit privately owned.
What do we want to do with these tax dollars? What is our preferred outcome? Do we want to cut things that are being funded right now? Do we want to raise taxes? How can we continue to expect our elected leaders to make these decisions if we’re not sure what we want? What do you think we ought to do?
What’s interesting is something that seems to occur at all levels and it surprises me not that right here at the local level you see it as well: we as citizens have no problem at all holding two conflicting opinions at the same time. We do it all of the time! What you might ask are these opinions? One is that we want government to do more. The other is that we don’t want government to raise our taxes.
Something has to give folks! We can’t do it all. All of our wants and needs have price tags. We elect folks to make tough decisions and maybe they might feel better if they knew exactly what we wanted them to do. Right here locally we have a discussion going on. We talk about spending bond money to fund the town’s library expansion and some are upset that we are not spending tax dollars to fund a local museum that happens to be a non-profit privately owned.
What do we want to do with these tax dollars? What is our preferred outcome? Do we want to cut things that are being funded right now? Do we want to raise taxes? How can we continue to expect our elected leaders to make these decisions if we’re not sure what we want? What do you think we ought to do?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
THANKS, CLASS of 2010
On Sunday May 9th the Class of 2010 will graduate and go off to continue to do great things. It’s a bittersweet time, as we can be happy that all of their hard work led to an academic degree. But I hate to see them leave because of all they have done while in our community. Every time I talk to executive directors who run service and assistance programs in our community, I am struck by their comments about the significant role of UNC students.
Through structured programs and a host of unstructured ones, students are helping to strengthen that special fabric that is so critical to the essence of this community. They mentor, tutor, coach, , build, plant, dance, sing, research, lead, and organize, all to make the community where they are studying a better place. Since 2003, The Carolina Center for Public Service has a program to recognize what students have done in the classroom and as volunteers. There are 190 members of the Class of 2010 have been honored as Public Service Scholars, and there are hundreds and hundreds more who we should honor for all that they have contributed.
As Chancellor Thorp has indicated, public service is part of who Carolina is. Yes, whether through a structured program or not, let’s thank all who have rendered outstanding service while in our community; they have been great role models and great citizens. Yes, their leaving is bittersweet, but the good news is that the Class of 2014 will be here and pitching in as volunteers before you know it; after all, service to others is a Carolina tradition. GO HEELS!
Through structured programs and a host of unstructured ones, students are helping to strengthen that special fabric that is so critical to the essence of this community. They mentor, tutor, coach, , build, plant, dance, sing, research, lead, and organize, all to make the community where they are studying a better place. Since 2003, The Carolina Center for Public Service has a program to recognize what students have done in the classroom and as volunteers. There are 190 members of the Class of 2010 have been honored as Public Service Scholars, and there are hundreds and hundreds more who we should honor for all that they have contributed.
As Chancellor Thorp has indicated, public service is part of who Carolina is. Yes, whether through a structured program or not, let’s thank all who have rendered outstanding service while in our community; they have been great role models and great citizens. Yes, their leaving is bittersweet, but the good news is that the Class of 2014 will be here and pitching in as volunteers before you know it; after all, service to others is a Carolina tradition. GO HEELS!
Monday, April 12, 2010
THEY! (A WCHL Commentary)
All over the US and even at our local level, there appears to be a lot of disgruntlement with government these days. Some think governments are doing things they shouldn’t be doing and other are unhappy that governments aren’t doing some other things. Lots of finger pointing, heated debates and passionate anger. What’s interesting about all of this is that no matter what side is making their case, it’s clear who’s to blame for every single thing; it is “THEY.” Yes, “THEY” did it or didn’t do it, “THEY” are responsible.
I checked the phonebook, the voter rolls and even Google, and nobody named “THEY” pops up. So just who is “THEY?” Well, “THEY” are the ones who will have another opportunity to maintain or take control of things because “THEY” will vote in the election coming up. Sadly, primary elections in the spring don’t bring out many voters. In the 2006 primary, an election most like this year’s, a whopping 13% participated.
Never mind that in these primaries, we are choosing party candidates for the US senate and house, state officials, county commissioners, county sheriff, county school board members and other county positions as well as nonpartisan judges. One-Stop Early Voting Begins Thursday April 15th and ends Saturday May 1st. Primary Election day is Tuesday May 4th.
If you don’t vote, is it really fair to blame the “THEY” who did vote? Let’s face it; “THEY” should be “US.” If not, “THEY” will always be making the decisions for US.
I checked the phonebook, the voter rolls and even Google, and nobody named “THEY” pops up. So just who is “THEY?” Well, “THEY” are the ones who will have another opportunity to maintain or take control of things because “THEY” will vote in the election coming up. Sadly, primary elections in the spring don’t bring out many voters. In the 2006 primary, an election most like this year’s, a whopping 13% participated.
Never mind that in these primaries, we are choosing party candidates for the US senate and house, state officials, county commissioners, county sheriff, county school board members and other county positions as well as nonpartisan judges. One-Stop Early Voting Begins Thursday April 15th and ends Saturday May 1st. Primary Election day is Tuesday May 4th.
If you don’t vote, is it really fair to blame the “THEY” who did vote? Let’s face it; “THEY” should be “US.” If not, “THEY” will always be making the decisions for US.
Friday, April 2, 2010
IT WAS JUST TOO LONG!
On March 22d the Chapel Hill Town Council had a meeting. Nothing surprising with that, but this was a long meeting, a really long meeting. It went on for five and one-half hours. That’s right, it started at 7pm on Monday and ended at 12:35 am on Tuesday. That’s 335 minutes, or 20,100 seconds.
In other words, it went on for a long time! Why? Because there were lots of major things to discuss packed into the agenda, not to mention petitions and reports to the Council. There’s plenty wrong with meeting this long – any meeting over three hours is just wrong! The council members are not at their best, the staff has to still come to work in the morning, presenters have to sit through these things and waste a lot of their time, citizens tune out before the meeting is over, and worst of all, there may be some terrible decisions made by tired people.
I would encourage the Council and manager to take a hard look at their meeting agendas and work hard to keep them to three hours max, or better yet, two hours if possible. Sad to say, long meetings are real barriers --- a barrier for people who might want to serve on the council and still have a job, have a family or even want to have other activities in their lives. And it’s also a barrier to the public who wants to watch the process in real-time. We can and must do better!
In other words, it went on for a long time! Why? Because there were lots of major things to discuss packed into the agenda, not to mention petitions and reports to the Council. There’s plenty wrong with meeting this long – any meeting over three hours is just wrong! The council members are not at their best, the staff has to still come to work in the morning, presenters have to sit through these things and waste a lot of their time, citizens tune out before the meeting is over, and worst of all, there may be some terrible decisions made by tired people.
I would encourage the Council and manager to take a hard look at their meeting agendas and work hard to keep them to three hours max, or better yet, two hours if possible. Sad to say, long meetings are real barriers --- a barrier for people who might want to serve on the council and still have a job, have a family or even want to have other activities in their lives. And it’s also a barrier to the public who wants to watch the process in real-time. We can and must do better!
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