Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / June 18, 1981, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Thursday, June 18, 1S31 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 7 .. 1 v v 7 X V '"v 4s cccrc."..'.Tj tzZ7Z":zz cs:.'.?f ztu-zntz (fcd .';a fc-rt uy to trr! f.'rs ftcf s a WsJf to Kczzlr.j Pod. Ctzfi photo by Cecil Shzrpo range county, legislators support the gas tax plan By KENNETH M1NGIS Gov. Jim Hunt's gas tax proposal, approved by the N.C Senate last week, approaches another vote, this time in the State House of Representatives. The plan, which has been slightly revised, has been the subject of statewide controversy. State Sen. Charles Vickery, DOrange, voted f6r the mea sure last week. "I voted for the plan for several reasons," he said. "I think that Covernor Hunt's plan is a courageous program. It deals with a problem that the governor feels must be dealt with." "The governor told me that if the problem (of bad roads) was not addressed soon, it would be beyond the ability of the state to cure it within 10 years," he said. . "The governor also said that he would personally take charge of the Department of Transportation and see that it was run in an efficient and lawful manner." Rep. Patricia Hunt, D-Orange, said she also planned to sup port the bill when it came up for a vote in the House." "I'm going to vote for it," she said. "I think the revised plan now before the House is better than the one passed by the Senate. ' See related story on page 3 The House version would cut the proposed tax increase on a gallon of gas from 3 cents to 2V cents. It would eliminate the tax rebate included in the governor's plan, and would pre vent the immediate transfer of money from the Ceneral Fund to DOT- "I like it because it requires that the $59 million not be re moved from the Ceneral Fund until it is raised," RepHunt said. "Of course, that means that if the governor's plan passes, there will be an automatic deficit (to DOT)." - The proposed alcohol tax alone would not make up the dif ference, so additional sources of money must be found," she said. - "I'm in favor of a tax on cigarettes. "I think if s fair to put a tax on luxuries, and a cigarette tax could raise $22 million. Even then, we would still be $10 or $12 million short" Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, has not yet decided which way to vote on the gax tax proposal. "I've made no decision 1 one way or the other," he said. "I will probably do so im mediately before voting." Hackney said he agreed with Hunf s view of a cigarette tax "I think a cigarette tax js a good idea, especially as a means of replacing money from the Ceneral Fund," he said. "It would have a salutory indirect effect" , Hunt said the gas tax was fair. "I think a user tax is the pro per tax. The people who use the roads would pay the most." . Vickery said that if the revised version passed in the House and came up for a vote in the Senate, he would probably sup port it. Both Hunt and Vickery agreed that Cov. Hunt planned to oversee the operations of the DOT closely. "He's convinced me that he plans to clean out DOT, cut waste and do as he has promised," Hunt said. "I think he has done what he felt needs to be done." Vickery also believes that the plan could be a political plus for the governor. "I told him that if he was able to get control of DOT, and convince the people that he had straightened it out he would be a hero. The people will see his leadership qualities and re ward him," Vickery said. By LYNNE THOMSON An anonymous donor has given $1 million to the new Student Activities Center Build ing Fund, UNC Board of Trustees President Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles announced at the board meeting Friday afternoon. The trustees also approved a change in the design which wouid save $400,000 of the project's $30 million cost The project includes a basketball arena, swimming pool, gym, dressing room and offices. The center is expected to open for the 1S34-S5 basketball season. The project's change, would lower the roof that covers the poof, making it flat rather than dome-shaped. The anonymous gift is tSe building fund's second $1 million contribution. The first came from retiring trustee Walter R. Davis, a Texas oil man who will be serving on the UNC Board of Covernors. The building fund has raised $11 million of its $30 million goal and is using the high demand for basketball seating as a dona tion motive. For $5,000, a member of the Educational Foundation! who has donated $1 50 per year can buy two tickets. A Big Ram, one who has given $750 per year, may purchase four tickets and an additional $350 donation grants arr assigned parking space. Athletic department officials had plan ned to name the center after the first $1 million contributor, but said that this second (anonymous) contribution complicated the .-natter. The limit may be raised to a $2 mil lion contribution, they said
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 18, 1981, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75