Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / June 21, 1984, edition 1 / Page 12
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Viewpoints City can lower ad valorem taxes Raeford City Councilmen have a rare oppor tunity to take advantage of an option which is not often available to elected officials. The council members can reduce municipal taxes for the coming fiscal year and at the same time give all city employees a raise in pay. Apparently because of the confusion over the new half-cent sales tax and the change of city ad ministrators, revenues for the coming year's budget have been underestimated by about $45,000. Last week the council members approved a budget which showed revenue from the one-half cent tax at only $35,000. Conservative state figures now peg the city's share of the tax at more than $80,000. Because of an apparent lack of revenue and the need to give city employees a 5Vo raise, the coun cilmen, unaware of the discrepancy in the sales tax figures, ordered that the municipal ad valorem tax rate be hiked by one cent. The money from the tax hike will generate about $12,000 and will provide enough for the pay hike. However, now that the city will get the $45,000 windfall, which is equivalent to almost four cents in the ad valorem rate, a tax increase is no longer necessary. In fact taxes could be lowered in the ci ty. In last week's meeting, four of five councilmen spoke against a rate hike, and said they "wished" the city did not have to have an increase. We encourage the city councilmen to take ad vantage of the windfall and to cut taxes. Afterall, it is not everyday that a wish comes true. Little future help in county budget Unless members of the Hoke County Commis sion find a chest of money hidden in the sub basement of the courthouse or stumble over some other Financial treasure, it appears likely that tax payers can look forward to an increase in ad valorem taxes for the coming fiscal year and perhaps for many future years. The commissioners have been spending long hours trying to cut a recommended budget, which included a nine-cent rate hike, but the officials are having little success with making dramatic reduc tions. To make matters worse, the $5 million budget addresses primarily current spending needs and includes few proposals which would broaden the county's tax base and help curb future rate in creases. Here is the problem: ?Despite receiving more than $400,000 from the state one-half cent sales tax last year, the county has still had to dip into its fund balance, ^ ' / There vs one advantage, "to ho\d icvcj class under TucWn^tori gym a...* 'Moment' can mean 'eternity' By Lucien Coleman In church last week, at the con clusion of the final hymn, the minister asked the congregation to be seated "for a moment." Twenty minutes later, as we headed for the parking lot, it oc curred to me that words like "mo ment" are handled pretty casually in our culture. For instance, when a telephone receptionist says, "One moment please," this can preface a three minute wait. Or when a restaurant hostess says, "Your waiter will be with you in a moment," experience tells you to multiply that estimate by 3.1416. I work in an academic institu tion, where it is not uncommon for a student to interrupt a last-minute das for class with the inevitable Things That Matter question, "Got a moment?" I have learned that these unschedul ed interviews take a moment only if my answer to the student's re quest is "Yes." "No" always re quires more time. But "just a moment" isn't the only language we should take with a grain of salt. Everyday com munication is filled with instances in which people say what they don't really mean. For example, you know those signs at the entrances of discount stores: "For your convenience, please leave your parcels with the security guard at the service counter." You know, of course, that the company doesn't have your conve nience in mind at all. Their real concern is to reduce the probability that you will steal something. Airlines use the same ploy to keep you in your seat while the plane taxis to the terminal. "For your convenience and safety, please remain in your seat until we have come to a complete stop at the terminal." 1 can see how that might have something to do with the safety of passengers clumsy enough to lose their balance as the plane sways and lurches. But "convenience?" What would real ly be convenient would be getting my coat and carry-on bag out of the overhead compartment before arriving at the terminal. Editorials or savings account, to meet the need for services. By reducing the fund balance, not only is less revenue earned from interest on the account, but the county is also in jeopardy of having to borrow money to meet obligations during the lean months before taxes are collected. The fund balance must be built back up to a $1 million level, county officials say. That takes more revenue. ?The Hoke County schools are in need of repair and expansion. A citizen's blue ribbon study committee has estimated that it will take $6 million over the next 10 years to put the schools in acceptable physical shape. That takes more revenue. ?School personnel need pay increases and in structional programs need upgrading. The needs may take about $130,000 more than last year. ?The cost of providing ambulance service is up about $100,000. ?Hoke County Sheriff Dave Barrington believes his department needs to add five deputies to provide adequate protection to residents. County deputies also need a pay raise. Perhaps another $100,000 will cover it. ?Other county employees also need a pay raise. ?The county's portion of the cost of social and health programs are on the rise. ?The costs of materials, equipment and utilities are increasing. Hoke County needs more revenue, and that means an increase in ad valorem rates. As this county tries to keep pace with the rest bf North Carolina and the rest of the nation in the future, the demand for services will increase and the tax rate will go up unless more taxpayers are added to the local rolls. If Hoke County is going to continue to be an affordable place to live, we need industries and we need more upper to middle income residents. In this year's budget there is little more than a token allocation for industrial recruitment and no provision for planning and zoning which could make this county a more attractive place to live. Members of the county commission often speak about the need to recruit industry, but they do little to get an effort going. Perhaps the commissioners feel most county residents like things the way they are. After all, if Hoke County grows, life here will change. Most residents may feel keeping the status quo in Hoke County is worth the price of paying an nually increased ad valorem taxes, of maintaining the lowest per capita income in the state and holding on to a double-digit unemployment rate. Hoke County residents may also feel that hav ing to drive to neighboring counties for movies, bowling, cultural events, hospitals, a variety of restaurants, night spots and shopping is prefer rable to having to deal with those sorts of conve niences at home. Perhaps the commissioners are right if they think county residents are not in a hurry for growth, but we doubt it. Letters to the editor Teacher's late worries student To the Editor: I am a student at Upchurch Jr. High, and I am concerned about a teacher at our school, Mrs. Naomi Johnson. I understand that this teacher is losing her job. I really like this teacher, and 1 know that I am not alone. She is nice, trustworthy, disciplines fairly and is a good friend, as well as a teacher. I hope this letter will get some kids in her classes atttention so they will write a letter also. I hope this letter will help in some way or another. Sincerely, . Kelli Vincent Law allows cruelty to state's animals To the Editor: As your readers may be aware, lost and abandoned dogs and cats in North Carolina can be sent to a laboratory for research purposes under the state pound seizure law. Rep. Peggy Stanley who opposes this practice tells me that many counties have refused to comply with this voluntary law - decisions which I applaud. The citizens of North Carolina should know what is happening to these animals. The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center recently con ducted a study involving both dogs and cats. In one experiment, 21 dogs were used, 12 of which were force-fed alcohol. All 21 dogs then received non-penetrating blows to the chest powerful enough to have killed 1 1 of the 12 "drunk" dogs. Out of the nine dogs who were spared the alcohol, one died, however, it is clear that all of the dogs involved in this experiment suffered a great deal of pain hav ing received blows of such deadly force. In a separate experiment, a group of 14 cats under the in fluence of alcohol became the vie tims of spine damage; twelve of these cats remained permanently paraplegic while all of the cats in a control group not receiving alcohol regained the ability to walk. This is what happens to dogs and cats in North Carolina. Cats' spines are crushed and dogs are beaten to death without the benefit of anesthesia. The reader may be asking why this research was conducted. The point was to prove that intoxicated persons suffer more damage in vehicular accidents than non drinkers. But researchers had already determined this without subjecting animals to pain and suf fering. Commendably, this infor mation was gathered by studying actual reports of automobile ac cidents and the results were crystal clear - don't mix alcohol and automobiles. I don't know why the researchers then decided to torture animals to further prove their point. Furthermore, I am not sure of what use this information will be. We know not to drink and drive, but people still do. Therefore, the animals were tortured in vain. Is this what the people of North Carolina want to happen to their lost and abandoned pets? Don't these animals deserve a better fate? I urge your readers to work with their elected officials to end abuses such as this and to completely pro hibit the use of lost and abandoned dogs and cats in experimentation. We have done this in Massachu setts with the cooperation of the medical/ research community. I hope it can be done in North Carolina. Sincerely yours, Aaron Medlock, Executive Director New England Anti Vivisection Society Armory Park is amusement park instead of a ball park To the Editor: Some of the citizens of Hoke County would like to ask a few questions about the $40,000 grant that was approved for a new ball park. 1. Is this ball park going to be run by the same people that run Armory Park? 2. Are the bathroom facilities going to be the same as they are at Armory Park? 3. Are the bleachers going to be like they are at Armory Park? 4. Last but not least, are they go ing to allow break dancing, loud music, drinking of alcoholic beverages, fighting and all that profanity that they have at Armory Park? If the answers to these questions are yes; then you're wasting hard earned money on an Amusement Park instead of a ball park. I'd like to invite all the concern ed citizens and their families to come out to Armory Park on Tues day or Thursday night and see what you're missing. Thank you, Ronnie Taylor (One of the many concerned citizens) The News-Journal ffiR MWm4 Even Tkandiy by Dtcfcaaa Praaa, lac.. P..I DMin, Pitt. 11* W. R*m4 Avmm. P.O. (?> SM IMtri, N.C. 2*37* SabmlfttM Rata la A4vaac* la Carat? Par Year ? ll*.M t Moaths ? S3.M Oat of Coratj Per Year? S12.M t Moatka? M M LOUIS H. FOGLEMAN, JR PaMUxr WARREN N. JOHNSTON fMtor HENRY L. BLUE .... Prodarlioa Saparvlaor MRS. PAUL DICKSON Sadat? EiMar SAM C. MORRIS Caatrihatk* E?lor ANN WEM AdvniWac RttrtataUtfht 2a4 Oaaa PMaft al Racfart. N.C. (USPS MS-MO Air conditioning beats summering at shopping mail By Warm Johaston 5 "It's on," was all the voice on the other end of the telephone said. The voice sounded remarkably like my wife's, but I wasn't sure. The telephone company might have gotten my called crossed with 0M being made by a master spy or someone about to pull off the world's biggest jewel heist. "I'm getting the word that the CIA is about to launch a covert operation into the bowels of the Kremlin?" I rhetorically asked the voice on the othsr end. "No. Doa't be riOy. It's the air conditioning. They just turned it ?n, and we're not going outride until at least January," the voice, which was now sounding much more like my wife, said. "I was hoping that you were catting to tell me where I could pick up my cut from the great Crown Jewel Robbery," I said to the vpift i, ' "fid how cool this is," she said, aa a sound much like the north wind whistling across the tundra raved through the receiver. The Puppy Papers "Come on home from the office. Calhoun and I are staying right here until cool weather starts again." It wasn't the first time we had been exposed to air conditioning, but it was a first for oar house. Because of the high cost and my Soots heritage, we held off pur chasing air conditioning last suaamer and tried oscillating fens to gain relief from the humid days. There is little question that a lot of people live without air condi tioning. but most of them were hanging out in the shopping mall with us during thoee 110* days Ian August. "Hey, I mgj? the shopping mafl. You gst to see a lot of people. It's cool, and they have rice fountains," I told a friend who was looking lor a place to spend Mi mmmmt vacation. This summer, after we figured how much we spent on gasoline the previous year driving back and forth to the mall, it was dear that we would be better off with an air conditioned home. Bealdes Calhoun and one of the cats were lobbying vigorously for the purchase of a summer place in the Yukon. As the recent temperatures soared Into the 90*s, I was beginning to see the wisdom of thtir argument. ?' -? } > ' ? * V - "Air conditioning would be easier, and Calhoun wouldn't have to puU a sled,," I told my wife. It has been on about a week now. My w\fe and Calhoun are holding to their vow and have aot left the house. I'm considering additional night work to help cover the cost of operating the new cooling system. But before I make a final decision, i plan to stay in our living room mk! wait for the first monthly electric bill to arrive. After aU, in the heat of the summer, ons should not move too quickly.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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June 21, 1984, edition 1
12
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