MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Remember Tax Increase At Votinp Time
To the editor:
Monday, July 15, we received a
notice from the North Carolina
Department of Revenue that the
sales lax rale would be raised to
6%. The notice arrived hours before
it was to lake effect. This is old
news for today's readers, however, a
couptc of weeks ago it certainly was
unexpected.
Local radio and news sources in
formed us that the increase was de
cided upon by the Legislature over
the weekend The notice, which was
sent by bulk-mail, was in our box
on Monday. (Bulk mail must run
faster for the government as this
was faster than Express Mail
Service! We got the notice in less
than one business day!)
If you check with various legisla
tors and those working in state gov
ernment, they'll tell you, off the
record, that the state budgets its rev
enue proceeds for the upcoming
year and then spends the money
based upon the estimated budget. In
this case the estimate was less than
accurate and the state spent more
money than they were able to col
lect.
Of course, many of our state leg
islators may not volunteer this in
formation or tell us this isn't entire
ly correct. In any event, this is
seemingly how things arc done and
the shortfall is blamed on anything
which sounds rcasonablc..as long as
their re-election is assured
It's been said that there's a sucker
born every minute. Evidently the
Legislature believes that about us as
taxpayers. We've been told that if
taxes aren't raised it'll hurt our
schools or other essential services.
Those in Raleigh bold enough to
say it won't cffccl our schools are
shouted down, or ridiculed.
The tax increase isn't just an ex
tra penny for every one-dollar pur
chase. It reflects a trend that shows
state government is unable or un
willing to tighten its bell and live
within its means. It reflects an atti
tude that the Legislature can appro
priate fut.ds for whatever it choos
cs..and expect us to pay the bill.
The tax increase will be a faded
memory at cleclion lime. It will be
looked ujx>n as something "neces
sary.. .a burden wc must all bear. We
have short memories at election
time, and the legislators know litis.
One of our founding fathers stat
ed that taxation is like "legalized
extortion." The government can
levy whatever tax rate they so
deem, regardless of the reason, and
we're forced to pay the bill. Wc
don't have the opportunity to ap
peal. Wc must swallow hard and
continue to pay.
Individual businesses have per
haps the greatest burden. Collecting
taxes, be it 5% or 6% is a fact of
life. Customers are accustomed to
paying sales tax anyway. But what
about the companies who must re
structure their way of doing busi
ness to accommodate a change.. .any
change.
My family is in the vacation
rental business. Wc had to change
hundreds of reservations to reflect
the lax increase. It would have been
much easier if this was enacted in
any period other than the summer.
Of course this is of little concern to
the Legislature, but still wc had to
pay employees to make the chang
es.
The North Carolina Department
of Revenue requires us, as with any
other business, to collect the taxes
from the individual customer, tally
the totals and provide them with an
audit vail of the money collected.
For this we get nothing for the ef
fort. regardless of the fact the re
ports are time-consuming and we
must pay an employee to do the
work.
If we're late, or make an error...
God forbid! The threat of a penalty
or audit hangs in the balance and of
coursc no business wants to stop its
operation for an audit, regardless of
the degree of guilt or innocence
We have to pay more in taxes
now than we did a couple of weeks
ago. We'll probably forget litis by
the time the next Beacon comes off
the press. It's time, however, for us
as taxpayers to require more ac
countability of those in office.
We may not be able to prevent
state legislators from raising our
taxes, or spending tax revenue be
fore it's even collcctcd We can,
however, force them to a greater de
gree of accountability regarding our
hard-earned money. We can force
them to give us more than the party
line "cxcusc" for the incrcxsc...or
we can vote them out and find
someone else who will!
Marty (Jookc
Ocean Isle Beach
Fired Employee Did A Good Job
(Continued From Preceding Page)
retaliation, I didn't and both horses
dies within six weeks.
Ms. Babson's record against ani
mal abuse speaks for itself, as she
has done an outstanding job in elim
inating animal suffering both in the
pound and in the county.
On the occasions when 1 have put
in a call tc the county pound for as
sistance, the response has always
been prompt and effective.
After the progress Ms. Babson
has made and the high standards she
has set, can we allow the county
pound to again become merely a
dumping ground for unwanted ani
mals where the employees arc just
collecting their paychccks? Any
time a supervisor sets high stan
dards there arc usually disgruntled
employees wanting to take short
cuts.
This position should not be a po
litical handball but should be filled
by someone with Ms. Babson's
standards and dedication to their job
and compassion for the animals. Or
is it now politically expedient to
railroad this woman out of her job
in order to place a man in this posi
tion?
Mrs. Laurie Babson
Ash
Items Grab Reader's Attention
To the editor:
Three items in the July 18 edition
ot I he Brunswick Beacon leaped
out at me. The first is a letter to the
editor entitled. "Would Lights Have
Prevented Crime Wave?"
It seems as if our concerns about
break-ins, etc., without our security
lights were well-founded. We have
had our regulation-height, ten-foot
ght since February. There is abso
Jutcly no way that it provides the il
ummation of the previous security
"ghL Of course, it docs give off a
pretty picking glow!
The second item to grab my at
tention reports that Varnamtown
will be getting street lights. If Varn
amtown can do it, why can't Holden
Beach? What progress has been
made since Feb. 4 when, at an open
meeting, the mayor said the matter
would be looked into as soon as
possible? Was that just an attempt to
pacify mc and the other concerned
citizens of Holden Beach who
spoke against the light ordinance?
The third news item details the
complaint filed against Mr. George
Bradshaw and three other people bv
the Town of Holden Beach. The suit
will try to force Mr. Bradshaw to re
move his security light. If ever any
one needed a special dispensation
irom the light ordinance it's George
who has serious medical problems. '
Isn't it bad enough that Holden
Beach has become a laughingstock,
the butt of jokes wherever you go
referred to as the "Dark Island?"
Holden Beach used to be known as
the friendliest town anywhere on
the southeast coast.
How can the commissioners jus
tify spending the money to have
someone design landscaping for the
town hall when street lights arc so
badly needed?
By the way, is parking allowed
on Ocean Boulevard after 7 p.m.?
Or maybe the seven vehicles parked
in front of the fence at 311 OBW
had "special dispensation" to do so.
Alice E. Tew
Holden Beach
Aldermen
Should
Support Chief
To the editor:
When our aldermen talk about
our police department in the nega
tive, there is something wrong. Not
with the department but with the al
dermen. When aldermen continue
tunning down the department and
don't go to the one in charge of that
department, we don't need them.
Their interest is not in our town.
When an alderman doesn't want
to see a department such as the
Shallottc Police Department run
smooth and in harmony, bul tries to
causc friction and stir up trouble,
we don't need him. If he has some
thing against Chief Rodney Gausc,
let him tell him and not spread it all
over town.
When an alderman has secret
meetings with some of the policc
officers and tries turning them
against their chief, promising them
they would not lose their job, we
don't need him.
When an alderman takes the
word of a man who breaks the law,
receives a ticket from the Shallottc
Police Department and gets mad
with the department and tells lies on
the department, we don't need
them. If aldermen believe this law
breaking liar, and can't see through
his dirty scheme, we don't need
them.
We need aldermen who support
our chief. Chief Rodney Gausc is
doing a very good job. He works
long hard hours when you and I arc
asleep. He is honest and tries to
treat all fairly.
We need aldermen who believe in
and are willing to work hard to
build and improve our departments
such as fire, water and sewer, ad
ministrative and policc.
This is my town and yours.
Lynn Gause
Shallottc
(The writer is a brother ofShallotte
Police Chief Rodney Gause.
Editor's note.)
Parcel Fee
Bill Unfair
To Singles
To the editor:
I am very upset about the
specifics of the parcel fee bill voted
on by the Brunswick County Com
missioners. The bill, as I read it in
the paper, charges S40 per improved
parcel. That is not fair.
Since I have a house, I assume
my "parcel" is considered improv
ed. 1 live alone. The most I ever
take to the dumpster is one or two
of those little plastic grocery bags a
month.
There arc trailer courts which 1
assume are considered a parcel. I'm
sure many individuals contribute to
the solid waste.
1 expect that most "improved"
parcels are occupied by families
which have two or more occupants.
Many must have one or more chil
dren.
The parcels which arc occupied
by families, I'm sure, contribute a
number of large plastic bags of trash
a month. It seems to me that there
must be a much more fair way to
determine the amount to be charged
to cach parcc!. Surely a population
RWrcPW.'jti^ftbem^ feSnJrt
single docs not mean they arc more
wealthy-espccially if thai person
taught school in N.C.
After I moved here, 1 was shock
ed to lcam that I lost thousands of
dollars a year in income. Being a
school tcacher doesn't mean one is
informed about practical matters.
Tcddi Ncal
Bolivia
Serviceman
Sends Salute
To the editor:
Please accept the enclosed check
for a one-year subscription. As a
member of the armed forces (U.S.
Air Force) as well as a Brunswick
County native, it makes me proud to
read and see numerous articles and
advertisements in the Beacon sup
porting the efforts of brave militai7
men and women.
Because you have saluted us, I
salute you, The Brunswick Beacon.
May God continued to brighten the
future of the Beacon.
T/Sgt. Samuel Bellamy
Loring Air Force Base, Maine
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A TYPICAL MATURE TREE transpires as much as 11 ,000 gallons of water each xear.
See Trees In Another Role Now
BY BILL FAVER
A rcccnt articic about the im
pact of Hurricanc Hugo on the
trees and forests of our neighbor
ing state was quite interesting. It
told of the devastation to woods
and wildlife and the difficulties of
trying to harvest the trees before
the insects and molds destroyed
any use that might be made of
them for lumber. It told of the loss
of wildlife habitat and the effect
the storm had on the process of
succession when new young trees
light and space necessary to begin
growing where the older trees were standing.
What really intrigued me was the discussion on
temperature and water table. I knew about transpira
tion-thc process whereby trees and other plants give
off moisture from the leaves into the air. 1 knew this
was what helped cool the air, and that not only the
shade from a tree helped us with hot summer tempera
tures, but transpiration cooled us as well.
I learned this process of transpiration is also a way
of filtering and cleaning water taken in by the tree's
FAVER
now have the
roots. As the water passes through the tree and leaves
through the leaves, the impurities are removed and
cleaner water vapor moves into the atmosphere to
condense into clouds and fall back to land as rain.
I also learned that the typical mature tree in our
southern woodlands can "process" as much as 1 1 ,(XX)
gallons of water a year. That seems to be an impres
sive figure and we can sec the value of large tracts of
forested land in the water cycle.
Now, back to the hurricane. When Hurricane
Hugo cut its swath across South Carolina, destroying
millions of trees, it removed vast areas of water-filter
ing and air-cooling acreage. In some areas the water
table has risen 3-5 inches because of the absence of
trees once in the area, and this was measured before
the rains during the last couple of months. I don't
know that a comparison of temperatures has been
made, but it may just seem hotter this summer
Perhaps we can see trees in another role now.
They give us shade, beauty, wind breaks, fruit, flow
ers, shape, form, and texture. And they arc also living
factories transforming nutrients, water, and air into
cleaner and safer forms for use of all forms of life, in
cluding those of us known as humans!
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