NC NEWS -- This year's 7th annual NC state and local sales tax holiday will include an increased exemption on school instructional materials. Savings can accumulate if purchasing computers and clothes. The official list of sales tax exempt items...

Read the rest at County NC News

Press Release from Committee to Elect Paul Purdue:

Background: The state now it seems wants a .6% commission on every home sale in this state. This will devastate the average homeowner, the retiring homeowner, families forced to relocate, and many others.

When asked about this attempt to override the voter's desires Candidate for NC State House Paul Purdue commented, "This should come as no surprise to those of us following the daily antics of our elected representatives. Usually a person would get the message when the voter's reject a transfer tax in so many counties, yet, here we are again facing another vote on an even HIGHER tax. 75% to 92% opposition across the board is very clear. The public rejects this tax. It must go. I just don't know WHAT they are thinking in Raleigh but it is obviously time for a change."

Representative Bruce Goforth (D-Buncombe) joined forces with Speaker Hackney (D-Orange) last Thursday to force rejection of a proposal to eliminate the property transfer tax. He has completely ignored the voting results in 20 counties in the past year! All the counties already rejected a .4% tax by an overwhelming margin in November 2007 and again this past spring 2008. In fact, most counties rejected the property transfer tax with votes against of over 75%, and some as high as 92% opposed.

During the roll call vote to suspend the rules so repeal of the land transfer tax could move forward, only five Democrats in the entire State House voted with the Republicans to eliminate the tax from the budget through consideration of the Stam amendment.

This clearly demonstrates that Rep. Goforth intends to raise taxes continuously, even when faced with clear and solid voter opposition.

It is time for Goforth to go home. Elect Paul Purdue. He'll LISTEN to you!

- The Committee To Elect Paul Purdue - NC State House District 115.

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Candidate Website

Many of us champion the slogan ‘children first,' and this bill tends to put action where we've had really just slogans. Children of special needs really, sincerely need our help. - Rep. Marvin Lucas

June 12,2008

NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEWS -- On June 10, during a press conference at the State Legislative Building, sponsors ofHouse Bill 388 "Tax Credits for Children with Special Needs," felt compelled to move forward with the proposed legislation. Both State House and Senate members perceived a recent special needs education poll taken in North Carolina as a sign of support by the people for the bill's passage. The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, indicates 82 percent of parents with school-aged children are in support of scholarships for special needs children. House Bill 388 if passed will allow parents of children with special needs to claim a tax credit for sending their children to a public or nonpublic school where tuition is charged.

House Bill 388 Sponsors who attended the press conference:

• Senator Malcolm Graham (Dem)


• Senator Edward Goodall (Rep)


• House Minority Leader Paul Stam (Rep) Primary


• Representative Marvin Lucas (Dem) Primary


• 
  Representative Laura Wiley (Rep) Primary

House Representative Marvin Lucas said, "Many of us champion the slogan ‘children first,' and this bill tends to put action where we've had really just slogans. Children of special needs really, sincerely need our help."

The proposed bill would provide a refundable tax credit, allowing any qualifying family of a special needs child to obtain up to $6,000 per year, regardless of income, for tuition costs.
Estimates by Fiscal Research show a tax credit would cost the state about $3 million, but save the counties approximately $6 million each year. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 eligible students would be provided with alternative education.

Senator Malcolm Graham said, "In the 21st
Century, I think we all agree with the adage that one size does not fit all. Certainly that has to be true when it comes to the education of some of our neediest children."

According to the poll, 80 percent of North Carolinians polled (regardless of race, gender and party line) are in favor of a bill allowing tuition tax credits for parents of special needs children to attend a nonpublic school of their choice.

President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, Darrell Allison said, "Now we know where North Carolinians stand on the idea of providing educational tax credits for parents of special needs children – they overwhelmingly support it. We are encouraged not only by the public support but also by the bipartisan legislative effort underway as a response. Who could disagree with providing more options for families whose children face some of the greatest educational challenges?"

Leslie Petruk, the mother of a special needs child, recounted her story of the difficulties she faces to get her child appropriate education. Petruk said "Our child is already at a great disadvantage due to his disability and the learning challenges that come along with it. We know our child better than any educator or professional and should have the option to place him in a setting that we know would provide academic and social environment where he will be able to meet his full potential."

The Special Needs Education poll taken by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC), is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to finding ways to effectively better our educational system for all children in North Carolina. PEFNC supports all programs that provide parents and children with greater educational options. What is more, PEFNC builds awareness of the need for even more educational options in North Carolina. This includes the ability for families in North Carolina to educate their child privately through a tax credit or equal opportunity scholarship
programs. For more information, please visit www.pefnc.org

House Bill 388 "Tax Credits for Children with Special Needs," will soon be presented for its second reading. This magnanimous bill needs more NC citizens to show their support. Therefore, call your district's representative and acknowledge your support of this proposed legislation.

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

# # #

Last week, local representatives of the conservative grassroots Freedom Works visited Dr, Carl Mumpower.


Previously:

Freedom Works Visits Congressman Shuler's Office

This delightful read in from the Wild West:

On Asheville City Council’s agenda, under “New Business,” is the state’s 21st Century Transportation Committee Report. There is no verb attached, so I have no clue what council is expected to do with it.

Of particular interest in this pdf file of what looks like an eighth-generation Xerox copy, made all the more difficult to understand by bizarre syntax throughout; is a conversation about VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) devices. These Orwellian transponders let government know where, when, and how you are driving.

Asheville City Council current agenda.
North Carolina 21st Century Transportation Committee Report. [pdf file]

Doesn't surprise me one bit. With these devices, you would be taxed to death, and the control freaks could adjust the tax rates on different roads, and then watch us change habits (without the trouble of installing cameras everywhere) like so many ants in an ant farm...that is except for the people who could afford higher taxes. These "super-empowered ants" would then be able to travel on the expensive roads, much like the Communist Party apparatchiks...with no peons in their way. Also, I wonder if they would be willing to push for these devices to be placed on the holy bicycles that travel Asheville?

I am working on getting a correspondent to make regular reports from the Asheville City Council meetings, so stay tuned...this could get interesting.

This question comes from Bill Fishburne of The Hendersonville Tribune:

I realize my title for this post is redundant because they are both the same.

An excellent writer over at the local John Locke Blog, has a post listing some of the goals of the Asheville City Council, and I have stolen a few to share:

a) Continue public outreach strategies to communicate city council’s strategic goals.
b) Enhance commitment to public safety and drug enforcement priorities through a coordinated, holistic approach.
c) Promote and support the economic viability of local foods and agriculture through tailgate markets and other long-term strategies.
d) Develop youth and education programs that support job and career placement in Asheville; begin with a redesigned summer youth program.
e) Pursue the development of city-owned property to achieve strategic housing, economic development and land use goals.
f) Develop strategies to support diversified job growth and support small businesses.
g) Develop a sustainable funding structure for Asheville transit.
h) Develop neighborhood and corridor plans with citizen participation.
i) Use visualization technology and modeling to assess growth impact analysis for transportation needs, housing needs and neighborhood enhancements.

Source: The Wild West




Commentary

Where to begin?

The first big one that hits me is the wish to develop city-owned property for strategic housing. That is all we need, for the city of Asheville to get involved in screwing up the local housing market!

And the plan to develop a sustainable funding structure for Asheville transit. I presume this means taking tax money from people who do not, and would never use the system, to give a government subsidy to the program...a sort of government welfare to the Transit Authority.

Why not just raise fees to what the market will bear? The last time I rode the bus in Asheville, I think the boarding fee was a dollar (less, if you purchased a book of tickets) and transfer to another bus was about a dime or so. This was in 2003.

Some of the buses were packed full, other routes had less than six on board.

Here in Macon County, there is a Transit System as well. I looked at the pricing structure, and it is inline with what I thought bus fares should be in Asheville. Here is a sample list:

* Local Fares per Boarding
o Franklin - $2.50
o Highlands - $3.50

* Out of County Fares
Round Trip
o Sylva - $15.00
o Waynesville - $20.00
o Bryson City - $20.00
o Asheville - $30.00
o Clayton/Dillard - $15.00

Source: Macon Area Transit Service

As you can see, the prices are at a level where user fees pay a significant amount of what the service costs, which is better for the taxpayers, and it allows the users of the service to pay a larger fraction of their cost upon society. This allows some preservation of self-esteem, and helps to somewhat lessen the negative effect of being on the dole.

I will try to obtain figures for the percentages of who pays what for the MATS program. On the website, there is mention of a federal grant that pays for part of the service.

While the following incident probably won’t make its way into Roll Call’s next installment of Heard on the Hill, it is certainly newsworthy – especially if you reside in North Carolina’s 11th district.
Amidst a happy hour last night at a well known Capitol Hill establishment that serves as a popular after-work destination for Hill staffers, a patron confidently boasts “taxes, taxes, taxes,
I have no problem with more taxes, bring ‘em on.” While this
sentiment is prevalent amongst the Democrat majority in congress, it may be of interest to voters in North Carolina’s 11th
district that this proclamation came from the mouth of none other than Congressman Heath Shuler’s Chief of Staff.

Source: Friends of ATR
Hat Tip: Bill

Commentary

So much for fiscal conservatism, eh? I'm currently working on a monster post detailing the freshman congressman's voting record, and should have it up in a couple of weeks as a multi-part series.

If ya wanna call and ask about this:

District Office: 202-225-6401

Local Office: 828-252-1651