March 14, 2008 10:40 am
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Letters policy
The News Courier encourages letters to the editor. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and should include a name, address and telephone number for verification. Submissions that do not meet requirements are subject to editing. Send letters by noon on Thursdays to P.O. Box 670, Athens, Ala., 35613, or e-mail to kelly@athensnews-courier.com.
Kids’ ads creative
Dear Editor:
I love the ads done by the Athens Intermediate School students! The paper, the students, the businesses and teachers deserve applause for their creativity. Thank you for permitting fresh ideas into the paper and for your continued support of our schools.
Sincerely,
Glenda Richardson
Athens
Superintendent petition continues
Dear Editor:
Just to update the citizens of Limestone County on the petition to vote on our Superintendent of Education, we have another 450 names on it. The total is now 2,650 citizens who support the right to vote on this issue. Signatures will continue to be obtained until action is taken on this in Montgomery.
As a lot of states are going to appointed superintendents, maybe it is not working in Limestone County or the state of Alabama since we are 46th in education out of 50 states.
Contact me at Lo2i@aol.com if you have questions about the petition or would like to review it.
Voting is a constitutional right and it is imperative that we stand up to this issue for the future of our children.
Sincerely,
Lori Masonia
Elkmont
‘User fee’ is really tax
Dear Editor:
Imposing a user fee of 1 percent on every purchase at the new Publix shopping center is a new way of creative financing that the City Council has found. This is unfair to those businesses moving there as well as those of us who would have shopped there. This sets a dangerous precedent for future developments. I will not be extra-taxed by any name for the developer and city. I will continue to use the stores in Madison and hope others will also. It seems that a lot of land has been developed without this fee and it is presently vacant of any business. Why, except for profit of the developer, did we pay for that and it remains unsold? Paying extra fees to shop is not progress. It is regressive in this economy.
Sincerely,
Fran Westrich
Athens
‘Special’ financing unfair
Dear Editor:
Over the last few years, did you vote against the numerous proposals by our politicians to raise our taxes?
If so, you may be interested to learn that our mayor and City Council have discovered a creative new way to raise your sales taxes without your consent or, perhaps, even without your knowledge. On Saturday, Feb. 23, this newspaper ran a front-page article titled, “Council sets up special financing for retail project.”
It sounds harmless enough, doesn’t it? The article explained that the Council held a special meeting requested by developer Bill Ming to pay for $3 million worth of infrastructure for the new Publix shopping center to be built at Highway 72 and Lindsay Lane. We will pay this for, in part, as an additional 1-percent sale tax, which they deceptively call a user fee, on anything you purchase from any store in that shopping center. Our mayor is quoted in the article as saying, “This will help sales tax increase in our city.”
In hopes of speaking out against this special sales taxation at the next City Council meeting, I called Harold Wales and was advised by him that it was a “done deal, and could not be stopped.” I asked if this had been publicized beforehand and he said, “Yes, with many people.” They didn’t discuss it with me – did they discuss it with you?
I asked, “Why the special secret meeting?” He said it was publicized, not secret. However, on the previous Sunday, The News Courier had a list of upcoming meetings for the week with no mention of this meeting. I didn’t know of this meeting. Did you? He also said it had been “widely advertised.” I could have missed it, but I read The News Courier every day and saw absolutely nothing. Did you? I suspect, but cannot prove, that most of this discussion took place between our politicians and supporters of the tax.
I welcome Publix to Athens. However, we already have a number of very fine grocery stores in town that have a hard time competing with Wal-Mart in pricing, and now this extra tax will make Publix less competitive with all of them. When asked about this, Mr. Wales said, “Well, you could always do your shopping somewhere else.”
Thank you, Mr. Wales, that’s exactly what I have in mind. I wonder if Publix executives really realize what our mayor and City Council are getting them in to?
Finally, hats off to Millie Caudle, the one council member against this tax, who said it would be “unfair to consumers who must bear part of the cost.”
In summary, I really don’t believe it is a “done deal” as I was told, but something to stifle dissent, and so I plan to continue my opposition and encourage you to do the same. However, if they will not rescind this tax, we as voters already have an outstanding candidate for mayor, Chuck Yancura, and it’s about time that we use the power of our votes during the next election to make major changes at City Hall.
Sincerely,
Jay McCook
Athens
We need special district
Dear Editor:
Larry Townsend's letter regarding the State Improvement District and Cooperative District has some errors. It is already being used by shopping centers in Madison County and is permitted by state law to enable communities to help develop businesses in their area. It has the users of the shopping center help pay for the infrastructure costs that the city would incur rather then burden existing homeowners and taxpayers with these costs. A State Improvement District can be established for many separate development situations. Each stands alone.
Milly Caudle might not have understood that it is now a method that is used more and more by communities and is not precedent setting. Mr. Wales is correct that it enables the community to have services without being penalized with utility and other rate hikes placed on the current citizenry to pay the costs. It only affects those that use the services. Once the bonds are paid the user fee is canceled. It only lasts as long as the life of the bonds.
It must be understood that Bill Ming gets no direct financial benefit from this action and it is not a handout. It only enables the development of a means of increasing businesses that normally generate sales tax revenue and property taxes, all of which help the city of Athens operate. We need more of this to make property owners want to be annexed by Athens instead of Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur.
We also need special assessment fees for new home subdivisions. Maybe Mr. Townsend can afford to pay all the extra potential costs of new developments, but most of the Athens homeowners cannot. I compliment the council on its foresight.
Sincerely,
Quentin D. Anderson Sr.
Athens
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