News-Record.com

Is Buddy from the Cato Institute?

If we go to a "business-run government," it will be out-sourced to a foreign land due to cheaper labor costs! What happens then Buddy?

Shalom

James,
I think he works in a Cato store.

Does anyone know anything about municipal bonds? I thought by their nature these bonds had beginning and ending dates. I know the state has laws regulating these bonds and I would think US Govt. agencies had some regularity authority. I would think it would certainly be against the law to use this money for other than its intended purpose and that there are safeguards in place for accountability. Am I wrong about this? Just asking.

As far as the idea of reducing taxes as the end of each bond, the expense will cease and the amount of the new tax will depend on remaining bonds and operating expenses for that year. There doesn’t seem to be a connect. Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of those who can’t afford property tax increases.

LastVOR,

I can tell ou that the 2003 school bonds, that voters approved, weren't used as they were presented. Several projects that were on the bond list were passed over for other projects that the school board later approved after the fact. These projects were in Jamestown. They were dumped and the money was spent on a new academy at Smith and for cost overruns on the Taj Majal Northern High. When questoned about it, Terry Grier said that they never promised that all of the projects on the bond list would be done. So, in this case, funds from the school bonds were not used as presented when voters approved the bond. Once the bonds are approved, they can used the funds how ever they want on schools. That is why voters will not approved the new bonds next year.

ORR - I've always gone into the voting booth and voted for the bond referendums I thought were needed. This certainly gives me something to think about.

Muni bonds are the greatest arrow in the public's quiver. They have a fixed rate and staggered maturity dates so that there are some being paid off each year. Most General Obligations carry full faith and credit of the issuing entity adding to the safety of the bond. When rates were even lower, we had these same bozos like neo and Dan saying "Don't issue bonds, they'll raise my taxes" when in actuality, they offer quite the buffer over a 20 year period.
Each year bonds are being paid off. Also, bonds can be "pre-refunded" which is equal to "refinancing" for homeowners. They issue bonds at a lower interest rate to pay off existing high rate debt.
Because the investor receives income free of taxes off these bonds, the rates are MUCH lower than long term taxable rates. They are a win-win for the community.
Leverage has always been a great way to build for tommorrow, today.
Real trouble is, when people like Oak Ridge Runner try to cut off their nose to spite their face. "You didn't build MY school so I'm not going to support ANY BONDS for ANYTHING". That's about as shortsighted as it gets. That kind of thinking has put our neighbors in Davie County in a pickle. Their schools are overflowing yet the folks, like ORR, said, "We don't need no stinking bonds" and now they will have to go down the trailer park road. The county had ONE high school and the myopic said, "It twas guud enough fer me, it shood bee guud 'nuff fer them too".
Total idiots.

TLC, offer more insight into the Davie County fiasco. The superintendent was on "thin ice" with the board and the public. He is the one who planted the new HS idea (even though it is needed). With a low popularity rating, he could not get a fire brigade to put out the local camp fire! He's gone now. Hopefully the issue can be revisited in the not too distant future.

However, I am in agreement with ORR on the GCS proposed bond issue. As long as Grier and his board of stooges are sitting, I will not support any further "money pits!" I encourage all GC voters to examine this group and make an informed decision in the next few election cycles!

Shalom

Whoa, Darryl disagrees with Demon Deacon?? There is hope after all.

Dan,
Unlike you and your symbiotic twin, "neokitty", intelligent, thinking people can have differences of opinion.

Darryl,
The Davie County fiasco really is caused by two converging trains of thought. One is the "Old Davie County" which was rural and not too affluent. The other Davie County consists of those who have moved out of Forsyth County and Winston-Salem in particular, in order to have lower taxes and "whiter" schools. While the "Gentrification" of the mostly "redneck" culture there is good, the underlying racism is not.
Those longtime citizens of Davie County would not float a bond for ANYTHING. They are of the same mindset of ORR. They cannot see the need for wanting to avoid a tax increase. Well, right now, Davie has some of the lowest taxes in the state--but also offer limited services. I don't see schools as "fluff" but rather an investment in a community. But such as it is, the Davie County citizens voted no on bonds that would have ONLY built another high school. Now, keep in mind, that like neokitty, some of these people hit their high water mark by graduating from High school, and they don't WANT another one in Davie. The folks are now faced with making elementary and middle schools now larger and keeping the high school down to three grades and possibly two!!! Unheard of in modern times, this is an incredibly STUPID move.

As for Guilford County, I can say I have not always been happy with WHERE the money gets spent...for example, there are empty seats over in areas of no growth due to Skippy Alston wanting his constituents to have NEW SCHOOLS. The Northwest area, the area of most dramatic growth, is in dire need of facilities.
So, now that Skippy is satisfied, the schools that NEED to be built, can be built. Is that right? Not in the least, but "what is, is".
So I say, suck it up, and vote for any school facilities bond. Why? Because we are five to fifteen years behind and we have NO CHANCE of passing a huge bond like Raleigh would do and has done. We have an ignorant group of folks out there who remain so set on "cutting their nose off to spite their face" that we must overcome. Believe me, I KNOW how frustrated folks are. I've been involved with re-districting mob of folks and I've fought for school expansions and construction.
But the facts remain. If we want to be a city of the future, and not one mired in the past, we MUST continue to build schools!!!

TLC, thanks for putting in that info on the Davie Co school situation. I agree with what was posted. Yet, putting the superintendent's position into that perspective would have given even better insight.

Lastly, thanks for the other comments. However, I did not view us has disagreeing, rather, not fully communicating. To me, there is a difference in communication and disagreement.

Shalom

Darryl,
Imagine voting against a Bond just because you didn't like Terry Grier. One day, Grier will be gone, but our community needs will STILL be here. That's why I will Always vote for school, water and sewer bonds--ALWAYS! Those are "essential services" and they must be funded.

Spat over. Wine by candlelight tonight...

Rural = bad
Urban = good

Nit,
Davie County is ALL rural! They just have backward thinkers....let's just call it THEIR High Point, NC. LOL!

TLC, I realize what is being stated. I was just wanting to get as many variables that played into the defeat of the school bond issue in Davie Co as possible. That was my point. Sadly, the people were not able to look beyond their own love of the one school and dislike for the superintendent (who is since moved on). Like Grier, that man worked for change in a manner that caused division rather than uniting. (Does that theme sound familiar?)

I believe that a school bond issue will come up again in Davie Co. I also believe that when it does, it will pass overwhelmingly!

As for GCS, I do not believe that the current leadership (superintendent and down) have the support to have a bond issue pass. They have not been good stewards of what ($$) was entrusted to them.

I still wonder how WS/Forsyth Schools can build a new school quicker and cheaper than Guilford without having to go back in a year or two to make MAJOR structural modifications due to poor design. There is a problem somewhere and that needs to be addressed!

Shalom

Grier ALWAYS has the budget for a new school "padded" so that they can add last minute things if necessary. The shell game goes on with the schools just in case Skippy comes up with some reason to fight the bonds. They throw him a bone to shut him up. It ain't pretty, but it is reality.