Mr. Grieve,

Many will agree with you that some of the investments are necessary and benefit the comunity as you have suggested, but the problems here began with the process that the County Commissioners used.

If they had properly taken up consideration of budget items, had proper debate and discussion, and allowed community feedback into the decision, then sure, we could all feel that our property taxes are being "invested" in good causes for our community. But, when a significant budget item is hoisted upon the budget without benefit of those considerations, it is never acceptable for the commissioners to make an "investment" in our name, because it really is just pork. As long as they handle budget items in this manner, the public will never have a consensus on them. My sense is that they handle budget items in this manner, because they know that they can't "sell" them to the public, as most of them don't pass the smell test. They, as well as the school board, have lost the public trust in what they do, especially in matters of public funds.

Right on, Brother Dean!

"wise investments in our county's infrastructure "

The International Civil Rights Museum is neither a wise investment or infrastructure. 3 million dollars for administrative cost? Give me a break.

"Homework in school is at times burdensome, too, but you have to do it if you're going to learn anything. Taxes, too, are necessary if we are going to make wise investments in our county's infrastructure that will pay off for future generations."

What a lame analogy. Yes homework is necessary to learn. Paying taxes towards mismanaged projects like the museum, St. James II, Project Homestead, etc. is not homework. In fact, I could be saving some of that money for my kids to do their homework in college.

I do not have a problem with community projects if they are agreed upon by the community and not thrown in the back door as Dean references, and then the money is wasted or unaccounted for.

It is the citizens who promote this by continually voting for these charlatains. I believe the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Pork, *oink oink* The other white meat.

Mr Grieve, "homework" is for school children. It is adults that the county commissioners are taxing to death. The "international" civil rights museum a "wise" investment? Please splain that to me. The reason the commissioners passed this without public input is because they knew damn well that if it were put on a ballot it would be doing good to get 20% of the "yes" vote.
I will also make note here that this budget was passed along party lines. Need I say who voted to increase your taxes?

Dean and Dan, Although I do not live in Guilford county and usually do not make comments about the politics of said county, your comments are good reference for any county. Governmental rule should be "for the people, by the people". What ever tax monies are spent on, the "projects" should represent the general consensus of the people paying the taxes.

I thought town forums were suppose to serve that purpose, open discussion and dialogue.

Amen, amen to all the comments above.

Oink, oink, oink....

Gregory, Please list the sources of your conclusion that the majority of the Guilford County tax paying public is A-OK with the spending of their money on Skip Alston's current extortion plot.

Yes, Greg, I'm interested in that too.

Taxes are never necessary for growth. It's just the opposite. Eliminate proper taxes, allow the free market to go, and then you'll see growth.

I, for one Greg, do not feel like the Civil Rights Museum is necessary to make Guilford County better. I feel the same way about that as I did about the baseball stadium. If private interests want to fund it, more power to them. There are better things they can be doing with my property taxes(both home and vehicle), sales tax, state tax, highway usage tax, and highest gas tax in the southeast. How about some better roads with lane lines that you can see at night when it's raining. Or maybe manhole covers that aren't 1 inch below the surface of the road...and maybe we could have them in the middle of the lane instead of off to one side. These are things that tax money should be spent on. Not 41%pay raises when the rest of us are lucky to get 3% or trips to Hawaii to figure out how to waste more money. And definitely not a Civil Rights Museum.

I can't believe this! everyone here agreeing.

Paul, you are describing "trickle-down economics". The repubs first tried this in Hoover's administration, which resulted in the great depression. The repubs next attemted trickle down in Reagan's term(trickle-down was described by Bush I as "voo-doo" economics) which resulted in record deficits which lasted till President Clinton straightened Reagans blunders out. Now dubya's trying trickle-down again which has resulted in turning President Clinton's buget surpluses into record deficits. It just doesn't work Paul, like the rest of the Libertarian program, this ain't the wild west and every man for himself won't work. A totally free market won't work either, people are greedy and dishonest and require rules and regulations to keep them from running amok.

Although I would agree that the democrats are the party of higher taxes,the republicans too,are adicted to public funds. If you want lower taxes,more growth,and more freedom,vote libertarian

A SOUND INVESTMENT!!!????? well.. so I am to assume that Mr. Grieve believes that the $250,000 that was given to the museum was a sound investment. Does he still believe that it was a sound investment to sink (flush) a million dollars of our tax money into it?? What I have not read in the N&R was that not only did they flush a quarter of a million dollars into it this year....but they have pledged the same amount for the next 4 years.. for a total of a million dollars.. yes.. a million... pick up a copy of the rhino times. real truth in reporting. The future budgets are not required to honor this pledge, but with the current board being controlled by the ones there now..... it is a sure thing to happen.

I don't like the way Skip Alston snuck the funding for the museum into the budget; that smacks of being coercive. However, I believe the museum will be good for GSO economically as one more big reason to attract people to spend a day or two in the city and eat at the restaurants and spend money at nearby downtown shops and maybe stay in a hotel. If the museum is done well, it will attract tourists and that's pretty much established. Good museums attract tourists and tourist dollars.

Don't dislike the museum because you don't like someone associated with it. The job that A&T staff is doing is excellent and honorable. The message is NOT the messenger; don't confuse them.

With the Children's Museum and Historical Museum at one end of the street and the Civil Rights Museum at the other, downtown will be attractive to families and visitors. That's good business for GSO and Guilford County.

I just wish Skip Alston would STOP playing these juvenile games because it truly is detrimental to the whole community's accepting this museum as an important part of GSO economic development.

"3 million dollars for administrative cost?"

How else do you think Skip built that house out on Vandalia?

"How else do you think Skip built that house out on Vandalia?"

I agree Hugh. Maybe he's still trying to pay it down with more money for the museum and his 41% raise? What's with the little cottages in the yard? Is that where he holds classes on screwing the public and calling the race card?

Tired of the lies,

I am right with you! Skippy is a disgrace to this county, and he makes regret ever moving here.
The back door politics is what runs this county, not the TRUE representation of the people.

No, that's where his butt buddies, Paul Gibson and Bruce Davis, stay.

Sue, "if the museum is done well", there in lies the rub.

The purpose of the museum is to line the pockets of a few people in Guilford County politics. There is no incentive to "do it well", since the only incentive is to milk for every dime of tax payer money that can be milked.

It will never be "done well". Let's pack up the counter and four stools and ship them off to the Smithsonian and get the monkey off the back of the tax payers of this county!

Best idea I've heard yet, Mac.

Mac,

Unless Oprah buys it, that is the best solution.

Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society where our government provides such essentials as water and sewer, fire and police protection, and social services. How else should these be paid for? Although it may need better management, the International Civil Rights Museum will be an asset to our community.