WAKE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM: What is going on?

On June 16, 2005, the WCTA Board met with School Board Member Ron Margiotta to discuss recent school system events. The Wake County Taxpayers Association will be demanding a complete external audit. Details will be following soon.

CONVENTION CENTER: Report from Ed Jones

As most of you know, the new $250 million plus convention center is now well underway in downtown Raleigh. They are starting the "Big Dig" - that is digging a giant hole (which will take until December) in order to accommodate the lower floors and the underground parking garage. In the meantime, downtown streets and parking is a mess. In September this year, the great minds of the city and council are to begin tearing down our perfectly good, expanded 6-8 years ago and paid for existing convention and civic center. As a member of the so-called study committee for the consideration of a need for a new center, I was the only one of 19 voting members to vote against this plan, as a lot of you know. I spent most of a year at meetings and working and speaking against this wasteful project. We lost. I believe the taxpayers lost, and in the long run will loose big time because in my view this project is not a sound one and is not needed. We are more and more becoming a wasteful people. This is why we must change the city council, commissioners and school board.

TRIANGLE TRANSIT AUTHORITY.S LIGHT RAIL PROJECT: Railroading the Taxpayers

In 2004, the federal government added an additional 20 million dollars to the Triangle Transit Authority's light-rail project, bringing the total federal subsidy to 85 million dollars. In the 2005 federal budget plan, there is no additional subsidy, raising hope that the project will be killed. The Federal Transit Administration decided that the level of traffic congestion was not sufficient to justify a rail system. Rail advocates vow to find a way to get more of our tax dollars to fund the full ONE BILLION DOLLARS just in construction costs. That way is called traffic calming, which consists of speed humps, intersection roundabouts or traffic circles, median islands, and curb extensions to narrow the road. Traffic calming has been shown to be effective in increasing traffic congestion. Rail advocates plan to place traffic calming all over Raleigh in an attempt to justify their treasured light-rail system. Sadly, our Senator, Elizabeth Dole has joined hands with ultra-liberal Democrats David Price, Brad Miller, and Bob Etheridge in supporting the hugely wasteful project. We urge you to contact Senator Dole and urge her to stop this boondoggle.

In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx listed government control of a nation's transportation system as one of the required steps to implement Communism. Light-rail will help fulfill Marx's philosophy.

TRIANGLE TRANSIT AUTHORITY BUS SYSTEM: Taking Taxpayers for a Ride

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004 the Triangle Transit Authority lost more than 8 million dollars. This continues a trend of ever increasing losses. Each time a passenger sets foot on a TTA bus, the taxpayers kicked in $11.26. For a year-round commuter, assuming two weeks of vacation and ten days of holidays, the monthly taxpayer subsidy comes to $450. For $399 a month, the taxpayers could provide a brand new Cadillac STS and save $50 per month for each year-round commuter. The "welfare Cadillac" still exists, in transit subsidies. We believe that it is time to stop all funding of the Triangle Transit Authority.

2005 RALEIGH ROAD BOND: Beware of Traffic Calming -(Forced Traffic Congestion)

On the October 2005 ballot, in addition to the city and school board candidates, will be two bond issues. One, the Raleigh Road Bond, is for 60 million dollars. The other, a low-income housing bond, is for 20 million dollars. If these bonds pass, the property tax rate will be increased. Property taxes for roads? What is going on?

In early 2005, in a bizarre move, the state announced a dramatic cut-back in funding for Raleigh's road construction. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Charles Meeker announced his plan to place a road bond on the ballot. However, it contains a nasty surprise, 3 million dollars for traffic calming, a series of anti-automobile devices that aggravate traffic congestion. The plan is based on a book, "Livable Streets", by the late California-Berkeley professor Donald Appleyard, which suggested that streets belong to pedestrians and automobiles should be removed. We urge all voters to oppose both of these bonds.

IS CAFTA ANOTHER NAFTA?: NO. It's worse!

The NC manufacturing industry was decimated by NAFTA. The NC service industry will be under attack by CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement). Are you and your family protected? Not if US Congress approves CAFTA legislation presented last week for an up or down vote by July 4th. Do you want a free trade competing Costa Rican doctor at your hospital bedside? Or a Nicaraguan CPA preparing your 2006 taxes? CAFTA will open nearly all service trades to Central American competition. And if that doctor and CPA thinks you were unfair in not choosing them they can sue you by means of new international law superior by act of Congress to our federal and state law. Yes . superior to our US Supreme Court! Contact your US Congressman now to tell him/her to VOTE NO ON CAFTA!

Questions? Contact Gerry R. Coleman