Stadium Questions Remain Unanswered
Dear Editor,
Specific answers to legitimate questions about the High Point stadium project are still not being answered.
Given that Nido Qubein said that private donations, which were expected to be $38 million, have reached $50 million, shouldn’t this additional $12 million negate any need for Guilford County to sign over the requested $11 million from county property taxes? Why bother the county now that it has been announced that proponents already have a surplus of $12 million on their hands? Why continue to seek county dollars, or even High Point City tax dollars, since they have more on hand than they claim the entire project is going to require? Furthermore:
- What is the true total cost of the project including all required city infrastructure improvements?
- How much property/acreage will be required and therefore removed from the tax roles for both the stadium and the museum/cinema/park complex?
- What will be the annual cost to the City of High Point to staff, operate and maintain the museum/cinema/park complex?
- Who will be providing the land for the museum/cinema/park complex? Will it be purchased with the private donation funds or will it be acquired with tax dollars?
- Who will be designing and building the museum/cinema/park complex and has the City of High Point agreed to accept it, operate it and maintain it? Will it be delivered intact or will the funds simply be donated to the city for that purpose?
- Given that Mr. Qubein said that private donations, which were expected to be $38 million, have reached $50 million, shouldn’t this additional $12 million surplus negate any need for Guilford County to sign over the requested $11 million from county property taxes?
If tax dollars are going to be involved, then the people of High Point and Guilford County deserve answers to these legitimate questions.
Frank Swanson
Devil in Debt Ceiling
Dear Editor,
President Trump has made a deal with the devil in siding with the Democrats. To some extent he was forced into it when the Republicans failed to follow through on their promises to him and the American people who gave them what they kept asking for, that being the House, the Senate and the White House. Although I guess you could say they didn’t get it all because one of their own didn’t get elected.
Out of everything being discussed is the idea of eliminating the debt ceiling is the most dangerous. Granted he is saying that it would be tied to a budget agreement but the problem with that is you first have to have a budget, something that Congress hasn’t passed in how long? All they’ve done is generate continuing spending resolutions and at the same time raised the rate on their own credit card so they could spend more. And remember who pays that bill when it finally comes due.
The president must propose a budget and the House must approve it. The last time this was done was 2009. (Note, this was a Democratic Congress at the time.) Since then the Congress has not passed a proposed budget and instead passed amendments raising the debt ceiling, leading to a these multi-billion and trillion dollar spending sprees. (Can you say Venezuela? I knew you could.)
The fed sells our debt to foreign governments in order to generate the additional income necessary to keep feeding the monster (that being itself), thus giving them a small amount of influence in how we do business with them. We will eventually get to a point where they will be saying, “Dance to my tune or I’ll call in the note.” Add to this the fact that we’ve allowed our economy to become tied to the “global economy,” which put us in more uncontrollable danger.
Take one portion of uncontrolled spending, a measure of illegal aliens taxing the system, a scoop of progressive socialists wanting universal welfare for all and social justice warriors wanting “equality” for all, a tablespoon of anarchists, mix well and pour over a base of undereducated and apathetic citizens who have grown complacent and docile. Now serve with dictatorial government orders that you’ll swallow and like it.
I think I’d like a nice hot cup of Boston tea with that.
Go Galt and save the republic.
Alan Marshall
Trust in God
Dear Editor,
Those who are rich must give accordingly. I Tim. 6:17-19. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
E.M. Scoggin
Voting Hoffmann
Dear Editor,
Seldom do we have elected officials on any level who always put the people first, who are tireless in staying connected with the voters with an ear for their concerns and acting on them and whose sole interest is in uplifting others and making the area she serves a better place in which to live and work.
City Councilwomen Nancy Hoffmann is one such person. We should all be grateful for her public service and all the positive accomplishments she has made for Greensboro.
And for those concerned about taxation, she has been a part of a City Council that has held the line with no tax increases in her three terms on the City Council while at the same time providing necessary services to the citizens.
Voters in District 4 have the opportunity to continue this progress by returning Nancy Hoffmann to another term in office.
Bob Kollar
Spend Wisely
Dear Editor,
I will not be available for several scheduled candidate forums, due to my mother’s most recent lung cancer surgery, which may require radiation treatment. This is her third encounter with cancer. I will be there for her, as I have been there for High Point residents and their families. I hope they will come out to vote for me once again on Oct. 10 and Nov. 7.
How does a local government achieve things like economic development, job creation, reduction in crime, hunger issues, blight reduction, transparency of government, good stewardship and inclusion of voice? By working together. You see we all have a role to play; each of us needs to communicate with the other. We must ensure citizens have access to public information on everything that interests or impacts them. They must choose to become an active participant in the process of local government, by attending meetings, listening to meeting audios, reading minutes (in part) online, email and calling those that serve them.
Local government cannot fund everything, nor should it. Local government’s primary function is to provide citizens with quality services, such as water/sewer, electric, fire, police, roads and the like. Often local government’s take on parks, libraries, museums, senior centers, etc., and then they are responsible for these quality of live amenities too. If we want these services to be the best they can be then we must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, by being prudent. Sadly, today, if you are prudent with funds you can be referred to as a “naysayer” or a “poor leader.” I believe it is our responsibility to be very selective as to how and when we invest your dollars. After all, taxpayers pay the bills.
I am the sole “no” vote on High Point City Council regarding the “stadium.” Council had no working documents, only brief overview presentations, even the night we voted. I requested that we defer the vote until High Point residents could have access to the presentation, allowing them a voice in chambers, as well as at the polls. The project is a multi-million dollar project that should be well vetted by all stakeholders. No good elected official would accept a presentation without all the figures and details, so I said, “no!”
I am always willing to listen and discuss any matter that involves High Point residents, their families or businesses. It is through real conversations that solutions arise.
Cynthia “Cindy” Davis
Needle Points to Limit
Dear Editor,
Recently in Salt Lake City, Utah, a police officer named Jeff Payne arrested a nurse because she refused to let him take blood from an unconscious patient. The nurse, Alex Wubbels, told the police officer that it was against the law to take blood from an unconscious patient unless there was a warrant or consent from the patient. She did the right thing by questioning authority. The police officer arrested her anyway and dragged her away.
The charges were dropped but officer Payne has not been fired. He is on administrative leave, which is the same as a paid vacation. This case is a good example of why all police officers should be required to wear body cameras when interacting with the public.
I don’t think that police officers should have the right to stick a needle into an unconscious person’s arm. In fact, I don’t think that police officers should have the right to take blood from a conscious person either. If police officers are given the right to stick needles into the arms of citizens and draw blood today, they may be given the right to inject something into the arms of citizens tomorrow. There need to be limits on what police officers are allowed to do.
Chuck Mann
Bad Smell
Dear Editor,
The High Point Enterprise article on inaccurate figures used during the pitch for the baseball stadium project left out the most important fact – the best case return on increased property value tax revenue, as touted by stadium proponents, now becomes less than half of what they claimed. Increased property values on tax exempt properties won’t generate additional tax revenue.
We just went from a best case of $99 million over 20 years to a best case of less than $50 million over 20 years. This thing is smelling worse by the minute.
Cosh Backer
Friendship over Money
Dear Editor,
The problem with election these days is you need money and that forms a marriage between big donors and elected officials. The people are blind to the fact that leaders will not be loyal to them but rather to their donor or sugar daddy. Mr. Wilkins is having a fundraiser at a local developers joint and that should alarm people, who is he loyal to and look at all his votes for that person, both are doing pretty good with tax dollars. I want to mention that I have not taken money and been offered money but I don’t want to own anyone but the people. I want you to think if a cop is taking free lunches off a business and he has to write a ticket for the day and stops a citizen who he does not know and stops his buddy who gives him free lunch, who do you think is getting the ticket. I am for all people and you as a citizen should be concerned why someone gets so much money for a local election or is the money really protection money or simply the cost of doing business. Mr. Hammer is right without money you will not win but that is the fault of the voter. The American voter has lost touch with voting and by this I mean on how they vote. There is a large portion of voters who don’t do their homework and one year at a poll someone voted for me because I was black, that’s what he told me outside on who he voted for and I gave him a flyer with my picture, hey I took the vote. I am saying to my caring and dedicated voter, think before you vote, think who is getting money and from whom, think who has your interest. My first promise is to donate if allowed my city healthcare package, I don’t need or want it, can Tony or the others running with me make that promise. I will do business with Roy and Marty but the package has to help people and I don’t want their money, all I ask is for friendship as people of God.
Sal Leone
Editor’s Note: Sal Leone is a candidate in the District 5 City Council race. His letter is being run unedited.
A Vote for Davis
Dear Editor,
This is to express my support and encourage others to join me as Cynthia Davis seeks reelection for High Point City Council at large.
Mrs. Davis has been extremely supportive, both vocally and visibly, of countless community outreach efforts in our wonderful city. She continuously makes herself available to offer her advice, support and time to create a better community for High Point. Her demeanor is gentle yet stern, objective yet unwavering; she is not afraid to make the difficult decisions when it relates to what is best for all High Point’s residents, even if it means standing alone in Council Chambers.
This is the type of leadership that we must continue to support as High Point embarks on a period of reformation and increased prosperity and exposure. In effort to make our communities great and safe for all, we need an individual with Cynthia’s character to continue representing us – someone who is willing to listen to the needs of all our residents, no matter his or her party affiliation, socio-economic status or other divisive characteristics often used to separate and tear us away from one another.
I am asking that everyone register to vote and reelect Cynthia Davis, High Point City Council at large.
Tony Graham
Send to letters@rhinotimes.com or P.O. Box 9023, Greensboro 27429