What New Taxes Do You Want?

          I called the firm that the county commissioners have picked to ask about a potential new local tax to learn public opinion on this issue. For a fee of $10,000 they are to phone 400 randomly-picked taxpayers for their preferences on these questions: Do those callees want a new land transfer tax, an increase on the retail sales tax, or neither? The arithmetic on this exercise comes to an average of $25 a telephone call.  

        The polling people told me they couldn’t include my opinion unless I just happened to be one of those computer-selected. The chances of that are  less than my winning the state lottery.

           I wanted to be one of the callees because I have a strong fundamental opinion on this. I am against both taxes for a simple reason. They would be new levies on the necessities of life, which are already heavily taxed.

          Before necessities of food, clothing and shelter are further taxed, I urge that luxuries (of which an untaxed and low-taxed plenty are available) be considered. Taxing luxuries such as fancy cars, booze, and entertainment tickets won’t hurt anybody.

           How come these sources aren’t on the commissioners’ table?         

Site for Kidzu?

          A children’s museum for the Chapel Hill community is a great idea – already tried and true. To the organization’s appreciated credit, its energetic directors are seeking an improved location. 

          Lately a possibility is a yet undisclosed but potentially desirable site in Carrboro.  This notion is commendable in that it recognizes a community-wide location. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are in fact one community and a site in Carrboro enhances that idea. More facts of course remain to be learned. 

         Meanwhile the Kidzu Board has asked the Town of Chapel Hill to consider providing a new site in the Chapel Hill-Post Office/Courts building – quite a nice location with primary essential services already located there. 

         If it hasn’t yet been pondered, I’d like to propose another centrally-located but under-used municipal spot for Kidzu: the top of the Wallace Parking Deck. It was good enough a couple of years ago to be selected for a municipal business/residential site, when it fell victim to insufficient finances. 

         It’s virtually unused and has the most adequate parking possible (eifht under this space). It’s obviously available. It must be structurally satisfactory since it was chosen for a more complex use. Locating Kidzu there would not prohibit development above it. 

           –Am I off base with this suggestion?