At last night’s County Commissioner’s meeting, I rose in the Public Comments section to speak out against Tax Increment Financing bonds (TIFs), now made possible in North Carolina by the (fraudulent) passing of Amendment One. I reiterated the arguments in the entry "Just say ‘No’ to Amendment One" below, and pointed out that Lincoln County voters actually voted against Amendment One 52-48%, when we voted in favor of the other two amendments by 76% and 66%, respectively. I urged them to consider the will of the people they represent and to not inflict TIFs on the people of Lincoln County, but instead to put any bond measure on the ballot and let us decide. During the break, I was complimented by several people attending the meeting who also voted against Amendment One.
If you’re in Lincoln County, I urge you to go to the Commissioners meeting and make this same argument: that we voted against Amendment One and, therefore, the Commissioners should not take our county into further debt without our approval. If you live elsewhere in North Carolina, see how your city or county voted (you can get these statistics from your local Board of Elections) and, if your local vote went against Amendment One, go to your city council or county commissioners and make this same plead. You made your voice heard on Nov. 2nd; now make sure your representatives listen.