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OPINION

Bonds for swim center hoodwinked city voters

Letter
Comments (8)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

My blood pressure rose this morning while reading “Ideas” (Nov. 15).
The article by Brian Balfour clearly shows how much debt we have accumulated over the years in Guilford County. But what really makes me mad is the millions of dollars over budget cost of the city swim center (editorial cartoon).

I voted against the Parks and Recreation bonds because they included $12 million for the swim center.

The City Council knew voters habitually support parks bonds, so it included the swim center in the package.

Sure, voters should have known what they were voting for, but since the swim center was rejected twice before, our leaders camouflaged it on the ballot. And the strategy worked!

Now we get to pay a whole lot more for what should have been paid for privately anyway.

School construction bonds may be needed. A swim center is not. Hopefully, the council and voters will be more prudent in the future when considering bond issues.

Keith Hoile
Greensboro

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danagain

November 18, 2009 - 6:09 am EST

"Hopefully, the council and voters will be more prudent in the future when considering bond issues."

Doubt it, the Natural Science Center bond passed by a wide margin even in this economy. Follow the federal model, there is a magical credit card out there somewhere.

rightwingnemesis

November 18, 2009 - 9:20 am EST

Mr. danagain, the voters passed the bonds. Are you now against Democracy too? People watch Fox News, as I am sure you do, but that is (your) their right to do. Have you no depth of understanding or is it always so simplistic?

Beachwalk

November 18, 2009 - 12:18 pm EST

"Have you no depth of understanding "

I will ask you the same question? Have you no depth of understanding?
What part of "we do not have the money" do you not understand?

swerdna

November 18, 2009 - 3:47 pm EST

rightwing understands nothing except the democratic mantra and spend, spend spend.

danagain

November 18, 2009 - 8:24 pm EST

"Mr. danagain, the voters passed the bonds. Are you now against Democracy too?"

Nope, not against democracy. I'm against a bond that was previously voted down being disguised in a parks & rec bond just to get it passed. I'm against voters being told the swim center would cost $12 million and now all of the sudden it will cost $20 million. Look at the library bond, which was supposed to pay for a new library on Lake Jeanette road. Driven by there recently? On the spot where the nice new library is supposed to be there is a library bus parked there that is open 3 days per week.

truth

November 18, 2009 - 9:50 am EST

The problem is an interesting one. You've heard of Taxation without representation. In the case of bonds, it's often representation without taxation. College students being allowed to vote on bonds that will be paid by property owners is wrong. Restrict bond voting to property owners who will pay for them, and I think you'd get a much different result.

Mick

November 18, 2009 - 10:59 am EST

Restricting voters to property owners only is a horrible solution to the "transient" type voter issue.
There has to be a better way. Actual residency might come into play perhaps. Also, I would like to see the actual numbers too see if college kids actually made the difference.

tahoeman1971

November 18, 2009 - 8:02 pm EST

I will predict this right now. The aquatic center will be used as a babysitting service for minorities during the summer and then we will hear about how racist Greensboro is because the majority of the people using the Aquatic Center are minorities. The location of the center willl dictate this situation.