THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610030217
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 96 lines
I vacation on Hatteras Island both in the spring and fall for a total of about six weeks.
Your Carolina Coast is a great asset in keeping one posted on the what, where and when of the Outer Banks.
For my needs as a vacation spot the Outer Banks gives one everything I need with one exception: no access to National Public Radio. And when all the commercial stations offer about the same fare an alternative would be highly welcome. I wish the nearest NPR station either in Virginia or North Carolina would put a separate transmitter on the Outer Banks.
Keep up the good job.
Richard Davis
Free Union, Va. Thanks for the help
On behalf of the Outer Banks Cancer Support Group and Dare Hospice, we would like to say a heartfelt ``thank you'' to everyone who was involved in any way with the 15th annual Seascape Charity Golf Tournament on Sept. 18.
A total of $11,314 was donated and split equally between our two groups. All of the money will be used locally to provide free transportation for cancer treatments and care for the terminally ill. We know the citizens who need the help of these two important service organizations would join in our resounding ``THANK YOU.''
Outer Banks Cancer
Support Group
and Dare Hospice Initiatives important
One month from now citizens will go to the polls to vote in our general election. There are many important federal, state and local races.
Two important state initiatives are on the Nov. 5 ballot, but they have received less attention than the partisan races.
The first of these initiatives is a $1.8-billion public school building bonds referendum.
A recent study by the North Carolina General Assembly identified school construction needs totaling $6.2 billion statewide. Each school year 25,000 new students are being wedged into old, inadequate and often unsafe school buildings. Statewide, school districts are utilizing 4,800 trailer classrooms in response to growth in the student population and problems associated with existing facilities.
While there is a local match requirement, this may be satisfied by non-state capital expenditures made by boards of education since Jan. 1, 1992. These match expenditures may include both budgeted capital outlay funds and incurred debt such as that from local school bonds.
By way of example, Currituck County would realize $3,002,491 in state funds for school construction if the referendum passes. Based upon the ability-to-pay match requirement, $7,205,979 in non-state funds would have to be allocated. Since Currituck County passed a $16 million school bond referendum in 1993, the match requirement would be more than satisfied.
The second ballot initiative is a $950 million highway bonds referendum.
North Carolina's road traffic has increased by 50 percent in the last decade. During 1995, we experienced record rates of highway accidents and the highest number of highway fatalities since 1989.
Many roads on our statewide system remain unpaved.
Should the highway bonds referendum succeed, Currituck County will be the beneficiary of $466,309 in improvements to its secondary roads.
Harlan Boyles, the Treasurer of North Carolina, says the question most voters will likely ask is: ``Will my state taxes be increased if these bonds pass?''
The short answer is: No, not if the General Assembly commits itself not to raise taxes and then follows the traditional manner of prioritizing available resources.
President Pro Tempore of the Senate Marc Basnight is to be commended, as is his House counterpart Speaker Harold Brubaker, for the leadership provided in getting these initiatives on the ballot.
The last statewide school facility referendum was in 1973, while the last highway fund referendum was in 1977. Their willingness to put these long-delayed matters before the people of North Carolina is an exemplary display of bipartisan collaboration serving the public interest.
In August, the Currituck County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners adopted a joint resolution supporting passage of the school building referendum. Every county in our region will benefit from the passage of these referendum initiatives. I encourage all of our citizens to become well informed regarding these matters and hopefully discover they can cast a favorable vote in both instances. Our children and our region deserve our care and attention.
William R. Capps
Superintendent of Schools
Currituck Quoting Voltaire
Regarding the decision to eliminate Ross Perot from this year's debate of candidates for presidential election, I wish to quote the great Voltaire:
``I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.''
Loraine K. Midgett
Kill Devil Hills by CNB