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Mandatory charity bad idea

Most everything I need to “NO” about Prop 1 is in the language of the law and its accompanying city ordinance:

NO express language requiring the money to be used to reduce dropout rates.

NO measurable performance metrics.

NO elected official to administer this specific money – just an unelected board that will decide. (Wonder who that will benefit?)

The rest of my “NO” has come from Prop 1’s backers looking for taxpayer support of their pet charities:

NO reliable, scientific evidence that a taxpayer program to support local charities – that has failed nationwide to improve dropout rates – will succeed here in Spokane.

I am a charitable person, but I find forced charity via taxation to be distasteful and generally wasteful.

“… proposes to increase the regular property tax levy in excess of limitations of state law for six years, beginning 2011, by 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value the first year, to fund family and youth services including early childhood education and intervention, child abuse prevention, mentoring and after-school programs, the final year levy to be used for calculating the limit for future levy increases. Should this measure be enacted into law?”

NO on Prop 1.

Thomas Rogers

Spokane



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