>>>
>>> THANK
>>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME ON FLASHPOINT. GOOD MORNING.
ON THE TOPIC SORT OF
UNDERREPORTED THE VOTE ON THE
SALES TAX HIKE, IT WILL DECIDE
WHETHER TO RAISE THE SALES TAX
BY A QUARTER %, IT WILL
GENERATE ABOUT $50 MILLION PER
YEAR BUT WHERE THE MONEY WILL
GO HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING.
COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY WILL
GIVE 35% YARDS, 5% WOULD GO TO
TOWNS FOR ARTS AND PARK
PROJECTS.
SUPPORTERS SAY ARTS FUNDING IS
IN CRISIS AT THIS POINT ALSO
THE PARTS OF SOME RANCH NEAR
THE BOTTOM AMONG U.S. METRO
AREAS.
CRITICS OPPOSED REFERENDUM FOR
A VARIETY OF REASONS SAYING THE
MONEY WOULD BE USED ON
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR OTHER
STATE PRIORITIES, THE INCREASE
WOULD ALSO MAX OUT THE COUNTIES
ABILITY TO TAP THAT SALES TAX
AND BY STATEWIDE CAN'T BE ABOVE
7.5% AND THERE'S ALSO NO
GUARANTEE THAT FUTURE COUNTY
LEADERS WOULD USE IT IN THE
SAME WAY THAT CURRENT
COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY WILL.
YOU VOTED AGAINST IT, WHY?
>> I DID INDEED AND I WANT TO
ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO OUT
AND VOTE EARLY, GO VOTE WANTS
BUT VOTE EARLY.
I VOTED AGAINST THE INCREASE
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS
INCLUDING I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO SPEND
THE MONEY AND THEY HAVE NOT
LAID OUT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
GIVE 15% HERE OR 5% THERE FOR
THE SMALL TOWNS I DON'T KNOW
EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO
DO THAT AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE
A GOOD JOB OF TELLING THAT
STORY AS TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING
TO SPEND IT.>> I HAVE NOT VOTED
EARLY BUT I WILL BE VOTING
EARLY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE
SALES TAX BUT I WILL SAY THAT I
HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND
CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND
FAMILY REGARDING THE
ALLOCATION.
I'M NOT A FAN OF ASSIGNING
PERCENTAGES BECAUSE OUR
PRIORITIES MIGHT CHANGE AND I
WOULD RATHER THE COUNTY HAD THE
FLEXIBILITY, I THINK THERE'S A
CHALLENGE WHERE THE COMMUNITY
SAYS WE SHOULD GO TO AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, THE CITY HAS ITS ROLE
IN THE COUNTY HAS ITS ROLE I DO
KNOW THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS
HAPPENING AMONG COMMISSIONERS
TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
LANGUAGE IN PLACE THAT STATES
THAT COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST
ARBITRARILY REALLOCATE THE
FUNDS BUT I THINK WE NEED A LOT
MORE CLARITY AND THERE'S A LOT
MORE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING I
HOPE THAT PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE
OVER THIS NEXT WEEK OF EARLY
VOTING TO ATTEND SOME OF THE
CONVERSATIONS OR TUNE IN ON
SOCIAL MEDIA SO THAT THEY CAN
GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
BUT I DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE
TIME WHERE WE NEED TO FUND THIS
SALES TAX IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE
ARTS IT'S ALSO ABOUT PARKS AND
SCHOOLS.
I HAVE MY CHALLENGES BUT AS
CONSTITUENTS AND VOTERS IT'S
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD
ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THIS
BEING A TASK TARGETS THAT
PEOPLE THAT DON'T NEED THAT.
>> THE CHALLENGE WITH THE
LANGUAGE OF A REGRESSIVE TAX IS
IT CREATES THE SPACE OF EITHER
WITH ME OR AGAINST ME WE NEED
THAT SPACE FOR YOU TO ASK THE
QUESTION AND GIVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN SO I AM
A SUPPORTER OF TRANSPARENCY AND
ALSO ON THE ARTS AND SCIENCE
COUNCIL BOARD.
I WORK COUNSEL FULL-TIME SO I
AM ALL IN THE SAME CATEGORY
THAT WE DISCUSSED OF THOSE IN A
LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY BUT I ALSO
SEE EVERY DAY HOW THE ART
SPECIFICALLY IS CHANGING LIVES
AND COMMUNITY AND HOW A LOT OF
OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING
INTRODUCED TO ARTS AT A VERY
YOUNG AGE AND IF YOU LOOK AT
CELEBRITY STATUS YOU CAN LOOK
AT ALL AROUND CHARLOTTE AND SEE
WHERE ART HAS MADE A
DIFFERENCE.
WHETHER IT'S ANTHONY HAMILTON
OR A MOVIE STAR YOU HAVE SO
MANY EXAMPLES BUT IS NOT JUST
THAT, OUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND THE
IMPACT THE ARTS HAVE ON OUR
COMMUNITY YOU MIGHT NOT BECOME
AN ARTIST BUT INTRODUCE
CULTURALLY DIFFERENCE IS AS A
YOUNG AGE AND NOT SO YOUNG AGE
MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HOW YOU
SEE THE WORLD
>> I AGREE WITH THAT AND WE
SPOKE BEFORE WE STARTED THIS
MORNING THAT YOUR FAMILY
SUPPORTS THE ARTS, MY FAMILY
SUPPORT THE ARTS, KATHY AND I
GO TO AS MANY SHOWS AS WE CAN
AFFORD TO GO TO EVERY YEAR AND
THE CHILDREN BEING TOUCHED BY
AND MOVED BY THE ARTS THAT COME
TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND IF THEY
CAN GO TO A SHOW THERE REALLY
IS SOMETHING SPECIAL, ONE OF
THE THINGS, I REALLY LIKE
POLITICIANS START STATE AND
LOCAL TO STAY IN THEIR LANE AND
WHAT WE HEAR OVER AND OVER IS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS DOES NOTHING TO HELP
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IT GOES IN
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
THOSE WORKING FOR THAT YOU
REFERRED TO, THEIR COST IS
GOING TO GO UP AND THAT DOES
NOT HELP ANYBODY.>> IT IS A
VERY SPECIFIC TARGET AREA
MAINLY THE TAXES GOING TO BE ON
LUXURY GOODS SO NOT A TAX
THAT'S GOING TO BE ON
NECESSITIES AND MEDICATIONS
THOSE OF US THAT WANTS TO STAY
IN A HOTEL OUT TRAVELING OR
BUYING UP NEEDED ITEMS BUT
ITEMS OF WARRANT, THERE IS A
DIFFERENCE.
AS SOMEONE IN THE CATEGORY
WORKING FOR AND WILLING TO
SUPPORT THE ARTS AND PARKS AND
EDUCATION I STILL SAY THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS
ACCOUNTABILITY OF HOW THE
FUNDING IS GOING TO BE
ALLOCATED, I GO BACK TO THE
CITY.
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH HOW THE
PROCESS IS PLAYING OUT WITH US
GOING IN AND OUTSIDE NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS TO LEAVE THE
CONVERSATION, WE NEED MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE
COMMUNITY TOWARDS ELECTED
OFFICIALS BUT SAY WE ARE NOT
GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS
BECAUSE OF THE FEAR THAT IS
SOMETHING I HAVE A CHALLENGE
WITH.
>> I DON'T CONSIDER SCHOOL
SUPPLIES LUXURY ITEMS.>> IT'S
NOT JUST CLOTHING SOME CLOTHING
WELL BUT WHEN YOU SAY SUPPORT
YOU ARE ALSO COMING FURTHER
PLACED DON'T TRY TO SEPARATE IT
TO SAY THE POOR PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO HURT THE MOST, THAT IS
A FEAR TACTIC WHEN YOU REALLY
LOOK AT IT.
>> THAT'S ME TRYING TO LOOK
AFTER PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS
FORTUNATE AS SOME OF US HAVE
BEEN.>> YOUR WRITING ON A WHITE
HORSE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT
THIS FAMILY OR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
YOU HAVE NOT COME TO TALK TO ME
TASK ME WHAT I NEED WHEREAS YOU
HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS IN
COMMUNITIES WHERE IT IS A
MINORITY COMMUNITY AT THE TABLE
HAVING A LOT OF THESE
CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE SAID
YES WE WANT THIS BECAUSE OUR
FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS AND IS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND WE
REALLY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND OTHER
THINGS, LET'S LOOK AT THE
BUILDING AND ALL HER TAX BREAK
THAT THE WEALTHIEST OF NORTH
CAROLINA WERE GIVEN.
PAY YOUR TAXES AND WE WOULD NOT
HAVE TO KEEP TRYING TO OFFSET.
>> ONE THING THEY DID DO IS
MADE IT A REFERENDUM SO BETWEEN
NOW AND NOVEMBER 5 THE CITY OF
CHARLOTTE AND COUNTY OF
MECKLENBURG WILL LET US KNOW
WHAT THEY THINK AND I APPLAUD
THAT.
>> THAT'S WHY WE BOTH AGREE YOU
ALL NEED TO GET OUT.
>> WE HAVE ZEROED OUT