Letter: Adding the pork, they lost my vote

Folks, I hope you paid attention to the list of items published recently under each of the three local referendum questions on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Question 1 details items needed in Beaufort County — road repair and resurfacing, etc. However, they also slipped in, under a “quality of life section,” a $6.2 million “arts, entertainment and cultural campus” (PORK). They ignored many residents’ objection to this potentially endless tax burden. They placed it in with items that are in dire need, hoping the voters would miss it and vote “yes.”

Question 2 addresses the Beaufort County School District’s authority to issue bonds up to $217 million. This is from the same folks who didn’t think voters would see anything wrong with the superintendent’s nepotism scandal and lack of transparency, integrity and honesty.

Question 3, which would impose another 1 percent sales tax going to the same superintendent and school board who seem to lack integrity, honesty and transparency. This tax has the potential to exceed $280 million over 10 years. In these hands, I think not.

I will vote “no” for all three questions even though many of items are legitimately needed. Adding the pork, they lost my vote. The present school board its Superintendent can’t be trusted, in my opinion, with any amount of money. Except for two members, there’s a total lack of confidence.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Letter: Adding the pork, they lost my vote."