Letter to the Editor: Don't be swayed
BY Jeannette Wilson, Tahlequah
Saturday, October 27, 2012
10/27/12 at 3:09 AM
I have viewed several ads on TV urging passage of State Question 766, which reduces the collection of intangible personal property for locally assessed and centrally assessed entities. I have two questions about these ads:
1. Who is paying for these ads and why? The answer is that currently only assessed property that crosses county lines pays this tax. That means BIG corporations like AT&T, OG.&E, and Cox Communications pay. It does NOT affect the Main Street business or average citizen (or local certificates). Why are they promoting this? They would save millions of dollars if SQ 766 passes. Would that improve their service or employ more workers? Well, corporate headquarters says no.
2. What would be the result of passage of SQ 766? Public schools would lose more than $32 million dollars. The public school system is already underfunded. This would cripple districts even further. Do you have children or grandchildren in school? Do you want them to have textbooks, supplies, and (most importantly) teachers? Do you really want to pad AT&T's shareholders' dividends by millions?
Keep these questions in mind as you decide how to vote on SQ 766. Don't be swayed by false and misleading TV ads.
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