I received an email this morning from Dallas Woodhouse of Americans for Prosperity, alerting me to the horrible editorial in the N&O attacking opposition to forced annexation. AFP has supported and helped us all on the annexation issue.
The editorial that Dallas pointed out was written in response to an excellent article published in the N&O on Tuesday after the Senate passed S27:
Please consider writing to the N&O in support of the Senate Moratorium Bill and to thank Lynn Bonner for the great article.lynn.bonner@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4821
Please copy the Executive Editor of the N&O as well:
Notice that the editorial writer is once again spouting the NC League of Municipalities 'talking points' and ignoring the fact that NC law allows VOLUNTARY annexation as well as FORCED annexation. He ignores that what we are trying to put an end to is FORCED annexation only. Is the writer ignorant of the fact that there is more than one way for cities to annex?
Maybe he needs to learn the difference.
The cities will be able to annex to their hearts content VOLUNTARILY even with the moratorium in place.
Out of all the numerous unsupported "talking points' about forced annexation that the NC League of Municipalities use to use regularly during the last five decades, the only one they have left that they continue to use is the "freeloader" argument.
People living within five miles and the money they contribute to the cities has the same positive impact that money spent in the cities by people who live fifty miles away. If city officials actually believe that "outsiders" coming into their city are having a negative impact on them, then they need to stop spending any of their resources on promoting tourism and building attractions that are designed to bring tourists into their city.
We need the N&O to hear from Democrats, Independents and Republicans to let the Editor know that ending FORCED annexation is NOT a PARTISAN issue. The failure to get this done under the Democrats was due to the political power being in the hands of an elite few in the GA more than any other factor.
The people who care about this issue made themselves heard at the ballot box and voted in candidates who promised to end this practice.
The Republicans now in control are willing to listen to the people on this issue and for that we are grateful.
But FORCED annexation has not been, and is not now, a PARTISAN issue.
Many votes in the last election went to those candidates who promised to end the practice of forced annexation.
The tight-fisted control of a few people wielding power in the previous Legislative Leadership prevented Democratic Legislators who agree that forced annexation is bad from doing anything about it. The Democrat Legislators who are still in the Legislature and who have supported ending this practice, need OUR support and we need them.
People have been organizing and fighting forced annexation LONG before there was a Tea Party movement, although many in today's Tea Party movement agree that forced annexation is wrong. Many organizations believe that forced annexation is wrong, because it IS WRONG.
Please speak up and set this editor straight about who the BROAD spectrum of those opposed to forced annexation are!
Cathy
StopNCAnnexation
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