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Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Earthquake in Avery County
Avery County PASSED the first successful Land Transfer Tax initiative in the state yesterday! Avery County, where they have to truck a Democrat into Newland once a year (usually on the Fourth of July), just to remember what one looks like, passes an enabling referendum for a voluntary new tax on the transfer of properties.
Now, the vote was howlingly close ... 1,434 for to 1,409 against ... but still.
The North Carolina Association of Realtors had fought against it HARD. The John Locke Foundation had mocked the argument that the tax would help local education.
But yet it passed.
'Course, holding the election in the dead of winter might have helped a little, with all those rich Republican second-home owners far far away, marinating in suntan oil.
Now, the vote was howlingly close ... 1,434 for to 1,409 against ... but still.
The North Carolina Association of Realtors had fought against it HARD. The John Locke Foundation had mocked the argument that the tax would help local education.
But yet it passed.
'Course, holding the election in the dead of winter might have helped a little, with all those rich Republican second-home owners far far away, marinating in suntan oil.
Labels: Avery County, John Locke Foundation, land transfer tax, North Carolina Association of Realtors
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Local Candidate Conducting 'Push Polling'
A "push poll" is a manipulation of voters via telephone, masquerading as a legitimate opinion poll. It' AIN'T an opinion poll and it AIN'T legitimate. The most famous instance of nasty push-polling was used by Karl Rove in 2000 in South Carolina against John McCain (remember him?) ... "Would it change your mind if you knew that John McCain had fathered an illegitimate black child? Answer 'yes' or 'no,' and try not to drool."Local Boone dentist Jerry Butler is running against state Sen. Steve Goss in Dist. 45. Butler is conducting a push poll against Goss. We already have two sources on this and expect more.
The distortion we focus on this morning has to do with the land transfer tax option that the state legislature granted to counties. We stress the word option. Goss voted to give counties the option of passing a land-transfer tax. The Butler push-poll, however, is asking this question (wording is obviously approximate): "Would your opinion of Goss change if you knew he voted for a new tax of up to $1,000 when a homeowner sold their home?"
Goss never voted for a new tax. He voted to give local governments the right to ask their citizens if they thought the buying and selling of expensive second-home real estate in their counties might be a source of revenue for those counties, which are frequently expected to provide various services to those developments, from new schools to water/sewer hookups to sheriff protection.
A push poll is inherently a LIE ... masked as an innocent question. So what does that make Jerry Butler?
Labels: Jerry Butler, land transfer tax, push polling, Steve Goss
Friday, July 25, 2008
Board of Elections Complaint Against NCAR
Becky Harper, a realtor in Raleigh, has filed a formal complaint with the State Board of Elections about the N.C. Association of Realtors' use of required dues to oppose the transfer tax. (Earlier.)
Director of the State BOE says the matter will be looked into.
She notes that she is required to be a member of the association to have access to the Multiple Listing Service, which lists real estate for sale.
"I do not believe that it is right that my required fees are used to support direct political action for or against ballot initiatives," she writes.
She also notes that the dues are deductible as a business expense, but the use of them for political purposes may "jeopardize" that deduction.
Director of the State BOE says the matter will be looked into.
Labels: land transfer tax, North Carolina Association of Realtors, North Carolina Board of Elections
