Dear Editor:
Thank you for last Sunday's report on candidates. It made clear that the two school board challengers are proxies for the Chamber of Commerce. They each work for Chamber members, Freeman Mortuary and Huber, and would follow the Chamber's instructions. Ken Enloe was an adamant supporter of the infamous Transformation tax in letters to the editor. The board members are only trying to implement the Chamber's agenda to take advantage of citizens by giving tax money to businesses. The school board voted to endorse the Farmer Brothers $6 million TIF sales tax on anything purchased at the St. Mary's hospital site. That would include a property tax abatement for 20 years. Voters gave the school board a substantial tax increase to build a new high school. The board repays us by supporting a sales tax increase and abatement of property tax for 20 years. How disgusting!
The Chamber is using another cheap Chamber trick to build up to a vote on a 1 percent sales tax so they can spend it on a river port. We citizens will only get to pay for it. The school board would vote unanimously in favor of the Chamber rip off instead of having two members who are trying to watch out for the rest of us.
Chamber control of the school board explains why the schools were descending into chaos and the board and previous superintendent did nothing. Everyone in town knew it. It was even big news on Facebook among JCHS alumni, but the board was only trying to preserve Chamber control.
Superintendent Linthacum is a part of the Chamber click. He voted for the St. Mary's TIF as part of the TIF Commission. He was willing to increase our taxes, but happy to ignore the Farmer Brothers not paying their fair share. Someone like this should not be determining what is taught to our students. His example only teaches to bow down to the powers that be when he should be demonstrating how intelligent and fair minded people act. In true Chamber fashion, he gave no explanation why the Farmers should not pay property taxes for 20 years.
Beware of further cheap Chamber tricks on the way to giving them $40 million in tax money.