Share |
Chowan again mulls sales tax hike
By Ritchie E. STARNES
Chowan Herald
Saturday, March 13, 2010
EDENTON — Nearly a year and a half after Chowan voters shot down a referendum to increase the county’ sales tax, county commissioners are considering putting a similar tax hike back on the ballot again this November.
Chowan commissioners will discuss Monday night whether to let voters decide to increase the local sales tax from 7.75 cents to 8 cents.
Commissioners are again considering the measure, which voters rejected in November 2008, because they see it as a way to add desperately needed revenue to the county’s coffers.

Chowan voters to decide on sales tax hike
By Ritchie E. Starnes
Chowan Herald
Thursday, March 4, 2010
EDENTON — Chowan County voters will decide in November whether the county’s sales tax rate rises a quarter of a penny.
Chowan County commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to add a referendum to this year’s fall ballot asking county voters to increase Chowan’s sales tax rate from 7.75 cents to 8 cents.
If the referendum passes, county officials say the higher tax will generate an additional $150,000 in annual revenues for the county.

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers

by Susan Johnson

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

Joe Stack's suicide screed chafes and exposes a raw wound this country does not know what to do with.

Liberals are dismissing Stack's rant as a brutal anti-government battle cry -- "Tea Party on steroids." Conservatives are dismissing it as the petulant whine of a "victim" who couldn't hack capitalism.

The tortured manifesto cannot be credibly labeled as left- or right-wing. Rather, it's a non-partisan screed against problems roiling the Republic -- and Stack's head -- for years. A crippled economy dominated by political and corporate potentates. A campaign and election system rotted by special interests and money. Byzantine tax laws that baffle small business owners and individuals.

Read the complete story at Alternet.org

A recent scam is using the domain name albemarleweb.com to trick the un-suspecting. No mail has been sent to any registered or un-registered user.

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK!!!!!

Forging a domain name on an email is easy to do. Be alert and suspicious and do not respond or comply to the requests of any email that requires you to open an attachment or directs you to a website that requests any information. No reputable organisation will use email for this purpose.

Click For More Information

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is under investigation for possible violations of the law in a letter and robo-call campaign it launched to oppose health care reform. As Raw Story reported last month, the insurer -- the largest in the North Carolina market -- sent out letters to its customers informing them of an [...]

Click to read the entire article...

Many of us received a mailing from NC BlueCross/BlueShield urging us to send their prepaid post card to our Senator, Kay Hagan. The message on the card requests the Senator to oppose true reform of our deeply troubled health care insurance system.

To me this indicates that Senator Hagan is not fully committed to the "for profit" lobby line.

I have experience with Government run health care insurance - Medicare. It works well and efficiently for me and 39 million Americans (another 36 million receive Medicade). And it does it with a much lower overhead.

I believe it is impossible for American industry to regain any semblance of its former economic status under the current system. We can not compete with the rest of the world while carrying the 'for profit health insurance industry' on our backs. Private health insurers have had over half a century to get it right for the American people. The only people they have gotten it right for is their own executives and shareholders. Leaches were once considered a cure-all, but not today. It is truly time for a change.

I have mailed my post card in, but with a few changes. Above the return address I wrote "SINGLE PAYER NOW" Likewise in the lower right hand corner. On the back "SINGLE PAYER NOW" was written boldly with a Sharpie and our names and signatures written in the appropriate spaces.

Thank you Blue Cross for providing me with this free post card. You have helped me to express what polls show the overwhelming majority of Citizens want and need - A health care system that is not for the enrichment of the few, but one that has the health and well-being of the nation at its foundation.

A Speakers Forum, "The 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse", will be hosted by the Edenton Historical Commission on Thursday, October 22nd. Mark Williard, architect for the restoration and historian Harry Thompson, Curator of the Plymouth Museum will be speaking in the panel room of the old courthouse from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. A reception will be held in the Barker House at 7:30 p.m. There is no charge for the event. Attendance is limited to 89. Please call the Barker House if you would like to attend 482-7800.