Many of us as children loved sleeping on our front porch or balcony, pretending to be camping out in some remote wilderness. In many families, camping out is a cherished form of recreation and family bonding around the campfire. The urge to nestle in nature is widely shared, and with the weather now at its best, this is National Camping Month. Camping equipment today is far better in quality and lighter in weight than that of years ago, and allows us to sustain ourselves in a wider variety of natural settings. Over 50 million people enjoy camping out overnight or as a vacation. They spend over $1.5 billion a year on camping equipment. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, June 16th. This is one of the nation’s favorite days — Father’s Day. However you celebrate the occasion — with a funny card, a welcome gift or dinner at his favorite restaurant, it’s a day to say thanks to the dads, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other father figures for all they’ve done for each of us. The observance goes back to 1910, when Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington wanted to honor her father, who raised six children by himself after his wife died. The idea caught on and spread across the country but didn’t become official until 1966. Across the country, there are just over 70 million men who are fathers. Just under 25 million of them are part of married couple families with children younger than 18. Profile America is in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Saturday, June 15th. This date 62 years ago was a Friday, and the first full, official day on the number-crunching job for UNIVAC I, after a dedication ceremony the day before. Delivered to the Census Bureau in late march, UNIVAC I was the first commercial electronic computer, and launched today’s digital revolution by processing data from the 1950 Census of population. Now, over three-quarters of America’s approximately 120 million households have computers, and 44 percent have Internet access either at home or outside such as at schools or libraries. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the new “America’s Economy” mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
Interesting that so many people in the United States have computers in their homes–but seems so far that the elected officials here have chosen not to bother using the ones they didn’t even have to pay for–courtesy of taxpayers.
I’ve heard people say–and have experienced it myself–that when addressing the city council–we are greeted with blank stares. What would they do if many taxpayers showed up and asked questions concerning unpaid taxes?
Prudence, they would just stare at you or look down or whisper to the person next to them. Been there and down that.
By the way, someone called Town Talk today and asked why a tax increase was necessary since the hospital is now a “For Profit Facility” and is subject to property tax just as all businesses are. The value of the hospital is in the hundreds of millions and should produce more than enough to make a tax increase unnecessary. I think they are playing games with the public. Mr. Bobbitt seems good at investigating. Maybe he can get an answer.
Isn’t the hospital appealing their valuation, therefore none of the public bodies, city or county, can define how much of their taxes will be paid, or even how much will be defined as owed. You cannot budget what you don’t have.
Prudence, I have seen that deer in the headlights look at county commissioner meeting. In all fairness we the voters have earned that look by not attending the public meetings and not publically expressing our displeasures and pleasures. As for the current state of the unpaid property taxes reported in the paper, all seven commissioners were provided the details I gathered about the top 25 and the top 100 property tax payers who were in arrears when the paper published the list. All seven commissioners should know the names of the individuals who individually and whose LLC is in arrears. Only time will tell if the commissioners are willing to use the information to pressure their constituents, associates (if any), or family members (if any) to do the right thing and pay their property taxes. Prudence, I welcome you and anyone else to attend the July 8th commissioner’s meeting to express your disgust of the top 25 and top 100 without even knowing their names.
Tonight the commissioners will be holding another budget work session. Come to the meeting. Bring your laptop or tablet, or notepad to record what you heard and saw. Come and listen, watch, and learn.
Mingo, I think Duke Lifepoint lost their appeal by default at the May 5th meeting. Neither Duke Lifepoint nor their agents attended the Board of Equalization review of their compliant. In my notes, Ms. Brooks, our Tax Manager, recommending keeping the 2008 tax value and the Board agreed.
Mingo hoping to see you attending tonight’s commissioners’ budget work session. And you to Royal Rooster.
Mr. Bobbitt, please check on that tax assessment. I believe Duke Lifepoint is apealing that to the State level, and I can only imagine that that will be a bad outcome for the locals.
I heard an estimate from an informed individual that the city’s portion of 2013-14 taxes due from Duke Lifepoint will probably be in the neighborhood of $300,000-$350,000. I fail to see how they can fail to pay their taxes in light of all of the community relations efforts that they are putting forward. Instead of raising taxes on citizens, many of whom are struggling financially, why not put any tax increase on hold and go under the assumption that these taxes will be paid when due on or about December 31,2013? This amount will be more than the 3.5 cent increase voted on by the city council. Has this even been considered?
Our hospital steps out of the nonprofit arena meaning individuals in charge of this business aim to make money off our local patients and they don’t want to pay local taxes either……it is the Vance County way evidently. Do other DLP locations uphold the same practice?
Mingo, you are correct in post 6. Today, I learned that Duke Lifepoint, a for profit corporation, is in discussions with governor Pope’s administration and legislature to avoid paying their fair share of Vance County property taxes. We need to be proud of our tax manager who fought goliath and our Board of Commissioners for upholding the tax manager’s correct position that Duke Lifepoint owes the property taxes. Mingo, do you think the elected and de’facto leaders who envision themselves as inhabitants of the outer orbits of the Pope administration, will fight for our county or accept the personal enrichments doled out by governor Pope’s lesser entourage?
Mr. Bobbitt, I think you and I have both answered that. Behind an eminence front, its a put on.