We keep hearing the 80-10-10 plan for the proposed tax increase. This is not cast in stone. There is no law requiring the county to follow through with that spending plan.

The largest question remains as to how a proposed $2.8 million to be collected by the tax increase will fund upward of $100 million worth of proposed spending.

It sounds to me that someone is intentionally leaving out the part about the huge debt that will come with this tax increase.

Other missing or over looked information is that over the past five years the Nash County student population has not increased. In fact, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction projects that the Nash County student population will decrease by 3.6 percent over the next 10 years.

Also not revealed is that state per-student spending has increased 8 percent and federal per-student spending has increased 21 percent over the last five years. Not to mention that the county's per-capita revenue has increased 9 percent faster than the population, meaning that there is nearly $4.8 million that could have been left in the hands of county citizens.

We are also being kept in the dark about the whole Medicaid deal.

While the county wants everyone to believe it is making up lost revenue because of the Medicaid deal, in reality they are coming out with a $1.7 million surplus the first year and $21.3 million over the next 10 years.

To be asked to willingly pass a tax increase during the difficult economic times we are experiencing is not only heartless and cruel but to hide behind the faces of innocent children is inexcusable.

Robert

Cressionnie

Rocky Mount