Put bond package to a vote of peopleKannapolis citizens should be given the opportunity to vote for or againstself-financing bonds.
These bonds could range from $76 million to $160 millionto finance projects related to the N.C. Research Campus. In my opinion, it is unconstitutional for the city of Kannapolis to incur this debt without the approval of its citizens.
The writers of the N.C. Constitution enacted laws to limit the powers of local government to incur debt without the approval of its citizens. The N.C. Constitution ó Article V, Sec 4. Limitation upon the increase of local government debt óstates:
“… The General Assembly shall have no power to authorize any county, city or town, special district, or other unit of local governmnet to contract debts secured by a pledge of its faith and credit unless approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the unit who vote thereon, …”
On Nov. 6, 2006, the North Carolina Institute for Constitution Law filed a lawsuit with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina challenging the constitutionality of the enactment of HB 1293/SB 725 and the process by which the North Carolina Constitution was amended in 2004 to eliminate the constitutional right of voters to approve or disapprove of public indebtedness resulting from project development financing.
Please join me in demanding a vote of the qualified voters in the city of Kannapolis and Cabarrus County on this important issue.
Stay tuned!
ó Harold SmithKannapolis
Bright momentGive Cabarrus County a big round of applause! The more than 1,100 Special Olympics athletes from across the state who competed in the 2007 Special Olympics North Carolina Basketball & Cheerleading Tournament give Cabarrus County a standing ovation. The event, featuring athletes competing in basketball individual skills, three-on-three and five-on-five team play as well as cheerleading competition at 13 venues around Cabarrus County was a huge success.
We commend the Games Management Team, especially Scott Aldrich of the Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Kelli Embler, Special Olympics Cabarrus County local coordinator, for their hard work and dedication in making the Special Olympics state-level event in Cabarrus County a triumph for a second straight year.
The community support for this event was extraordinary. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of 800 volunteers, Cabarrus County schools and numerous businesses and organizations Special Olympics athletes, coaches and families enjoyed many memorable experiences.
Special Olympics North Carolina thanks the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau for their hospitality in hosting this Tournament and the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center for use of a beautiful facility.
Special Olympics is only as strong as its grassroots efforts. I encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering for any local or state event to contact SONC at 1-800-843-6276, ext. 4. Those who choose to get involved inspire greatness and contribute to a life-changing movement!
ó Keith L. Fishburne
President/CEO
Special Olympics North Carolina
Downtown blessingYou may have seen James Taylor on the Oscars this past Sunday. He sang a song from the movie “CARS” titled, “Our Town.” The chorus goes “Main Street isn’t Main Street anymore.” It made me think of our town. While some downtown areas are declining, becoming ghost towns, ours is on the verge of coming back to life. Thanks to Mr. Murdock and his commitment to put the North Carolina Research Campus downtown instead of some location outside the city. We certainly need to be mindful and respectful of our past, but at the same time we must not let that slow down our future. The face of our downtown is going to change, but the heart ń our people ń will still be the same. Kannapolis is going to flourish again and I am excited about that fact. Our Main Street will continue to be a main street.
ó Steve Morris
The Gem Theatre
111 West First Street
Kannapolis, NC 28081