lettuce discuss

http://www.connect.nc.gov/

You voting for or against this bad boy?



[Edited on March 14, 2016 at 10:19 AM. Reason : ]

3/14/2016 10:18:37 AM

I haven't decided yet

There are a couple things I don't like: a lot more of the money needs to be used for infrastructure, and I don't like the trend of relying on bonds to fund our university system

3/14/2016 10:35:57 AM

I'm glad they're not appropriating any of the funds towards road improvements. Your roads are fine.

3/14/2016 10:48:05 AM

Our roads are actually pretty good, but a lot of our other infrastructure needs investment including bridges, dams, and storm water

3/14/2016 10:58:39 AM

They're gonna put all this money into the university system, yet my daughter's tuition when it's her time to go is going to be at least 40k/year for in-state tuition. Don't keep giving money to these universities unless they can show a path to reduction in tuition increases.

3/14/2016 11:16:31 AM

go complain to your own party

3/14/2016 11:19:10 AM

I was under the impression our new republican overlords were against new debt. I like how it's being promoted under the guise of "this is new debt that we can afford".

3/14/2016 11:21:29 AM

Why? Republican's aren't the only party to blame for the debacle that is the cost of higher education. So now we're going to take out a loan and put the biggest chunk of it toward the university system only to have to pay it back with what? Higher tuition?

3/14/2016 11:22:22 AM

they are currently in power in this state and have no interest in increasing state funding of our universities

so, go complain to your own party

3/14/2016 11:25:08 AM

I just know that during campaign season they spoke of "fiscal irresponsibility" and "new debt" and "liberal increased spending" like they're the plague. not blaming them, but as stated:

Quote :

"they are currently in power in this state"

and it just seems hypocritical ATM.

3/14/2016 11:37:34 AM

Did the NC GOP led assembly implement a "services sales tax" LOL.

Now they are advocating issuing bonds AKA debt to pay for shit!

It is like the true Republican colors have come out in NC. Less spending and taxes is merely a convenient talking point to rile up dump redneck conservatives who likely pay minimal taxes anyway!

3/14/2016 11:50:41 AM

Here's the other side if anyone is interested in learning more before voting tomorrow.

http://againstthebond.com/

I will be voting against. And fuck NCSU for spending $160K in support of this garbage. The little $$ I was able to contribute annually to my alma mater will now be going elsewhere since apparently they have enough money to throw away promoting this bond.

Oh, and my prediction, it will pass with over 55% support due to overwhelming number of ads/endorsements statewide. Even with a larger than normal R turnout in the primary including many anti-establishment voters, as has been pointed out, the establishment R's are responsible for this garbage.

[Edited on March 14, 2016 at 12:18 PM. Reason : ...]

3/14/2016 11:54:46 AM

Yeah, I've been getting lots of emails / literature from them about it. I figure someone has their hand in the pot if they're so adamant about getting this passed.

3/14/2016 11:58:52 AM

^^ that's reads like a fox news report, if anything make me more likely to support the bond.

If this University funding is for new development and not mainly general funds, the bond makes sense. If more people start applying to college or have to go back to college, we need classrooms to handle this. We also need more science and engineering programs outside of NCSU.

3/14/2016 12:20:52 PM

If is a big word... guess you trust government politicians a lot more than I do.

[Edited on March 14, 2016 at 12:26 PM. Reason : ...]

3/14/2016 12:25:21 PM

Here's the NC State stuff: http://www.connect.nc.gov/img/ConnectNC_FactSheets_NorthCentral.pdf

3/14/2016 12:29:35 PM

^ so no infrastructure in this region

3/14/2016 12:34:36 PM

There is NO transportation related funding at all in this bond. It's deceptively called Connect NC to trick voters into thinking otherwise.

3/14/2016 12:46:27 PM

Seems like they're using the bond to cover things that should have appropriations. Maybe if they didn't make taxes more regressive they wouldn't have to do this.

Looks like this is their way of blaming the voters when public parks and community colleges are in disrepair.

3/14/2016 12:53:27 PM

The only infrastructure i can find is $309M for water/sewer grants and loans, so its not even earmarked for any certain projects

Edit: ^ this, this is my main complaint with this

[Edited on March 14, 2016 at 12:55 PM. Reason : .]

3/14/2016 12:55:06 PM

^^ Which is my primary disagreement - the taxes argument aside. If these are priorities, they should have been included in the budget and afforded debate on their merits.

And the fact this is being pushed in an election year is not a coincidence - Oh look at all the goodies the politicians in Raleigh are promising [my tribe] and we won't even have to raise taxes [total speculation and irrelevant bc bonds ain't paid for by the fucking bond fairy]!!

^ Also a major point of contention amongst opponents - no guarantee any of this money gets spent on the projects currently outlined [aka it's a slush fund to be doled out based on politics at a later date].

[Edited on March 14, 2016 at 12:59 PM. Reason : ...]

3/14/2016 12:58:07 PM

LOL....just did a brief survey amongst some co-workers...

100% of them thought it was a roads / transportation bond. This shit is going to pass.

3/14/2016 3:52:20 PM

Sad but true. Even in a year where the presidential race wasn't sucking up so much oxygen, few people pay attention to bond issues and the politicians know it. This year, with the Trump train rolling, most people don't know about any of the down ballot races much less the bond - even super sophisticated and informed voters like myself couldn't give you a very informed opinion on the secretary of state or insurance commissioner races for example.

3/14/2016 4:10:12 PM

Quote :

"even super sophisticated and informed voters like myself "

3/14/2016 4:17:53 PM

When Mr. Trump is elected this ^ kind of bullying will no longer be tolerated.

3/14/2016 4:27:21 PM

Vote yes on the bond.

http://ncsu.edu/connectnc

3/14/2016 8:57:13 PM

Sigh. I pinched my nose and voted for it. Obviously they should have just done a budget that included all this shit. But they didn't, and so I look at the bond as a way to pause the UNC system's decline until we can get a new government.

Believe me, I felt dirty doing it.

3/14/2016 11:12:43 PM

We get a new building at work from this. At least that is what they are claiming. Lord knows we need it.

3/15/2016 5:33:05 AM

Fucking hell, I'd GLADLY pay more in taxes if it went to improving our transportation structure. It's fucking horrible now and in less than a decade will probably be as bad as Atlanta.

3/15/2016 8:54:12 AM

isn't that why our gas taxes are so high?

3/15/2016 10:39:20 AM

That gas tax thing is funny to me. I would have thought that the republicans in the state would have immediately jumped on that instead of marriage equality and abortion restrictions.

Hmmmmmm

3/15/2016 7:56:55 PM

Btw the last bond (2000... 15 years ago! Population of NC has grown 2 million since then) seriously transformed NC State in amazing ways. The amount of infrastructure, growth on Centennial and other internal improvements really elevated not only the aesthetic and modernity of campus, but really brought a ton of stuff on-line that people now take for granted.

Engineering and Agriculture on Centennial are going to get amazing results thanks to this new bond. Not to mention the Extension work and community college funding that will touch all 100 counties.

3/15/2016 8:03:43 PM

Will NCSU finally get the monorail?

3/15/2016 9:52:23 PM

^^Tuition and fee increases helped too.

3/15/2016 10:08:01 PM

Quote :

"isn't that why our gas taxes are so high?"

I actually didn't realize NC had the 8th highest gasoline tax.

Either way, the current transportation infrastructure connecting Durham, RTP and Raleigh is already past capacity and unless something radical is done in the next 5 years (like convert US-70 and/or NC-54 into expressways) traveling along that corridor will be a constant nightmare.

3/17/2016 10:02:37 AM

A limited stop elevated light rail system connecting downtowns of CH, Durham, and Raleigh with RDU would be fantastic. Add stops for UNC, Duke, Southpoint, RTP, Crabtree Valley, and NCSU and I think it would be a big success and alleviate a ton of traffic.

[Edited on March 17, 2016 at 10:48 AM. Reason : a]

3/17/2016 10:48:02 AM

If only a single penny of this bond was allocated for transportation infrastructure I'm sure your monorial plans would be top o' the list...

3/17/2016 12:15:46 PM

Two thoughts came to mind reading this story: No shit and lotta good it does now after the bond has already passed.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/31498876/wbtv-investigates-public-money-resources-used-to-promote-bond

3/18/2016 6:53:13 AM

Sweet it passed! We def need those transportation improvements.

3/18/2016 8:37:12 AM

i may already have a project from this

[Edited on March 18, 2016 at 8:39 AM. Reason : .]

3/18/2016 8:38:44 AM

^yeah this bond passing will most likely benefit my company as well.

And just to vent a little bit more about transportation, anyone that lives in South Raleigh knows how much of a clusterfuck the 2 lane section of Tryon Road is during morning and evening rush hour. It's horrible and is definitely holding back some increased development of the area. Apparently some money from the 2013 transportation bond was appropriated towards design and right of way land acquisition. At this time in 2016 that still has not been done, and earlier today I found out from my councilwoman that there is zero money budgeted between now and 2018 to even think about converting this last section of road from 2 to 4 lanes.

It's one and a half fucking miles of the most heavily traveled East-West road in south Raleigh, traffic has been horrible for 4+ years, and its highly doubtful that this construction will be done and finished before 2020. I'm beside myself

[Edited on March 24, 2016 at 9:19 PM. Reason : ]

3/24/2016 9:13:25 PM

proud to be a citizen of the only county that rejected this

3/24/2016 10:51:46 PM

I just watched a PBS show about the history of transportation in NC, and rural NC farmers fought hard against [MAH TAX DOLLERS USED FOR] improvements to the state's roads in the early 1900's. I'd imagine they were proud too.

3/24/2016 11:21:17 PM

^^^ Just to clarify, you realize not a penny of this bond is related to transportation funding, right?

3/25/2016 7:33:19 AM

moron said:

Quote :

"^^ that's reads like a fox news report, if anything make me more likely to support the bond."

So true story: When I got up to do early voting the other day, I was pretty sure I'd be voting for the bond. I decided to read this thread in the Soap Box as I sat at my kitchen counter.

When I came to GoldieO's post with the link, I decided I would like to hear the other side and followed the link to the site.

As soon as that exploitative, pandering photo of the kid with the piggy bank came up surrounded by every capital letter ever printed, I said aloud to Sonia, "Oh, fuck all this, I'm definitely voting for the bond now."

Congratulations, NC Against the Bond, and congratulations, GoldieO. Any chance there might have been that I could have been persuaded to vote against the bond was wiped out in one fell swoop by that stupid fucking website.

3/25/2016 8:55:10 AM

[Edited on March 25, 2016 at 9:06 AM. Reason : lady who made that site: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.revels.7]

3/25/2016 9:01:08 AM

^^ Thanks for being an informed voter and waiting until election day to research such an important issue at a college message board.

[Edited on March 25, 2016 at 9:03 AM. Reason : For the record, I have no ties to the Against the Bond website.]

3/25/2016 9:02:43 AM

Early voting isn't election day, the Wolf Web doesn't constitute the whole of my research, and you can suck a diiiiiiiiick you fukken baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer

3/25/2016 9:03:43 AM

Suck a big fat diiiiiiiiick GoldieO

3/25/2016 9:04:10 AM

GOLDIEO i have like $200 in amazon points i could order you so many dicks dude

3/25/2016 9:05:29 AM