GoBlueRidge.net - Lottery Funds Coming Back to High Country - Constantly Updated High Country NC News Source

paulman1

Registered | 09/01/2009 2:03PM

Sounds good,
Now can the bus come down my street like it used to, to pick-up my kids...
thnx

Tigress

Registered | 09/01/2009 2:01PM

bout damn time, but how can they say that construction is all it can be used for??

Overall

Registered | 09/01/2009 3:27PM

That's the way the legislation was worded when the lottery was set up. Other states put their lottery funds into college scholarships. NC opted to go the "building" route.

Tigress

Registered | 09/01/2009 4:21PM

Well if that ain't a load of crap. Who are they to tell the schools what to use it for?? That's just wrong. So if I understand this right, the schools that don't need any construction work don't get any money?

Overall

Registered | 09/01/2009 5:02PM

To be fair, a small portion of NC lottery funds go to college scholarships. The same goes for some pre-K programs. But the bulk ends up going into construction, repair and debt payment by the counties.

Tigress

Registered | 09/01/2009 5:31PM

well that is good but I still don't understand why the schools can't use the money where needed -- for example to hire tutors for kids that need the in school help. I know the teachers try but there is only so much they can do. I just want to know how the schools can provide these kids with the help they so desperately need. If the schools can get some money -- they should be able to use it for what they need to use it for. I don't know how other parents of kids that need extra help in school feel about it but I am worried sick because my son needs extra help and he can't get it this year.

Judas Iscariot

| 09/01/2009 5:26PM

yeah sounds like bs that they wont allow the schools to use it more for what they need like supplies and stuff. my wife said she seen a guy come buy printer paper for kids at school because the school is holding back on paper because of funds or something like that. i hate how the schools are being screwed out of the lottery money

tenover

| 09/01/2009 9:40PM

Well in all fairness at least it is going to schools, which it was intended, instead of balancing the budget, which IMO is BS.

Tigress

Registered | 09/01/2009 8:21PM

true.... but still

Overall

Registered | 09/02/2009 3:07AM

Maybe we should promote some teabagging protests to push local county commissioners to divert less important spending toward local education funding.

Or is the whole teabagging thing just a fashion statement to attempt to shower pointless and ineffective shame upon democratically elected officials?

Stop reveling in victimization. Get up and do something that Rush and Fox don't tell you to do.

Seriously, if people REALLY care about the way their money is spent, and they REALLY want to make a difference, would they not rise up together and concentrate their protestive voices in this type of constructive manner as opposed to just whining in a parking lot about generalities?

Tigress

Registered | 09/02/2009 9:41AM

I don't see how a protest would help, most (not all) of the time they are pretty violent. I am really not in the mood to get beat up or be arrested.

There must be a better way to get a point across and have the people in charge take notice and do something about it.

Problem is it seems to me that the ones who are supposed to be the ones who care and do the right thing, only care about the money they get. (politicians) and not all of them are like that I am sure but it will be hard to find the ones who actually care and get them to persuade the ones who don't.......

Ms Perfect

| 09/02/2009 6:29AM

Better than whining on here like you do all the time nonstop

mozart

Registered | 09/02/2009 8:35AM

Funding was held up in the spring - that's a crime. Wonder if they held the paycheck of the overpaid CEO of the lottery (Shaheen: $256,000+/-!!!). Oh, I see, they held the money back from schools so the idiots could pay Mary Easley's salary.

paulman1

Registered | 09/02/2009 8:47AM

Well at least they can offer
"Pepperoni" on their pizza on pizza days.

Tigress

Registered | 09/02/2009 9:36AM

I think my point here was lost and I was not complaining I was asking.

And since I am kind of new to the whole political scene......

Anyway I feel that the only stupid questions are the ones NOT asked.

I am just worried about the education kids are getting.

Being that I am so new to the whole political thing... Overall what do you suggest I do about my questions? I refuse to talk to Fox about anything .. not that she would listen anyway. I have spoken to the school and the superintendent of WCS, they have no answers, so please (and I am not being smart) who do I talk to about this, because I will talk to them. Set up an appointment and everything..... :!:

crash

| 09/02/2009 10:00AM

The state can still make simple cut backs. Turn off lights in rooms not be used. Cut back on usage of AC & heat for unused rooms. Make the booster clubs pay the out of state tuition for athletes or give them in state tuition rates as part of their scholarship award. That money should NOT come from the available scholarship funds. Raise the price of adult school lunches. Cut back on computer upgrades in the grade schools. There's no reason that the grade school kids cannot use a computer that is several years old. Cut out the one year off paid leave for certain administrators. (According to news observer, "In the past five years, taxpayers have paid about $8 million to 117 administrators who either returned to the faculty or left the university. In 24 cases, the payouts were for $100,000 or more.")

There are cut backs that can be done to save money, without costing jobs or costing tax increases.

Realist

Registered | 09/02/2009 10:09AM

The NC Lottery, like all lotteries, is a joke. The people of NC should be allowed to vote on how things are funded, schools, roads, etc. and then be responsible enough to pay the tax increases they voted for. If this lottery mentality works, lets put a casino in Foscoe. This whole lottery business is just one more indicator that this country is in a downward spiral.

Tigress

Registered | 09/02/2009 10:19AM

Oh yeah that's just what Foscoe needs. lol But I think you're right about the voting thing. and it should include EVERYONE! not just the people in the town limits of Boone. That just makes me mad. Does the town council or whoever it is realize that most of what is voted for in town affects everyone in the county? Yet people outside town limits do not get to vote in town matters. Does that mean that town rules don't effect us outside of Boone when we go there? If we are not good enough to vote in town matters, then why should .... oh lord never mind. I'm going off on something that really makes no difference anyway.

But the point to my raving is I agree with you Realist. We should be able to vote on all this stuff, after all it is out tax money going to fund all this stuff, if we can choose how to spend the money we get then why can't we help decide where and how our tax money is spent.

Ali Baba

| 09/02/2009 11:03AM

Tigress, are you willing to pay Boone City taxes no matter where you live? (not in Boone I assume)Also, just wondering if you can give some examples of the rules you are talking about...?

paulman1

Registered | 09/02/2009 12:55PM

Good points Tigress..
(are you named after the Tigress River by chance)
Back on topic though, you bring up valid points about the public having an opportunity to vote of many things..
Unfortunately, with the "numbing" of America that has occured over the last 40 years by politicians,big business,media and the like..
Only 20%-25% of population even vote in local elections and when you take out Presidential elections, the % drop even more.. It's a shame, but
Government (Federal,State & Local) prefer their constituents to remain "apatheitc" and "numb" to it all.. It still remains the same and has even gotten worse.. The "Few and the Powerful" actually run this country and that group is getting smaller and more powerful every election season...

Overall

Registered | 09/02/2009 2:03PM

Tigress- Securing a full-time teaching assistant for your special needs child and/or their class is going to come down to funding or networking for qualified volunteer involvement. To that end, I'd suggest you make two contacts.

The first is with Maria Manning, Watauga County's Regional Services Associate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. Her information can be found by Googling "Watauga County Community Foundation," clicking on the very first entry that pops, and then going to "Contact Us."

The second is Melanie Bullard, Executive Director of the Watauga Education Foundation. Just Google her organization for contact info.

Nothing's guaranteed, but these two woman should be able to steer you in the right direction for funding a classroom aide or sourcing a qualified volunteer assistant. Just make sure that if they tell you they can't directly help you that they at least introduce you to someone they believe can.

If that gets you nowhere, you may want to band with other parents of special needs students to reach out to one of your class' dismissed aides, find how much it would take to pay them to come back, and then approach, as a group, several of our area's larger churches to see if they'd be interested in displaying their care for fellow man by underwriting your aide.

snuffy

Registered | 09/02/2009 1:59PM

I pay city taxes on commercial property but can't vote because I live outside city limits. Not exactly a fair shake.

Overall

Registered | 09/02/2009 2:46PM

Really? If you also owned property in Nashville, Chicago and Orlando, would you feel deserving of a vote in all three of those cities at the same time too?

Tigress

Registered | 09/02/2009 4:04PM

Thank you Overall. I will definitely try them and see what can be done.

HAHAH Paulman1 -- actually my sn was Queen Tigress but I dropped the queen part because I was actually starting to feel as though the name was making people think that I thought of myself that way or something similar.

Ali -- I pay taxes on the local and state level anyway with everything I do and purchase. What difference does it make where I live?? And yes it is outside city limits. I just feel that anyone in the county should be able to vote on matters that essentially affect them in the long run anyway.

For example the liquor by the drink vote..... that affects everyone in the county and I will explain why. Say someone from Banner Elk, Ten, or even Wilks comes to Boone, sits down at a place to eat and notices on the menu liquor drinks. Well they say I'll have one, one leads to 2, 2 to 3 and so on. Well that person by this time is probably trashed right? Well instead of having a DD they decide its time to go home. Ok fine... more drunks on the road that we don't need. Anyway, this person is driving down the road and BAM! Crashes into another car, whos in the car? It really doesn't matter does it because more than likely it is someone you know or care about or so on down the line. People in Boone wanted that but guess what, a lot of people outside city limits didn't. Want to know why??? Glad you said yes .. they didn't want it because these people that are drinking and driving home are not necessarily in Boone town limits.... they are driving out side town limits to go home, the farther they have to drive the more chance of not getting caught by law enforcement and the greater the chance of a wreck, and a very serious one at that.

Anyway thats the end of my rant because I am sure I said something wrong or said something to offend someone out there. Just remember that just because you don't live inside town limits does not mean that things that go on in town limits doesn't affect us all.

Acrimonious Al

| 09/02/2009 8:08PM

Did Gov Perdue say anything about the $85,000,000 she quietly requested OUT of the lottery funds that she wanted in the General Fund back in March??? (Check it out!) A lottery is a tax on the mathematically-challenged.