Baxter County Friends of the Taxpayers

Date Received: Tue 1/18/2005 9:07 AM

From: barbaraf@xxxxxxx.com

To: noaptax@zoomshare.com

Subject: N/A

I just wanted to make a few comments in regaurds to your efforts to fight the a&p tax. First, it is really to bad that you all didn't take the time to educate yourselves about the tax. Most of you don't even realize what it will be used for. You keep talking about advertisment for private businesses, but that is not so. The money is used to advertise the area as a whole and to add to the current beauty of the area, such as upgrades to the parks, adding new features to the parks, etc. You seem to think the Chamber has the money to pay for all of these things on their own, well I hate to tell you this but they don't. Funds in this area are limited. You have to realize the Chamber does all it can with the resources it has available. Call and ask them if you can look at their advertising budget. I am sure they'll let you and you will see the money just isn't there. Second, you are talking about a penny per dollar. If you can't afford an extra ten cents on a ten dollar meal than you shouldn't be eating out anyway. That extra ten cents will go towards making your community a better place to live. I have read so many letters to the editors from people who have moved here from bigger areas and they talk about all the things they had there that we don't have. Well, we will never have any of those things if we don't have the funds available. The funny thing is, so many people use the parks here, the walking trails, the senior center, etc., but yet they don't want to put forth any financial support for these things. I keep hearing about how seniors are on a fixed income. What do you think the working class is on? We have families to support with the money we bring home. We also pay bills, just like the seniors in the area. And eating out is not a luxury for many families as it is for many seniors. I read several letters that said they eat out every day and will be unable to know because of the new tax. Well first of all, it must be really nice to be able to eat out everyday, and second of all, if you can afford to eat out everyday you can afford a one cent tax. This tax just gives you all something new to oppose. You arent thinkig about how this will help us make Mountain Home a better place to live. How it will make it a better place for our children to work. Stop being selfish [emphasis added] and think of our area as a whole. If you don't like the tax than don't go out to eat, or go outside of the city limits to eat. Many of you probably go out to eat in Branson or Springfield, or even West Plains. Do you ever complain about their tax? Do you stop and ask them what the tax money is used for? Probably not.

In closing, I just want to say, please think about what you are doing. Please take the time to learn more about the tax so that you can make an educated decisioin. With the college and the medical industry we have here you surely realize that this area will grow regaurdless of what you want. By passing this tax you can help make sure that when it does happen, Mountain Home will be in a better place fiancially to support it.

From: Suzan Kaye noaptax@zoomshare.com

Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 2:11 pm

Subject: Re: N/A

Dear barbaraf@xxxxxxx.com:

In your note this morning, you wrote:

I just wanted to make a few comments in regaurds to your efforts to fight the a&p tax. First, it is really to bad that you all didn't take the time to educate yourselves about the tax. Most of you don't even realize what it will be used for. You keep talking about advertisment for private businesses, but that is not so.

We did our research into this issue and didn't like what we saw. We understand that private businesses would not have direct access to the A&P Tax money, but the A&P Commission would be advertising local businesses in their promotion efforts, and this is in effect the same thing.

The money is used to advertise the area as a whole

Do an Internet search on the words "Mountain Home Arkansas" and see how many hits you get -- there's plenty of advertising out there already, and it doesn't cost the taxpayer a penny.

and to add to the current beauty of the area, such as upgrades to the parks, adding new features to the parks, etc.

The city has a parks department (which is funded by tax $$$) for that.

You seem to think the Chamber has the money to pay for all of these things on their own, well I hate to tell you this but they don't. Funds in this area are limited. You have to realize the Chamber does all it can with the resources it has available.

And it does an excellent job of it already! They have a great deal to be proud of.

Call and ask them if you can look at their advertising budget. I am sure they'll let you and you will see the money just isn't there.

Then they will have to do as the rest of us do, and live within their budget.

Second, you are talking about a penny per dollar. If you can't afford an extra ten cents on a ten dollar meal than you shouldn't be eating out anyway. That extra ten cents will go towards making your community a better place to live.

It's not the penny per dollar that's the issue ... it wouldn't matter if it was one-tenth of a penny -- it's still too much, and one more tax we don't want to pay.

I have read so many letters to the editors from people who have moved here from bigger areas and they talk about all the things they had there that we don't have. Well, we will never have any of those things if we don't have the funds available.

And that's fine ... most of the people we've talked to over the past 6 days (and ourselves included) don't miss the things they left behind -- they moved here *because* this area was unspoiled, uncrowded, had lower taxes and housing prices, a lower cost of living, and a slower-paced, peaceful, rural atmosphere.

The funny thing is, so many people use the parks here, the walking trails, the senior center, etc., but yet they don't want to put forth any financial support for these things.

Again, the city Parks Department takes care of these, already at taxpayer expense. And in many cases, improvements to the parks and walking trails are made by volunteers (Boy Scouts, the prisoners from the facility at Calico Rock, Friends of the Parks, etc.).

I keep hearing about how seniors are on a fixed income. What do you think the working class is on? We have families to support with the money we bring home. We also pay bills, just like the seniors in the area. And eating out is not a luxury for many families as it is for many seniors. I read several letters that said they eat out every day and will be unable to know because of the new tax. Well first of all, it must be really nice to be able to eat out everyday, and second of all, if you can afford to eat out everyday you can afford a one cent tax. This tax just gives you all something new to oppose. You arent thinkig about how this will help us make Mountain Home a better place to live. How it will make it a better place for our children to work. Stop being selfish and think of our area as a whole. If you don't like the tax than don't go out to eat, or go outside of the city limits to eat. Many of you probably go out to eat in Branson or Springfield, or even West Plains. Do you ever complain about their tax? Do you stop and ask them what the tax money is used for? Probably not.

In closing, I just want to say, please think about what you are doing. Please take the time to learn more about the tax so that you can make an educated decisioin. With the college and the medical industry we have here you surely realize that this area will grow regaurdless of what you want. By passing this tax you can help make sure that when it does happen, Mountain Home will be in a better place fiancially to support it.

We know the area will grow, and have nothing against that -- it would be ridiculous to think things will always stay the way they are today. It's the no-choice, fast-track, big-city was of thinking we object to.

Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your comments, but must point out that in our canvassing efforts over the past 6 days, we've discovered that nearly 90% of the people who have signed the petitions are against the A&P tax, on a number of levels. (Some people who are FOR the tax have signed it as well, since the petition is only a measure to get the issue onto a ballot.) It's a very volatile issue -- and each side has its own view of it. That's why we feel it's so important that the taxpayers are allowed to decide the fate of this tax. It affects us all, so we should all have a say -- not just the tourist industry and the City Council.

From: barbaraf@xxxxxxx.com

To: Suzan Kaye noaptax@zoomshare.com

Subject: Re: N/A

Thak you for your response. I realize that we will never get everyone to agree. I just want you all to realize that businesses who advertise will have to continue to pay for their ads in any publication that is produced.

(I never got around to writing back -- we were pretty busy at the time -- but if I had, this is what I would have said.) I would like to point out now that this is the way it's supposed to be! Businesses are responsible for their own advertising! Any investment they make will either come back to them in increased revenue or at tax time when they write it off as a business expense on their tax returns.

And yes I realize the parks are supported through tax payer money but they could offer so much more . We could offer more for our children. I love Mountain Home dearly. I am a native to the area and I want to stay here, but it is very hard for those of us who are still working. We need more businesses, more jobs, more opportunities. It is such a small amount. Other communities have done so much with their tax.

I worked for the Chamber for over six years and I realize the funds arent there. The web sites you get when you do a search are worthless.

I'm sure all the businesses who have invested much time and money into their web sites would be pleased to hear that. Ask around -- how many new residents and visitors found Mountain Home on the Internet by using one or more of those "worthless" sites? I think you'd be surprised at the response.

The Chamber's site is great, but it was very expensive. That took a huge chunk of their budget. They are unable to help soccer teams, baseball teams, tourist groups, etc. They can't afford to attract them. By them coming here we see a huge increase in revenue for the entire area, therefore leading to a smaller tax for tax payers in the area. Those who passed the tax aren't trying to "pull one over on you". They do not directly benefit from the tax. The AREA benefits, and we are part of the the area and it is our responsibility to take care of it, even if it means paying a one cent tax.

Thanks again for responding. Good luck in your efforts.