The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corp. has begun work to promote a half-cent sales tax increase to be used for economic development. What most may have forgotten is that this proposed sales tax will go on for the next 12 years, generating $114 million to try to attract high-tech, high-wage jobs to the metro area.

It would be foolish of me to come out and flat out say I’m not for economic development. But I have to ask, how does the projected $114 million benefit a rising poverty level in this area? How does trying to lure high-wage, high-tech jobs to the area benefit all of the people who are already here?

Some speculate that this ballot initiative may result in an overall “no” from the public, but many of us see this as an opportunity to have a conversation on just what exactly are the priorities in this community. Many nonprofit leaders involved with Waking the Sleeping Giant and the Voter Collaborative got together and decided to utilize this ballot initiative to have a community dialogue on our priorities.

We decided that we would have a debate –

a real debate, with real debaters, real judges and a real winner and real loser. We are planning to hold this debate in the first week of May and will announce the details in February. Now, please understand, we are not doing this in the hope of seeking a handout later on down the road. We are doing this to raise the level of awareness and shine a brighter light on the real needs in this community, an ever-growing population that does not benefit from large corporate tax breaks or top 20 percent economic development efforts.

The sales tax initiative ballot wording has yet to be released, so we don’t know exactly how it will read. It will probably have the standard whereases and heretofores, but I think it will also have language such as global economy, emerging businesses, quality graduates, quality businesses, expand economically, and maybe something about creating new college curriculums, embedded systems, vaccine and biomedical technology development. All important things to be sure, so I guess it depends on how much information the drafters want us to have.

We think it is due to hit the public sometime in early February. If it is written anywhere close to how the smoking ban measure was written a few years back, it will leave people confused on just what exactly a yes or no vote really means.

So, watch for our announcement of the debate. You have an opportunity to gain an understanding of what this sales tax means, or could mean, for our community.

After all, it is your vote.

Stebbins, Moorhead, is community organizer with the People Escaping Poverty Project. E-mail gimper@i29.net