May 8, 2008 Fargo, ND---Four high school students squared off on
the
half cent sales tax initiative that will be on the June 10th
ballot
in Cass County.
The Event was held at the NDSU Century Theater and was sponsored by the
Voter
Collaborative. It was a Public Forum Debate Format with over 60 people
in
attendance.
The Debate
was judged by local judges and
this was their decision:
The
Declared
Winner is:
The
Pro (Supports the Sales Tax Initiative =YES)
The Voter Collaborative also held a
Straw Vote Ballot at the event. Participants were asked
to fill out the
following ballot:
After attending this
Debate how would you vote on this Ballot Initiative?
Please cast a vote regardless of where you
live or if you can vote in the June 10th Election.
Ballot Question
Shall Cass County Government
be
authorized to implement and collect a one half of one percent sales tax
as
outlined in Resolution #2008-4 for a period of twelve consecutive years
from
and after October 1,2008, to be used exclusively for the implementation
of the
Growth Plan for economic development, including debt obligations
related to
implementation of the Growth Plan incurred after October 1, 2008, in
Cass
County in accordance with the Growth Plan and such Resolution.
____ Yes
____ No
Results:
# of Ballots Cast 44
#
Yes
= 15
#
No = 29
The public debate on the proposed half-cent Cass County economic development sales tax will be settled by voters on June 10. But a Thursday night debate and a straw poll that followed gave mixed signals on how county voters might respond. Judges of a debate between two Fargo high school teams over the merits of the tax gave the victory to the pro-tax debaters.
The subsequent straw poll produced 29 votes opposing the tax and 14 supporting it, according to organizers. The debate and poll were sponsored by the Voter Collaborative, a group associated with the Moorhead-based People Escaping Poverty Project. About 60 people attended the event, held at North Dakota State University.
The Voter Collaborative was searching for ways to raise public interest in the proposed sales tax, said Chuck Stebbins, community organizer for the People Escaping Poverty Project. “We thought a high school debate would be a good way of doing it,” he said. Neither the Voter Collaborative nor the People Escaping Poverty Project are taking a stand on the proposed tax, Stebbins said.
The half-cent sales tax would last for 12 years, raising a projected $9.4 million the first year, with a 4 percent increase in each subsequent year. The Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corp., which supports the tax, said the money would help finance a growth plan designed to bring more high-tech jobs to the metro area. Brian Walters, president of the development corporation, said Thursday afternoon he wasn’t going to attend the debate and that he had no comment on it. “It’s not part of what our organization is doing to promote awareness,” he said.
Thursday’s
debate, judged by local educators, was conducted in a high school
format – structured and timed. Bill Restemayer, a Shanley High
School senior, and Mason Lende, a Shanley junior, argued in favor of
the proposed tax. Aurora Obembe and Phoebe Strom, both sophomores at
Fargo North High School, argued against it. Restemayer
and Lende said changing economic conditions require Cass County to go
after more high- tech jobs and that such jobs would benefit the entire
community.
Obembe
and Strom argued that money generated by the tax would be better spent
for other purposes, including giving economic incentives to young metro
residents who remain in the community.
The judges ruled that Restemayer and Lende presented a stronger case. Becca Sorgert of Fargo and Casey Wollschlaeger of Moorhead attended the debate and said they enjoyed it. “It was a fun, interesting way of helping people learn more about the issue,” Sorgert said. Both women said what they heard at the debate reinforced their belief that the proposed tax, on balance, wouldn’t be a good thing.
Readers
can reach Forum reporter Jonathan Knutson at 
(701) 241-5530
Join Us--
Volunteer--
Blog
it-- See
Chucks' Blog
Chuck Stebbin's Letter to the Editor
Fargo Forum Article--High school students to debate tax proposal
Voter Collaborative to hold a "Real" Debate on
"It's a real debate, with real
judges, and real high
school students squaring off on a real local issue. Come and listen to
the conversation,
then take part in the public forum that will be after the
debate. if you have
an opinion (and we know you do) come and express it. Be
part of he
conversation that has real ramifications to the community you live in.
we promise that weather will be warmer". –-Voter
Collaborative
Member
The PEPP Voter Collaborative is
going to sponsor a debate
on the proposed ½ cent sales tax initiative due to be on the
ballot June 10th.
The debate will focus on the priorities of the use of a
projected $114 million
dollars slated now to be spent on economic development.
The Voter Collaborative and will be sponsoring a debate on the
sales tax issue at 6:30 PM on May 8th at the NDSU Century Theater in
the Memorial Union. High
school debaters will
be participating in this Public Forum Debate and the strict rules of
debate and official
judging of the debate will be applied, with some modifications to
include participation of
the public
The debate format will be a high school format, structured,
timed and judged as any
high school debate. The debaters will be high school students
taking a pro and a con
side of the issue. The debate will have a declared winner and a
declared loser.
The purpose of the debate is to:
We will attempt to answer the questions:
If you are interested in joining the voter collaborative, or would like to volunteer in this project,
Contact PEPP at
218-236-5434 for more
information.