by Jim Hippel
Co-chair
Citizens Awareness Committee
The future of Gila County Community College (GCC) is an important non-partisan issue to the Payson Community in this year's District 5 Republican primary election.
Rep. Bill Konopnicki sent a mailer to voters in the other four counties in Dist. 5. Apparently, he did not send them out in Gila County where the issue of having our own independent community college is so important.
In the mailer, he states that are just not correct. As a member of the GCC Task Force and the chair of the group writing the language to allow such, I wanted to set the record straight. We need voters to know the facts and to base their decisions on true information, not on scare tactics.
The facts: Konopnicki's mailer starts out by stating Sen. Allen plans to take student money from Northland Community College and Eastern Arizona College (EAC). The truth is that the plan allows GCC to become independent and then GCC could use the $1.5 million it now gives EAC to start developing its own college. No suggestion has ever been made to try to take funds from other colleges. This is just a scare tactic.
On the inside of the mailer, Konopnicki says GCC's independence will raise taxes and hurt other colleges. GCC cannot pull taxes away from other colleges and only the taxpayers of Gila County can raise taxes if they vote to do so. This would have no impact on the state or other colleges.
The quote in the mailer by Kevin McCarthy, president of the Tax Research Association, of course, is a mis-quote. His quote in the Payson Roundup is: "Basing the bid for independence on more rural college money is a colossal waste of time." He was suggesting that the state or taxpayers do not have extra money to fund an independent college.
The task force is working on a plan to allow for GCC independence that would not cost any more than it is costing right now to run the college. Mark Bryce, EAC President, has nothing to talk about since his college is getting $17,000,000 in equalization aide at the same time GCC is getting zero.
2 comments:
"Our fortes are fairness and telling the truth."
Fairness to whom?
It was ABUNDANTLY clear in the article as well as the meeting that McCarthy was referring to Allen's comments and plans in regards to GCC:
Task force member Kevin McCarthy called basing the bid for independence on more rural
college money a “colossal waste of time.”
“It’s important to remain grounded in reality,” he said. “Let’s be honest. There are some
community colleges that would rather we not be sitting here today.”
Still, those working on accreditation generally agree that Gila County voters would have to
approve a tax increase to support the college.
“The voters of Gila County, it’s going to be their true call,” said Allen. “They have to realize (the
current tax levy) is underfunded.”
McCarthy sounded skeptical. “The receptivity for further property taxes is going to be pretty
low.”
Allen has repeatedly made similar comments and suggestions exactly in conjunction with McCarthy's pointed out objections. Allen has also mentioned the 'underfunded tax rate' on more than one occasion and aggressively spoken of the voters having to step up and take one for the team . . .lean into a pitch and pay much more in taxes. She has also alluded to the accusation made in the flier in regards to Northland Community and EAC etc.
Sylvia is nothing but an opportunistic puppet at this point. Her candidacy exudes desperation and her Klaus von Clausewitz style of campaigning is harmful to rural Arizona.
Bill Konopnicki is a common sense guy with proven leadership.
I don't agree with Bill 100% of the time, hell there are things we disagree strongly on. However, Bill is educated on rural Arizona, the issues, the legislation and the most importantly the big picture. Sylvia has proven over and over again common sense eludes her and 'undertanding' damned near anything is quite difficult for her. Sylvia is a good lady, has a good heart and is a good family woman . . .but she is a terrible representative of the people. She is NOT a leader and lacks the ability to work with others in a common sense constructive way.
All Tempest in a Teapot.
What will all of it matter if Payson gets a branch of ASU here?
This is all about power, (Turf) jurisdictional and fiscal control.
Very soon, as Bogart once said,
"It won't amount to a hill of beans."
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