They are LYING to you! 3-20-03

This is the text of a phone message being left for our residents currently:

Hello my name is Vivian and I'm calling on behalf of residents who oppose the telecommunications and broadband referendum that will be on the ballots in the upcoming elections. We are asking that you vote no on this referendum because it will cost the tri-city areas more than 62 million to build a system for services that only a few residents and businesses will use. The plan is too risky in this difficult economic time and will result in property tax increases, and local service cuts if it fails. In fact, it can cost up an average of $2352 to every household. Please vote no on April 1st for the telecommunications and broadband tax referendum. Thank you and have a good day.

LIE #1
"A system that only a few residents and businesses will use." 74% of citizens surveyed said they would be interested in a municipal broadband utility that provided fiber optic telephone, television, and Internet.

LIE #2
"will result in property tax increases" Please. Aren't we sick to death of this one???

LIE #3
"and local service cuts if it fails" What? Cuts in what service???

LIE #4
"In fact, it can cost up an average of $2352 to every household." This is the BIGGEST LIE OF ALL! If the municipal broadband is a complete failure and not ONE person signs up for even ONE service, and the cities decide to throw it all onto property taxes, the city will have 15 years to pay back the bonds. And the hit to property taxes would be $145 a year for a home with an assessed value of $200,000. That's not the RESALE value of the house, it's the assessed value for tax purposes, which is much lower than the resale value.

If you think these lies are reprehensible, please call Sound Off, write a letter to the editor, and for goodness' sake, call your friends and neighbors and make sure they don't believe these lies!