March 14, 2016 – Not long before an early-voting site in Raleigh closed Saturday, two blind women made their way, white canes in hand, to vote in the primary election and the Connect NC bond referendum.
One was young, one was elderly. One white, one black.
If they can do it, so can you.
Don’t make excuses – there are lots of reasons to vote Tuesday:
- North Carolina’s added 2 million people since its last bond referendum in 2000. It now has 10 million people. You don’t add 2 million people without scaling up.
- Connect NC is about connecting North Carolina – especially its next generation – with the future. By 2020, 65% of jobs will require higher education.
- Of $2 billion in bonds, $1.4 billion would go to public universities and community colleges. NC community colleges now enroll 740,000 students and state universities 225,000. But many students can’t get classes they need because of limited, outdated lab space.
- University projects focus on high-demand fields:
- Sciences, including medicine, nursing, health and plant sciences;
- Engineering;
- Business.
- Bond proceeds also go to state parks, the NC Zoo, the National Guard, agriculture and water and sewer systems.
- So if you or your family will ever go to a community college or state university, state parks or the zoo, this affects you. If you’ve ever recovered from a storm, if you eat food or drink water, this affects you.
- No tax increase is needed to pay off the bonds. Interest rates are at historic lows. Even with the bonds, the state is projected to face $500 million less debt in five years.
So like those determined women with the white canes, don’t take a pass on an important decision.
Please vote Tuesday.
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