TC and Cass County

TO THE EDITOR: Nice article to make the “proposal” palatable for Cass County residents to vote for a tax increase; after all, who is not for education and jobs. But where is the rest of the story? Where are the statistics for potential earnings for truck drivers or welders? Where are the jobs? Not much in this area unless they are, for example, long distance truck drivers and are willing to be on the road for weeks at a time. Usually, pay is according to miles driven and most major companies have decent benefits. Similarly, many welders work away from home to make good money. Most certainly, this type of employment works for some people. But most of all, Texarkana and Marshall Colleges are already offering these opportunities.

What we really need is trained plumbers, masons, carpenters, electricians and the likes. So why are we duplicating something that is already offered within a 30/40 miles radius?

And what about calling this a “proposal” ? It seems to me action is well under way. My vote is a no vote for this project. Marga Murphy Linden, Texas

TO THE EDITOR:

I am against the TC Cass County Campus. First of all, a lot of folks like me are elderly and moved to rural county areas to minimize taxes for schools and city services to be able to stretch our fixed income to pay for essentials. Personally, I am retired and have no children and paid school taxes for forty-plus years and now I am tired of paying for unused and unwanted services.

Secondly, the educational courses to be offered has to be a joke, right? It is insulting to me that TC can’t train county folks for better higher paying jobs than those to be offered. What happened to higher education like electronics, engineering, chemistry, architecture, computer programming and design, political science, teaching, etc. The job market in the county is already saturated with truck drivers, welders, nurses and beauticians. There is a finite number of heads of hair to dress, patients to take care of, welds to make, and trucks to drive.

Thirdly, the percentage of folks receiving a certificate and actually using it is very low.

And fourthly, I feel this action is being pursued by TC to expand TC’s tax base to the benefit of TC and its educators. We are familiar with the financial problems that TC has been encountering for the longest. I know a lot of folks who share the same sentiments and would like to be heard. I believe those who are for this new tax don’t have any idea how it will affect us and believe this is the greatest plan ever. My vote is no, and hope that Cass Countians will make a stand to oppose more taxes.

Vincent Sloterdijk

Atlanta, Texas