Annexation foes lobby state legislature | NEWS | Asheville CITIZEN

We must keep annexation the way it is !!

Mayor Bellamy and her wonderful council must ride new money for all the great improvements we need. Mayor Bellamy needs money to close the roads in Asheville to traffic, put in trains for mass transit and make Ashevlle the crown jewel in the area.

Asheville will be able to advertise more to bring in more people to live and visit here. Please send money to block this revisit to annexing laws.

The main objection of annexation foes is not against annexation per se. It is to regain the right to vote on annexation. Previous to May 8, 1959, citizens of North Carolina were required to vote on annexation. But that right was taken away by lawmakers. North Carolineans vote on practically any other issue such as bonds and taxes, but they are denied the right to vote on annexation which directly affects the property taxes they would have to pay. In some cases, due to annexation, their property taxes will more than double, having to pay municipal taxes on top of county property taxes. And in some cases, they will lose the right to use their septic tanks and wells and be forced to pay a contractor thousands of dollars to hook up to a city's main water and sewer lines. Sounds like the "return of the British" if you ask me rather than a democracy!

Another thing! The article refers to the strong influence of the lobbyist League of Municipalities on North Carolina kawmakers in regard to the issue of forced annexation. Of course the League is pushing to keep the annexation law the way it is. Without forced annexation, the League would be out of business - no more cushy office accommodations, cushy salaries and the like!

Did you know that TAXPAYER MONEY is being used to pay for your city's membership in the League of Municipalities. The League is a lobbyist organization whose sole purpose is to represent cities' interests, and specifically to defend the N.C. annexation law in order to force annexation upon citizens against their will. Does this sound American to you?

Looks like Swannanoa may next be the next target for Asheville's annexation efforts. The city is currently engaged in lawsuits brought on by parties resisting forced annexation. Swannanoa may not have the required population density in order to be annexed by Asheville, but it sure has the other requirement which is urban development. Witness the Cliffs building project and upcoming golf course designed by world-renowned golfer, Tiger Woods. The golf course will be surrounded by upscale housing development.

I believe forced annexation, which is taxation without representation, to be unconstitutional. The people of the proposed annexation should be able to vote! This is a travesty for this Country. We are supposed to be a democracy, not communistic. Annexation is a communistic tactic! Soon everybody will be paying city and county taxes, because we will all live inside city limits.

Forced annexation is unconstitutional - kind of like when the British forced the colonists to feed and board their troops over 200 years ago. However, the N.C. General Assembly has seen fit to approve a law that would forbid the issue of constitutionality to be part of any lawsuit involving annexation. That in itself, I think, is unconstitutional. The mistake lawmakers made was back in May of 1959 when they unleashed the dogs of hell and took back the the right to vote on annexation which the people of N.C. previously had.

Don't vote for any N.C. lawmaker who advocates forced annexation this November. That is the only way we can change the current N.C. Annexation law that allows forced annexation.

All this talk about getting to vote about taxes puzzles me. When did we get to vote on this $1,000,000,000,000 war in Iraq?

The reason there is forced annexation is due to Ellis Hankins with the League of Municipalities. Read the Carolina Journal article on him and his recklenss spending. And then read Katy's Corner about Richard Morgan's Pal by Ed Kennedy. Another corrupt lobbyist involved in this - Estherine davis. End this and you end all of this.

Corrupt Lobbyists wrote:

The reason there is forced annexation is due to Ellis Hankins with the League of Municipalities. Read the Carolina Journal article on him and his recklenss spending. And then read Katy's Corner about Richard Morgan's Pal by Ed Kennedy. Another corrupt lobbyist involved in this - Estherine davis. End this and you end all of this.

We can go to STOPNCANNEXATION.COM email all the legislature to tell them 'the peoples' opinion.
Right now with the impending moratorium, there is a chance to get it...our representative Trudi
Walend told us that we need to let the legislature know how we feel. They need evidence of what is wrong with annexation in our
areas.

Opinion wrote:

The article refers to the strong influence of the lobbyist League of Municipalities on North Carolina kawmakers in regard to the issue of forced annexation.

I agree wholeheartedly with your opinions, Opinion.

" ... North Carolina kawmakers ... " -- why, yes indeed, they certainly do resemble a bunch of carrion-eating crows sometimes!

Okay: MOST times!

Jeff Dreibus