C leanup on aisle one; there's been a math accident.
Go Forward CEO Ryan Watley suggested last week that the Go Forward-sponsored taxes that are up for a vote will cost taxpayers "a penny for every $10" if both taxes pass on Tuesday.
All those numbers can be a bit confusing, but we would expect more from the person – in this case a person with a doctoral degree in chemistry – who runs the organization that relies on the tax proceeds for its existence to be closer to the facts of the matter. Indeed, the five-eighths-cent tax for Go Forward and the three-eighths-cent tax for public safety together equal one cent – making it a 1% tax. On a $1 purchase, that's a penny of tax, and on a $10 purchase, that's 10 cents of tax -- not a penny.
Beyond Watley's "mathemagic," as one reader called it, there's a vote on Tuesday that should be of vital interest to citizens. Monday is the final day of early voting and then it's over at the end of the next day.
In May, Pine Bluff voters gave the thumbs down to both of the Go Forward-pushed taxes. The votes were close, leading Team Go Forward to get a cooperative Pine Bluff City Council to put the measures on the ballot again. That situation has irritated many who feel the 'No' vote should have been respected. But indeed, here we are at the cusp of yet another election day.
The tax in May and the special election on Tuesday won't happen next year because the legislature finally put a stop to such special elections, and by special elections we mean those that are designed to slide by with as little notice from the public as possible. Starting in 2024, these decisions will have to happen during the primary or general elections. But this year, right now, it's up to you to vote, even if not many of your fellow citizens will bother.
Our contention is that the clock should be allowed to expire on Go Forward. It seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but after six-plus years, the lack of substantive progress, the lack of accountability, the lack of transparency all have become more and more apparent.
The city has other needs besides a go-kart track, for instance, that itself was supposed to be finished by now but won't be ready until next year. As for some of the other items on Go Forward's agenda, they can be handled by an engaged city council and do not need a Go Forward entity acting as a filter.
Go Forward has prided itself on being able to gather private dollars for its causes, and there's nothing stopping the group from continuing that effort. But they do not need to be, and should not be in the driver's seat. In the 10 minutes it will take to vote, you can let them know where you stand.