Mike Moser "I Say" Published Nov. 14, 2003

Nickel Tax Rebellion off and running

When Carol, our receptionist and busy front office worker walked into my office with a fist full of envelopes, I honestly had no idea what a surprise and joy she was delivering.

A check fell out of one. I found a check in another. Soon there were a couple of dozen checks lying on my desk and nearly every one of them accompanied by a handwritten and heart-felt note.

From Fairfield Glade to Pleasant Hill to Crossville to Lake Tansi, and even Chicago, IL, property owners are writing and sending in checks.

The Nickel Tax Rebellion is underway. And I am speechless.

All involved realize it is not the amount of the nickel tax check that matters. It is the courage to stand up in front of your family, friends and neighbors for what one believes is right. Even if you believe deep down in your heart you are right, it is still hard to stand up and risk the barbed comments of the court of public opinion.

It does take courage and a thick skin to stand up for a cause and all I can say is, God bless you Jeffersonians!

It is not easy to part with hard-earned money. To not only write a check in the name of taxes for education, and then to include a message from the heart is truly an awesome action that demands notice.

I have heard reports of some disparaging comments coming from some high places about the Nickel Tax Rebellion. I don't care. I know first-hand what a morale booster this has been for those in local education.

I have also seen the joy on the faces of those who work in and around the school board's central office, smiles from administrators and teachers and support personnel. And there is no price tag on boosting another's morale. It is priceless.

I also hope this token campaign will encourage children and young adults in the county who might wonder if their education and their futures are important in the eyes of others.

By the time you read this the Nickel Tax Rebellion will have topped $1,000 in voluntary tax payments which are being delivered directly to the school system.

Wrote one reader, Angel Brewer, "I applaud your efforts and those of the Johnson's in trying to right a wrong done by the county commission. I'm not a property owner, but am the parent of two children who attend Cumberland County Schools. I will make a contribution to the Nickel Tax Rebellion based on the value of my current home/property that I rent.

"Our children deserve and should receive the best education possible. If the county commission cannot approve an increase, then we, as child advocates, can! Thank you and the other child advocates of this county who care."

Added Etha Miller, "I am on a fixed income and do not own property, but I was very upset when the commissioners voted down the nickel increase for our schools. When I read of the "rebellion," I had to sit right down and write this letter and send my bit. Thank you, school board, for all the time and effort you give for the sake of our children."

I challenge you to read all the letters accompanying those Nickel Tax Rebellion checks that we will be publishing over the next few issues. It will restore your faith in humanity.

People are expressing their convictions. It is a noble thing to stand for something, and I applaud all of you Jeffersonians for taking the time and interest and becoming a part of this symbolic gesture.

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Mike Moser is the editor of the Crossville Chronicle. His column is published periodically on Fridays.