It’s Voting Day! Will You Vote Yes For The Kids Amarillo?
Voting is a beautiful right we have as Americans. They say it is our civic duty, right?
Some things we agree with, some things we don't. Normally I don't get overly passionate about something on the ballot...but this time is different.
You see, I have 2 boys who are baseball players. They both play for teams that compete in the West Texas Youth Baseball League. We moved here from Austin, a place full of incredibly maintained baseball fields and complexes.
Some were turf fields, some were dirt and grass...just like Amarillo. The fields were typically always in top shape, regardless of the surface they played on. The complexes were beautiful and you really just enjoyed going to them.
I will say, the complexes here in Amarillo are nice. They're laid out relatively well and are eye appealing for the most part. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the actual fields themselves.
Most of the fields here in Amarillo and Canyon are uneven. What I mean by that is you can literally see a huge dip in the in the infield where a groundball has to travel uphill. Look, this game is hard enough to play when the ground is level and the ball rolls true. To make it a literal uphill battle is unfair to these kids who have big dreams of making it to the majors.
Think about it, we just had Amarillo native Tucker Davidson pitch in a WORLD SERIES game. Wouldn't it be fun to watch more Amarillo kids make it to that level? Well in order to do that, they need you.
I understand some of you may not have kids, or maybe they're grown and out of the house. Not all kids play baseball so the fields aren't of an importance to you. They are to me though. They are to my kids, and they are to all of the area kids who love to go out and play this game.
Proposition A is on the bill here locally. Yes, I'll be upfront and state it's going to raise taxes on homeowners just a touch. How much is just a touch? The increase would only be $3.40 per $100,000 value on your home. You can even see the amount it would increase on your particular home value by visiting voteforkidsamarillo.com and clicking on the tax calculator. Furthermore, anyone over the age of 65 would NOT see an increase on their taxes.
Think about it. Are the kids and their dreams worth that $3.40-$6 per month increase? We're talking about 1 less coffee per month from The 806 or Starbucks. Is that something that's worth giving these kids a shot at the ultimate future?
Also, keep in mind it's not just the fields and parks that will benefit from this increase. First responders will get some love as well as a much deserved pay increase. Streets can be resurfaced and potholes (there's a LOT here) can be repaired. The less potholes we hit, the less we all have in car repairs, right?
Please consider voting yes on Prop A. I know, we all hate a tax increase but please keep in mind what it's for. It's not even an amount we'll notice, but the kids will 100% notice it when they step on those fields at Rick Klein in the spring.