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Hill-Carrboro System based on those peoples own e-mails. Yet other people who are apposed to merger argue that if you merge the schools you are going to promote growth in Orange County outside of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system. And we had asked to have some information about land use ramifications of possible merger, and I would just like to see our Planning Director have a go at that. I think that as a Commissioner I would say the answer is we have a strong land use planning and we have a history of abiding by our land use plan, but I think it would be goad to articulate that in writing far citizens who have those concerns because I think growth concerns are a major part of the political environment in Orange County. I would also encourage those people from the Orange County Schools who have been arguing that we don't need much money to please came to the public hearings and articulate that case because that is not what I hear at budget time when the parents come. So I would just like to hear that case made before I make any kind of decision because it is interesting to me and it is different than what the parents are saying. While I'm not necessarily unsympathetic to the argument "we can do with less", I would just like to hear it articulated. And similarly, one of the things that we skipped over, but I know is important to parents, is the issue of busing. And I know that there could be an innumerable group of qualifiers and variables but if we are talking about hypothetically merging a system that would require some children to go to a new middle school that was not in the Chapel Hill Carrboro system but was in fact in the Orange County System that is currently constituted, or a new elementary school number 10 that was in the Chapel Hill System that is not going to be just far the Chapel Hill System if there is a merged system. I would like for someone to take a shot at what percentage of students that might be affected just for that reason by merger and not for any other programmatic reason ar reasons of achieving any other kind of social goal. What manner of busing might be required? John Link: Commissioner Jacobs, I am assuming that shot would be taken by the school systems. Commissioner Jacobs: Yes, I saw Dr. Pedersen nodding his head; he didn't look too terrified or horrified. I assume that meant that he thought it was doable. Just for myself, I think the financial considerations of all this are very important. I certainly cringe every year when we come to deciding if we are going to raise taxes. But the most important thing is that every student in Orange County is given an equal opportunity. We live in a state where, because all this is based an property taxes, we have gross inequities. We have counties where there is $600 per pupil. We talk about equal opportunity but there is no way in the world, except through personal dedication, parental dedication, and teacher dedication that those kids are going to have an equal opportunity. They are going to have to overcome tremendous obstacles and that is not fair. If we have those kinds of disparities in our county, we need to address them. Ta me that is what this is all about. What kind of disparities do we have? It is not about the money, although I don't want to pay any more taxes than I absolutely have to. So that is why I am asking for that kind of information. And I do, as Commissioner Carey, I appreciate the work our staff has done and the school staffs have done and we look forward to getting more information. Commissioner Halkiotis: Just a couple of observations. All of this started on a cold January morning over at the Southern Human Services Center, and I cautioned