Minutes 06-04-2020 Virtual Budget Public Hearing

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9 continue in excessive spending with exorbitant taxes. He asked if this will simply continue, or will the taxpayer have to revolt. Brian Link said he a Social Studies teacher and the Social Justice Academy Director at East Chapel Hill High School, and is also the Vice President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Association of Educators. He said he hopes the BOCC can help fund the schools. He said the nation is facing two pandemics: Covid-19 and racism. He said the BOCC has to choose how to direct funding, and he hopes it will do so in ways that promote equity and justice throughout. Roshna Bala Keen said she is a civil rights attorney, and she has some questions about shifting funds from the Chapel Hill Library to a Covid Education fund. She said it is very important that everyone have access to the library, as it is a great equalizer. She said the library is an essential part of the community, and she has great concern about shifting the funds from the library to another purpose. She encouraged the BOCC to please find alternative funding sources. Former Commissioner Barry Jacobs sent the following email, which Chair Rich read: For 20 years, the Lands Legacy Program has been the backbone of Orange County's efforts to actively conserve open space and natural areas. The program has been key to our watershed protection efforts and to the farmland preservation that undergirds our bountiful local agricultural economy. By providing a reliable, ongoing source of funds, Lands Legacy and associated conservation projects enable the county to amplify the impact of its contributions, attracting millions of dollars in matches from federal, state, regional and private partners. And, like the Social Justice Fund, dependability and flexibility are advanced by having a designated pool of money. Lands Legacy is a recognized model for other counties, a source of pride for many Orange residents, and an affirmation of our environmental values. Doing away with, or limiting, the program without extensive forethought and public discussion would be highly regrettable. Please have the chair read this aloud at the hearing. Chair Rich read the following letter, which was translated from Spanish: Atte: Beaty z Ponce Padres de Cameron park 919 730-4867 Vazquezbeatriz17(a-yahoo.com I am the mother of Angel (3rd Grade) and Ana (1st grade)from Cameron Park School. The reason for this letter is to let you know that as parents, neighbors and more parents from different schools in Orange County, we are very concerned about the upcoming decisions you could make that would affect us too much as part of the span ish-speaking community. We want to be present and participate more in our children's schools, we would like more interpreters in schools, on school boards, at events, and in our children's classes. Just thinking that you want to remove Spanish classes, the only thing that makes us feel welcome and makes us feel at home. S PANISH is more than just a language, it is culture and it is a universal communication. Spanish is too valuable which allows a person to be bilingual and it is the opportunity of many great things in spiritual, professional and educational life. That is why children from a young age are taught both languages so that when they grow up, already in universities, they are prepared. Medical studies have confirmed how important it is for them to learn a second language from a young age and that will last them throughout their lives. A child who starts speaking another language is very interesting because they do not lose their accents. An adult who seeks to speak a second language, it becomes more difficult to memorize and the pronunciation is difficult. For young children, however, it is pretty easy for them to capture all that and more. My request today is DO NOT REMOVE SPANISH CLASSES IN ORANGE