I respectfully thank Carl Munro, subcommittee member, Moore County Summit, for responding (Jan. 17) to my earlier letter opposing his committee's recommendation "to pursue vigorously the viability of a land transfer tax" as a way to solve Moore County's capital needs.

Munro said, "I would not characterize our approach in those words." Yet, The Pilot reported (Nov. 26) that the ARSC (his committee) recommended those exact words. And that was after only three meetings, with no opposition groups invited.

It's a mystery why the Summit made their decision before inviting home builders and real estate agents, who have been successful in defeating such efforts 100 times in the N.C. legislature over 15 years. We were asked to help "finish the work."

Munro suggested the committee be permitted to complete its work before "opponents prematurely decide whether the concept has value for Moore County." This is not a fresh new idea that requires a lot of thought because when I was president of the local association of Realtors in 1998, the same effort was pushed unsuccessfully here by some of the same advocates.

I will never understand why some people think such a tax is revenue heaven. They obviously have good intentions, yet I find it hard to believe they really want to add such a heavy load on 8 percent of our local citizens least able to pay.

My research proves that local property owners in the average price range generate over 86 percent of land transfers and would be the ones to bear the major cost of such a massive need, not newcomers as proponents argue.

We are in serious need of more schools ASAP, and our children deserve some fresh and genuine new ideas all Moore County taxpayers can support.

James R. Thomas

Southern Pines