INVESTMENT IN OUR CHILDREN WOULD BE WISE

For about $1.25 a month, or just over 40 cents a day, Charlotte County
could make a huge dent in juvenile crime and drug use. And, while
politicians are weary right now of asking taxpayers to do anything more, it
is an investment we must consider making.

The investment would come in the form of a children's services tax. How
much, and who would pay?

The tax could be a little as .10 a mill or as much as .20 a mill. Even at
the higher rate, that would mean only an additional $15 a year for the
owner of a $100,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption. The return
would be $2 million a year to help finance programs for kids.

A children's services tax would, of course, have to be approved by voters
in a referendum. A similar movement failed in 1992 when a citizen's tax
group campaigned against it.

That, however, was a different time. Charlotte County has evolved into a
community that is burgeoning with families and young people. That evolution
has also brought problems.

It is well documented that Charlotte County teens use alcohol and drugs
more often than those in any other Florida county. Reversing that trend is
not as simple as building a teen center and hoping kids will show up. But
that is just one small step we would recommend be taken with money
allocated from the children's services tax.

Here are a few other ideas:

* The tax money could fund additional resource officers to patrol our schools.

* The money might pay for administering additional anti-drug and teen
pregnancy programs. Several area organizations such as the Boys and Girls
Club and the Charlotte Alliance for a Safe and Drug Free Community are
sponsoring such programs that have a proven track record of success.

* There is a distinct need for a teen center, or centers, in the county --
a place where young people can congregate, play games, have access to
computers and/or participate in athletics. Not only would a teen center
keep kids off the street, but it would give counselors access to teens and,
therefore, an opportunity to spread the anti-drug, abstinence message.

* Nonprofits that have had success dealing with teen issues could benefit
from children's services funding in the form of staffing or, again, money
for programs.

There are many other possibilities. There are also questions and problems
- -- not the least of which would be operational costs of a teen center.

To counter fears of adding a bureaucratic nightmare, we would suggest a
formula be researched to gauge the success of the programs -- and the tax
in general. Perhaps the tax could sunset in six to seven years to be
revisited only if progress has been made?

Charlotte County commissioners wisely formed the Children's Services
Council recently and, when members are selected, one of their tasks will be
to consider a similar referendum to raise funds.

We believe the time has come for Charlotte County residents to take a
serious approach to taking care of our kids. A referendum would be a air
path toward that goal.