Northfield is a model city in Westport County. Crime rates have dropped 28% in the last five years, and new business development has increased by 42% over the same period. There also has been significant growth in public services with the opening of our new Northfield Community Center and the current construction of Northfield Park. Unfortunately, Proposition S now threatens to undo all that Northfield has accomplished in recent years. Proposition S intends to fund public services throughout Westport County by taking 8.25% of all tax revenues away from city governments. Although most people believe that more public services are needed, Proposition S would only burden Northfield and other cities with strong local governments and business-friendly policies. These city governments would be required to pay for public services in areas where local politicians have failed to find a way to fund their own projects. Given the strength of Northfield’s economy, approximately $12.3 million dollars of tax revenue would be redirected toward county projects. Without this money in Northfield’s budget, many programs at our new community center will have to be cut. This would affect more than 40,000 citizens of Northfield, as well as 25,000 people who live outside our city and use the community center on a regular basis. The construction of Northfield Park, which also would be open to all county residents, would probably have to be put on hold. I am proud to join my fellow residents of Northfield in urging all citizens of Westport County to vote No on Proposition S in the upcoming election. What is good for Northfield is good for all of Westport County. Mr. Nelson Woo President of the Northfield City Council What is the thesis of this letter to the editor? Proposition S intends to fund public services throughout Westport County by taking 8.25% of all tax revenues away from city governments. Unfortunately, Proposition S now threatens to undo all that Northfield has accomplished in recent years. Oh What is good for Northfield is good for all of Westport County. Northfield is a model city in Westport county.

“skateboarding is a sport combining grace, courage and skill, and here we see it being born.” based on this passage, what inference can you make about the author’s opinion of skateboarding? a. the author does not think skateboarding is a ‘real’ sport. c. the author feels skateboarding should be illegal. b. the author feels skateboarding is only appealing to very young children. d. the author respects and appreciates skateboarding as a sport.

Read the excerpt from frederick douglass’s speech “what to the slave is the fourth of july? ” go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through south america, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, america reigns without a rival. which phrase best describes the connotation of the word “reigns”? a sense of opportunity and growth a sense of fear and anxiety a sense of compassion and humanity a sense of oppression and domination

Read the passage. excerpt from "why equal pay is worth fighting for" by senator elizabeth warren, april 17, 2014 i honestly can't believe that we're still arguing over equal pay in 2014. when i started teaching elementary school after college, the public school district didn't hide the fact that it had two pay scales: one for men and one for women. women have made incredible strides since then. but 40 years later, we're still debating equal pay for equal work. women today still earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and they're taking a hit in nearly every occupation. bloomberg analyzed census data and found that median earnings for women were lower than those for men in 264 of 265 major occupation categories. in 99.6 percent of occupations, men get paid more than women. that's not an accident; that's discrimination. the effects of this discrimination are real, and they are long lasting. today, more young women go to college than men, but unequal pay makes it harder for them to pay back student loans. pay inequality also means a tougher retirement for women. . for middle-class families today, it usually takes two incomes to get by, and many families depend as much on mom's salary as they do on dad's, if not more. women are the main breadwinners, or joint breadwinners, in two-thirds of the families across the country, and pay discrimination makes it that much harder for these families to stay afloat. women are ready to fight back against pay discrimination, but it's not easy. today, a woman can get fired for asking the guy across the hall how much money he makes. here in the senate, sen. barbara mikulski (d-md.) introduced the paycheck fairness act to give women the tools to combat wage discrimination. it would ensure that salary differences have something to do with the actual job that they are doing, and not just because they are women. senator warren states that the effects of pay discrimination are long-lasting. is this a valid argument supported by accurate evidence? no; warren weakens her point by claiming that the paycheck fairness act would "give women the tools to combat wage discrimination." yes; warren supports her point by noting, "for middle-class families today, it usually takes two incomes to get by." yes; warren supports her point by noting, "pay inequality also means a tougher retirement for women." no; warren weakens her point by noting, "today, a woman can get fired for asking the guy across the hall how much money he makes."