In a referendum on July 16 this year, the voters of Maryland State app

Question

In a referendum on July 16 this year, the voters of Maryland State approved a $ 690 million bond issue for the construction of a state highway, an obvious priority. The legislature has now voted to put five more general obligation bond issues on the December ballot, adding another $ 2.1 billion to the state's long-term debt. The proposals on the December agenda include $ 350 million for the installation of a new telecom system, $ 200 million to subsidize low-interest mortgages for first-time home buyers, $ 500 million for setting up a state-owned recycling plant for environmental protection, $ 570 million to extend the fruit-farmers crop-loan program, and $ 485 million for the construction of a state prison, long since overdue.

Which of the following statements is a point to which the author is most probably leading?

(A) The voters cannot be expected to help make financial decisions for the state because most voters have their own set of financial worries.
(B) The cost of these bond issues is a burden that the tax-payers of the state have to bear.
(C) Two of these five bond issues are certainly more important than the others.
(D) The five bond proposals are quite enough, and between now and December voters will have to study the proposals carefully to make sure that the government is not over-stretching its finances.
(E) The cost of these bond issues is, on the face of it, negligible.

abhimanyuraj · Answer

Since the author highlights that the state's long-term debt is further stressed by the 5 obligations, B seems to be the correct logical answer where the author is leading us.

munkeyfu · Answer

Can someone please provide the official explanation?

arushi118 · Answer

But is it not possible that the voters vote without reading much?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

In July, voters approved $690 million for a highway. 
 Now, the legislature wants five more bond issues totaling $2.1 billion on the December ballot. 
 The author lists them, noting one (prison) is  “long since overdue”,  implying some are needed, but the overall impression is: that’s a lot more debt, quickly after the last one. 
 The tone is factual, but the sequence and numbers suggest concern about adding so much debt so soon.

(A)  Not supported, nothing about voters’ financial worries or inability to decide.

(B)  True in a literal sense, but the author doesn’t explicitly emphasize the tax burden; this is too generic.

(C)  Possibly true (highway and prison might be seen as essential), but the author doesn’t explicitly rank them except noting  “priority”  for highway and  “overdue”  for prison. But the point of the passage isn’t to compare importance among the five.

(D)  Fits best,  “five are quite enough”  matches the implied concern about piling on debt;  “voters will have to study ... to make sure government is not overstretching”  matches the tone of informing voters before the December vote.

(E)  Opposite, $2.1 billion is not negligible; the author seems to treat it as significant.

Answer: D

In a referendum on July 16 this year, the voters of Maryland State app

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In a referendum on July 16 this year, the voters of Maryland State app

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