September 24, 2008

FEDERAL

 

Somebody has to say it.  Senator Joe Biden has a future career in comedy if this Vice President thing does not work out.

 

Here are some excerpts from this article. 

 

Joe’s words                  “When the stock market crashed (in 1929), Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened’ “

 

Chris’ response            Sorry Joe, Roosevelt was not president.  It was Hoover.  Maybe

that’s where the term Hooverville came from?

 

Joe’s words                  While campaigning in Ohio. “We’re not supporting clean coal,”

 

Chris’ response            Sorry Joe, your current boss Obama said during his acceptance speech, “develop and deploy clean-coal technology”

 

Joe’s words                  Responding on the Obama add saying McCain is computer illiterate.  “I didn’t know we did it, and if I had anything to do with it, we would have never done it.”

 

Chris’ response            Because of McCain’s war injuries, from his years as a POW, I applaud you initial response, but then your flip flop that you were responding to press reports – say it ain’t so Joe!!

 

Joe’s words                  A clip from the article I hyperlinked to “In recent days, Biden has claimed it was the “patriotic” duty of wealthy Americans to pay higher taxes, urged a wheelchair-bound man to “stand up” at a Democratic rally, and suggested Hillary Clinton “might have been a better pick than me” as Obama’s running mate.”

 

Chris’ response            I concur with Bob Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, “Keep talking, Joe.”

September 21, 2008

LOCAL

 

Yesterday I took my, almost 3 year old, son to the 5^th annual Car Show and Chili Cook Off and it was a blast.  I was so happy to see so many people enjoying themselves as well as all the cars and I cannot say enough about the chili.  It was great.  I heard someone mention the need for an Alka Seltzer booth next year.

 

I would like to tip my hat the organizers of this event and I look forward to next year.

September 20, 2008

FEDERAL

 

I have found two web sites I have been monitoring the polls by state for the presidential election.

 

As most educated voters know, the nation polls do not mean a thing.  It is each individual state poll that matters.

 

Please enjoy and they will be posted on the main page of my blog as well.

 

Real Clear Politics

Electoral-vote

September 18, 2008

FEDERAL

 

So paying taxes is patriotic!  The more you pay in taxes the more patriotic you are!  So I guess that is why those people who fled England – they were tired of being patriotic to England.  I must be more patriotic because I pay more taxes than others and not because I served in the US Army or am serving as a public servant.

 

Thanks Joe for that patriotic lesson.  I will pass that along to my friends, family, and children.

 

I guess your amount of charitable donations makes you patriotic!

 

I bow to your wisdom.

 

September 17, 2008

LOCAL

 

Today the council voted 3-2 to leave the millage rate at 2.837.  I wanted to lower it and the majority of the council did not.

 

As the saying goes, there are two guarantees in life – death and taxes.  I, as your elected official, cannot control one of these, but I can have an influence on the other – taxes.  I cannot lower or eliminate all your taxes, but will do my best to lower what I can – your city property taxes.

 

As it appeared with the information presented before the council, there is estimated 18% city property tax projected increase compared to what was estimated in the FY09 budget a few months back. 

 

To be fair, this does not mean the taxpayers will see over an 18% increase in property taxes.  This means that the property values in the city have increased as a whole over 18% and much of this in new commercial, retail, and residential construction increasing the value of raw land.

 

To give a bigger picture, the FY06 property taxes increased 38.07% and FY07 property taxes increased

50.54% year over year.  Those are staggering numbers.

 

The purpose of a millage rate is to fund the rest of the budget that is needed to cover the expenses of the

city and through the years, this has been a tool of governments to generate more revenue.

 

It is the responsibility of the council to be good stewards of the taxpayers money and when we can find a

way to give back some of their money – we should do so.  It concerns me when there is extra money

available, what will happen to those collected taxes? 

 

 

Please read the articles here, here, here, and here about my thoughts on taxes.

 

September 9, 2008

Sorry it has been several days since my last post.  I took some time to spend with my family.

 

LOCAL

 

This Thursday September 11, at city hall, we will have the second of three public hearings on the tax, or millage, rate.  I want a tax cut from the current millage rate of 2.837 to 2.637, but I do not expect the votes.  Please come to the meeting and voice your opinion.

 

Please read the articles here and here about my thoughts on taxes.

 

Also there was a meeting about the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax), which is the additional penny sales tax on purchases in the county.  This is a great way to raise revenue for projects in the county and a large portion comes from people who do not live in the county, but may come here to shop or why they are traveling through Hall County.

 

The problem is the way it is distributed to the local municipalities.  The county gets their needs filled first.  Then Gainesville gets a large portion.  The rest is divided up amongst remaining cities Flowery Branch, Oakwood, Lula, Clermont, and Gillsville.  I do not agree with the distribution based on the current calculations because Flowery Branch has grown at a faster pace based on a percentage base than the majority of the cities in the county and that means we will not benefit on the increase of population and growth until this SPLOST expires in 6 years.  By that time, how high will our percentage of growth be compared to the rest of the county – 200 % or maybe 300%?

 

You can see the distribution here and read about the commissioners meeting here and here.

 

FEDERAL

 

It appears the Barack Obama has show his, pardon the pun, male chauvinist “pig”, side with this quote, “You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”   Oops – hey Barack, great quote.  Watch the clip here.

 

I guess this is a jag against Sarah Palin’s comment on her being a “hockey mom” which she was trying to explain how tuff she is.  You can see the clip here; go to the 4 minute mark to here a great quote.

September 4, 2008

LOCAL

 

Yesterday’s council meeting I floated the idea to roll back the Flowery Branch millage rate from 2.837 to 2.637 to no avail. 

 

In the FY08 budget the amount of real property taxes raised were nearly 25% higher and in the proposed FY09 the amount of real property taxes now expected compared to the budgeted amount is about 17% higher.  By lowering our millage rate from 2.837 to 2.637 I wanted to give back about 7% of the taxpayer’s money.

 

We are a rapid growth community and I am aware it will take money to run the city and the city will need to upgrade pipes, roads, equipment, and many other areas will need attention through the years, but as households need to do when income levels go down, governments must do to – tighten their belts.

 

I am a pro-low tax; anti-tax kind of person and this is your city and your tax money which we, the city council, must spend wisely.

 

Here are a couple of articles here and here.