http://www.macon.com/2010/07/30/1211606/misinformed-racists.html
Friday, Jul. 30, 2010
ERICKSON: Misinformed racists
“Racism” sure is getting thrown around a lot lately. The NAACP wants the tea party to purge racist elements from its movement. The Center for American Progress released a selectively edited video, largely of union goons crashing tea party protests dressed up as racists, to show the tea party movement is racist. Andrew Breitbart released a partial clip of Shirley Sherrod painting her as racist. Lonzy Edwards is going around town screaming “racist” over opposition to the SPLOST. David and Elaine Lucas say I’m a racist for pointing out attempts to make the SPLOST vote a racial issue.
We might as well go back to calling each other “Nazi.” We’ve worn out “racist.” The word, which should have lots of meaning, has been cheapened by a lot of people pushing political agendas who would prefer to call their opponents “racist” and dismiss them rather than deal with their arguments.
Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2010
It’s over and time for the healing to begin
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/21/1202300/its-over-and-time-for-the-healing.html
It’s over and time for the healing to begin
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/21/1202300/its-over-and-time-for-the-healing.html
This area has rarely seen an issue that has so divided the community as the effort to pass or defeat the special purpose local option sales tax. The fight took on a life of its own, becoming more important in some voters’ minds than who could possibly lead the state for the next four years. The battle lines were clearly drawn with Bibb County Commission supporters (pro-SPLOST) on one side and city supporters (anti-SPLOST) on the other. Now that the issue has been decided by the people, it is up to the leaders of this community to heal the open wounds and get on with the business of this community.
For the winners, gloating would not be appropriate. Saying “I told you so” and walking around with puffed up pride would only further delay some of the other important questions (tax equity study and service delivery strategy) that are on the agenda. It will take the cooperation of both governments. The deadline for the SDS (October) is looming. Gloating would only rub salt in the wounds, instead of salving them.
And losers can’t pick up their balls and go home and remain in a snit. Sure it may take a few days to get over the loss, but it’s over. It’s time to shake hands congratulate one another on fighting the good fight and move on. Yes, the dynamic of the relationships between supporters and detractors has changed for many. When fighting in an all out battle royal we would expect that. Some friendships have been strained and scuttled, but it doesn’t have to remain so. Intelligent people, particularly in a vital democracy, can disagree respectfully and often do. It is how they move on from the fight that matters most.
The example of Gens. Robert E. Lee and Ulysses Grant can be instructive. They knew the country had to heal after the many battles of the Civil War. Grant was magnanimous in victory, knowing that any other course would have kept the fires of war alive for decades. They knew, whether blue or gray, that ultimately, they were all Americans and brothers.
In Bibb County, we are brothers and sisters, too. We are all in the same boat whether we realize it or not. Our ship is listing and taking on water and it’s going to take all hands manning the bilge pumps to keep her from sinking. This SPLOST fight is over, and as we wake on this Wednesday morning, the voters expect to see their leaders back on track and taking care of the business at hand.
Charles E. Richardson, for the Editorial Board
otherwiser wrote on 07/21/2010 10:59:54 PM:
Hey Cuz, it ain't quittin tine til we say its quittin tine.
When you convince us that the Courthouse Crew has completed two years of attendance, with complete abstinence, at a 12 step program for sociopathic conmen, the healing will begin. Otherwise we are just going to be slaves in the field for the truthless five et al...
BrudderinLaw wrote on 07/21/2010 11:59:57 AM:
It's kind of funny Richardson brings up the Civil War,when Newtown and other lib groups DON'T want to encourage Civil War buffs from around the nation to visit with their tourist dollars. We have so much to sell regarding the Civil War in the area. You pump enough tourist dollars in this area and this will SOLVE alot of our problems. PC attitudes can be quite foolish.
crook_detector wrote on 07/21/2010 11:43:31 AM:
You need to look at the precints that voted 2 to 1 to defeat the SPLOST. These same precints voted 4 to 1 for the SPLOST in 2006. The Mayor and Council opposed the 2006 SPLOST also. The 2006 SPLOST paid off millions of dollars in city and county debt and was written to provide relief for City and County taxpayers not to create more debt. Now the SPLOST money is gone. More money has been borrowed and liabilities are increasing for both the City and County. Taxing and spending has got to stop.
"Integrity is one of the most important things in government today."
"Without the public trust you can't get anything done."
gamule wrote on 07/21/2010 10:14:00 AM:
Richardson writes wise words but unfortunately we do not have wise men and women in government here in Bibb County. This defeat taught the County
Commissioners or NewTown anything. They will plough on as they always do passing more regulations and taxing everything in sight until our whole system of government crashes. There is not one original thought in the whole bunch on how to limit government and reduce cost. In fact the word is out Sam Heart is promoting a labor tax for women in childbirth. Each contraction is taxed at $11.13, and if she has over ten in a delivery a sur-charge is added to those.
mattisyahu wrote on 07/21/2010 08:27:29 AM:
Now that the SPLOST slush fund issue is resolved, let's move on to the issue of getting rid of all current commissioners and cutting city council to a more sane number.
geperk wrote on 07/21/2010 07:44:06 AM:
Grant and Lee may have been gracious at surrender, but what Charles forgot to mention was the North went on to flog the South during reconstruction, a period from which parts of South have not recovered to this day. So, a better morale to the story is the true rape and pillage of the taxpayer will no occur until Hart and the Mayor smoke the peace pipe; then watch out.
ProPatria wrote on 07/21/2010 07:43:48 AM:
The post-civil war analogy is strange. If this history--carpetbagger days--is repeated, it will be a long, long time before reconciliation takes place.
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/22/1203148/splost-vote-lessons.html
Thursday, Jul. 22, 2010
SPLOST vote lessons
There are several ways to view the landslide failure of the Bibb County SPLOST vote. Most important, however, is for members of the Bibb County Commission to understand it sent them a pointed message that they need to re-evaluate their relationship with the city of Macon’s government as well as with voters in both incorporated and unincorporated Bibb County. Had the five commissioners done so prior to demanding a July 20 vote on a local sales tax increase, instead of addressing crucial issues such as double taxation of city residents and the need to reassess the 10-year old agreement that spells out the division and use of sales tax revenues between the city and county, this vote might have had a different outcome.
As it is, the commission suffered a solid vote of “no confidence” in what most perceive was a heavy-handed effort to push through a local option sales tax increase despite clear signs the public had serious misgivings about the proposal.
I’m not certain that commission Chairman Sam Hart understands even now that the tax measure he championed failed because voters saw real flaws in the county’s proposal. Commenting Tuesday night on the SPLOST’s failure, Hart repeatedly cited “misinformation” as the prime reason voters defeated the issue 11,889 to 8,006.
He’s wrong. The failure was not due to misinformation, but his and others’ misreading of factors that led a hefty majority of the voting public to have fatal misgivings about the legitimacy and timing of the proposed SPLOST. Among them:
n The commission, as well as the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and NewTown Macon, that supported the SPLOST, overlooked concerns about economic conditions high unemployment and financial difficulties under which both residents and business owners are struggling that suggested now isn’t the best time to move ahead with a tax increase;
n The refusal of the county government to agree, before the SPLOST vote, to a service delivery agreement specifying how tax revenues would be divided, gave legitimacy to the opposition. A “yes” vote now would have been financially advantageous to the county in that a new service delivery agreement prior to the SPLOST vote almost certainly would have reduced the county’s share of tax revenue;
n The commission downplayed that if voters approved the SPLOST now, this would have meant neither the city nor the county could fund any projects other than the proposed courthouse complex for the next three years;
n The hiring of state Rep. David Lucas by NewTown Macon to sell the SPLOST to the city’s black community was a huge mistake. This was perceived as a patently transparent effort to convince Macon’s black voters the tax increase would provide benefits that could not be forthcoming considering the structure of the proposed tax increase;
n The county’s suggestion that bonds could be issued through the Urban Development Authority to pay for projects that could not be funded until the courthouse project, a $70 million program, was funded, a move which would have added millions of dollars in interest payments that taxpayers would be obligated to pay through the SPLOST, decreasing funds for other projects.
n The proposal that millions of dollars of SPLOST funds could be used to prop up local museums, primarily the sports and music halls of fame.
It’s difficult to understand why SPLOST supporters didn’t recognize all the above presented a potential fatal flaw, but the question now is how to proceed. One would hope, as Mayor Robert Reichert suggested, that the city and county governments should get their acts together and get on a course beneficial to the entire community. This includes revising a service delivery agreement, which has an October deadline. Whether or not this happens appears to depend primarily on Chairman Hart and the other four Bibb commissioners.
But unless those commissioners come to the understanding that they represent city voters as well as those in the unincorporated portion of the county, this obligatory degree of cooperation isn’t likely to come to pass.
E-mail Phil Dodson at d2732@aol.com
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Dmc1184 wrote on 07/22/2010 06:15:26 PM:
n The hiring of state Rep. David Lucas by NewTown Macon to sell the SPLOST to the city’s black community was a huge mistake.
^^ EXACTLY why the SPLOST failed
ga1819 wrote on 07/22/2010 11:06:47 AM:
My fervent wish is that the Bibb Commissioners, after having a day or so to tame their emotions, would read this column objectively and take it to heart.
If they're still in office when the next try comes around, and they've learned from their mistakes, they may be successful.
One more thing, though: the next SPLOST proposal needs to be more detailed in the cost of projects, when they'll be funded, and what community needs will be addressed with any excess collections.
ProPatria wrote on 07/22/2010 07:59:09 AM:
Phil...timing, as you mentioned, is everything. The timing for this tax increase demonstrates just how out of touch the Lucas/Newtown triad and the county commission has become. At a time when everyone is trying to pinch pennies, along comes the SPLOST idea hard on the heels of a property tax increase. Idiotic!
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/22/1203147/low-voter-turnout-haunts-another.html
Thursday, Jul. 22, 2010
Low voter turnout haunts another summer primary
It is amazing, what some feel is so important others feel is a waste of time, money and effort. For all the hoopla over the 14 candidates running for governor in the Republican and Democratic primaries, plus a heated, or so we thought, special purpose local option sales tax, most voters, 60,150 of them, decided to sit it out. Maybe it was too hot? Maybe they expected showers? Maybe they didn’t have a ride? Maybe, maybe, maybe. And maybe they were just too darned sorry and apathetic to take an interest in the affairs of the day. They would rather sit around and complain than get off their rusty buckets and do something as easy as voting.
Considerable effort and money was expended to “educate” voters of the advantages of the SPLOST, but when you have a voter turnout of 24 percent, you would have to say the effort failed. Still, there were more votes cast in Bibb County for and against the SPLOST question than for governor. So where were the voters?
A preliminary look at the precincts reveal there was higher turnout in predominantly white precincts than black. Using the East Macon and Howard precincts as indicators, the nine Howard precincts had a turnout of 28 percent compared to the six East Macon precincts of 22 percent.
When turnout is low, as it was Tuesday, added weight is given to those who do cast a ballot. For the SPLOST vote, each yes or no vote had the weight of four, giving a quarter of registered voters decision making power over everybody in the county. Does that make sense?
Bibb County is not unique. Voter malaise is a national condition and it is one that is more dangerous to our republic than any terrorist organization or hostile nation. In the immortal words of Pogo: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Charles E. Richardson, for the Editorial Board
southernlady2 wrote on 07/22/2010 04:45:20 PM:
It was hot, but I voted because I care! My vote may not have made a difference in any outcomes but at least I expressed my concerns thru my vote. I believe the splost would possibly have had a chance if they had waited until November. Why are prisoners or trustees sitting in the shade under trees at the North Macon Park?
ProPatria wrote on 07/22/2010 10:37:26 AM:
Apathy--the bane of good government--is a reflex to political conditioning. Citizens no longer respond to hollow promises and the tendency to ignore the voter mandate. The crop of politicians available to answer the call has become stale and self-centered.
Quite simply, the bureaucracy has become too big and self-indulgent to change barring a revolution.
Dmc1184 wrote on 07/22/2010 09:15:20 AM:
Guess it sucks for the Lucas clan that felons aren't allowed to vote
ga1819 wrote on 07/22/2010 08:48:18 AM:
It is so tiring to go to the polls to select the "lesser of evils," which is what we get from the stranglehold the two-party system has on the electorate. I dutifully drag my rearend out, as I did this time, but it seems so futile.
Let's face facts, here. A modern election is about choosing which railroad car we'll be riding into the concentration camp. It's not difficult to understand why people wouldn't feel energized to participate in such a practice.
BEAU CABELL/THE TELEGRAPH SPLOST opponents still have their work cut out for them, taking down their campaign materials, like this sign on Napier Avenue. Their message seemed to ring the chimes of unincorporated Bibb County and city voters who split away from their county commissioners all of whom backed the tax increase.
Thursday, Jul. 22, 2010
SPLOST was popular in Bibb's majority-black precincts
By S. HEATHER DUNCAN - hduncan@macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/22/1203267/tax-was-popular-in-majority-black.html
SPLOST was popular in Bibb's majority-black precincts
By S. HEATHER DUNCAN - hduncan@macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/22/1203267/tax-was-popular-in-majority-black.html
Bibb County’s proposed 1 cent sales tax, backed by county officials, was opposed by the majority of voters in almost all precincts outside the city limits during Tuesday’s primary.
Although the penny tax had starkly divided city and county leaders, the city limit is not what divided voters. Instead, the vote seemed to fall along racial and party lines. Majority-black precincts, and those where at least 80 percent of votes were cast in the Democratic primary, supported the special purpose local option sales tax.
In all, the county would have received about $112 million from the six-year tax to the city’s approximately $70 million.
But most Bibb County voters outside Macon didn’t buy the benefits. All but one of the precincts that voted yes for the sales tax were within the city.
A majority of voters in 26 precincts opposed the SPLOST, defeating the measure 11,889 to 8,006.
South Bibb, Lizella, north Bibb and most of north Macon gave the $183 million proposal the thumbs down. Among those precincts were those where Hart and Reichert live.
East Bibb and central and south Macon precincts were most supportive of the tax.
This was especially true in precincts where the majority of active voters are black, based on June voter registration records maintained by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
State Rep. David Lucas, who was paid by NewTown Macon to lobby for the SPLOST, accused City Councilman Erick Erickson and local pundits Kenny Burgamy and Charles Richardson, The Telegraph’s editorial page editor, of making it a race issue.
Both Lucas and Erickson suggested that race baiting turned off some white voters, although they each pointed at the other as the source of that problem.
Lucas said the SPLOST was popular in majority-black precincts because black residents have the most personal interest in the jobs, public transportation improvements and community recreation centers that would benefit from the funding.
“Who uses public transportation? The majority of users are black,” Lucas said. “The majority of our recreation centers are in those neighborhoods.” Even the sole recreation center outside the city is located in east Macon, where SPLOST support was high.
“Whether the black community turned out in the numbers we ought to have we didn’t,” Lucas said. “But those who did turn out voted for the SPLOST.”
Erickson said the message of the SPLOST defeat is that residents want a more unified city and county. However, he said, the success of the SPLOST in majority-black precincts is an indicator that consolidation of the city and county must be better sold to the black community if it is to succeed.
To contact writer S. Heather Duncan, call 744-4225
SPLOST background
Bibb County officials had said the SPLOST would prevent their having to increase property taxes to afford an estimated $72 million in costs for a mandated courthouse complex, a Juvenile Court facility, a new parking deck and renovations to the current courthouse.
Besides the courthouse, the funds would have paid for an emergency radio system, recreation, storm water drainage, debt payments, public transportation funding and several other projects.
The measure drew vocal opposition from City Council and Mayor Robert Reichert, who first wanted to hammer out an agreement with the county over which government would deliver various services to residents.
But the county moved ahead on the SPLOST vote without city support. Led by commission Chairman Sam Hart, commissioners and local business groups campaigned hard for the tax, which they said would shift part of the county’s funding burdens from property owners to visitors and tourists.
To learn more
Bibb election returns by precinct: www.co.bibb.ga.us/VotersAuto/ExternalVoters/default.asp
A map of all the precincts: www.co.bibb.ga.us/ITS/InteractiveMaps.aspx
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 12:21:01 PM:
The Anti SPLOST movement was a true grass roots thing - with no money. The opponents clearly support Macon and Bibb but found this splost had lots of errors. The Anti-SPLOST people better be invited to the table when making future plans
Under_the_table wrote on 07/22/2010 00:58:40 AM:
"What we have here is a lack of leadership and loss of public trust"
You need to look at the precints that voted 2 to 1 to defeat the SPLOST. These same precints voted 4 to 1 for the SPLOST in 2006. The Mayor and Council opposed the 2006 SPLOST also. The 2006 SPLOST paid off millions of dollars in city and county debt and was written to provide relief for City and County taxpayers not to create more debt. Now the SPLOST money is gone. More money has been borrowed and liabilities are increasing for both the City and County. Taxing and spending has got to stop.
"Integrity is one of the most important things in government today."
"Without the public trust you can't get anything done."
Under_the_table wrote on 07/22/2010 01:21:33 AM:
A specifically written SPLOST designed to reduce debt and fund "necessary" capitol improvement projects will provide property tax relief and is the best vehicle available to save taxpayers money. The fact that it was voted down by citizens in the unincorporated area proves it had nothing to do with the Service Delivery Strategy. It failed strictly because of the way it was presented and the public felt all the projects it contained were not "necessary" or in some cases not priority weighted nor did they trust the officials to use the money to provide property tax relief as required by SPLOST codes.
dewdrop wrote on 07/22/2010 07:34:35 AM:
People aren't going to fund such unnecessary things as recreation in the middle of the worst recession/depression in history with millions of people out of work.
What is so hard to understand about that.
I agree Grunner. If they want recreation build all they want. But not on my penny. Just like Public Schools,continue to pour money in those schools so they can continue to tear them down.
politically_incorrect wrote on 07/22/2010 07:19:59 AM:
You know, the part I cant seem to get my head wrapped around is WHY everything seems to boil down to nothing but racial hatred in this area.
Take two people, one white and one black.... awww hell, lets throw in an oriental, a mexican and even a gay person too just to keep things on a level playing field. Draw a few drops of blood from each and put them an a sheet of paper.
Now, call in these racial hate mongers and let them tell you which one came from which person. WHAT?? They CAN'T tell the difference? They're see nothing but RED? Well what's wrong with these hate mongers?
They don't WANT to admit that ALL of us bleed red.
Well then THEY NEED TO GET OVER THE HATRED!
I learned that back in '69 in a little country in southeast Asia and the majority of vets are very aware of this. Doctors and nurses realize that this RED BLOOD is actually interchangeable - any one can donate to any other and guess what - IT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO ANY OF THEM.
I ran a business (actually several of them) in a city that was majority black and heavily GAY for years. Hatred and bias would have destroyed my business and my livelihood. But I was RAISED in Macon and grew up with this racial hatred. I got over it. If these hate mongers can't, then THEY need to leave and let CIVILIZED people get on about with our lives and cleaning up the mess in this care.
'nuff said about race and hate. Get over it.
EdWilliams3 wrote on 07/22/2010 07:23:50 AM:
If you look at the pro wrestling like charade our city and county governments have become, is it any wonder no one entrusts them with more tax dollars? Until the black dinosaur politicians are finally cleaned out (or nature takes care of it)and replaced with people who actually care about the overall community, Macon will continue as the Titanic of Georgia - sunk.
ddubyuh wrote on 07/22/2010 07:17:26 AM:
we cant remove some of the old councilmen, comissioners or racist state reps because they will always be voted in by their uneducated, uninformed, hand-me-out, racists electors.
This did say what I predicted, Lucas will get the black vote. Fortunately fo us, he didnt bribed them good enough so they stayed home, I mean, in their govt houses. The black vote has tuned out to be nothing more than lemmings going to the polls. Not free thinking and always looking to shove it to the haves and telling the havenots that they have been taken advantage of.
Splube wrote on 07/22/2010 09:42:12 AM:
"The point being that the difference in people is not race but an individual result of many factors - mainly upbringing or the lack thereof."
Hmm, the old "Nature versus Nurture" argument...
beenthere wrote on 07/22/2010 08:59:18 AM:
hahahahahaha that is why new town hired lucas because they knew how the black churches buy their votes --feed and transport to the polls. one day this will be a federal offense.
kb4452 wrote on 07/22/2010 08:12:01 AM:
Building a courthouse is mandated only because Judge Christian decided that she wanted us taxpayers to pay for her a new office. Maybe we should mandate that she is not a judge anymore.
alisha2 wrote on 07/22/2010 07:57:34 AM:
My NO vote on the SPLOST had nothing to do with race. It had everything to do with MATH.
Peachman wrote on 07/22/2010 10:51:00 AM:
This particular SPLOST idea was rushed and ill conceived. The Bibb County Commissioners would have been well served to resolve all the differences with the city before rushing this idea to the voters. While I have respect for Mr. Hart, this just wasn't handled well by him and the supporters of the SPLOST. The money paid to Mr. Lucas was an absolute waste and borders on, if not, illegal. This will surely be brought up again and now the pro SPLOST people have only given the opposition more reasons to oppose it next time. Remember the old formula, P to the 7th power..... Proper Prior Planning Prevents P#%@ Poor Performances
fg wrote on 07/22/2010 10:33:31 AM:
OK here we have david lucas playing the race card accusing others of making it a racial issue. The fact that New Town hired him as a "consultant" made it a race issue.
To the majority-black precincts that voted for the tax "Ignorance is Bliss".
thisisridiculous wrote on 07/22/2010 10:21:14 AM:
Could it be that the public is catching on to the fiscal mismanagement of Commissioners?
Simply look at the documents at http://bibbrepublicanparty.com/JoeAllenFiles.aspx Joe Allen uses the tax dollars of Bibb County property owners as his, and his family's travel service. Opryland, Washington DC, Atlanta, Savannah...... Living the high life in Embassy Suites, Marriotts and other posh hotels. All on the taxpayer tab!!!
southernlady2 wrote on 07/22/2010 12:02:50 PM:
I this issue was so important for David Lucas then why did he accept money to encourage the people of Bibb County to vote for it. If he truly believed he should have been upfront like other public figures and campaigned for the splost for FREE.
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 11:40:31 AM:
pic
I forgot to add that while teachers were forced to take furlough days, Rep Lucas refused to take furlough days. Other lawmakers did take furlough days. Lucas has said he refused furloughs to make a point about the state's budget. I think the point being made is greed. http://www.macon.com/2010/01/27/1000339/some-lawmakers-avoid-furlough.html
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 11:32:42 AM:
politically incorrect
Yes Lucas is paid as a State Rep although he would argue it is "part time" - base pay is approx $17,000.
I wonder if he collected any "per diem" expenses from the State while on New Town's payroll? Lawmakers can claim $173 per day in "per diem" for travel etc.
From Jan. 1, 2008, through March 19, 2010, the state paid nearly $3.6 million to lawmakers in per diem costs - see http://www.ajc.com/news/government-waste/per-diems-a-costly-460180.html
raiders360 wrote on 07/22/2010 11:24:50 AM:
those with their noses deep in the public trough will always try to vote themselves more rewards. When some people see they can vote themselves the chance to get out of work or get anything free without having to do anything......well you know the rest of that thought.
hankreardon61 wrote on 07/22/2010 11:21:52 AM:
This is an interesting article, but instead of showing the differences in votes as a race issue, I would like to see what the % of voting for or against the SPLOST based upon a percentage of $$$ spent into the economy. For example, instead of saying that "... majority black precincts" approved the SPLOST; how about, "...precincts that contribute 60% of sales vote against SPLOST"? I don't see this as a race issue (contrary to the MacTel opinion) - let's look at this as a cost/benefits issue. If I am going to spend more money this year, a 1% tax increase is far more costly to me than someone that does not spend as much... why does MacTel have to make this a race issue?
politically_incorrect wrote on 07/22/2010 11:06:09 AM:
I have a question (or three).... (if anyone knows the REAL and CORRECT answers)
While David Lucas was beating his drum for this SPLOST and being paid $30 grand to do so, was he also collecting his salary as a state representative? And if he was, was he also DOING HIS JOB as a representative during that time? Or, was he collecting pay from US (the taxpayers), not only in Bibb county but from tax payers across the entire state, to do a job, that he was not doing, while being paid to do so?
Depending on the CORRECT answers this could actually be the rope that leads to hanging him.
ME? I dunno. But I know I don't like what he does in running to the rescue when his wife can't get HER race card to properly trump the deck.
otherwiser wrote on 07/22/2010 02:28:42 PM:
Macon-Bibb County Gubuhment 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8
Let's us City Folk teach them how to play the banjo and drop them thar scales from them their eyes. Doc on guitar, Joe on Banjo, FrankP on Pipe, CalderP on Cigar talkin to Elmo pumpin gas in Idontknowville...
Thursday, Jul. 22, 2010
Officials weigh in on why SPLOST failed
By MIKE STUCKA and PHILLIP RAMATI - Telegraph staff
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/22/1203266/officials-weigh-in-on-why-referendum.html
A day after Macon and Bibb County voters defeated a special purpose local option sales tax measure, many questions remain.
Why did the SPLOST fail? How will the projects that were supposed to be paid for by the SPLOST be completed? Where will the money come from?
And what of relations between the city and the county, which now seem frayed in the wake of an often bitter campaign over whether the SPLOST should pass?
Public officials had mixed reactions Wednesday about how to move forward.
Among the most looming questions: How will the city and county replace or repair a failing emergency radio system that’s partially broken 30 percent of the time, if the $12 million project can’t be paid for now with SPLOST money? By law, the county cannot call for another sales tax referendum for at least a year.
City and county public safety officials have tried to make contingency plans but say they’re bandaging a system that’s severely bleeding.
“It’s crucial,” Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena said. “Macon police and the sheriff’s office use the same system. ... One lightning strike in south Bibb that hits our computer and it takes out the system, we’re all out of radio contact the city, the county, even the fire department. ... What we have is the existing system since the mid-’90s. It’s worn out. It’s difficult to get parts for. I think the last time (parts were purchased), we got it off eBay.”
State Rep. David Lucas, D-Macon, a paid SPLOST advocate, sees few options to replace the radio system apart from a property tax-based loan.
“The only way I know that you can fix it is (general obligation) bonds and pay it out of the general fund, which probably means a tax increase,” Lucas said.
County Commissioner Elmo Richardson said he expects the county will make those decisions in the next two months. The most critical needs Richardson said the list includes the radio system, a Juvenile Court building and drainage fixes still exist, even if there’s no SPLOST money for them.
“We can’t sit around on our thumbs waiting another year, and I doubt very seriously whether we’ll do another SPLOST in the next two-three years. Why should we? The people are going to vote it down, so why should we? The people in Bibb County obviously don’t want to do a SPLOST,” said Richardson, who said Bibb voters have rejected three of the last five SPLOSTs.
Bibb County Commission Chairman Sam Hart said Tuesday night that he plans to meet soon with Superior Court Chief Judge Martha Christian about a 2007 judicial order to improve court facilities. Hart could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said he thinks a SPLOST next year stands a better chance of passing. For one thing, he said, the city and the county should have a service delivery strategy worked out by then. The state has given the city and county an Oct. 1 deadline to get an agreement in place.
“I’m very hopeful we can resolve our service delivery issues,” he said. “We can work together to identify projects specifically we want funded. We can put together a unified package that both governments support.”
Juanita Jordan, president of the Peyton Anderson Foundation, said she thinks Bibb County needs to fund its critical needs with a sales tax. Jordan was one of several community leaders featured in a political ad favoring the SPLOST.
“I personally think there needs to be a SPLOST all the time,” Jordan said.
Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, isn’t certain how well a SPLOST vote will do in a year. He served as chairman of Business For Progress, which formed to push the SPLOST.
“There are a bunch of variables,” he said. “We don’t know what the census will say, how the service delivery strategy will be split. We don’t know what the relationship between the city and the county will be.”
Lucas said the SPLOST vote failed because of the amount of misinformation, ranging from racial issues to whether the SPLOST and government services were related. He particularly blamed what he called a three-month campaign by The Telegraph’s editorial page and its radio show five days a week for defeating the SPLOST.
Telegraph Publisher George McCanless said The Telegraph’s news pages offered the best information, and the editorial side of the paper formed its opinion only after speaking extensively with both sides.
“I would blame the SPLOST not passing on it being a flawed idea and strategy, with 60 percent of the voters opposed,” McCanless said.
Jordan offered a single word for the SPLOST’s defeat: “Politics.” She declined to elaborate.
Cherry, along with NewTown Macon President and CEO Mike Ford, also said a lack of information was the cause of the tax failing, but he accepted more of the responsibility for not doing a better job informing the public.
“Because the city and the county were not on the same page, the public saw it as not working together,” said Ford, whose organization budgeted $50,000 to support the SPLOST. “I think it was a failure to get the facts out on the SPLOST in a timely fashion. There was a confusion on what the SPLOST covered and a general lack of knowledge on the details. There was a lot of misinformation out there. If we’d been smarter, we’d have gotten it out there in a more timely manner. There just wasn’t good, thorough knowledge.”
Other items that the SPLOST might have provided funding for were the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Douglass Theatre. The county was looking to raise $15 million in the SPLOST to purchase the halls and create an operating endowment for them.
“We’re going to have to look at the issue over the rest of the year,” Cherry said. “(The SPLOST) would have been a vehicle to keep us competitive to keep them here. Where are we going to find the sources of funding? ... The SPLOST could have been used for an endowment that would have ultimately gotten the state out of having to fund them. Given that the city and the county don’t have the resources to fund them, where is the money going to come from? The general funds don’t have a surplus. The likelihood we’re going to come up with money for an endowment is questionable.”
Perhaps the biggest issue facing the city and the county is what’s going to happen next. There’s at least a perception that there’s a wide gulf separating the two governments.
While many of the people involved said they think the service delivery strategy is a separate issue than the SPLOST, the entities that were divided on the SPLOST must now come together to resolve service delivery and questions about whether Macon residents are double-taxed for services. Reichert said the city and county are moving to have the issue resolved through mediation.
“Those of us in government are public servants who do the will of the people when we can,” Reichert said. “I pledge to make the utmost good-faith effort to resolve our differences with the service delivery strategy and future SPLOST proposals, and I feel confident the county commissioners feel the same way. ... I think the important thing is that (the SPLOST vote) was not a statement about (Bibb County Commission Chairman) Sam Hart or Robert Reichert. It’s a statement by people who want to see their community more united and their governments more united.”
To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334. To contact writer Mike Stucka, call 744-4251
intown wrote on 07/22/2010 12:25:15 PM:
Remember that if a SPLOST was approved it would not be an increase in taxes, we would continue paying the same as now, but that is an excellent way to fund SPECIAL NEEDED projects only. Several of our neighboring counties passed a SPLOST with flying colors because everyone was on board.
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 12:18:22 PM:
The Anti SPlost movement was a true grass roots thing. The opponents support Macon and Bibb but found this splost had lots of errors. The Anti-Splost people should be invited to the table when making future plans.
It is time for The Chamber to let Ford and Cherry go. NewTown needs new leadership
Joe1129 wrote on 07/22/2010 02:11:09 PM:
First, the "silent conservative minority", to their credit, got out to Vote the SPLOST down and, unfortunately, many of those people who the SPLOST would have helped most did not get out to vote. However, the Telegraph clearly and systemtically worked to defeat the SPLOST. Moreover, the editorial board's position was very one-sided and based on misinformation. What bothers me most is that all the things the SPLOST would have helped are STILL needed and will result in increased property taxes. Why not let others who shop in Macon (the economic hub of Middle GA) share with the tax burden to improve a community that desperately needs improving.
evneeser wrote on 07/22/2010 11:45:17 AM:
I think that SPLOSTs are wonderful ways to take care of local problems that need major funding revenues. We can do great and amazing things with that kind of money. Just don't draft SPLOSTs that the two governments cannot even agree on, much less ones where no one in favor can answers questions directly because it makes it look dirty even if it isn't.
Go back to the City, apologize for this nonsense, and put together an equally amicable SPLOST and publish ALL the information including budgets and time lines for projects and I can just about guarantee that the people will blossom with confidence. If you don't have the patience to accomplish this rather generic task properly, then you should just get out of the way.
hankreardon61 wrote on 07/22/2010 11:37:13 AM:
Raising taxes never helps "citizens". Raising taxes increases bureaucracy, government employment and serves to increase the financial incentive to the welfare class. If the local government wants to approve SPLOST - cut property taxes, school taxes and the like... if 60 - 80% of the sales tax increase is funded by those outside the county, then why not raise the sales tax to 10% and get rid of property taxes?
economix wrote on 07/22/2010 09:54:39 AM:
4 Reasons:
1) Voters are SICK of the red tape between the City and County. This SPLOST would have certainly benefited all the lawyers in town, but outside of the courthouse other improvements were not guaranteed / delayed.
2) NewTown Macon hired David Lucas to schmooze its passing, raising a huge bright red flag that something was amiss.
3) Most people who go to the trouble of voting, pay taxes. Taxpayers are overburdened by the huge government monkey on their back already, and do not want any more of their hard earned money taken from them.
4) Calder Pinkston, Charles E, and Kenny B got the word out to voters about the fallacies of the legislation. (Thanks guys!)
averagejoe wrote on 07/22/2010 09:23:44 AM:
I think that the politicians missed one of the main reasons the SPLOST was voted down. The past use of SPLOST funds indicate that politicians think of it as a slush fund to support pet projects that would not see the light of day with tax dollars. They include projects in the plans before the vote that they know are supported by a majority of voters JUST to get the bill passed, and then support unnecessary, projects which are payoff projects in the execution. Some of the proposed paojects which were the reason many voted for the SPLOST in the past were omitted when the dollars were spent. Inorder to get a SPLOST passed in Bibb, politicians will need to give a detailed list of projects, not the vague one voted down this time, and an order of execution. None of this, "We ran out of funds before we got to the project supported by the majority of the voters." No property owner wants to pay additional taxes, but we also do not want millions squandered in this time of scarce funds. Put forth a SPLOST proposal with detailed projects and a decent timeline and you can get the votes. Don't immediately start planning how projects can get funded early via costly bonds. Unless it is a safety issue, it can wait its time and save the taxpayers money.
beenthere wrote on 07/22/2010 09:10:58 AM:
sam hart lost the splost when he wanted to buy the halls [ i can understand the courthouse] and new town buying david lucas so he would buy votes from the churches following their leader.. both are ineffective as leaders.. these two elements lost the votes . new town needs to evaluate their leader .
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 09:08:54 AM:
Lucas has said numerous times that he earns his living out of Macon/Bibb on the road and that he was leaving town after the SPLOST. Have a safe trip David and don't come back
Texas84 wrote on 07/22/2010 09:05:36 AM:
Everyone on the planet is cutting back right now. I haven't had a raise in two years and get unpaid furlough days. So Macon-Bibb can cut back as well and find money for important things like the radio system.
Treehugger wrote on 07/22/2010 09:01:23 AM:
Chip Cherry said "There was a confusion on what the SPLOST covered and a general lack of knowledge on the details."
There were no details in the SPLOST. It was the lack of details, not lack of info that voters rejected.
Cherry should resign for getting the Chamber and NewTown to waste $50,000 and hiring Lucas.
Papa wrote on 07/22/2010 08:12:33 AM:
Save the state and the city some money.....get rid of the racial Lucas political party. Our tax money is going somewhere but it's not going to keeping the city-county grass cut. We look like a run down city with weeds growing high, street lights out, trash all over the place. We seem to have money for new trucks, cars, GREEN vehicles. I want to know who paid the Lucas clan money to support SPLOST. Will those two ever stop sucking the city dry? Lucas immediately says taxes(property) will have to go up. Get real man we don't need someone threatening us with new and more taxes all the time.
killerv wrote on 07/22/2010 08:18:57 AM:
They just don't know how to budget and its a slap in the face of any tax payers, sales or property. Remember all those decked out 4wheelers the sherriffs office bought a few years back? I was told they were 15 grand a piece. They are sitting in storage now not being used. Even when they get rid of old police cars, etc. they pay a private party around 250 dollars per car to remove the light assembly. That's unscrewing a few bolts and cutting a wire. No why couldn't an inmate do that for free? All of this wasted money could have been going towards a radio upgrade. Certainly the radio upgrade was more important than 100 grand worth of four wheelers the do not get used. And another thing, all of the people that serve warrants for the courts, they literally may knock on a couple of doors a day and that's it. They spend the rest of the time, hanging out at gun shops, pawnshops bs'n or hiding out at other places.
wildred wrote on 07/22/2010 08:20:56 AM:
If the splost taxes were to going to help the citizens today instead of 1000 days down the road I believe it would have passed. I believe most opponents were not fond of seeking bonds that would cost even more.
lynnt46 wrote on 07/22/2010 07:41:49 AM:
Why not take the money that was being paid to David Lucas and put it towards radio equipment? If you can pay David Lucas then you can pay to have another radio system I'm just saying!
EdWilliams3 wrote on 07/22/2010 07:37:08 AM:
Let's just say it like it is, attaching the name "Lucas" to a spending initiative in Macon, Georgia isn't going to inspire the utmost confidence, especially when you learn they were paid to support this SPLOST just rejected.
ProPatria wrote on 07/22/2010 07:36:20 AM:
Sorry mayor, the people want more efficient government, united or not. Instead of finding ways to spend more money, find ways to save money. This bloated government as usual is out of step considering the state of the economy. Bibb does not need two governments sucking taxes from the coffer. The coffer's balance is near zero and the people are tired of constantly replenishinng it with little in return. A new courthouse and money-losing museums are not a good return on the people's investment.
JediServant wrote on 07/22/2010 07:33:13 AM:
"State Rep. David Lucas, D-Macon, a paid SPLOST advocate, sees few options to replace the radio system apart from a property tax-based loan."
I can see the whole problem in a nutshell? These people don't knonw how to budget. All they know is spend, spend, spend. Hell, it's not their money, they could care less if we are taxed to death.
WhoCares4U wrote on 07/22/2010 07:32:44 AM:
"State Rep. David Lucas, D-Macon, a paid SPLOST advocate" I think says it all. Stop spending money on stupid things and you would have enough money to get what you NEED! It's not rocket science folks.....
JediServant wrote on 07/22/2010 07:30:05 AM:
Well dlm your right again here. I have said this all along, build more Prisons and give them bread and water and a single 4x8 cell without air condition. They won't want to come back after a couple of years of confinement.
ddubyuh wrote on 07/22/2010 07:21:17 AM:
SPLOST failed because of one word....LUCAS!!! Take your ball, which was probably stolen, and go home!
Dharr wrote on 07/22/2010 07:17:06 AM:
How much money would be saved if the city and county consolidated???
suicide_jockey wrote on 07/22/2010 06:19:29 AM:
When will these idiots learn that this is a first indication of Tax Revolt? They are bleeding us to death with taxes. The pet projects such as Halls of Fame, Douglass Theater, and recreation, can not be afforded now. A splost to strickly improve the infrastructure, and paying for a new landfill may have passed! The lack of common sense for the necessities of life caused this tax to fail.
Lonelydrifter1 wrote on 07/22/2010 05:52:45 AM:
We know that another SPLOST can not be voted on for another year, but that doesn't make it mandatory for rushing into trying to get the things done that is needed. Rushing into a matter of this magnitude will only serve to make things even worse than what it already is. Go back to the drawing board and start over, that's what you're going to have to do anyway, so why not get a good start this time by coming together. Work with all of your organizations, and each government, and don't forget to get the public involved in it also. After all, isn't it the public who have the last word. They are the one's whom you will be calling on to make the final decision. Planning is a must, but it has to be done with cooperation and the right frame of mind. Not just from one side, but from all sides. I believe that if you get the people involved it will work.
Lonelydrifter1 wrote on 07/22/2010 05:35:58 AM:
From the beginning of the SPLOST talk, I for one was in agreement with the need for it. Every body knows that the old court house building is out dated and is not fit, even with continued repairs as is taking place, it will never be fit for the continued service it is being used for now. In my opinion, the project for the SPLOST begin to fall apart when the County and City officials begin bickering over who would get what and how much. I feel as though, those who, like Chip Cherry, Juanita Jordan, Mike Ford and others should have gotten involved in trying to keep the sides together from the beginning, and not wait until it completely fell apart before they began to speak. New Town Macon, the Visitors Bureau, and especially the Chamber of Com. should have been doing what David Lucas and His crew done at the last minute. They spread fliers and info throughout the city of Macon in every Black church on the Sunday before the election, Maybe those of you who believed in the SPLOST had tried to pull the two governments together, it might have past. Every body with a sound mind know it's needed, but you have got to convince them to vote for it. But, bickering is not going to get it done. Get together and work it out together. That's the only wait it's going to get done.
Under_the_table wrote on 07/22/2010 01:22:44 AM:
A specifically written SPLOST designed to reduce debt and fund "necessary" capitol improvement projects will provide property tax relief and is the best vehicle available to save taxpayers money. The fact that it was voted down by citizens in the unincorporated area proves it had nothing to do with the Service Delivery Strategy. It failed strictly because of the way it was presented and the public felt all the projects it contained were not "necessary" or in some cases not priority weighted nor did they trust the officials to use the money to provide property tax relief as required by SPLOST codes
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/20/1200858/after-months-of-arguing-a-last.html
JASON VORHEES/THE TELEGRAPH Macon Mayor Robert Reichert speaks at a news conference at City Hall to encourage voters to vote against the SPLOST.
Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2010
After months of arguing, a last push from both sides regarding SPLOST vote
By PHILLIP RAMATI and MIKE STUCKA - Telegraph staff
Macon and Bibb County leaders made their final push Monday to steer voters toward their way of thinking on the special purpose local option sales tax vote to be decided at the polls Tuesday.
City officials largely oppose the SPLOST, while Bibb County leaders have pushed for its passage. The SPLOST would raise about $183 million in sales tax money over six years
At City Hall, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert urged voters to vote no. Flanked by Macon City Council members Miriam Paris, Larry Schlesinger, Alveno Ross, Nancy White and Erick Erickson, Reichert told a group of about 40 people that the proposed SPLOST is “fatally flawed ... one that drives us apart rather than pulling us together.”
Another news conference followed shortly after the one at City Hall ended. This one featured County Commission Chairman Sam Hart standing in front of Commissioners Elmo Richardson, Lonzy Edwards and Joe Allen. Hart called the SPLOST proposal “an opportunity to make progress in our community, and more importantly it’s an opportunity to put our citizens to work.”
The SPLOST would fund several projects, beginning with a courthouse complex as a top-tier project. Other items that would be funded include recreational facilities, a new emergency radio system and a stormwater runoff system. Those projects ordinarily couldn’t be funded until the courthouse complex was built, but county officials say they found a way to use bonds so those projects could be started more quickly.
The city and county have been at odds over the SPLOST for months. When the two governments failed to reach a service delivery agreement, the city declined to support the SPLOST. The City Council voted 13-2 in a resolution that supported Reichert’s wish of delaying the SPLOST vote until November, once the service delivery strategy had been worked out.
State law puts counties in control of SPLOST ballots, and county commissioners stuck with the July vote. Hart said Monday that commissioners are determined to end double taxation and share services fairly, but he called those completely separate issues from the SPLOST. Hart repeated a call to make negotiations effective through a tax equity study to figure out which government was paying too much.
“We want to eliminate double taxation as much as anybody else, but we want to know where we’re starting,” Hart said.
Reichert said Tuesday that a “no” vote ultimately would lead to a more unified city-county relationship.
“By voting ‘no,’ we think you are saying ‘yes’ to a more unified community, where the county doesn’t proceed to call for a special purpose local option sales tax without an intergovernmental agreement and the support of the city,” Reichert said.
Schlesinger, Ross and Paris also spoke at the news conference, echoing their support for Reichert.
“Now is the time for all of us to let the mayor lead,” Schlesinger said. “He has taken a courageous stand on this issue. This is a double-tax in particular. It is taking money out of all of our pockets.”
Paris said this SPLOST was flawed since its inception.
“Never has the county gone on (to propose a SPLOST) without the city,” she said. “That lack of cooperation started this argument.”
People at the city’s news conference said they aren’t necessarily against SPLOSTs in general, just the current one.
“I just have strong feelings, because there’s no definite plan as to how every dollar is going to be spent,” resident Gail Spencer said. “The courthouse needs to be done, but we’re in a recession. We need to see how every penny goes."
http://www.macon.com/2010/07/18/1199097/the-final-word-on-tuesdays-splost.html
Sunday,
Jul. 18, 2010
The final word on Tuesday’s SPLOST proposal: Vote no
The final word on Tuesday’s SPLOST proposal: Vote no
On Tuesday, July 20, Bibb County voters will have a final say on taxing themselves an additional penny for six years. The question on the ballot reads as follows:
“Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district of Bibb County for a period of time not to exceed six years for the raising of an estimated amount of $183,000,000 for the purpose of funding the acquisition, construction and equipping of the following capital outlay projects within Bibb County: (a) for Bibb County (i) a new county courthouse and parking facilities necessary for the courthouse, a new juvenile justice center, and renovations and improvements to the existing courthouse, (ii) recreation and cultural facilities and capital repairs and improvements to existing facilities, (iii) the acquisition of various items of equipment leased by the County through the 1998 Georgia Municipal Association lease pool, (iv) improvements and upgrades to the 800 mhz radio transmission system for law enforcement and emergency management, (v) storm water management improvement systems, (b) for the City of Macon (i) storm water management and drainage improvements, (ii) recreation facilities, (iii) improvements and upgrades to the 800 mhz radio transmission system for law enforcement and emergency management (iv) the acquisition of various items of equipment and other property leased by Macon through the 1990 and 1998 Georgia Municipal Association Lease pools, (v) construction, renovations and improvements to governmental buildings, and (vi) equipment for the Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority, and (c) for Payne City, (i) renovations and improvements to its city hall, (ii) repairs, upgrades and improvements to water, sewer and storm water drainage systems, and (iii) street and sidewalk improvements?
“If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of Bibb County in the principal amount not to exceed $50,000,000 for the above described new county courthouse and parking facilities necessary for the courthouse, the new juvenile justice center, and for renovations and improvements to the existing courthouse.”
That’s the question, but as always, the devil is in the details. By law, since there is no intergovernmental agreement between the city and county, only “(i) a new county courthouse and parking facilities necessary for the courthouse, a new juvenile justice center, and renovations and improvements to the existing courthouse,” can be funded initially. Barring a costly bond issue, all other projects have to wait until the courthouse projects are paid for. That could take three years. The tax is expected to raise $30.5 million a year, and if the estimates are correct, the courthouse complex and its associated projects will cost more than $70 million.
We have no quarrel with the projects for the most part. We need a new courthouse. Safety is an issue. We need repairs and rehabilitation to recreation facilities. The only items we disagree with are the “cultural facilities.” That translates primarily to mean the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, but could apply to the Tubman African American Museum, the Douglass Theatre or anything else dubbed “cultural facility.”
No one wants the halls of fame to close. That would be a tremendous blow to the downtown area. However, the way the proposal is worded, those “cultural facilities” and the county’s recreation projects are lumped in the same basket. We don’t know what the state will accept as a purchase price for the halls of fame. It is unlikely it will accept a plan to pay for the halls with $15 million and then return the money in the form of an endowment so the halls could operate. That circumvents the spirit and letter of the SPLOST legislation. It is an understandable act of desperation. However, the law is the law, and no SPLOST money can flow to the state for the halls for at least three years. If the Bibb County halls of fame plan does meet state approval, what’s next? How do we run them? How do we raise the money to operate and maintain the facilities after the initial jolt of cash runs out? For an answer, look in the mirror, Mr. or Mrs. property owner. And there is another question, “If there’s not enough money to finish all the listed projects, what gets short shrift?” Our guess would be recreation.
We did not make our decision to oppose this SPLOST on the willy-nilly. While we agree with the new courthouse and ancillary facilities, no one has put pen to paper to figure out how much these facilities will cost to maintain and operate. Yes, we need a juvenile justice center, but it will cost money beyond the construction expenses. Programs to steer wayward youth away from crime cost money. Right now we spend more, by far, on inmates with mental challenges than we spend on prevention initiatives. Will the juvenile justice center, for lack of funds, turn into just another court for juvenile offenders? Please understand, whether this SPLOST passes or fails there is a property tax increase in our future.
Let’s face it, this SPLOST has been hijacked. It’s no longer about the projects but about winning and losing, damn the consequences. The city is rightly concerned that if the SPLOST passes, the city will be saddled with maintenance and operational costs of recreational facilities in the county. It wants to negotiate the service delivery strategy. The county wants to delay those negotiations until after the vote, so here we are, having a crucial vote in July rather than November. And that is another major objection to this proposal.
At the end of the day, this is not about this SPLOST. It is about how our city and county can consolidate. It is about city residents being taken for granted. It is about double taxation. It is about the attitude that city residents are lesser citizens of the county (although they pay more) than residents outside the city’s limits.
Decide what you will by Tuesday. Our recommendation stands. This SPLOST should be defeated. The city and county need to be on one accord when it comes to creating a tax burden for all the county’s residents. Defeating this proposal, and passing a SPLOST next year instead, would actually provide funds for the other projects beside the courthouse on day one, rather than years down the road.
Yes, there will be challenges to a SPLOST even next year. However, the service delivery strategy and double taxation issues will be settled. The mayor and council will be able to submit more than a preliminary list to be included in the question. The city and county can present a united front and get the proposal passed and that could be a precursor to greater cooperation between the city and county and could offer a glimpse at what a consolidated government could look like.
If the proposal passes Tuesday, we will get the projects listed eventually, however, bringing the two governments together will be hopelessly postponed until one or both are at the cliff’s edge of insolvency.
Charles E. Richardson, for the Editorial Board