Let's talk about wasteful and extravagant spending

[Ugadawgs98]

You have unwittingly made the point of very many...why are my tax dollars in use to improve the life of the residents of Dallas and not me (by remaining in my pocket for me to spend)? Why not have the citizens of Dallas band together and pay themselves for whatever it is that they want - thereby making it none of my business?

 

 

 

Maybe because the residents of the city of Dallas pay county taxes also?

Maybe because the residents of the city of Dallas pay an additional city tax?

Maybe because the city of Dallas was awarded Federal stimulus money to fund such projects?

Edited July 27, 2012 by Ugadawgs98

[politicalmonster]

Pubby or anyone else that is supporting the projects such as the fountain and sidewalk:

Please tell me why it is ok for politicians to spend money on something that is NOT NEEDED just because the money is there? So what if the money was a federal grant? If you pay federal taxes, that is still your money!! And it is being spent (especially in the case of the sidewalk) on something that has no benefit! I drive by that sidewalk every day, and I have seen about 12 people on it over the past 6 months.

 

You people act like if we don't take the money it will just be forever locked up in the grant. It won't. Eventually the funding mechanism creating the grant will expire, and that money will go back into general funds that might be used for something productive.

 

And the freakin argument "If we don't use it someone else will", really? What are we in third grade? Maybe if more citizens held politicians accountable instead of picking one side or the other in an ideological battle of wills all that money that is just "waiting" to be spent would be focused on things that government actually has some business providing. (There really aren't that many)

-PM

[zoocrew]

Pubby or anyone else that is supporting the projects such as the fountain and sidewalk:

Please tell me why it is ok for politicians to spend money on something that is NOT NEEDED just because the money is there? So what if the money was a federal grant? If you pay federal taxes, that is still your money!! And it is being spent (especially in the case of the sidewalk) on something that has no benefit! I drive by that sidewalk every day, and I have seen about 12 people on it over the past 6 months.

 

You people act like if we don't take the money it will just be forever locked up in the grant. It won't. Eventually the funding mechanism creating the grant will expire, and that money will go back into general funds that might be used for something productive.

 

And the freakin argument "If we don't use it someone else will", really? What are we in third grade? Maybe if more citizens held politicians accountable instead of picking one side or the other in an ideological battle of wills all that money that is just "waiting" to be spent would be focused on things that government actually has some business providing. (There really aren't that many)

-PM

 

So you're saying the politicians who gave the money after decrying the spending (Phil Gingrey) and then passed it on for local projects while local politicians decry government spending (local politicians) are hypocrites. Is that the jest of what you're saying?

 

 

 

[ree]

Come on over to the other side of City of Dallas, close to the Hospital. There has been No money spent here but yet we pay city taxes.

[surepip]

Pubby or anyone else that is supporting the projects such as the fountain and sidewalk:

 

You people act like if we don't take the money it will just be forever locked up in the grant. It won't. Eventually the funding mechanism creating the grant will expire, and that money will go back into general funds that might be used for something productive.

 

 

Nope, they cannot do that at all.

 

If the grant is received for a specific project like a downtown beatification project with a fountain and sidewalks, it can only be used for that project. It will NEVER go back into the city general fund, it will go back to the grant provider.

 

I remember how doggy-doodoo Fugly downtown Dallas was years ago. Now it is rather appealing.

 

Of course King Jerry moved the courthouse and administration to his TajMahal, and it will be, hopefully, just a nice college campus down the road. But I have no problem with what Dallas did to improve their "citiscape".

 

As people learn of the spur trail from the Silver Comet Trailhead at 278 and Seaboard/Main Street, those sidewalks to nowhere will be utilized to reach the Library and Sara Babb Park. Won't happen over night, but it will as the Georgia Highland/Kennesaw/Chattahoochee Tech Student population grows....which it will.

[LPPT]

The sidewalk to nowhere

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects

 

All the sidewalks did were to give jobs to the Mexicans. If you were watching all the workers were not from Dallas or Paulding county. This was t total waste.

The fountain on the Square

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects.

 

Ok so the fountain looks good. How many new jobs did that create? Who pays the maintenance cost to keep it up and to provide water when it gets low? That spot could

have been used for a business or even a parking lot. Also if you were watching it was all Mexicans who built it.

 

We kept people working, house notes and other bills paid, rather than unemployment and food stamps.

 

The New Courthouse

You do know that Jerry Shearin and his BOC which are no longer in office bought that with bonds, we can not stop payment on those bonds. We also continue to have to spend because of some issues with the construction.

As long as Jerry is no longer involved with our local government we should not have any other problems like that.

 

The court house should have been voted on and there should have been open records as to who was doing the work. Until there is more open records in this county anything

like this. I have seen the credit card records for now, and there are so many things that should have not been bought, like all the trips out of town (Jekyll island etc).

 

The Airport

The airport was also done under the Shearin team. To help you understand what is at stake there are certain things that have to be done to have it payback the citizens of the county what they were forced to put in it.

But lets just be blunt about the airport situation. That some folks either want the progress stopped and want to be bought out to the tune of millions because the airport is disturbing them.

They believe that the taxpayers money should first be spent to buy them out, then the airport can proceed to make money to pay back taxpayers investment.

When you look at the potential for jobs and tax base, look at Mccullum,commercial property backs up right to the hangers on all sides. It is a huge boost to economy. the land out there will only grow in value for tax base and jobs.

 

The airport was voted out three times, and it was still built. All funding should be dropped and let the airport make it's own way. If it can't then it should be closed, or

at least made private. It is on the top of a mountain with all the trees cut in all directions, there is always going to be a problem with wind if there is no windbreak.

 

Several NEW parks

New Library

 

Back at square one the Shearin team appropriated the money for this, you do understand about appropriation right? Then proceeded to spend almost 1/2 of those funds on planning and moving dirt. They put no limits on cost over run giving the selected builders a blank check to finish the job.

The newly elected BOC rebid it and had new plans saving the taxpayers millions of dollars that they had been obligated to spend.

 

Has anyone looked at the shape some of our parks have gotten in since we built the new parks. Just go look at Paulding Meadows and it draws more out of

county people then all the rest combined for the arts and crafts show.

 

What we needed was.............

 

A water resevoir

 

And once again we are back to Shearin and team, there is a rumor of a pissing contest lost by Paulding county that resulted in a hell would freeze over before there is funding for this. It was shelved during the last administration.

The dust being blown off a year later caused us to incur huge expenses to finish the studies for it.

 

And who caused the pissing contest?

 

Textbooks for the students

We spend the least of any county in Georgia to educate each student, I believe the taxpayers in the county are satisfied with that.

 

NO AND A BIG NO! How can a student study at home if they don't have textbooks? Ok you say CD's My kid went to PHS and there

was no textbooks, and no cd's All the money was spent on a big new gym that wasn't needed. For the amount that was

spent on the gym there could have been textbooks for all the students.

 

 

NO furlough days for county employees.

It was furlough, layoff, or raise millage. We are all free o contact the commissioners and tell them how bad we feel for the county employees and ask them to raise our millage rate. It was my understanding that they did not receive any messages of this type from taxpayers. Probably because many of them were laid off and barely able to pay their mortgages.

 

There wouldn't be layoffs etc if the money was spent for the right things. Trips out of town for David and Steve to all over the place didn't do anything

for the county except spend the money and give them a place to go.

 

AND....hold on to your hats................JOBS.

 

Over 200 new jobs have been created in Paulding in less than a year. We have had many areas with existing businesses declared opportunity zones. Existing businesses here in the county will get huge tax breaks for adding employees.

 

The millions that the movie studio and new companies are pumping into the economy monthly will result in small and existing business hiring more.

80 of those new jobs will pay around 40,000 10,000 above the average 30,000 currently.

 

My understanding is that there is a huge amount of international companies looking to locate here. If we can do this in one year, with a new economic development plan, I am excited to see what we can do in the second year.

I am hearing so much excited chatter from small companies about the new jobs and tax breaks it is incredible.

 

 

Ok so how many people did the movie studio hire from Paulding county? Tell me what 80 jobs you are talking about and how does one get one of these jobs.

I thing one of the major problems in this county is the economic development team. How much is their salary compared to the common workers that

keep the county going? It's time to rid ourselves of a lot of the top heavy people and get back to running the county for the people not for the politicians.

 

 

Your argument would absolutely be credible if you knew any of the details of the economic plan.

It does not take long for me to figure out someone is punching holes in something they don't have a single factual detail on. But thanks for playing.

[LPPT]

Come on over to the other side of City of Dallas, close to the Hospital. There has been No money spent here but yet we pay city taxes.

You want the city or county to spend money in an area where the businesses wouldn't put a dime back into buildings no matter how much they made.

Take a look around next time you drive through there. Very few of those businesses care about their appearance. Many are not open to the public so the facade is not important.

The city and county can not force people to maintain a building. The roads and sewer through there come under the jurisdiction of the local GOV and they seem well maintained to me.

 

Pubby or anyone else that is supporting the projects such as the fountain and sidewalk:

Please tell me why it is ok for politicians to spend money on something that is NOT NEEDED just because the money is there? So what if the money was a federal grant? If you pay federal taxes, that is still your money!! And it is being spent (especially in the case of the sidewalk) on something that has no benefit! I drive by that sidewalk every day, and I have seen about 12 people on it over the past 6 months.

 

You people act like if we don't take the money it will just be forever locked up in the grant. It won't. Eventually the funding mechanism creating the grant will expire, and that money will go back into general funds that might be used for something productive.

 

And the freakin argument "If we don't use it someone else will", really? What are we in third grade? Maybe if more citizens held politicians accountable instead of picking one side or the other in an ideological battle of wills all that money that is just "waiting" to be spent would be focused on things that government actually has some business providing. (There really aren't that many)

-PM

 

The facts are the facts on grants, why attack people for telling you how it is. Go yell at your congressman.

[kwood]

Nope, they cannot do that at all.

 

If the grant is received for a specific project like a downtown beatification project with a fountain and sidewalks, it can only be used for that project. It will NEVER go back into the city general fund, it will go back to the grant provider.

 

I remember how doggy-doodoo Fugly downtown Dallas was years ago. Now it is rather appealing.

 

Of course King Jerry moved the courthouse and administration to his TajMahal, and it will be, hopefully, just a nice college campus down the road. But I have no problem with what Dallas did to improve their "citiscape".

 

As people learn of the spur trail from the Silver Comet Trailhead at 278 and Seaboard/Main Street, those sidewalks to nowhere will be utilized to reach the Library and Sara Babb Park. Won't happen over night, but it will as the Georgia Highland/Kennesaw/Chattahoochee Tech Student population grows....which it will.

 

2 things, who is the grant provider? The federal government? So it would go back to the federal govt where it could be used for other projects, or used to pay down the debt. You give people money they will always find a way to spend it all.

 

What trail spur are you talking about. Seaboard is in Hiram? Or is there another Seaboard. Cause if it's Hiram it'll be a long walk to Sara Babb Park.

[zoocrew]

2 things, who is the grant provider? The federal government? So it would go back to the federal govt where it could be used for other projects, or used to pay down the debt. You give people money they will always find a way to spend it all.

 

What trail spur are you talking about. Seaboard is in Hiram? Or is there another Seaboard. Cause if it's Hiram it'll be a long walk to Sara Babb Park.

 

You do understand that money going back in to the general budget doesn't "pay back the debt," right? You cannot earmark money to "pay back the debt." That's not how the budget process works.

[kwood]

You do understand that money going back in to the general budget doesn't "pay back the debt," right? You cannot earmark money to "pay back the debt." That's not how the budget process works.

 

Of course I know that. What I'm saying is that if each community across the country quit spending federal grants on pet projects maybe we could use that money in a more fiscally responsible way.

[zoocrew]

Of course I know that. What I'm saying is that if each community across the country quit spending federal grants on pet projects maybe we could use that money in a more fiscally responsible way.

 

So you are willing to call Phil Gingrey a hypocrite for passing out the checks for the local places to spend that Federal money he voted against, and you're willing to say the local politicians are hypocrites for accepting that money when they claim they are about cutting spending. Is that what you're saying?

[kwood]

So you are willing to call Phil Gingrey a hypocrite for passing out the checks for the local places to spend that Federal money he voted against, and you're willing to say the local politicians are hypocrites for accepting that money when they claim they are about cutting spending. Is that what you're saying?

 

I'm saying ALL politicians need to be more responsible with OUR money.

[zoocrew]

I'm saying ALL politicians need to be more responsible with OUR money.

 

But are you willing to publicly call Gingrey a hypocrite for decrying the spending but then have his picture made passing out checks to local politicians who also decried government spending?

 

Like the airport built here with FAA money. Were the politicians who took the money to build the airport hypocrites for taking the money?

[kwood]

But are you willing to publicly call Gingrey a hypocrite for decrying the spending but then have his picture made passing out checks to local politicians who also decried government spending?

 

What part of my last response are you unable to comprehend. ALL POLITICIANS NEED TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR MONEY. I'll say it slower.....ALL....POLITICIANS.....NEED....TO....BE...MORE.....RESPONSIBLE....WITH....OUR....MONEY.

[surepip]

2 things, who is the grant provider? The federal government? So it would go back to the federal govt where it could be used for other projects, or used to pay down the debt. You give people money they will always find a way to spend it all.

 

What trail spur are you talking about. Seaboard is in Hiram? Or is there another Seaboard. Cause if it's Hiram it'll be a long walk to Sara Babb Park.

 

Mainstreet coming out of downtown Dallas, curves, crosses the RR tracks and then I believe turns into Seaboard, and comes out on 278 where Audrey's is. When the Spur is finished [might already be?] you can ride a bike from the Silver Comet to Downtown Dallas, just like you can in Downtown Rockmart. We used to ride to Rockmart, eat lunch at Frankie's, and ride back. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon and the only place convienent to eat at along the SCT.

 

A connection spur to the SCT from downtown Dallas, will be used by the college students and others, including me. If it ever freaking cools off again.

[zoocrew]

What part of my last response are you unable to comprehend. ALL POLITICIANS NEED TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR MONEY. I'll say it slower.....ALL....POLITICIANS.....NEED....TO....BE...MORE.....RESPONSIBLE....WITH....OUR....MONEY.

 

Once again. Are you willing to say Gingrey is a hypocrite for giving the check? Are you willing to say the local politicians are hypocrites for taking the money?

 

It's easy to say all need to be more responsible. But are you willing to specifically call specific actions hypocritical?

[BH87]

You had some credibility until you said Hiram Walmart.... :shivers:

I did not say I was for it, although I would be for people wearing shoes there.

[cookies are sweet]

OK folks, this is very simple.

 

If I like what the money is being spent for and it benefits me, then it is neither wasteful nor extravagant, no matter what it is.

If it does not benefit me and I do not like or agree with how the money is being spent, then it is most certainly wastful and extravagant and those who voted for it should have bamboo shoots driven under their nails, be shot, drawn & quarted, boiled in oil and shipped to Detroit.

 

But then that is just the kind of person I am, always thinking of others.

[politicalmonster]

So you're saying the politicians who gave the money after decrying the spending (Phil Gingrey) and then passed it on for local projects while local politicians decry government spending (local politicians) are hypocrites. Is that the jest of what you're saying?

No. All politicians are hypocrites, and liars by their very nature. They simply can't keep all their promises to all of their constituents. The only difference is the degree to which they lie, and to whom.

 

I am saying we need to hold politicians accountable, not excuse what they do because the money comes from a different "pot". Any money government spends is money they took away from you and I as taxpayers. Doesn't matter if it is city, state, or federal.

 

-PM

[politicalmonster]

Nope, they cannot do that at all.

 

If the grant is received for a specific project like a downtown beatification project with a fountain and sidewalks, it can only be used for that project. It will NEVER go back into the city general fund, it will go back to the grant provider.

 

Fine, the grant provider; I was using general fund as a generic term for going back to where it came from.

My point stands in that the argument of "if we don't use it someone will" is facetious at best. The money would eventually go back from whence it came, and whoever provided it will have an opportunity to utilize it in some other manner, that hopefully would be useful to someone.

 

A dollar wasted by government is a dollar that I should have been able to keep, since it is MY money!

-PM

[surepip]

I don't know how much the sidewalk from downtown to Sara Babb will be used, but I would venture to guess the one from the SCT to downtown Dallas will be well used, and allow that many cars to be "Off the road:" with bikes instead.

 

We have the opportunity to build CTC, Georgia Highlands, and Kennesaw into a substantial college campus. Good for the community and the local economy no matter how you look at it.

 

Providing a way to walk, or ride a bike, interconnecting the 3 campuses to the retail in downtown Dallas it good for all concerned.

 

And, at the time all of that was originated, grants applied for, etc., the economy was doing pretty good. Unfortunately by the time they built it and got the last of the funding, from I believe stimulous money, the economy had soured.

 

But it does get used and even though I don't live in the city limits of Dallas, I am all for it and glad Dallas took the opportunity to get the city looking so much nicer. I will be happier when there is enough vibrant activity in downtown Dallas to attract the retail to go with it like Ackworth and Villa Rica have done.

 

It will never be a downtown Athens, but hey....its a far cry better that what we had, and has created an environment to grow as the attendance at the 3 colleges grows.

[bored]

Building industrial buildings is not like building a Popeyes chicken on the corner.

These projects are never announced to the press until every I is dotted and every T crossed. Quite honestly had he listed a 1/2 dozen retail businesses paying minimum wage you would do the little clappy, instead comparing this to Obama.

These are private sector jobs, you do understand the difference right?

Just the building of these will help the local economy then the jobs that follow.

Did you not see any jobs on the list you qualify for?

 

 

 

Of course I see the difference, and your condescending tone is not needed.

I actually have a very nicely paying job (after being unemployed for 7 months).

Still standing my ground on my beliefs tho. You can keep puffing the dragon but it is all make believe until the jobs are posted.

[LPPT]

Of course I see the difference, and your condescending tone is not needed.

I actually have a very nicely paying job (after being unemployed for 7 months).

Still standing my ground on my beliefs tho. You can keep puffing the dragon but it is all make believe until the jobs are posted.

I am not the least bit worried about eating crow on this one. No matter what happens in the election the contracts have been signed nobody can retroactively put a stop to this these jobs will stand. you know the good paying ones. I am sure that small business will hire more minimum wage folks in the meantime. We will all have a big celebration over that. This conversation has made a dramatic turn with your help for people to find something evil in good paying jobs coming to Paulding. It's not a get rich quick scheme like housing development.

 

I can tell you that across the board businesses want to hire positive hard working, qualified people. We have that here, now we have good opportunities for those people.

 

Ps I wanted to ask if that good paying job is in Paulding? and what you consider good paying?

[zoocrew]

OK folks, this is very simple.

 

If I like what the money is being spent for and it benefits me, then it is neither wasteful nor extravagant, no matter what it is.

If it does not benefit me and I do not like or agree with how the money is being spent, then it is most certainly wastful and extravagant and those who voted for it should have bamboo shoots driven under their nails, be shot, drawn & quarted, boiled in oil and shipped to Detroit.

 

But then that is just the kind of person I am, always thinking of others.

 

+10

[bored]

I am not the least bit worried about eating crow on this one. No matter what happens in the election the contracts have been signed nobody can retroactively put a stop to this these jobs will stand. you know the good paying ones. I am sure that small business will hire more minimum wage folks in the meantime. We will all have a big celebration over that. This conversation has made a dramatic turn with your help for people to find something evil in good paying jobs coming to Paulding. It's not a get rich quick scheme like housing development.

 

I can tell you that across the board businesses want to hire positive hard working, qualified people. We have that here, now we have good opportunities for those people.

 

Ps I wanted to ask if that good paying job is in Paulding? and what you consider good paying?

 

 

LPPT, I hope that the jobs do come....I truly do.

Paulding needs jobs but I will not believe it until I see it.

And yes, my job is in Paulding and the pay is well above minimum wage.

I have been saying for a long time that Paulding needs more opportunities......I look forward to seeing them.

[Nebulus22]

I don't think there has ever been anyone in the history of my life that I have disagreed with more. Obviously you missed some college econ classes if you believe that the Government spending money collected from tax payers is an effective way to "prime the pump". Let the people keep the money in the first place. It's like Nancy Pelosi saying for every dollar spent on food stamps $1.79 is put back into the economy. Well then Nancy, why not give EVERYONE food stamp money, then we would all be millionaires.

 

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”

― Alexis de Tocqueville

Thank you for sharing that...finally someone has a clue. I wish ppl could see the big picture.

[zoocrew]

I don't think there has ever been anyone in the history of my life that I have disagreed with more. Obviously you missed some college econ classes if you believe that the Government spending money collected from tax payers is an effective way to "prime the pump". Let the people keep the money in the first place. It's like Nancy Pelosi saying for every dollar spent on food stamps $1.79 is put back into the economy. Well then Nancy, why not give EVERYONE food stamp money, then we would all be millionaires.

 

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years."

― Alexis de Tocqueville

 

Where do I start?

 

First, the quote you gave by Alexis de Tocqueville is spurious. He never said it. Neither did Tytler. That email urban legend has been floating around for years and only the naive believe those sort of things.

 

Second, I am not even going to bother trying to discuss the way the economy works. While I redily admit I am not an expert in those matters, this discussion was part of 320, 330, 410 and 420 Public Econ classes. It was also part of Policy and Econ 301. I would suggest you get get those books down and read them.

 

Third, the economy is much more complex than what you're presenting.

 

Fourth, the experts I'm reading say that spending is a means of priming the pump. If you disagree, fine.

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2012 by zoocrew

[Nebulus22]

PS this is not a talk, it is a give me your thoughts as I want to knock them down.

I was thinking the same thing from the first reply

[cobb transplant]

Pubby: What is being complained about is progress. They see the county spending that money ... in the case of the airport in total ... at least as much as has been cut from local spending over the past four years ($30+ million). They'd rather have their jobs than an airport; they'd rather have their jobs than a sidewalk and they'd rather than have their jobs than a fountain.

 

*************************************************************************************************************

Well said..."they" are the truly selfish, self-centered and just mean spirited people to rather have their job than a fountain for me. If not for my fountain, they wouldn't have a job...er, wait, I mean, let's see here, they don't have a job because they don't like my fountain...no, that don't work neither, ummmm...lemme get back to ya

[gpatt0n]

Pubby: What is being complained about is progress. They see the county spending that money ... in the case of the airport in total ... at least as much as has been cut from local spending over the past four years ($30+ million). They'd rather have their jobs than an airport; they'd rather have their jobs than a sidewalk and they'd rather than have their jobs than a fountain.

 

*************************************************************************************************************

Well said..."they" are the truly selfish, self-centered and just mean spirited people to rather have their job than a fountain for me. If not for my fountain, they wouldn't have a job...er, wait, I mean, let's see here, they don't have a job because they don't like my fountain...no, that don't work neither, ummmm...lemme get back to ya

 

I wouldn't say they are selfish for wanting to have a job rather than a fountain. Everyone wants a job. What I fault them for is for being so dense as to not understand that when a local government gets money to do A - buy a sidewalk or fountain - from the state or federal government the local government can't just decide to give it to an employee to sit on their butts because no homes are being built for them to inspect.

 

It is really kind of like the ire a daddy might have for his son whom he gives $40 for a pair of pants and pullover shirt. The youngster instead goes out and buys cigarettes and four six packs of beer instead and proceeds to invite friends over for a party.

 

So, if you're daddy, and you walk in on that party are you going to give junior another $40 for clothes?

 

I just got back to you.

 

pubby

[bored]

The sidewalk to nowhere

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects

 

All the sidewalks did were to give jobs to the Mexicans. If you were watching all the workers were not from Dallas or Paulding county. This was t total waste.

The fountain on the Square

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects.

 

Ok so the fountain looks good. How many new jobs did that create? Who pays the maintenance cost to keep it up and to provide water when it gets low? That spot could

have been used for a business or even a parking lot. Also if you were watching it was all Mexicans who built it.

 

We kept people working, house notes and other bills paid, rather than unemployment and food stamps.

 

The New Courthouse

You do know that Jerry Shearin and his BOC which are no longer in office bought that with bonds, we can not stop payment on those bonds. We also continue to have to spend because of some issues with the construction.

As long as Jerry is no longer involved with our local government we should not have any other problems like that.

 

The court house should have been voted on and there should have been open records as to who was doing the work. Until there is more open records in this county anything

like this. I have seen the credit card records for now, and there are so many things that should have not been bought, like all the trips out of town (Jekyll island etc).

 

The Airport

The airport was also done under the Shearin team. To help you understand what is at stake there are certain things that have to be done to have it payback the citizens of the county what they were forced to put in it.

But lets just be blunt about the airport situation. That some folks either want the progress stopped and want to be bought out to the tune of millions because the airport is disturbing them.

They believe that the taxpayers money should first be spent to buy them out, then the airport can proceed to make money to pay back taxpayers investment.

When you look at the potential for jobs and tax base, look at Mccullum,commercial property backs up right to the hangers on all sides. It is a huge boost to economy. the land out there will only grow in value for tax base and jobs.

 

The airport was voted out three times, and it was still built. All funding should be dropped and let the airport make it's own way. If it can't then it should be closed, or

at least made private. It is on the top of a mountain with all the trees cut in all directions, there is always going to be a problem with wind if there is no windbreak.

 

Several NEW parks

New Library

 

Back at square one the Shearin team appropriated the money for this, you do understand about appropriation right? Then proceeded to spend almost 1/2 of those funds on planning and moving dirt. They put no limits on cost over run giving the selected builders a blank check to finish the job.

The newly elected BOC rebid it and had new plans saving the taxpayers millions of dollars that they had been obligated to spend.

 

Has anyone looked at the shape some of our parks have gotten in since we built the new parks. Just go look at Paulding Meadows and it draws more out of

county people then all the rest combined for the arts and crafts show.

 

What we needed was.............

 

A water resevoir

 

And once again we are back to Shearin and team, there is a rumor of a pissing contest lost by Paulding county that resulted in a hell would freeze over before there is funding for this. It was shelved during the last administration.

The dust being blown off a year later caused us to incur huge expenses to finish the studies for it.

 

And who caused the pissing contest?

 

Textbooks for the students

We spend the least of any county in Georgia to educate each student, I believe the taxpayers in the county are satisfied with that.

 

NO AND A BIG NO! How can a student study at home if they don't have textbooks? Ok you say CD's My kid went to PHS and there

was no textbooks, and no cd's All the money was spent on a big new gym that wasn't needed. For the amount that was

spent on the gym there could have been textbooks for all the students.

 

 

NO furlough days for county employees.

It was furlough, layoff, or raise millage. We are all free o contact the commissioners and tell them how bad we feel for the county employees and ask them to raise our millage rate. It was my understanding that they did not receive any messages of this type from taxpayers. Probably because many of them were laid off and barely able to pay their mortgages.

 

There wouldn't be layoffs etc if the money was spent for the right things. Trips out of town for David and Steve to all over the place didn't do anything

for the county except spend the money and give them a place to go.

 

AND....hold on to your hats................JOBS.

 

Over 200 new jobs have been created in Paulding in less than a year. We have had many areas with existing businesses declared opportunity zones. Existing businesses here in the county will get huge tax breaks for adding employees.

 

The millions that the movie studio and new companies are pumping into the economy monthly will result in small and existing business hiring more.

80 of those new jobs will pay around 40,000 10,000 above the average 30,000 currently.

 

My understanding is that there is a huge amount of international companies looking to locate here. If we can do this in one year, with a new economic development plan, I am excited to see what we can do in the second year.

I am hearing so much excited chatter from small companies about the new jobs and tax breaks it is incredible.

 

 

Ok so how many people did the movie studio hire from Paulding county? Tell me what 80 jobs you are talking about and how does one get one of these jobs.

I thing one of the major problems in this county is the economic development team. How much is their salary compared to the common workers that

keep the county going? It's time to rid ourselves of a lot of the top heavy people and get back to running the county for the people not for the politicians.

 

 

 

:drinks: :clapping: I have never met you, But I think we could be friends fast. Very well said radiohead.

[zoocrew]

The sidewalk to nowhere

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects

 

All the sidewalks did were to give jobs to the Mexicans. If you were watching all the workers were not from Dallas or Paulding county. This was t total waste.

The fountain on the Square

You do know that that was stimulus money that did not cost local taxpayers a dime and that had we not taken it someone else would have because it was earmarked and could only be spent one way on those type of projects.

 

Ok so the fountain looks good. How many new jobs did that create? Who pays the maintenance cost to keep it up and to provide water when it gets low? That spot could

have been used for a business or even a parking lot. Also if you were watching it was all Mexicans who built it.

 

We kept people working, house notes and other bills paid, rather than unemployment and food stamps.

 

The New Courthouse

You do know that Jerry Shearin and his BOC which are no longer in office bought that with bonds, we can not stop payment on those bonds. We also continue to have to spend because of some issues with the construction.

As long as Jerry is no longer involved with our local government we should not have any other problems like that.

 

The court house should have been voted on and there should have been open records as to who was doing the work. Until there is more open records in this county anything

like this. I have seen the credit card records for now, and there are so many things that should have not been bought, like all the trips out of town (Jekyll island etc).

 

The Airport

The airport was also done under the Shearin team. To help you understand what is at stake there are certain things that have to be done to have it payback the citizens of the county what they were forced to put in it.

But lets just be blunt about the airport situation. That some folks either want the progress stopped and want to be bought out to the tune of millions because the airport is disturbing them.

They believe that the taxpayers money should first be spent to buy them out, then the airport can proceed to make money to pay back taxpayers investment.

When you look at the potential for jobs and tax base, look at Mccullum,commercial property backs up right to the hangers on all sides. It is a huge boost to economy. the land out there will only grow in value for tax base and jobs.

 

The airport was voted out three times, and it was still built. All funding should be dropped and let the airport make it's own way. If it can't then it should be closed, or

at least made private. It is on the top of a mountain with all the trees cut in all directions, there is always going to be a problem with wind if there is no windbreak.

 

Several NEW parks

New Library

 

Back at square one the Shearin team appropriated the money for this, you do understand about appropriation right? Then proceeded to spend almost 1/2 of those funds on planning and moving dirt. They put no limits on cost over run giving the selected builders a blank check to finish the job.

The newly elected BOC rebid it and had new plans saving the taxpayers millions of dollars that they had been obligated to spend.

 

Has anyone looked at the shape some of our parks have gotten in since we built the new parks. Just go look at Paulding Meadows and it draws more out of

county people then all the rest combined for the arts and crafts show.

 

What we needed was.............

 

A water resevoir

 

And once again we are back to Shearin and team, there is a rumor of a pissing contest lost by Paulding county that resulted in a hell would freeze over before there is funding for this. It was shelved during the last administration.

The dust being blown off a year later caused us to incur huge expenses to finish the studies for it.

 

And who caused the pissing contest?

 

Textbooks for the students

We spend the least of any county in Georgia to educate each student, I believe the taxpayers in the county are satisfied with that.

 

NO AND A BIG NO! How can a student study at home if they don't have textbooks? Ok you say CD's My kid went to PHS and there

was no textbooks, and no cd's All the money was spent on a big new gym that wasn't needed. For the amount that was

spent on the gym there could have been textbooks for all the students.

 

 

NO furlough days for county employees.

It was furlough, layoff, or raise millage. We are all free o contact the commissioners and tell them how bad we feel for the county employees and ask them to raise our millage rate. It was my understanding that they did not receive any messages of this type from taxpayers. Probably because many of them were laid off and barely able to pay their mortgages.

 

There wouldn't be layoffs etc if the money was spent for the right things. Trips out of town for David and Steve to all over the place didn't do anything

for the county except spend the money and give them a place to go.

 

AND....hold on to your hats................JOBS.

 

Over 200 new jobs have been created in Paulding in less than a year. We have had many areas with existing businesses declared opportunity zones. Existing businesses here in the county will get huge tax breaks for adding employees.

 

The millions that the movie studio and new companies are pumping into the economy monthly will result in small and existing business hiring more.

80 of those new jobs will pay around 40,000 10,000 above the average 30,000 currently.

 

My understanding is that there is a huge amount of international companies looking to locate here. If we can do this in one year, with a new economic development plan, I am excited to see what we can do in the second year.

I am hearing so much excited chatter from small companies about the new jobs and tax breaks it is incredible.

 

 

Ok so how many people did the movie studio hire from Paulding county? Tell me what 80 jobs you are talking about and how does one get one of these jobs.

I thing one of the major problems in this county is the economic development team. How much is their salary compared to the common workers that

keep the county going? It's time to rid ourselves of a lot of the top heavy people and get back to running the county for the people not for the politicians.

 

 

And exactly how do you know those were "Mexicans" and not naturalized American citizens, or of they were descended from a European nation like Spain or Portugal?

 

The fountain was built with grant money that had to be spent on the streetscape project and nothing else.

 

Exactly how are sure those "trips" weren't not for county business?

 

No, the airport was not voted on. That is not true. There was a vote for whether or not to float a bond for the funding but there was never a vote on whether or not to have the airport.

 

So you don't think the people who have the most education and training should be compensated for the work they do? Paying the economic development team similarly to say a records clerk is not at all rational.

 

 

 

[LPPT]

:drinks: :clapping: I have never met you, But I think we could be friends fast. Very well said radiohead.

 

Did someone give you your job because you needed it? or because you were qualified.

A lot of the new jobs pay well and you will have to be qualified. We have thousands of jobs in this county that pay minimum wage, they are willing to train folks.

 

There is absolutely no way to respond to his remarks with out insulting a lot of people and giving away a lot of things.

 

I don't particularly appreciate the insinuation that others don't deserve what they are getting paid. It comes down to a changing of the guard, the new guard is going to be making the same money and have the same power. If we choose wrong we simply get less for our money.

 

People are welcome to think less money will be spent, I doubt that it is true,we will be spending on different things.

It is very hard for people to get their minds around how deep of a hole we are in as a bedroom community. This hole made a lot of money for some people, people that now are not making money.

 

There is no manipulation at any level to help them make money.

If we filled every vacant home in Paulding in the next month, we would have to raise the millage rate. How much I do not know, the people that did well back then have no work, some of our gov. employees don't have enough work without the housing industry. People have been left behind because all the eggs were in one basket.

 

What we have been doing is not sustainable without spending tax dollars just to maintain what we have.

We need to take a long hard look at why people want what they want, and who they hope to help.

 

Small business is having a very hard time competing in this economy small business only needs one thing to thrive and that is people walking in the door with money in hand.

 

You can pay their overhead, remove the taxes, but the bottom line is you can't tell me were to shop, or eat, what plumber or other contractor to use.

They have to compete in the current market to survive. Nobody is killing them, the economy is killing them.People are not spending and you can't make them.

 

You can't make the housing market come back no matter how much you try to manipulate things. This county as is, without balanced economic development can only sustain so many small businesses and retail. Someone has got to pay taxes, we have 2 sources homeowners and businesses. If you break their backs because you won't pursue balance because someone gets left behind we all go down together. The people of this county do not owe people that made money off of one sided development a living.

 

What they do owe is leadership that stands strong and does not cave in to those crying for the good ole days when the streets of Paulding flowed with housing development money.

 

You can choose to believe that people out there aren't trying to manipulate to get the county back into the building business,meaning people that make money off of retail development rather industrial. Many in our local construction industry are left behind when it comes to industrial building. We have prime real estate with good infrastructure. You better believe there are plenty in the county that would want to zone for retail and restaurant. They don't care one bit that it produces low paying jobs and additional tax burden to the county.

Just like they did during the housing boom, they are going to take the money and leave the residents of Paulding to carry the tax burden once again.

 

So now you understand why economic development is under attack and the focus of this election. I have talked to multiple small business owners in this county that are beyond thrilled with what is happening. They don't need anyone to give them anything they need people to stay in this county and spend their money in this county.

 

The people that need all the so-called help are the people that were left behind when the developers left Paulding county.

If tax paying citizens are prepared to squeeze a little bit of life back into to development out of pity for those that were left behind, it's fine, just be prepared to pay dearly for it down the road because it will never be self sustaining as manufacturing. I have the studies to prove it.

 

Manufacturing was told to hit the road years ago in Paulding, and we have paid dearly for that mistake. Manufacturing no longer happens by accident, counties just like ours that are not sustainable are out there competing every single day to offset the cost of an entire state that was one of the worse hit by the housing crash.

You can stick your head in the sand and believe that people out there aren't trying to find away to make residential and retail development pay for them.

 

People have short memories, about the tax dollars we paid to build infrastructure and roads for housing development, the impact fees that were never paid. The schools we had to build, the fire and law enforcement. Parks and libraries. We were forced to build that and pay for it. Now we pay to maintain it because it sold houses.

 

All I can say is follow the money who benefits when you stop manufacturing from coming in here. Follow the money on the movie studio, there is no single person or entity profiting, it is an economic pump to benefit every business in the county.

No single person is getting rich, it's no different than the county buying a piece of machinery that pumps water main leaks from under the street. The airport is the same thing. They pump outside money into our county.

Everything that economic development is doing is using existing infrastructure, at this point we are not being ask to pay for it.

Believe me when I tell you that there are some that would rezone that land in a New York minute for retail.

You have people trying to get back in the game because they smell money with the possibility of snuggling retail up next to the business parks, they want to maneuver themselves into position to take advantage of it.

 

 

 

Housing and retail circulate the same dollars around and around, people leaving to work somewhere else literally pump money out of our local economy.

 

I have heard twice from people running for office if they get in economic development in this county will be the first to go.If they go you will see retail development explode in this county. You will see our small businesses fighting for their lives for every dime that residents spend in this county.

 

If your small business is not dependent on the construction business you will be pushed out while they once again rev up the development machines.Once again millions of dollars of tax payer money will go into 100's of minimum wage jobs.

 

As I have heard from some of those folks that like retail development, jobs the residents need to be thankful for we are luck that they made money building it. yeah right. The same amount of money spent on infrastructure for manufacturing can generate 100's of jobs for people making $40,000 a year. Small independent businesses almost never focus on paying great wages and providing the most jobs. They are sole proprietors and seek to make a good living for themselves. It does not make these businesses bad, but they don't want the responsibility of being the economic engine for a county this big.

 

People that don't even own small businesses are deciding what small business needs and wants. It has become the political catch phrase, like do it for the children.

Small business people aren't children.

Economic development has provided for small businesses, they are called opportunity zones. The word is spreading as more areas and businesses come under the zones.

People are blatantly lying about this county not doing anything to help small business.

What they are saying is this county is not doing anything to help the small construction person. That is because we can't afford to continue in that direction and to zone and provide the infrastructure for them to make a living.

They simply don't care if it is detrimental to the taxpayer anymore than housing developers did.

[bored]

Did someone give you your job because you needed it? or because you were qualified.

A lot of the new jobs pay well and you will have to be qualified. We have thousands of jobs in this county that pay minimum wage, they are willing to train folks.

 

There is absolutely no way to respond to his remarks with out insulting a lot of people and giving away a lot of things.

 

I don't particularly appreciate the insinuation that others don't deserve what they are getting paid. It comes down to a changing of the guard, the new guard is going to be making the same money and have the same power. If we choose wrong we simply get less for our money.

 

People are welcome to think less money will be spent, I doubt that it is true,we will be spending on different things.

It is very hard for people to get their minds around how deep of a hole we are in as a bedroom community. This hole made a lot of money for some people, people that now are not making money.

 

There is no manipulation at any level to help them make money.

If we filled every vacant home in Paulding in the next month, we would have to raise the millage rate. How much I do not know, the people that did well back then have no work, some of our gov. employees don't have enough work without the housing industry. People have been left behind because all the eggs were in one basket.

 

What we have been doing is not sustainable without spending tax dollars just to maintain what we have.

We need to take a long hard look at why people want what they want, and who they hope to help.

 

Small business is having a very hard time competing in this economy small business only needs one thing to thrive and that is people walking in the door with money in hand.

 

You can pay their overhead, remove the taxes, but the bottom line is you can't tell me were to shop, or eat, what plumber or other contractor to use.

They have to compete in the current market to survive. Nobody is killing them, the economy is killing them.People are not spending and you can't make them.

 

You can't make the housing market come back no matter how much you try to manipulate things. This county as is, without balanced economic development can only sustain so many small businesses and retail. Someone has got to pay taxes, we have 2 sources homeowners and businesses. If you break their backs because you won't pursue balance because someone gets left behind we all go down together. The people of this county do not owe people that made money off of one sided development a living.

 

What they do owe is leadership that stands strong and does not cave in to those crying for the good ole days when the streets of Paulding flowed with housing development money.

 

You can choose to believe that people out there aren't trying to manipulate to get the county back into the building business,meaning people that make money off of retail development rather industrial. Many in our local construction industry are left behind when it comes to industrial building. We have prime real estate with good infrastructure. You better believe there are plenty in the county that would want to zone for retail and restaurant. They don't care one bit that it produces low paying jobs and additional tax burden to the county.

Just like they did during the housing boom, they are going to take the money and leave the residents of Paulding to carry the tax burden once again.

 

So now you understand why economic development is under attack and the focus of this election. I have talked to multiple small business owners in this county that are beyond thrilled with what is happening. They don't need anyone to give them anything they need people to stay in this county and spend their money in this county.

 

The people that need all the so-called help are the people that were left behind when the developers left Paulding county.

If tax paying citizens are prepared to squeeze a little bit of life back into to development out of pity for those that were left behind, it's fine, just be prepared to pay dearly for it down the road because it will never be self sustaining as manufacturing. I have the studies to prove it.

 

Manufacturing was told to hit the road years ago in Paulding, and we have paid dearly for that mistake. Manufacturing no longer happens by accident, counties just like ours that are not sustainable are out there competing every single day to offset the cost of an entire state that was one of the worse hit by the housing crash.

You can stick your head in the sand and believe that people out there aren't trying to find away to make residential and retail development pay for them.

 

People have short memories, about the tax dollars we paid to build infrastructure and roads for housing development, the impact fees that were never paid. The schools we had to build, the fire and law enforcement. Parks and libraries. We were forced to build that and pay for it. Now we pay to maintain it because it sold houses.

 

All I can say is follow the money who benefits when you stop manufacturing from coming in here. Follow the money on the movie studio, there is no single person or entity profiting, it is an economic pump to benefit every business in the county.

No single person is getting rich, it's no different than the county buying a piece of machinery that pumps water main leaks from under the street. The airport is the same thing. They pump outside money into our county.

Everything that economic development is doing is using existing infrastructure, at this point we are not being ask to pay for it.

Believe me when I tell you that there are some that would rezone that land in a New York minute for retail.

You have people trying to get back in the game because they smell money with the possibility of snuggling retail up next to the business parks, they want to maneuver themselves into position to take advantage of it.

 

 

 

Housing and retail circulate the same dollars around and around, people leaving to work somewhere else literally pump money out of our local economy.

 

I have heard twice from people running for office if they get in economic development in this county will be the first to go.If they go you will see retail development explode in this county. You will see our small businesses fighting for their lives for every dime that residents spend in this county.

 

If your small business is not dependent on the construction business you will be pushed out while they once again rev up the development machines.Once again millions of dollars of tax payer money will go into 100's of minimum wage jobs.

 

As I have heard from some of those folks that like retail development, jobs the residents need to be thankful for we are luck that they made money building it. yeah right. The same amount of money spent on infrastructure for manufacturing can generate 100's of jobs for people making $40,000 a year. Small independent businesses almost never focus on paying great wages and providing the most jobs. They are sole proprietors and seek to make a good living for themselves. It does not make these businesses bad, but they don't want the responsibility of being the economic engine for a county this big.

 

People that don't even own small businesses are deciding what small business needs and wants. It has become the political catch phrase, like do it for the children.

Small business people aren't children.

Economic development has provided for small businesses, they are called opportunity zones. The word is spreading as more areas and businesses come under the zones.

People are blatantly lying about this county not doing anything to help small business.

What they are saying is this county is not doing anything to help the small construction person. That is because we can't afford to continue in that direction and to zone and provide the infrastructure for them to make a living.

They simply don't care if it is detrimental to the taxpayer anymore than housing developers did.

 

......edited because this isn't worth it. Not gonna go there.

Edited July 28, 2012 by mysterious

[drphilofdogs]

Phil Gingrey was quick to hand Paulding County that check but voted against the spending. Why didn't he and Paulding just refuse the money if they felt that strongly about the spending?

 

Also, stimulus money is an effective tool to "prime the pump" of the economy. Everyone who has taken high school economics understands that concept.

 

 

 

Textbooks are very, very, VERY expensive. It is much cheaper to have a classroom set and the CD for the students to use since nearly all students have access to a computer. For what we pay for books, we can keep classroom teachers employed and buses running.

 

Textbooks have copy rights and the school system still has to pay for the CD's just like textbooks.

[toxic]

 

Why did you delete your posts?

[cootsmama]

I beg to differ with you on not costing the taxpayers anything. Where do you think that money comes from. Out of our pockets.

[Animal]

What part of my last response are you unable to comprehend. ALL POLITICIANS NEED TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR MONEY. I'll say it slower.....ALL....POLITICIANS.....NEED....TO....BE...MORE.....RESPONSIBLE....WITH....OUR....MONEY.

 

 

Straw man you might need a time out,take a deep breath and let it out slowly,breath in,breath out..........

[tech266]

I love how Jamie Gilbert chimed in with his worthless comments. His whole department is a prime example of wasteful spending. He has not 'created' one single job for this county. Businesses do not want to come here because we do not have the infrastructure to support them. You can argue that his department gets paid by the IBA or another made up entity but County man hours and equipment go into that whiny little stump of a man on a daily basis with NOTHING to show for it.

 

W have no interstate, we have no water, we barely have fiber. The interstate is no fault of the county but the other two need to be at the TOP of the list if we are ever going to attract any type of business growth in this county other than a bunch of strip malls.

 

I think the only thing that is going right is the new Hospital. Hopefully that will have a Kennestone effect and pharmacies and doctors offices will start developing in that area. Im sure you will hear from our 'leaders' that they had a lot to do with it... not.

[cookies are sweet]

What is that old saying; Success has a thousand fathers, while failure is an orphan.