Mason Rountree

I don't claim to be an expert on whether the County must advertise a tax increase where there has been no millage increase simply because property values increased and, therefore, revenues increased. I suppose it is possible and do recall the County having to advertise a tax increase 2 years ago when, I believe, the amount of taxes actually went down while the millage rate increased. If I am wrong, which won't be the first time, it still seems opportunistic to call them tax increases when the millage rate decreased. It is fair to say that the County received more revenue in a given year comp

I understand the point you are trying to make. However, I have to disagree with my friend on this one. Take, for instance, the Reagan tax cuts with the Kemp-Roth bill in 1981. Following those cuts, tax revenue (following the recession in 1982) increased substantially. Similarly, it is well-established that cutting excessive capital gains tax rates actually increases revenue, which occurred with the Bush tax cuts in 2003. Whether giving the government more revenue or not is a legitimate debate and, arguably, undermines the effort to limit the size of government. However, it does not mean t

It seems unfair to argue that the School Board or County supported tax increases simply because revenue increased while the millage rate remained the same, which was caused by increased property values. It would be equally absurd for the County or School Board to take credit for a tax cut if they raised the millage rate but the value of property declined more than increased millage rate. I have never heard a politician take credit for a tax cut under such a scenario, although some have recently justified raising the millage rate by arguing that the net effect did not increase taxes beca

My understanding is that Magistrate judges do not have to be licensed to practice law, but that individual counties can enact local laws requiring that such judges be attorneys. As far as specializing is concerned, attorneys in more rural areas rarely "specialize" in one area, mainly because the market can't justify it. I only know of one attorney in Paulding County who truly specializes in one area of law. I've never heard Chad hold himself out as a specialist in any area of law, although he is certainly qualified to practice many different areas. I know all three candidates and a

This thread deserves some much needed clarification. Chad does, in fact, have experience practicing criminal law and has done so since at least 2000. Like me, in addition to criminal law, he also practices civil litigation and handles corporate matters for clients. In fact, he practiced criminal law out of my law office back then, and we worked on cases together. He is very competent and quite intelligent, having also served on law review at his law school (which is highly selective of certain law students). He has also served as a Magistrate Court Judge for many years, which involves

The real issue was not whether Ledford committed murder but rather whether he would be sentenced to the death penalty. Death penalty cases are extremely complicated and difficult to litigate, and Ledford's case was no different. Ledford's attorneys are some of the best in Georgia, and the team from the DA's office that handled the case did a great job. Contrary to your implication, the death penalty sentence imposed by the jury was not by any means easy.

Despite the fact that most of what you wrote about bankruptcy law is incorrect, your general commentary about lawyers is misguided as well. Having just finished a five-day jury trial on Friday in which my client was acquitted of child molestation after the jury was out for 15 minutes, I sincerely doubt he would agree that his lawyer is a shark who fed on him.

I lived in Charleston and love it. For food, the best restaurant IMO is Garibaldi's in downtown Charleston next to the Market. Call ahead for reservations and order the flounder. If you go on a weekend during the summer and want the flounder, order it when you call for reservations as the restauarant may run out. If you like Greek food, go to Steve's on Market Street. It's a hole in the wall and not as good as it used to be since the owner changed, but it is still decent and not pricey. If you want drinks, there is a bar on a patio on the top floor of a hotel a few doors down fr

I am far more concerned about disrespectful, dangerous, and ignorant motor vehicle drivers than cyclists. Cyclists should be expected to obey traffic rules, but the risk is not remotely comparable to the risk posed by lousy drivers.

No special permit is required. Before removing, you want to make sure it won't simply return, so you have to seal the area where it is entering and leaving. If the garage door is open, you should close it for a while. To remove a bat in the spring/summer, you could one of the following: place a running fan near to the bat to change the air flow. You could also catch the bat (at dusk) using a coffee can and piece of cardboard to cover the opening after you capture the bat. Don't attempt to catch a flying bat, though. Of course, you want to use gloves with this method. If you use this met

He had such a zest for life and truly cared for our County and country. I have not spoken to him in several years, but even in his '80's he talked passionately about horses and going to the Kentucky Derby where he could enjoy mint juleps. Paulding will miss him.

That's going a little far, don't you think???

The statute related to the 1977 act is for trespassing. You have unsuccessfully attempted to justify your actions by citing a Florida law in once of your posts which indicates a sign is necessary. Are you from Florida? FYI: Florida law is not applicable in in Rockmart, Georgia. Georgia law is very clear. The officer obviously did not charge you with anything, so you have no idea under what code section he would charge you with. Regardless of whether it was under the criminal trespass statute in Title 16 of the Georgia code, under the the criminal trespass statute of the 1977 Cave C

Perhaps you should re-read the obligations you took as an NSS member, in particular those related to cave conservation. Florida law does not apply in Georgia, despite your best efforts to misconstrue Georgia law. Another poster provided an additional statute with which you could be charged under the 1977 Cave Conservation Act of Georgia. I've practiced criminal law in Georgia for over 14 years. You are 100% wrong that you could not have been convicted of criminal tespass. ***edited to correct that Grizzly cited Florida law, not Tennessee law

The name of the cave is Kingston Salt Peter Cave located in Bartow County. It is on gated property owned by Anheiser Busch and is not open to the public. The cave is also maintained by a private foundation and is protected by a gate with no trespassing signs (for those who don't understand that a barbed wire fence and/or 6" inch angle iron on the entrance mean that trespassers are not welcome). For folks interested in caving, I would suggest you consider joining or contacting the Dogwood City Grotto (cave club). It meets on the second Tuesday of every month at the main REI store in

That's a rather presumptuous statement, don't you think? How do you know the cave owner is a developer? What is arrogant about wanting to protect your property? If someone were to enter the front door of your house in the middle of the day without your permission to look around, would you be so arrogant as to call the police?

The local legal community will miss Bob a/k/a Judge Lane. He had a "gentlemaness" about him that is lacking in our profession today.

I did not know Ray until both of us decided to jump into the political arena. In the short time I got to know him, it became apparent that Ray possessed qualities our community benefited from and truly needs in public service. I will never forget talking to Ray and asking him what in the world he was thinking when he decided to run for office. Without a hesitation and with a sincerity that would elude a politician who runs for the wrong reasons, he responded that he "just wanted to help kids". Our community has lost a good person whose motivation in serving others was inspirational.