sMoKe1962
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Posts posted by sMoKe1962
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.... so basically my tax went up, via the tax ratio and there's nothing I can do about it but put some Vasoline on my sore bum cause I just took one up the chute .... way to go good ole boys!
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Honestly, I don't feel like there is anyone to vote FOR in the race. For me, it's a vote for the lesser of 2 evils. Instead of voting FOR someone, I'll be voting AGAINST someone and that isn't the same thing to me.
You are not alone!
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This article says it all...
Paulding Bungles Budget Hearings; Citizens Denied a Voice
August 25th
On August 10, the Paulding County Commission approved property tax rates to fund the FY-2011 budgets of the county and of the school system. While the school board held its millage rate steady, the County Commission approved a 14.3% increase in the M&O rate, from 6.65 to 7.60 mills.
On August 24, the Commission held a public hearing on the new budget; it is proposed to be approved at the Commission’s September 14 regular meeting.
“Hold on!” (I hear you, a mathematical millage rate advocate proclaim…) “You can’t know what the millage rate should be until after the portion of the budget that must be funded by property tax dollars is established! How can you approve a budget after approving the tax rate to fund it?”
You’re right. Because the correct method (generally) for calculating the millage rate is dividing the portion of the budget to be funded by tax dollars by the Net Tax Digest (`A` divided by `B` equals `C,` the millage rate), it is impossible to determine what `C` should be until you first establish what `A` is.
But what the Paulding Commission did was much, much worse. By adopting the tax rate prior to approving the budget, the County Commission denied to the taxpayers of Paulding an opportunity to influence and affect the cost of their own government.
In other words, the Paulding Commission violated the First Amendment right of the public to petition government.
The purpose of the budget hearing process is to give the citizenry an open, transparent and (hopefully) meaningful opportunity to examine and analyze the proposed cost of government for the coming year and, if necessary, to cause their elected representatives to reconsider and revise that cost.
A budget hearing is rendered meaningless if the rate at which the property owner will be taxed to pay the cost of government has already been established! At its September 14 meeting, the Paulding County Commission could vote to cut the budget by 10%, 50% or even 100% and it would not change the property owner’s tax bill by a single penny!
The county’s ordinances require the Commission to adopt a budget at its first meeting in August each year, but this year’s budget will be approved over a month later. There is no nefarious reason for the Commission’s failure to follow it’s own charter and violate a basic constitutional right.
The cause is incompetence, pure and simple.
Making excuses… where the Paulding Commission Excels
Although totally irrelevant to the weighty issue of constitutional rights violations, the reasons offered yesterday by the Commission for its failure provide a little comedic relief.
At yesterday’s hearing, Finance Director Tabitha Pollard admitted under questioning by activist Tom Milanese that the county had missed a statutory deadline for advertising the budget public hearing. As a result, the budget could not legally be approved at the Commission’s first August meeting.
However, she continued, the setting of the millage rate had been properly advertised for the same date. Because people had planned to comment on the proposed rate that day, the decision was made to continue with the hearing and approve the millage rate, despite the fact that the budget remained unapproved.
Pollard neither accepted nor assigned any blame for the error. An apology at this point might have diffused the situation entirely, but one did not come.
Post III Commissioner Tommie Graham continued the defense of the Commission’s blunder, unknowingly admitting that the millage rate was approved on August 10 with the presumption that the Commission would approve the budget as presented later, regardless of citizen input.
“The budget is there… the budget is there for everybody’s approval. It’s a process that we went through. We set a millage rate based on what we would assume the budget… it could shift up or down… but we went ahead and set that millage rate.”
Graham justified the Commission’s act by saying that, had it not approved the millage rate on August 10, tax revenue to the government would have been delayed. In other words, it was more important for the government to get its money than it was to protect the rights of its citizens.
The most laughable comments came from County Attorney Jayson Phillips, who did what attorneys do when they have no argument… use a lot of words to say nothing.
Phillips said that when the law requires a budget hearing, the Commission is required to hold a hearing (duh). The August 24 hearing was being held because a notice was published (duh). The hearing was being held so that the budget could be voted upon (duh).
“And that’s the process that we are in at this point,” concluded Phillips.
At that point, Phillips’ slid into condescension and barely-veiled insult, in my opinion. First, Phillips set up a “straw man argument,” misrepresenting Milanese’s position and then refuting the incorrect position.
“I believe that your solution would be, if you miss a deadline then don’t pass a budget for the next year,” said Phillips. “Well, that’s a legal impossibility. We need to pass a budget for next year.”
Milanese never suggested not passing the budget. In fact, he wanted the budget to be passed earlier, according to the timetable established by the county’s own ordinances. And he certainly wanted it to be passed before the millage rate was approved.
Phillips continued, “We also need to make sure that we comply with the opportunities afforded to the public, as you are being afforded right now, in order to… so that their comments and input… on the budget process. So that’s why we’re having a hearing today that has been properly noticed as required by the county ordinance.”
Yeah, we get it, Counselor. But the taxpayers of Paulding would really appreciate the opportunity to offer that input when the comments might actually make a difference.
http://www.millagerate.com/blog/paulding-bungles-budget-hearings-citizens-denied-a-voice/
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Appeal it right away! Something is wrong.
Do you or anyone else know how the math is supposed to work?
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Mine went down a whopping $20.00. The people who run this county are nuts!
It is the same as it was two years ago when my house was worth $20K more. I don't understand the math.
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Are you talking about "Wing-It?"
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...
Via Todd Pownall's www.toddpownall.com/index.php?page=future-of-paulding"]website:
Well, I'm a little late discovering this (due to this County's non-existant method of communicating with its residents):
That's right. Even though the original www.paulding.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=440"]June 1st Budget said there would be no millage-rate increase, David Austin and the BOC will be voting on August 10th to raise the property tax mill-rate from 6.65 to 7.60 (a 14% increase).
Now, here's my question to Todd Pownall. Will you be at the Public Hearing to tell David Austin and the rest of the BOC not to raise the millage rate and to "look for creative solutions" to solving our budget deficit?
They got their SPLOST; they need to leave the F'in millage rate alone!
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I appreciate the advice and I understand your feelings on how some things about Daniel came out. Perhaps it would have been better if he had set things straight earlier. It is just hard for me because I happen to know more details about that "indiscretion" and I hate hearing false rumors fly about it. But maybe that is his fault and hopefully he will make a more transparent statement about that and the other issues soon. It may not matter, but this indiscretion was not a sexual one...no incest or physical involvement. It also involved a much older woman who should have used better judgment and Daniel at a young age had to be the grown up and stop a dangerous situation before it went too far. Still, Daniel confessed and repented for any part he had in this in order to strengthen his relationship with God. It is also important to know that he and his first wife ended on peaceful terms in a mutual agreement and Daniel has been an outstanding father to his daughter having joint custody and being very involved in her life. He has partly hesitated to be too forthcoming about this issue because of how it would affect her and also not wanting to damage her grandmothers reputation. I admire him for that. I am sorry if I have offended you or anyone else and I truly hope that you all will give me the chance to communicate with you all in spite of our different views. Thank you
I'm glad you decided to stick around; cheers!
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I have read all of the posts made here about the donation made to my campaign from People for the American Way. Many people have taken this small donation to mean that I am some sort of radical leftist liberal-- something which I absolutely am not. PFAW and my views are quite divergent in many ways, for example, I do not like their stance on "fighting the right" and I do not support their endorsement of Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court. However, we do share some similarities, such as our commitment to ensuring that all Americans are guaranteed the right to free speech.
I have never been a sort of leftist Obama-esque Democrat. I consider myself more in the ilk of Zell Miller, to be honest. Coming into this campaign, though, I knew that just because I had a "D" next to my name, some people would prejudge my political beliefs, and write me off as a candidate. I hope to convince some people to open their minds to my campaign, however I do know that not everyone will agree with me, and that is okay, and just part of politics.
I have never been your typical Democrat. Both of my parents are Tea Party Republicans from South Georgia, as are most of my high school friends. I've met all sorts of Democrats along the way, from far to the left to right in the middle, and I have had my policy squabbles with all of them. I'm not trying to pass myself off for something I am not. The reason that I ran as a Democrat for District 19 is because I am a Democrat, but my supporters span the political spectrum.
I hope to be able to continue our discussions here on Pcom, because I greatly enjoy talking with all of you--even those who will never cast a vote for me. I know that, just because of what party I affiliate with, I will catch some flak. But I am a man of my word, and I would not lie to all of you about who I am. The Will Avery you see is the Will Avery that truly is-- nothing more, and nothing less.
Very well spoken, very well said. Good luck with your campaign.
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I love how when people see Hispanics working, they auto-assume illegal.
The word IMMIGRANT does NOT always have to have the word ILLEGAL in front of it!
Yeah but it is hard for me to believe that any sort of majority came here on work VISAs; let alone are they US citizens, especially when they can't speak a lick of English. I'd wager that the majority are here illegally, and we will never know exactly how many because no one in government, past or present, wants to admit how lax our border security has been and for how long! It started way before Obama. I remember John Kerry debating Bush on this issue and he said that 4,500 illegal immigrants were coming in every day. I was shocked. JMHO
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Dear Friends,
Over the past 3 1/2 years, I have served as a Paulding County School Board Member and School Board Chair for the last 1 1/2 years. I have worked hard to advocate for the students of Paulding County. For fifteen years prior to being elected to school board, I volunteered, substitute taught, and served in many capacities within the Paulding County School District. Anyone that knows me or has worked with me knows my passion for education and the students of the district. I have attended many events involving students and school system employees. I have sat in the office of many Georgia state legislators speaking on behalf of our students. Two years ago, a good friend and I took bags full of tongue depressors representing visits to the school nurse and placed them on the table just outside the House of Representatives to advocate for our students and our school nurses. I am NOT a politician but someone that takes my position very seriously and attempts to vote for the best interest of our students every time. The past 3 ½ years have been incredibly difficult with phenomenal growth followed by a serious decline in our economy and hiring two new superintendents. I have attempted to make an educated vote each and every time that would be in the best interest of the students of our district.
In addition to serving on the school board, I returned to college to complete my education and graduated May 13th of this year with a Bachelor of Science in English Education. I have always dreamed of being a classroom teacher and my involvement in the Paulding County School District inspired me to earn my degree.
Finally, the deadline to qualify to run again for school board was around the time I was finishing school. I was torn about qualifying because I wanted to teach and wasn’t sure I could do both and do them well. After the deadline passed and I graduated, I began to regret my decision. I couldn’t imagine not sitting on the school board as an advocate for our students. I inquired about running as an Independent candidate and decided to attempt to get the signatures to be on the November ballot. The deadline for the signatures is noon July 13th and it seems that I will fall short of the required number. In addition, I accepted a teaching job offer last week. I look at this as God closing one door and opening another in my life. I will press on and make a difference in the lives of the students I encounter in the classroom.
I vow to continue doing my job well and I will bow out gracefully at the end of this year with no regrets. Should you have any questions or concerns please see the Paulding County School District website where my phone number and email address are published. I will be happy to talk with any of you.
Thanks to my friends and family for supporting me. I wish Nick Chester the best of luck if he should go on to become the District 2, Paulding County School Board Member.
Sincerely,
Kathy West
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There is a "tame" pigeon that has taken up residence in Annandale subdivision. It is white and brown, or white and light gray. It followed me and my wife on our walk this morning and I believe it would land on you. Oh, and it is banded. Anyone else seen him in this area?
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My normally super speed internet is moving at modem speed. Is anyone else having this problem, or should I call the cable guy?
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Since we don't have a jobs forum (except help wanted) I wanted to start a topic for people to post jobs that they know about...
I know of several people that are looking for PT work... Some looking for FT work.
Professional / Technical or just trimming bushes and cleaning gutters.
Lets see if we can round up some folks some jobs....
Do you know of any websites that would be helpful? POST it.
that is all..........
I happen to know a place that has an opening for a good carpenter. The job requires at least a journeyman level with 5 or more years experience working as a carpenter. Experience should include construction of cabinets, fences, walls, siding, decks, and small buildings. Welding skills and experience are a plus. The right person will also have some computer skills and the ability to do a material take-off and prepare a budget. The job requires a background check, drug screen, and clean driving record. If interested PM me and I will give further information. Oh, and the job pays well with good benefits.
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I happen to know a place that has an opening for a good carpenter. The job requires at least a journeyman level with 5 or more years experience working as a carpenter. Experience should include construction of cabinets, fences, walls, siding, decks, and small buildings. Welding skills and experience are a plus. The right person will also have some computer skills and the ability to do a material take-off and prepare a budget. The job requires a background check, drug screen, and clean driving record. If interested PM me and I will give further information. Oh, and the job pays well with good benefits.
Bueller?
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I happen to know a place that has an opening for a good carpenter. The job requires at least a journeyman level with 5 or more years experience working as a carpenter. Experience should include construction of cabinets, fences, walls, siding, decks, and small buildings. Welding skills and experience are a plus. The right person will also have some computer skills and the ability to do a material take-off and prepare a budget. The job requires a background check, drug screen, and clean driving record. If interested PM me and I will give further information. Oh, and the job pays well with good benefits.
Bump, for the morning folks.
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Miami spice has a now hiring sign up.. they are located at Crossroads in the same shopping center as Kroger..
I happen to know a place that has an opening for a good carpenter. The job requires at least a journeyman level with 5 or more years experience working as a carpenter. Experience should include construction of cabinets, fences, walls, siding, decks, and small buildings. Welding skills and experience are a plus. The right person will also have some computer skills and the ability to do a material take-off and prepare a budget. The job requires a background check, drug screen, and clean driving record. If interested PM me and I will give further information. Oh, and the job pays well with good benefits.
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im thinking like diablo 2 and WoW most of the older games nothing like crysis or anything
about how much do you want to wrap all this up for including a video card
PM sent
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does this motherboard have a video port on it?
Graphics port = video
This motherboard does not have onboard video, so a video card will be needed. What sort of gaming are you looking to do? The newer games require a lot of machine in order to run them.
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i think he's typing his post right now.... but let me go ahead and say that we'd like to come get it from you, and he will certainly take the hard drive out there in your presence.
nc's son here
im looking for around a 2.8 or 2.4 cpu and and mother board ment for gaming i would perfer AMD over intel but what ever you have would work with a few sticks of ram the video card as of now im not needing one i just want soimething to start it off with
I have a Shuttle AN35N with an Athlon XP2800+ CPU/Fan. I believe it has a 4X AGP graphics port. I do not know how much RAM I have on-hand for it. Does this sound like something you would be interested in (for sale)? I also have a couple of older Geforce 3 and 4 video cards if needed.
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ugh. lemme ask my youngin. he needs a mother board and cpu and some sort of video card.
he builds stuff in the basement. he wants parts for his birthday tomorrow.
I have all, but they are AMD, not Intel. He will know what I am talking about.
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other than craigslist?
are there used computer stores?
I keep a few parts on-hand from when I had my computer and laptop business. What do you need?
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Poor me, I have no Mayberries! So sad....
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I just heard that the Right Aid was robbed about two hours ago. Anyone heard anything?
That sux!
2010 County Tax Bill
in Paulding County NEWS
Posted