Lamar Paris

[bubbadebubba]

This is the Law::

§ 48-8-122. Record of projects on which tax proceeds are used; annual
reporting and newspaper publication of report


The governing authority of the county and the governing authority of each
municipality receiving any proceeds from the tax under this part or under
Article 4 of this chapter shall maintain a record of each and every project
for which the proceeds of the tax are used. Not later than December 31 of
each year, the governing authority of each local government receiving any
proceeds from the tax under this part shall publish annually, in a newspaper
of general circulation in the boundaries of such local government, a simple,
nontechnical report which shows for each project or purpose in the
resolution or ordinance calling for imposition of the tax the original
estimated cost, the current estimated cost if it is not the original
estimated cost, amounts expended in prior years, and amounts expended in the
current year. In the case of road, street, and bridge purposes, such
information shall be in the form of a consolidated schedule of the total
original estimated cost, the total current estimated cost if it is not the
original estimated cost, and the total amounts expended in prior years and
the current year for all such projects and not a separate enumeration of
such information with respect to each such individual road, street, or
bridge project. The report shall also include a statement of what corrective
action the local government intends to implement with respect to each
project which is underfunded or behind schedule and a statement of any
surplus funds which have not been expended for a project or purpose.

HISTORY: Code 1981, § 48-8-123, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 69, § 21.


Normie quoted Paris "the law does not apply because the splost passed in 2003 before the law took effect in 2004."

While the splost back then (like today's splost), was passed in 2003 in a referendum, the splost tax itself did not take effect until 2004. The present splost took effect in 2004, is a 5 year splost, and will expire in 2009. And 48-8-122 DOES APPLY.

Like many other things where the commisar has decided, if the law don't conform to what I wanna do, I'll just ignore it and maybe the people of Union will not find out as long as I have the NGN in my back pocket because Norm and the paper are dunces.


ONLY A COURTHOUSE ADDITION TO SHOW FOR THE $17 MILLION SPLOST MONEY COLLECTED.

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?

[oscarwho]

Bubba , Lamar has demonstrated his power many times that he is the law , he makes the law , he enforces the law and all the bucks stop at his command . Our only recourse is to remove him from office . He has lied to the people , bribed the people , used threats and took any measure to force them to vote for him . What can we do to rid the the world of this vermin ?

[oscarwho]

I am aware of the several law suits against Paris as commissioner and as an individual but do you think those will get the job done and put that skunk in prison ?

[bubbadebubba]

NEW CHARTS!!!

All the data below are new charts compiled to show county comparisons on LOCAL GOVERNMENT ONLY, NOT SCHOOLS.

There are 3 different charts with 3 different ways to compare the data.

First chart is to show local government only mill rate year to year during Paris' time in office.
Second chart is to show differences of taxes per capita levied and percentage increase from 2000 to 2005 for each county listed.
Third chart reflects same data as chart 2 in a diferent format.


CHART #1
Comparison of Millage Rates of Area Counties (does not include school milL rate)

----------------------Banks---Fannin--Habershm--Lumpkin--Rabun--Towns---White----Union
Total Populati-2000--14,422---19,798---35,902---21,016--15,050--9,319---19,944--17,289
Millage Rate---2000---6.24-----6.27-----9.462---11.59----8.1-----6-------4.48-----4.8
Millage Rate---2001---6.236----6.27-----9.462---11.995---9.16----7-------6.86-----5.3
Rillage Rate---2002---8.096----5.969----8.095----7.483---9.74----6.5-----6.8------5.29
Millage Rate---2003---8.279----5.969----8.99-----7.308---8.67----6.464---8.24-----5.2
Millage Rate---2004---9.752----5.969----8.982----7.277---8.94----6.434---8.19-----5.15
Millage Rate---2005---8.243----5.969----8.548----8.052---9.25----4.999---8.19-----6.65
Millage Rate---2006---8.233----5.969----8.548----8.346---9.51----4.733---8.19-----5.1
Millage Rate---2007---8.229----5.16-----9.229----7.724---8.91----4.187---8.19-----5.05



CHART #2
COUNTY----YEAR--MILLRATE-TAXES/PER CAPITA---% INCREASE
BANKS-----2000----6.24-------$164------------BASEYEAR----Average increase per year
BANKS-----2005----8.23-------$275--------------68 %-----------13.6%

FANNIN----2000----6.27-------$153--------------BASE YEAR
FANNIN----2005----5.16-------$239--------------56.5 %---------11.3%

HABERSHAM-2000----9.46-------$218--------------BASE YEAR
HABERSHAM-2005----9.23-------$260--------------19.5 %--------3.9%

LUMPKIN---2000----11.59------$257--------------BASE YEAR
LUMPKIN---2005----7.724------$306--------------19 %------------3.8%

RABUN-----2000----8.1--------$472--------------BASE YEAR
RABUN-----2005----8.91-------$743--------------57.5 %-----------11.5%

TOWNS-----2000----6.0--------$229--------------BASE YEAR
TOWNS-----2005----4.187------$374--------------63 %-------------12.6&

WHITE-----2000----4.48-------$127--------------BASE YEAR
WHITE-----2005----8.19-------$305--------------140 %--------------28%

UNION-----2000----4.8--------$166--------------BASE YEAR
UNION-----2005----5.05-------$400--------------141%-------------28.2%





CHART #3
TAXES PER PERSON FOR EACH COUNTY FOR EACH YEAR LISTED BELOW

--------Banks---Fannin--Habershm--Lumpkin--Rabun--Towns---White----Union
2000----$164----$153-----$218------$257----$472----$229----$127----$166

2005----$275----$239-----$260------$306----$743----$374----$305----$400

increase-68%----56.50%---19.50%----19%----57.50%----63%-----140%----141%


Union County under Paris has outstriped most of the other counties by as much as 121%, so for someone to say taxes per person don't count must have their head in the sand.


Union County under Paris has the highest increase per person in tax dollars!!

Union County taxes per person FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT is higher than all the counties listed here except one, it is the 5th highest in all 22 north Georgia counties. Union County under Paris is the 5th highest in percentage increase in taxes per person out of 159 countie

[bubbadebubba]

NEW DATA::


THE COMMISAR AND HIS SUPPORTERS SAY PER CAPITA TAXES DO NOT REFLECT ACTUAL TAXES AND PARIS GOES ON TO SAY THE NUMBER REFLECTS BOTH LOCAL AND SCHOOLS. HE IS RIGHT, IT DOES REFLECT BOTH TAXING AUTHORITIES. SO LET'S SEE WHICH TAXING AUTHORITY HAS INCREASED TAXES THE MOST IN UNION COUNTY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR SCHOOLS. HERE ARE THE NUMBERS FOR YEAR 2000 AND YEAR 2005.

TAXES LEVIED PER PERSON-------COUNTY-------MILL RATE FROM 2000 REPORT
$456.50-----------------------UNION---------13.6 TOTAL LOCAL AND SCHOOLS

TAXES LEVIED PER PERSON-------COUNTY--------MILL RATE FROM 2007 REPORT
$855--------------------------UNION---------14.229 TOTAL LOCAL AND SCHOOLS



2000
TAXES LEVIED PER PERSON-------COUNTY-------MILL RATE FROM 2000 REPORT
$456.50-----------------------UNION---------13.6 TOTAL MILLS
$166------------County Government Only-----MILL RATE 4.8
$290.50---------COUNTY SCHOOLS ONLY--------MILL RATE 8.8

FOR YEAR 2000, SCHOOLS MADE UP 63.7% OF TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MADE UP 36.3% OF TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES.



2005
TAXES LEVIED PER PERSON-------COUNTY--------MILL RATE FROM 2007 REPORT
$855--------------------------UNION---------14.229 TOTAL MILLS
$400--------------COUNTY GOVERNMENT ONLY----MILL RATE 6.65
$455--------------COUNTY SCHOOLS ONLY-------MILL RATE 7.759

FOR YEAR 2005 SCHOOLS MADE UP 53.3% OF TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MADE UP 46.7% OF PROPERTY TAXES.


Anyone can see very easily that Local Government under PARIS has had an EXPLOSION in taxes and no NEW services to show for it. Anyone can see that TAXES PER CAPITA ARE A VERY RELIABLE INDICATOR of how much taxes are, and which authority is doing the taxing.

[bubbadebubba]

So all the statistics above come down to the following:::

The Local Government taxes per capita increased 141% under paris from 2000 to 2005.

The School Government taxes per capita increased 57% during the same time period from 2000 to 2005.

Now compare all the above counties with Union County.

While the School system did HAVE a huge tax increase of 52% in 2005, the average over the 5 year timeframe was 11.4%, which is acceptable and falls inline with most other government bodies.

The County under Paris during the same 5 year period averaged 28.2%, which IS NOT acceptable and is more than double most other government bodies.


THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE VALIDITY OF COMPARING PER CAPITA TAXES BETWEEN DIFFERENT TAXING AUTHORITIES OR DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

So the commisar is feeding everyone horse manure about per capita taxes not being valid.

[oscarwho]

Looks like the bail out is slow in coming . Liemar needs to take His buddy Joe Norman Jr. and fly up to Washington D. C. ; Little Joe needs to whip out his magic pen and re evaluate all the land in the U. S . A . Next have king Paris pass a resolution decreeing it so . All the land will be worth so much more and we can pay off China and all other debts . Wall street can be bailed out . Paris and little Joe fixed Union county and they can fix the whole country if they can just get the chance . Vote Paris and fix the whole world .

[bubbadebubba]

Just sitting here and waiting on the NGN, knowing there's gonna be lots to rebut cause the coon-man just can't help himself (the devil made him do it) when it comes to printing mis-leading articles and mis-quoting people and downright untruths. He never saw a story he couldn't twist; he should be on one of the network smear programs like Jerry Springer or Maury Povich.

[manape]

Bubba, I though we were past the per capita statistic. I think it is a valid statistic, just not in the case of property taxes. It doesn't matter what Paris or his supporters say. If you are comparing fish consumption among people, per capita is a valid statistic because the population of fish consumption is part of the distribution curve. Most every body eats fish, but ONLY property owners pay property taxes. Here is an example where the statistic is valid.

U.S. per capita consumption of fish and shellfish was
down 0.2 pounds compared with 2004.
16.2 pounds (edible meat) in 2005. This total was 0.4
pounds less than the record 16.6 pounds consumed in
2004. Per capita consumption of fresh and frozen
products was 11.6 pounds, 0.2 pound less than 2004.

Why argue about some stupid statistic, any way? People without jobs don't care about statistics. A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be the main problem of Republicans in Union County. An empty stomach is not a good political adviser. I hope there are no starving people in Union County, but I do think the lack of meaningful jobs for people who want to work is more of a concern for common people than esoteric statistics.

[bubbadebubba]

"Bubba, I though we were past the per capita statistic."
NO


"just not in the case of property taxes. "
WRONG FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON::

There is no other way to compare unless per capita is used, whether it's comparing to the School system or comparing to other Counties. Per Capita is a VALID statistic that many governments and private enterprise use for comparisons.

Now see below and you will see the reason why:

""So all the statistics above come down to the following:::

The Local Government taxes per capita increased 141% under paris from 2000 to 2005.

The School Government taxes per capita increased 57% during the same time period from 2000 to 2005.

Now compare all the above counties with Union County.

While the School system did HAVE a huge tax increase of 52% in 2005, the average over the 5 year timeframe was 11.4%, which is acceptable and falls inline with most other government bodies.

The County under Paris during the same 5 year period averaged 28.2%, which IS NOT acceptable and is more than double most other government bodies.


THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE VALIDITY OF COMPARING PER CAPITA TAXES BETWEEN DIFFERENT TAXING AUTHORITIES OR DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

So the commisar is feeding everyone horse manure about per capita taxes not being valid.""

[bubbadebubba]

I read the NGN and I was right, there's enough "half truths and mostly totally mistruths" to tax any individual.
The commisar is his free Q&A said again, "The present splost is NOT required by law 48-8-122 to report in the legal organ the spending of splost monies because it went into effect in 2003."

Harold Cook said in his letter to the editor, "the splost went into effect in 2004, the law took effect in 2004, and the law 48-8-122 does APPLY."

Either way Harold is RIGHT for the following reason:
The law, 48-8-122, does NOT exempt any splost whether it was in effect before 2004 or not. The law simply says. "the county shall publish in the legal organ."

So Paris can say; I dis-remember, I didn't think it applied, or any other half truth or mostly totally
mistruth.
Where I come from it's known as a lie.

Paris quibbling over words to describe a lie.
Paris failing to follow the law.
Paris failing to acknowledge the law applies.

Paris says all splost funds have been expended.
Only a courthouse addition to show for splost funds.
The audit does NOT show where the money went, only that it went.

WHERE DID THE MONEY GO.?

[bubbadebubba]

Another "mis-truth" by the commisar in his free Q&A:

He says "under the new splost laws we are able to fund many new and different projects."
NOT SO-Counties can fund just about any dang thang they want to fund as long as it's published in the legal organ and the people approve in a referendum.

The only reason Paris uses the above reasoning is to try to show the law has forced him to use a different bookkeeping method, a method that MAKES the commisar more ACCOUNTABLE to the people.

He also says, "After each audit the splost report is approved by the auditors and the State."

Again, he's using half-truths or totally mis-truths, The commisar tries to make it appear the State has oversight on splost spending and keeps a close watch on counties.
The State of Georgia has NO oversight whatsoever on counties spending splost funds, they do NOT check on the monies, all the State does is send out the Checks each month.

The only thing the State requires is an audit each year (and all the audit has to say is "The County has met all accounting rules"), and there's dam sure no one at the State level watching to see how the money is spent, that's for the taxpayers in each county to do and the taxpayers in Union County have failed to keep an eye on this commisar.

WHERE DID THE SPLOST MONEY GO?

[sometimeman]

"Either way Harold is RIGHT for the following reason:
The law, 48-8-122, does NOT exempt any splost whether it was in effect before 2004 or not. The law simply says. "the county shall publish in the legal organ."

So Paris can say; I dis-remember, I didn't think it applied, or any other half truth or mostly totally
mistruth.
Where I come from it's known as a lie.

Paris quibbling over words to describe a lie.

THATS WHY FOLKS CALL HIM "LIE"-MAR

Paris failing to follow the law.
Paris failing to acknowledge the law applies.
NO ONE IN THE JUDICIAL BRANCH WILL ENFORCE THE LAW AGAINST PARIS- GEORGIA GOVERNMENT FAILS IN THIS RESPECT

Paris says all splost funds have been expended.
Only a courthouse addition to show for splost funds.
The audit does NOT show where the money went, only that it went.

[sometimeman]

O.C.G.A. 48-8-122 Requires a report on the splost

O.C.G.A. 45-11-1 Makes failure to publish this report a felony with jail time of not less than 2 years or more than 10.

Go to the magistrate's office sware out a warrant for Paris arrest

[manape]

"Bubba, I though we were past the per capita statistic."
NO

I'm past it. That's all that matters to me.

Is that all Cooks got? A campaign based on esoteric statistical calculations? He had better wake up and smell the coffee. The working class doesn't care about statistics.

The working class knows... any fool can make things more complicated like statistical comparisons, hoard money, hack essential services like fire and law enforcement out of the budget, and make things stagnant -- as Cook appears to want for our county.

Fortunately, we have a choice. Paris has a record of moving forward. It takes a lot of courage to move in the forward direction when many are against you. I vote for the person who will move forward -- not a stagnate party that wants to take us back to the 60's.