Harold Cook

[manape]

www.unioncountyga.gov/home.htm

Here too.

[manape]

Opps! It doesn't link to the tax comparison tables, but the buttons are there. I pointed out that the tables were there a long time ago. I guess you didn't read that memo. It sounds like open and honest government to me.

here are buttons and links. My javascript is rusty.


www.unioncountyga.gov/avcomparison.htm


www.unioncountyga.gov/milltotal1.htm

[bubbadebubba]

The below chart from the commisar's county government website::::

Comparison of Millage Rates of Area Counties (does not include school mil 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


It ain't the millage, it's the dollars people have to pay.

The below is a dollar and percentage comparison of the above chart for the 1st five years of the commisar being in office. The last 2 years 2006 and 2007 did not change the comparisons, only confirmed them.



TAXES PER PERSON FOR EACH COUNTY FOR EACH YEAR LISTED BELOW
------------2000----$164----$153-----$218------$257----$472----$229-----$127----$166
------------2001
------------2002
------------2003
------------2004
------------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 a higher increase per person in tax dollars!!

Union County taxes per person is higher than all the counties listed here, 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 counties.

[bubblebutt2]

THanks bubba you beat me to it. They keep trying to fool the locals with that millage crap but I think they are getting wise enough to see when they pay their taxes they have to write a bigger check each year no matter what tha NGN tells them.

[bubbadebubba]

There are those who like to see the underlying truth; and then there are those who hate for those rocks to be turned over.

I'm glad to know there are some on this forum that like to see the truth about out taxes.

I'm sorry there are others who vilify me for exposing the double-speak, and in some cases outright lies, of elected officials.

[manape]

I'm sorry there are others who vilify me for exposing the double-speak, and in some cases outright lies, of elected officials.

Who has vilified you? I don't know anyone here who has used abusive or slanderous statements against you or defamed you. Are you having a little pity party there bubba?

[bubbadebubba]

Aug 17, 2008 5:35:14 GMT -4 manape said:

I'm sorry there are others who vilify me for exposing the double-speak, and in some cases outright lies, of elected officials.

perhaps vilify would be overstating.

""Are you having a little pity party there bubba?""

No-With me it's known as a pithy party, there is a difference.

[manape]

No Property Tax Increase (Source: Summary from NGN, page 2A, August 13, 2008)

Each department will cut 10% from their previous budget, not including salaries.

• Paris proposes a 10 % budget cut for each department.
  
  From Cook's Website:
  
• When I went into office the mill rate was 5.86% and when I left office the mill rate was 4.80%. We cut approx $500,000 per year out of the taxes collected. This is an actual tax cut and the numbers prove it.
  
• Paris is basing his budget cuts on current economic conditions. Cook is telling us what he did over 8 years ago. Past performance 8-years ago is no prediction of
  of performance in today's economy.

No property tax increase for this year.

Paris: It will be almost impossible to maintain this low level of property taxes for long unless we want to severely impact our services.

Cook is not telling us what services he will cut. This is not being responsible and he has not set realistic goals for budget cuts.

Paris: Operational expenses include increases in: diesel, gasoline, tar, asphalt and other supplies.

Cook is out of touch with current costs of government, period. All these expenses have increased and I think it is impossible to go back to pre-2000 budgets. Cook is out of touch with what is going on, today. He is living in the past.

Cook said...

In 2000, the property value for Union County was $502,607,678. In 2007, Paris had increased the property value to $ 1,277,947,327. By increasing property values he increased taxes and the money came out of your pockets. Learn more about our local economy and what I plan to do to help families in our community.

Granted the property value increased, but Paris didn't increase the "value of property." Clearly, Cook is out of touch with economic reality.

I hate property taxes. I hate income taxes. However, I don't think we can go back to times when budgets were low. Harold is implying he can cut our taxes drastically. I don't think he can do it, but if he has some magic bullet, give us the plan.

As we saw in the primary, commish wannabes were telling us what the problems are without checking reality. People pointing out problems with NO SOLUTIONS are a dime a dozen. Cook tell us your plan on your website.

Cook said...
"In the year 2000, the last year I was in office, we collected $2,412,517 and the Mill Rate was 4.80%. The first year Paris was in office he raised the mill rate to 5.30% and he collected $3,184,892; which was a 32% increase."

Well yea, if Cook had a realistic budget, Mr. Paris wouldn't have to raise taxes by 32 percent the first year.

[manape]

perhaps vilify would be overstating.
""Are you having a little pity party there bubba?""

No-here it's known as a pithy party, there is a difference.

Bubba, there is nothing wrong with your data. I just don't see how taxes can be reduced drastically. I wish the county budget could go to pre-2000 levels, but wishing it so, praying it so, does not make it so. If it ain't so; it ain't so. That is the only TRUTH I know.

[bubbadebubba]

Aug 17, 2008 7:33:52 GMT -4 manape said:

Bubba, there is nothing wrong with your data. I just don't see how taxes can be reduced drastically. I wish the county budget could go to pre-2000 levels, but wishing it so, praying it so, does not make it so. If it ain't so; it ain't so. That is the only TRUTH I know.

No one that I know would expect taxes to go back to 2000 levels.

Everyone I know expects moderate tax increases which this commisar has NOT had.

Everyone I know sees the excess spending by this commisar, from excessively over paying for purchasing county land all the way down
to over paying for the pencils.

and this quote::

"
Paris: It will be almost impossible to maintain this low level of property taxes for long unless we want to severely impact our services."

is as good a promise of another high tax increase if he's re-elected as it's gonna get.

And as for severely impacting services; what services is he talking about??
wasteful spending? bad financial management? a commisar out of touch with the realities of over-government?

High taxing officials like him are what's wrong with the County, the State, and the Nation.

So now that Union stands as the 5th highest taxed county out of the 22 most northern counties in Georgia, does that make him say we are the best county to live in?

Because we are one of the highest taxed counties, our services are better? I see no difference between now and 1998. Where is the betterment??

What services is he talking about? grass cutting alongside the road? for this is the only thing I see where government even comes close to doing anything for the money I give them.

We have the same services we had in 2000, nothing new here. Only costing more than other Counties.

[bubbadebubba]

""No Property Tax Increase (Source: Summary from NGN, page 2A, August 13, 2008)

Each department will cut 10% from their previous budget, not including salaries.


* Paris proposes a 10 % budget cut for each department. ""



First off, anyone who believes the NGN needs mental medical attention. Same goes for the ones who believe the commisar.

Second, logic defies this; he's having a 1.63% decrease in property taxes while at the same time increasing the budget 1.63%. The budget will go UP so why would he have a 10% cut for the departments??

It's all gobbly-gook talk by this commisar, nothing but smoke and mirrors to fool the electorate.

He also said in that same article: "Once again Union County will have some of the lowest property taxes in the State of Georgia."

Now this is a flat out lie; he equates low millage with low taxes. When properties are artificially inflated as they are here, caused in part by the commisar overpaying for land, then taxes are also artificially inflated. This commisar is having trouble finding where to spend the excess, so he goes out and buys tinker toys for the county (gps for golf carts, etc.)so that now they become a necessity.



I have posted numerous times (and backed it up with data from the State Revenue Department) that Union taxes are 5th highest per person in all of north Georgia, and this brought about by this commisar. He has the distinction of making Union County the 5th highest in percentage of tax increases out of 159 counties.

And you ape, try to make the commisar look like a champion of the people and a tax saver when what he really is is a champion of bigger government and bigger taxes, and also a BAD financial manager of County affairs.

[manape]

And you ape, try to make the commisar look like a champion of the people and a tax saver when what he really is is a champion of bigger government and bigger taxes, and also a BAD financial manager of County affairs.

I'm collecting data to make an informed decision in Nov-08. Now, it all boils down to a choice between old Harold who brags about pre-2000 accomplishments. I don't think he is going to reduce the budget to the level it was when he was in office. If he can, he needs to tell us the plan.

• The voters need to know which services he plans to reduce.
  
• The voters need to know where he will reduce waste.
  
• All Cook has done so far is publish a bubba table telling us what he has done . (The voters know what the problems are -- we just need to know THE SOLUTIONS so we can make an informed decision based on data)
  - NOT opinions,
  - old data from the year 2000,
  - political innuendo,
  - indirect remarks implying something derogatory,
  - and insinuations.
  

It's all gobbly-gook talk by this commisar, nothing but smoke and mirrors to fool the electorate.

And Cook is doing something different than gobble-gook? I don't think so. What services and waste will he cut to reduce the budget.? He won't tell us on web site.

This commisar is having trouble finding where to spend the excess, so he goes out and buys tinker toys for the county (gps for golf carts, etc.)so that now they become a necessity.

If you have knowledge of GPS's on golf carts, that's waste. I've never played a round of golf in my life, but I would see no reason to put a GPS on golf carts. Do some old farts have Alzheimer's disease and can't find their way back?

I have posted numerous times (and backed it up with data from the State Revenue Department) that Union taxes are 5th highest per person in all of north Georgia, and this brought about by this commisar. He has the distinction of making Union County the 5th highest in percentage of tax increases out of 159 counties.

You and the commish do repeat your selves a lot. What do you want for stating the obvious, bubba? A reward?

[manape]

Bubba, a 10 % budget cut that Lamar proposed in each department and each government function an elected official heads is a measurable objective that the voters can measure performance against. I had rather have a commissioner who will publish his objectives than using political rhetoric, like Harold Cook is doing.

Because we are one of the highest taxed counties, our services are better? I see no difference between now and 1998. Where is the betterment??

What services is he talking about? grass cutting alongside the road? for this is the only thing I see where government even comes close to doing anything for the money I give them.

Most people don't have time to follow the road boys or Lamar around. I agree it is very subjective, but generally I think most of the intelligent people of Union County know we have a great county.

We could talk about how much better Union County is for hours, but I have to go. Besides, it would be like trying to teach a pig to sing. First off, pigs will never sing. So, why try? It only irritates the pig. For the rest of UC voters here are some of the services, as follows:

Services listed on UC web site:

• Transportation
  
• Civic Center
  
• Senior Center
  
• Voter Registration
  

If you consider departmental functions, government services, you will find different departments listed. They are more than I want to list here.

As far as bubba's statements for BIG county government, do you want to see department functions eliminated, combined, or reduced in some other way?
It is easy to say we have BIG GOVERNMENT in Union County, but I'm really not sure how it could be reduced. That's just more political innuendo. Hey, but enlighten us, if anyone has solutions.

If anyone wants to go the the UC web site, here is the URL for your convenience: www.unioncountyga.gov/home.htm

[rmreed]

Well yea, if Cook had a realistic budget, Mr. Paris wouldn't have to raise taxes by 32 percent the first year.

I had looked at the budget when Mr. Cook was in office. Each department was asked to present their budget for the next year. Very little was taken out of the budget proposal that they submitted.

ALSO TELL ME WHY, the Recreation Budget is submitting a separate budget from the county budget?

Bubba, it isn't going to do any good to say anything to APE. Apparently, he is related to the same species as his name.

A realistic budget. Harold was looking out for his voters. Paris is looking out for himself. His first year in office, he replaced furniture, (not good enough for him), Bought a BIG piece of property from his friend, appointed his own authority to oversee it (what was wrong with our own development authority), pushed the WALMART completely out of the county, let grants expire. gave credit cards to county employees, (HAS DONE VERY LITTLE THAT HE PROMISED WITH THE SPLOST MONEY) Where has it gone.

We do not expect things to stay the same as the year 2000. We're pointing out what Cook did during his term COMPARED to what Paris has done in his.

Cook did more in the 4 years he was in office for the county without raising taxes.

What does he plan to cut? Probably not a lot. He plans to stay on track with what we have and not raise everyone's taxes each year.

His first objective will be to cut out COUNTY WASTE.

He also WILL appoint a committee to have our property re-appraised.

Bring back his purchasing department, thereby each department will have go go thru this department in order to purchase items. ONE DEPARTMENT BUYING for each department, will save money. Bids will be put in the paper again and give everyone a chance to bid, to take the lowest bid.



[/b]

[manape]

RMReed, if Paris ran Wal-Mart completely out of the county, somebody is moving a lot of dirt at the building site for nothing. Wait about a year or so.

If Cook is so great, why was he voted out? I don't personally have anything against Cook. I just think he should stick to selling tires and his retirement.

RM wrote:

Bubba, it isn't going to do any good to say anything to APE. Apparently, he is related to the same species as his name.

RM, how nice of you to say that. I'll bet you say the same thing about Big Bird, too. Does you mommy know you are on the Internet? ;D

Whether you like it or not, genetically, apes have over 98 percent of the genes that humans have. Personally, I can only trace my ancestry back to England, Scotland, and Germany. Does it matter? I have only one vote. It is up to the rest of the voters to make the choice between Harold or Lamar.

For you intelligent people like RM, you are not saying anything to APE. You are talking to the voters who read your one-sided political views. It is very comical and entertaining. I'm sure the other people agree that this forum is a cheap form of entertainment.