Community rights are a fallacy
I find it heartening that so many people are suddenly concerned about "rights" these
days. It makes this Libertarian feel warm all over. The problem is that much of the talk about rights can get caught up in
group dynamics, not individual rights.
In her letter to the editor last week, Patty Durand stated, "Everyone understands
that folks should not be deprived of the value of their land, but a community has a right to say how we grow". A community
has rights? Where in the United States Constitution are rights conferred upon a community? My copy of the Bill of Rights states,
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the people". You see, it’s convenient to confer rights upon something when you, as an individual,
want something - it gets rid of all the messy requirements that force you to earn them. The right to health care. The right
to affordable housing. The right to a living wage. None of these rights exist in the Constitution, either, but are bandied
about daily.
The problem here is that the "community", whatever that means, has NO rights to determine
how a property owner uses their land as long as that use does not adversely affect neighboring property values. And frankly,
only those immediate neighbors to the property have any meaningful say about it. The only input a "community" has regarding
how a county is to be planned is through the election of their county commissioners, who are the only legally constituted
authority that can determine property use.
Ms. Durand also stated that "citizens wanted more greenspace, bike paths," etc. I
submit to you that if you want more greenspace to enjoy, go out and buy one of those large tracts of land still available
in the northern part of Forsyth with your own hard-earned money, and stop relying on the labors of others to get what you
want.
After all, it is your right as an individual to do so.
10/13/2003 - In opposition to the proposed millage rate increase
Last month I spoke about the need to
keep property taxes low in Forsyth
County, because during a down year in revenue, you should not try to spend as much
as you did the year before.
While it appears some effort was made
to keep the tax increase lower than planned, it also appears that little effort has been made to actually say no to certain
departments, who continue to treat our tax dollars as their personal bank accounts.
According to the reports in the Forsyth
County News, it seems you have not actually tried to cut spending so much as you have found a different way to pay for the
requests brought to you, by using existing county reserve funds and by not adding more funds to that reserve. This is better than raising taxes, but it doesn’t go to the root cause of the problem, which is controlling
spending.
There remains two administrative aides
included in this budget to supposedly help the commission chairman reduce his workload.
My suggestion is to look to our county administration staff, and make sure we are getting all that we can from them,
else why are we paying such significant salaries for their services in the first place?
Is the increase in the commissioner’s
contingency fund by $300,000 still in this budget? Are we still paying 50,000
tax dollars for non-profits to use the Sawnee Center? Have you tried to cut any part of the over $300,000 in travel costs requested for
next year?
There is still a request in place to
pay for an additional staff person for our public information department, supposedly to fund someone to take care of a proposed
county information cable channel. I spoke about the inherent wastefulness of
having a public information officer at all last month, but the additional funding of a county-run cable channel becomes frightening
in the extreme. State-sponsored television has no place in a Constitutional form
of government. The idea, and the people needed to oversee public information,
should be scrapped immediately. Open government has no need to have a buffer
between them and its citizens.
It seems some members
of this commission forget where this money comes from. It comes from me. It comes from the people sitting in this room tonight.
The thousands of taxpayers working hard to make ends meet every day in this county.
We elected you to be the stewards of that trust. Do not fail us in that
regard. Two mils is too much. 1.5 mils can still keep this government functioning
just fine in 2004 and beyond.
09/22/03 - In opposition to 2004 proposed budget
"I’ll preface my remarks tonight by saying that this county needs to start
being run like a business, which has to earn the trust of its investors every day of the week.
One of the first rules of business is: In a down economy, cut costs. Now, increases
are expected in every organization each year, especially in health and retirement benefits. But this budget barely cuts anywhere.
Let’s look at some areas where cuts can be made. In a down economy, travel
and training are the first things to go in my business. Not here. Over $337,000 is budgeted for travel alone. Another $100,000
is earmarked for training. Many corporations have cut out frills like coffee and water service to save money. Not in Forsyth
County. Almost $50,000 has been budgeted for that service. Isn’t the water we county residents drink good enough for
county employees?
The sheriff has asked for 24 replacement vehicles at a cost of over a half a million
dollars in 2004. With apologies to Sheriff Paxton, this year, fix them and replace them a couple of years later. If the engines
are shot, replacing an engine is far cheaper than buying a whole new car. You could save $350,000 right there.
Want some more examples? The Board of Commissioners budget request has increased
42% year over year, with 2 new full time hires for a total increase of $350,000. Even the Contingency fund has been padded
with a $300,000 increase!!! All this in an economy that has grown in the low single digits this past year. And government
has no need for a public information department with a proposed budget of $157,000 – ever.
Plus you continue to pay $50,000 to the Sawnee Center every year for non-profit groups
to use that facility, when we have perfectly good facilities here in this building to use, but of course, you closed those
earlier this year.
In short, even a cursory examination of this budget shows that it fails the test
of responsible government. I’ve detailed nearly a half a mil in budgetary items that are either unwarranted, or have
yet to be justified to taxpayers.
Frankly, those of you who think we need a 3 mil increase need to do your homework
better, and sharpen those pencils. This is not your money – it is ours. We work too hard for it to have it thrown down
a rat hole of irresponsible spending. It is your duty to fix this problem, and you can’t afford to fail us in that regard.
Voters in Forsyth County have short fuses, and long memories, and 2004 is just around the corner."
08/28/03
Business and government should not mix
Too many times during the year, we are subjected to the notion that businesses and
county government need to develop a "partnership" with each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. At a recent public
hearing on impact fees, we heard the Chamber of Commerce speak about businesses and investors not having a voice in the process.
First, business leaders from the Chamber were actually on the committee investigating impact fees, so that statement falls
flat on its face. Secondly, why should businesses be involved in the workings of county government in the first place?
In our high schools, seniors are required to take "U.S. Government and Business"
as their social study. When did one become entwined with the other? How exactly do they, or should they, even relate to one
another? Where in our Constitution does it say anything about government’s role in business? The role of government
is to step aside as much as possible, and not erect barriers to business. Conversely, the role of business is to drive profits
- period. It has no say in the workings of government.
We even have the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association threatening to sue the
county if commissioners do not lift the current residential zoning ban. Apparently, the GAHBA has forgotten that we still
live in a country governed by elected representatives, who are supposed to follow the wishes of the people who voted them
in. If voters want a ban on residential zonings, then that is what they should get. If the GAHBA wants to have unrestricted
development, let them try to get more development-friendly commissioners elected next year.
Additionally, we need to get past the notion put forth by the Chamber of Commerce
that businesses pay taxes. They don’t. Businesses are charged taxes, but they in turn pay for them by charging the individuals
who buy their products the cost of the tax. It is always the individual who pays the tax. Keeping taxes low for everybody,
without special breaks for anyone, is the best way to have a good balance between business and residential growth.
07/19/03
Commissioner’s principles should extend to fund-raising
Recently, Chairman Jack Conway and Vice-Chair Marcie Kreager made nearly identical
statements concerning their decision to close down use of the county auditorium. These statements were laced with terms like
"principles" and "pressure by special interests". It is odd that principles and special interests can be used as a means to
justify a wrong-headed decision like closing off political debate in this county, but those same pious comments can’t
be used for their campaign contributions.
After sorting through the many people sending over $48,000 in campaign contributions
to these two commissioners, a significant amount of money has been shown to be given by developers and the primary attorney
for those developers. Can anyone honestly say that these commissioners have not caved under pressure by these special interest
groups over the past many months? How many rezonings have been brought before this county commission by the very developers
and attorneys who have contributed the majority of funds to Commissioners Conway and Kreager? More importantly, how many of
those rezoning requests have been approved by these two? Anyone attending commission meetings on a regular basis can see the
left side of the commissioner’s podium consistently approving these developer’s requests, with little or no opposition.
While it is the right of every American to be able to contribute to the candidate
of their choice, there is no requirement that says it has to be accepted. That judgement can only be made by the candidates
themselves. In this case, the principles so righteously espoused by Commissioners Conway and Kreager have been conveniently
discarded in their quest for reelection. Principles are constant; they do not change based on the situation. As long as the
majority of items brought before our county commission continue to be rezonings, the perception of being bought and paid for
will exist. A principled commissioner would return any contributions from developers and their attorney. It is the only principled
thing to do.
This next one was submitted, but never published by either local paper. Wonder
why that was . . .
06/17/03
Local Chamber of Commerce Needs Auditing
I was struck last month by the admission of County Commission Chairman Jack Conway,
who stated that the growth of business taxes in Forsyth County hasn't kept up with the growth of residential taxes. I wasn't
surprised by this admission, except that someone in an elected position finally realized it. For this
reason, maybe it's about time we start questioning the tax money we pay our local Chamber of Commerce.
How much money? How about over $525,000 of our tax dollars in the past three years?
What is also amazing is that the Chamber has never provided an accounting to the county of how these tax funds of ours were
spent. Worse yet, the county has never asked for one. Again, Forsyth
County GIVES the Chamber of Commerce $75,000 per year, plus they get approximately $100,000 per year in hotel/motel taxes,
and the county doesn't ask for an accounting of the funds, and doesn't track the Chamber's performance record in attracting
new business. Much of the information the Chamber provides to inquiries can be found free on the internet by anyone with a
good web browser.
It is the duty of government to demand an accounting of all taxpayer funds expended,
and it should be a requirement for any organization to provide that accounting to any taxpayer who requests it. Requests to
the Chamber of Commerce have been met with nothing but silence or stonewalling. Notwithstanding their one recent success,
what specific service has our tax dollars bought? During a recent presentation
to the Board of Commissioners, Joni Owens, CEO of the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, provided no specifics about how our tax
dollars are being spent, and referenced years-old successes by the Chamber. However, few business wins over the past three
years were detailed.
As with any organization, if you perform, you should be rewarded for that performance.
So why are taxpayer funds being used to reward an organization which has clearly not performed over these past few years?
The Chamber of Commerce must account for every tax dollar they receive and spend, and they must start bringing in the businesses
they claim their organization is supposed to do. If not, this county should shut off the flow of taxpayer money to the Chamber,
and use it for other county needs, or refund it to taxpayers. Maybe it's time our county's largest social club starts paying
their own way.
06/01/03
Zero tolerance equals zero thought
Nothing cries out more for the abolishment of government
schools than a "zero tolerance" ordinance, such as the one highlighted in last Sunday's Forsyth County News on alcoholic beverages.
Whether it is zero tolerance at schools for weapons, which criminalize Tweety-Bird key chains, or cause an Eagle Scout and
honor student to be suspended for forgetting to remove an axe from his vehicle after camping; zero tolerance equals zero thinking.
After many years of teaching our kids that zero tolerance is a good thing, it begins to creep into our daily lives and laws.
This takes the expansion of the Nanny state to a new level
in Forsyth County, and points out once again the results of unintended consequences of hastily made law by our county commissioners.
Problems with the use of the county auditorium? Shut down its use entirely. Sunday alcohol sales overwhelmingly
approved by voters? Great, but make 'em all show ID, even the obviously legal purchasers such as 60 year-olds.
Is there any wonder that in a recent poll, government authorities were rated lower than every other profession as least admired?
Isn't there a better use for our thinly-spread law enforcement
officers than to be working undercover to make sure this foolish ordinance is enforced? Let's get some common sense
back into this county. First, residents who think this is as mind-numbing as it seems need to contact their county commissioner
to get this ordinance changed. Next, you need to vote with your feet, and put pressure on county businesses to change
the law. If you have a wrinkle or a gray hair, and are asked for ID, walk out, and tell them why you are leaving.
Yes, it will hurt the local business in the short run, but they'll start putting pressure on their commissioners, too.
Dumbing down ordinances to make sure all contingencies
are covered is not the best way to govern, nor teach our children. Zero tolerance seems to be the way our government
wants to go these days. The unintended consequences of attempting control without common sense gets us dumb laws, and
dumber people.
04/12/03
Commissioner Kreager is not the ruling elite
Imagine my surprise when reading a summary of our Commissioner's meeting down in
Jekyll Island, where one topic discussed was the use of county commission rooms by groups other than the county commissioners.
Marcie Kreager was quoted as saying that the "dignity and sanctity of the governing branch was compromised when people were
allowed to use those chambers without proper respect or regard for their surroundings". In a meeting last month, she echoed
the same theme when congratulating a group for "dressing in good shirts and ties to show the proper respect for government".
The board then agreed that the facilities would only be used for county functions.
Dignity and sanctity of the governing branch? Proper respect and regard? Who does
she think she is, the ruling elite? In case Ms. Kreager has forgotten, the citizens of Forsyth County paid for that building,
and every other public facility in this county. We also elected her to this office; we did not anoint her. She, and every
other commissioner, reports to us.
This is the mindset of people who let their positions of "power" go to their heads.
As a Libertarian, I am never surprised when our public servants try in various ways to become our masters. Thomas Jefferson
once wrote, "Government is our servant, not our master". Perhaps Ms. Kreager should spend some time in reading and understanding
the lessons of our Founding Fathers. Ms. Kreager's suggestion last year to try to ban smoking in all public areas is another
example of someone who has never understood that our Constitutional freedoms are endowed upon us, not by the government, but
by our Creator.
Government is not to be respected without earning it first, nor should it ever be
revered. Government, by its very nature, is designed to restrict or remove rights from the individual. A little government
is a necessary evil; a large government is simply a larger evil. The arrogance of this decision is something we expected from
Ms. Kreager, but not from the majority of county commissioners. Sanctity? Our commissioners, especially Ms. Kreager, need
a dose of reality.
02/19/03
SPLOST and Public Facilities Authority a bad combination
I recently attended a County Commission meeting where a presentation
was made on the creation of a Public Facilities Authority, which would allow commissioners to issue bonds for building projects
without the approval of voters. Much has been made of the jail and justice center votes of previous years being overturned
without the will of the voter. While that argument has some merit, I believe there is a much more dangerous side effect to
the creation of a PFA.
The presentation focused on the ability of the county to fund projects in anticipation
of expected revenues. Frankly, you could see at least a few commissioners almost salivating at the idea that they could start
ramming through pet projects as soon as the SPLOST is approved. I don't know about you, but how many times has any government,
whether federal, state or local, accurately predicted our economic environment even one year in the future, let alone five
years, which is the time frame for SPLOST taxes? The answer is, never. That being said, do we want to have our future mortgaged
by bonds that have to be paid back with interest, when they are based on revenue projections that have never been accurate?
I don't think we need to go there.
In addition, if a PFA is created, projects being funded through bonds being issued
would cost Forsyth taxpayers whatever interest needs to be paid back. While the interest would be small today, the fact is
these projects would actually cost us more, not less than they are currently budgeted. This gives us either less money for
needed improvements, or drains money from other resources.
The combination of SPLOST, which has it's own problems with unnecessary pork barrel
projects, and a Public Facilities Authority, which gives county commissioners carte blanche approval process to build without
guaranteed revenue, is a very bad idea. Both these ideas deserve to be rejected soundly. Vote down the SPLOST on March 18th,
and you remove any energy for creation of a Public Facilities Authority. This is a two for one deal Forsyth County taxpayers
should welcome.
12/09/02
It’s Time To Get LOST
Time to get it off the books, that is. The Forsyth County News makes the same weak
argument always made when a SPLOST vote comes up, that is; that it’s just fine for Forsyth County residents to soak
visitors to our county in order to pay for our spending excesses. That practice is parasitical, and it’s wrong. The
argument is also false. We don’t have a mall in Forsyth to attract outside shoppers, so county residents pay the majority
of SPLOST taxes anyway.
Here’s the real reason why we should allow this hideous tax to die. Sales taxes
keep the electorate ignorant. Paying two or three percent on purchases never seems like a burden, until you add up everything
you buy. Most people will blindly pay the same amount in sales taxes as they pay in property taxes each year, never realizing
that they are being squeezed in the same way as if they were being taxed on their property alone. An electorate that realizes
how much they truly have to spend each year to pay for the excesses of county government and schools would quickly call those
in office to task for that irresponsible spending. A sales tax keeps the electorate as blissful as sheep, which is exactly
where our elected officials want us.
Will property taxes double without LOST revenues? Who knows? It might make the residents
of this county wake up to the misuse of power by elected officials in this county, forcing them to justify their actions based
on a true measure of what they cost us each year.
Lastly, the scheduling of SPLOST votes ensures that the least amount of people vote
to maintain these taxes. Take a look at voter turnout for the last two SLOST votes, scheduled during off election years, and
in unusual months. Only 25% of registered voters tend to vote in special elections. This allows an energized minority of special
interest groups to determine whether your taxes go up. Now, county commissioners are once again conspiring to schedule another
off year vote to reauthorize SPLOST. Let’s end this foolishness now.
11/12/02
The Role Of Government Unions
With the nationwide flap continuing over a stalled Homeland Security bill, a question
needs to be asked. Why do government employees need a union? For that matter, why do teachers? Unions were created long ago
to correct abysmal, inhumane and unsafe working conditions imposed by companies large and small. At the time, unions were
necessary to correct these injustices, since there was no legal precedent nor state-sponsored redress available to individual
workers. The key words in the last sentence being "At the time".
In the ensuing years, working conditions have been improved dramatically over the
sweatshops of old, and the environment that spawned these practices has been eliminated. Much of the credit for these improvements
can be paid directly to the union movement. They served their purpose admirably.
Unfortunately, unions these days have been transformed into nothing more than heavy-handed
thugs, wielding the strike club over any institution unlucky to have instituted them. Unions have turned into power hungry
entities which coerce unreasonable job guarantees out of employers, ultimately driving up costs, and keeping companies from
expanding. They have stalled the Homeland Security bill in the Senate for all the wrong reasons. Unions have placed the job
security of their members over the nation's security.
The following questions need to be asked. What unsafe working conditions exist in
our government buildings that need to be addressed by a group of people? What inhumane working conditions exist in our schools
that need to be corrected by the actions of a group? If such an environment existed, wouldn't parents be unwilling to send
their kids to school? Since when did government service guarantee the right to appeal dismissal when the private sector does
not?
The need for unions is long gone. Continuing to submit to their state-supported blackmail
merely drives up costs, and reduces the quality of the overall product. It's time for unions to be relegated to the trash-heap
of history. Individuals should be striving to be judged by the merits of the highest achievers around them, not be reduced
to the lowest common denominator of the group.
10/14/02
School Board Ignores Resident Input
I recently had the opportunity to address the Forsyth County school board concerning
their recent proposal to hike taxes again. The exercise in futility I witnessed is something every resident of this county
should do. Over three open meetings this board convened to hear input from residents, only four people came forward to express
their opinions. All four were against raising our millage rates to pay for the mismanagement this, and past school boards
have wreaked on this county. Specific proposals were given to the board in which to implement cost savings. Not surprisingly,
all four residents were ignored, and our taxes are going up again.
Specifically, I pointed out that we currently have too many management positions
at our school administration building. We have fifteen single-use departments with 133 employees being managed by twenty-three
people. Our employee to manager ratio is 6:1. Industry standards today are over 20:1. Departments today are asked to combine
tasks; all our school departments remain single tasking. We have a Public Information and Communication Specialist on staff.
Why can't one of the 23 Executive Directors, Directors, Managers or Supervisors we already have on staff perform that function?
We employ 9 psychologists on the school staff when there is no requirement to do so; merely suggested guidelines. We employ
six more Assistant Principals than state guidelines call for.
One board member, Paul Kreager, seemed confused about how to save money, stating
that with three-and-a-half months into the school year, revenue recapture opportunities are already gone. This black hole
of logic is absurd; removing excess positions saves money from the day they are removed, and every day thereafter.
Unfortunately, many candidates running this year do not have fiscally responsible
platforms. Many times, candidates run unopposed in this county. If fiscal responsibility is important to you, vote for the
candidate who will provide that. If there is no opposition, and that candidate does not support fiscal responsibility, write
in "None of the above" on your ballot. Send a message that this kind of feeding at the public trough is not needed during
our current economic times.
07/29/02
One Nation, Indivisible
Now that the furor over the 9th District Court of Appeals ruling
has died down, sober reflection is in order regarding the issue of "under God". Many right wing Republicans would have you
believe that "under God" is the most important phrase that needs to be included in the Pledge of Allegiance. I cannot disagree
more. I think the most important phrase in the Pledge is the way it was originally written before 1956.
"One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". These nine words have
more to do with what the original framers of the Constitution had in mind for this country than all the references of higher
authority in all their writings on the subject. Those nine words are the essence of what this country was meant to be.
What will surely destroy this country is any issue that threatens to divide us. The
biggest problem that will plague America in the future is that of religious warfare. What the myrmidons of the religious right
would have you believe is that Jefferson and Madison clearly founded this country on Judeo-Christian values, and that those
are the only ones that matter. The values were certainly there, but these men emphasized the freedom and liberty to choose
first and foremost. What the religious right fails to understand is that these men were living in their own narrow world-view
of Western European culture, and were not exposed to the breadth of religious teachings we have today. Their foresight in
making sure that religious freedom was protected remains simple genius.
True believers in a higher authority know that spiritual strength resides within
themselves, not in the shrill, insecure voices of those who seek to divide us with their religious wedge. You are guaranteed
the freedom to practice whatever religion you wish, not to foist it on those who believe differently. The sooner we start
understanding the intent of the Constitution, and not use it to advance personal agendas, the better off this country will
be. We are Americans, open to all ideas; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
06/22/02
What July 4th Should Mean
There is every reason to celebrate July 4th, as it is the birth of a nation, the
likes of which has never been seen before on Earth. And while we should all have fun watching those steam tractors lumbering
through town during the parade, events these days should also make us pause and reflect what we are really celebrating on
that day.
Freedom. Liberty. Awe-inspiring words. But words that are rapidly
losing their meaning. We celebrate the Constitution of the United States of America, a document that doesn't grant
us our freedoms, but was designed to protect our God-given liberty from government control. Sadly today, many
Americans are willing to give up their freedom for false security. What many people forget is that real security is
a result of being free to choose. If the passengers on board those flights on September 11th were not barred from individually
protecting themselves as a result of government attempts to make us secure, there would have been no attack that day.
The terrorists would never have tried, because they know that truly free people can affect the outcome of any outside intervention.
But freedom is hard. Liberty is scary. It requires real, honest work to be
free. It is life without a safety net. Our elected officials at the national, state, and local levels have forgotten
what the Constitution stands for. Americans have become lazy in exercising their right to vote at every election, and
as a result, we get the government we deserve. We willingly elect people who we know will try to remove our rights or
property in order to protect us from something. Liberals try to elevate the rights of groups over the rights of individuals.
Conservatives willingly abrogate the rights of individuals as long as it suits their moral purpose, and couch it in the cloak
of national security.
America was designed by great thinkers to allow individuals to attain all
that they can, without trampling on another individual’s rights. While you are watching the parade this year,
reflect on what the true meaning of this day should be.
05/26/02
Republicans need a liberty check
You could have predicted this would happen. In the
weeks following legitimate questions surrounding the efforts of our elected Republican official's attempts to restrict the
freedom of speech and outright liberty of some residents of Forsyth County, out come the letters defending their actions.
What is both startling and saddening to me about the mounting defense of these officials is the willingness of people to force
behavioral change on others whom are deemed "offensive".
I have never been a smoker, but they have every
right to engage in their habit so long as it doesn't infringe on my right to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness.
Having to walk through a small amount of smoke outside on your way to the County administration building does none of that.
We are even treated to a letter mistakenly accusing this paper of condoning smoking, when all you were doing was
defending liberty and common sense. As William Shatner once implored detail-oriented Star Trek fans in an SNL skit,
"Get a life"! One of these days, our Government-educated population might just realize that we are not a democracy,
but a Constitutional Republic. As Neal Boortz wrote in his book, "The Terrible Truth About Liberals", a "democracy is
when you have three wolves and one sheep deciding what's for dinner". You don't want to live in a democracy. Just
because you and your friends find smoking, or some other behavior offensive, doesn't mean you have the right to restrict it's
use.
In our post September 11th world, too much emphasis
has been on attempting to restrict our God-given freedoms in the name of safety or convenience. Random searches at airports,
DUI roadblocks and campaign finance "reform" are each allowed by many Americans because they want to feel protected
from other people's actions. The problem is that many accept these "inconveniences" at the expense of liberty
and freedom, and liberty, once taken away, is rarely given back. Sadly, many of the people leading the charge to restrict
our freedom these days call themselves Republicans. If our current elected officials can't protect our liberty,
it's time to elect some people who can.
