Category: City of Paris Texas

-sooner or later, the city of paris, texas will have to invest in people-

In 2008, and again in 2011, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce recommended that the City of Paris, which owns a number of houses on which taxes have not been paid for years (and hundreds of other substandard houses on which sizable tax bills exist that the city will also likely end up owning), take the lead on fixing the the problem by investing in people. The city, being an existing legal entity will have to play an enabling role sooner or later.

To this end (now, 16-wasted years later), the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is going to try it once more:  A city that owns housing in an Enterprise Zone can establish an urban homestead program, through which the city sells a house it owns to a private citizen for an amount not to exceed $100.

The Individual buying the property must agree to live in the house for at least seven years and to renovate or remodel the residence to meet the level of maintenance stated in a written agreement between the individual and the city.  After the family or individual lives in the house for the seven years and satisfies all the agreed upon improvements, the city deeds the house to the individual (or assigns it to a bank that may be financing additional improvements).

True, not all the folks hopping on an urban homestead program will follow thru…and the program administrator will have to reclaim the property.  But many will follow thru, improving their lives (and the City of Paris).  Investing in people means that any homes that are returned can be offered to others who will complete the terms of the homestead agreement.     

investing in people means There will never be enough Homes.

 

Yes, we understand that many local movers and shakers, who have no more idea of community and economic development than Oak Wilt fungus, see the Paris Chamber as an irritant to their schemes or beliefs; but they should know that business is business and a good idea is a good idea – no matter where it comes from. . .

Paris talks about improving Paris.  Paris talks about the need to improve and beautify. Paris talks about substandard homes with unpaid taxes, and talks about what to do with them. But not utilizing available programs to improve large parts of Paris is inexcusable!

Sure, we understand why some want to deny incentives for a large neighborhood improvement effort; especially, in an Enterprise or “Opportunity” Zone, even if such action violates warranties that have to be made in the Contract Agreement for Zone approval. We find such actions wrong, ethically repulsive, and don’t agree with it, but, considering all the parties involved, we understand it.

But to deny younger couples or retirees and others who have the energy and/or resources to own their homes – while eliminating eyesores – and improving Paris – is mind-boggling! 

THAT we do not understand . . . !

Investing in people is actually community development, so why wouldn’t we invest in ways to help people?

Talk about creating opportunities – 

The Paris Chamber’s recommendations are on record, so the Paris leadership cannot plead ignorance. 

Done right, its a program that can actually pay for itself.

Since 2008, the money the city has wasted (and is wasting) on know-little consultants would have paid for improving residential areas all over Paris, through which clean-up, fix-up, paint-up materials would be exchanged for “sweat equity” labor and . . .

 

Oh, well —
How much longer can Paris afford to wait to invest in its people? 

                                                               return to                   The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Links:

       These Little Town Blues . . .

        A Public Information (BS) Officer

private-public opportunities are not allowed taxpayers

 

When private money is taken to spent on a public-private purpose, the private-public partnership is the epitome` of socialism. An example being the planned development in Paris, Texas, by the partnership of the Dallas-based Javelin Investment Group and the Paris Housing Authority.

Council members approved an eight-acre site for a multi-story 60-unit apartment for Section 8 families and private-pay clients by the group and the housing authority. By using this as an excuse, in its desire to show “progress”, the council also approved granting commercial and residential tax abatement on the 19-acre block owned by the private investors.

Go down to City Hall and declare your intention not to pay your property taxes for seven or ten years.

Javelin is in the business to make money.

The city is forcing taxpayers to give it to them.

The Paris Texas Chamber realizes that the nation is well on its way to socialism, but what brain freeze dreamed this nonsense up?

Why will a city provide private developers opportunities it will not allow taxpayers who have paid the bills for years? Instead, over just the last two years it increased the budget over 7-percent (roughly $5 million), dumping the responsibility for it on in-city residents.

There’s nothing fair or balanced – or even intelligent – about what Paris is doing; its merely a scheme to benefit the few by stiffing the majority; and cover the resulting manure pit with Happy Talk.

 

There’s no accountability.

Socialist Eugene V. Debs made a great-sounding speech in Girard, Kansas, in 1908, which became his public platform: “When we are in partnership and have stopped clutching each other’s throats, when we have stopped enslaving each other, we will stand together, hands clasped, and be friends. We will be comrades, we will be brothers, and we will begin the march to the grandest civilization the human race has ever known.”

(Dream on, brother, dream on!!!) But someone must make decisions. Debs never could agree on who that someone should be … he ran for president five times.

In his first race, in 1900, Debs was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, which led to the formation of the Socialist Party. As its candidate in 1920, he received almost one million votes, 6% of the total.

In 2020, with the private-public State Capitalism partnership of Big Business and Big Government in full force, slightly over 50% of American voters cast ballots to increase the role of government.

Since 1900, millions of people who, voluntarily or non-voluntarily, entered a promised “democratic socialism” partnership have been killed by their government. The dead surpassed 30-million in China; 6-million plus in Germany; an estimated 12 to 15 million in Russia. Cambodia killed killed half its citizens. Other countries have slaughter hundreds of hundred thousands. And millions of people today live in human misery and enslavement under the same generic dream – the “democratic socialism” – of Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and Indo-China and the Mid-East nations, and others, that seek control of resources and the means of production.

And there’s no accountability . . .

There’s not even an apology.

In recent years, both major parties have gradually endorsed many of the ideas Debs advocated. Its why the nation is absolutely divided – and $34-trillion in debt.

So what does this have to do with Paris Texas?

Suckers always believe that government can manage or guarantee happiness. But if we can’t do it for ourselves, how can those in government do it for us?

What Paris is doing reflects a wide range of misinterpretations of sound community and economic development, and a serious lack of a common knowledge of socialism’s devious and complicated evolution, and how it operates in practice across the political spectrum.

Those encouraging socialism are mentally-ill people who should never be in leadership positions.

Government favoritism – socialism – is wrong, whether in Paris or Austin Texas, or Nutland DC.

Or, any nation.

 

the city of paris  is adding a Public information (BS) Officer to the staff.

Paris needs a public information officer like a stray dog needs more fleas.

While years of weeds were still standing in some places and a new crop growing all over town, the City of Paris grew an assistant city manager and a deputy city manger to help the city manager to grow more government.

As the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce previously asked, What did Paris need most, weeds cut or a larger city administration?”

Can anyone explain to local taxpayers why the city’s government is growing when the U. S. Census show that Paris has been losing population since 2000?

In the last two years alone, the city budget grew in excess of seven percent (at 3.5% compounded each year) which, in ten years, will add an estimated 40-percent to the taxpayer’s cost of government.

Over the last 2-years, have city services gotten 7% better? Were 7% of the city streets improved? Older neighborhoods improved 7%? Net jobs increased 7%? Have family net incomes across the board increased by 7%? In-city population increased by 7%?

And now, we’re adding a public information officer to tell us what?

 

Paris has been, and is, told a lot of things. Some are true; most are not. An example being, “No new taxes.” (Tax rates, like appraisals, can go down or up or stay the same. When appraised values go up, and rates stay the same, you still pay more. The increase is a new tax.)

Appraisals are guesstimates on market value, and when the guess is not correct, it’s wrong. A property’s actual value is only determined by its sold price, which has little to do with appraisal guesstimates.

Adding two new assistant city managers have certainly increased the city’s administrative costs over 7% — and we’re now adding a Public Information (or BS) Officer, who will spend 30–percent of their time telling us how things are going good in Paris, 33.5-percent covering up for city managers and assistants and council members, 66.5–percent in liaison (politicking) with friends to get their stories straight, and 90-percent of the time hoping some of us believe (him, her, or whatever alphabet they prefer).

 

The weeds keep standing, litter continues its decorating of streets, cars and other vehicles are parked in front yards, junk is in open view, and Paris increases the city budget to assure an administrative control overload.

It is in development and implementation of policies that encourage private business investments in local families and neighborhoods, which keep the economic gates open to equal economic opportunity, are how communities are more likely to achieve success.

Government is like tying one end of a 100-foot rope around your neck and the other end to an 18-wheeler leaving a Kerrville, Texas, truck stop on its way to El Paso – 490 miles and 7 hours and 30 minutes away on Interstate 10. The first 200-feet are not so bad.

But when that big rig starts hitting the posted 80MPH speed limit, you begin to lose tract of things.

And government has no speed limits of its own.

But it sets the speed limits we’re demanded to follow.

                                                    return to Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Links:

    The Big Myth

       A Good Example of Bad Government

     Trash Pick-up