Category: Equal Economic Opportunity

The right to improve your life economically –

 

The city of Paris, an existing legal entity, would have to play an enabling role sooner or later.

 

In 2008, and again in 2011, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce recommended that the City of Paris, (1) which owns a lot of houses on which taxes have not been paid for years, and (2) with hundreds of other substandard houses with sizable tax bills 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 would have to play an enabling role sooner or later.

To this end, 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 individual lives in the house for the seven years and satisfies the agreed upon improvements, the city deeds the house to the individual (or assigns it to a bank that may be financing improvements for the individual). 

True, not all the folks hopping on an urban homestead program will follow thru…and the city’s program administrator will have to reclaim the property.  But many will follow thru, improving their lives (and the City of Paris). 

Any homes that are returned can be offered to others who will complete the terms of the homestead agreement. 

 

There will never be enough homes . . .


Last year, in 2008, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce tried to point city officials to the fact that there are many individuals with the energy and strength of character who could and would use their sweat equity for an opportunity to own their own home under such a program. 

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 a large part of Paris because it is on the west or – as many of the more ignorant state it – the wrong side of town is inexcusable!

Absolutely, we understand why some want to deny incentives for businesses and new home construction in the Enterprise Zone, even if such action violates warranties that had to be made in the Contract to get the Zone approved. 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!  And that we don’t 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 they cannot plead ignorance.  And 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? 

 

                                                               return to  The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

 

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       These Little Town Blues . . .

     A Public Information (BS) Officer

A private-public partnership is the epitome` of democratic socialism. It’s a fancy Excuse for the illogical use of public money for a private purpose.

Private-Public Partnerships are the fertilizer that grows government control. And when government’s tentacles are spread throughout every department, agencies and office, when it becomes an accepted — even when hated — national way of life,  there’s nothing democratic about it: Its just socialism-in-the-raw.

YOUR energy, your labor, talent, ideas, imagination; your private money; your ability to improve economic opportunities for your family; and your personal freedom is taken to be given to a private entity for its private purpose.  Behind all the rose-colored glasses, the half-truths, selected facts, and the deliberate lies — all the Happy Talk — democratic socialism is the path to a socialistic totalitarian government. 

How much of what is yours are they entitled to?  And if a little bit of it won’t hurt you, neither will cancer. (Until its too late.)

A small scale example is the planned development in Paris, Texas, by the partnership of 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 the 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 increase 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.

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. In 1920, as its candidate, he received almost one million votes, 6% of the total.

In 2020, slightly over 50% of American voters case 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 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 – democratic socialism – is wrong, whether in Paris or Austin Texas, or Nutland DC.

Or, any nation. 

                                                               return to  

                                                                            Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

 

Links:

         Private Enterprise System

         Figures Don’t Lie, but . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only in Paris Texas can Robin Hood be perverted into a public purpose.

The Supreme Court of the United States declared in Loan Association v. Topeka, 20 Wallace 655, that while it was not easy to decide what was a public purpose, and that the court was justified in interposing only when the case was clear, affirmed in most positive terms an inherent and essential general rule as to what the court recognized as a public purpose was recognized by the court in these words:

“In deciding whether, in the given of cash, the subject for which the taxes are assessed falls upon the one side or the other of this line, they must be governed mainly by the course and usage of the government, the objects for which taxes have been customarily and by long course of legislation levied, what objects or purposes have been considered necessary to the support and for the proper use of the government, whether State or municipal. Whatever lawfully pertains to this and is sanctioned by time and the acquiescence of the people may well be held to belong to the public use, and proper for the maintenance of good government, though this may not be the only criterion of rightful taxation.”

But it was said that, in the case at bar, no line could be drawn in favor of the manufacturer, which would not open the coffers of the public treasury to the opportunities of two-thirds of the business men of the city or town.

 

So is giving cash JUSTIFIABLE?

        “. . . legislative determination is not conclusive and is subject to judicial review.”

When it comes to government and corporations, most claims of acquiescence and compliance are symptoms of emotional insanity.

The PEDC, the City of Paris, and Lamar County – all governmental units – gave a 10-year tax abatement to a Limited Liability Corporation that has purchased the former Earth Grains, Sara Lee, J, Skinner building.

The PEDC proudly made sounds about a total investment $3.5 and $5.5 million over the next three to five years by the company, and an initial creation of 100 jobs – with a promised minimum of an annual $50,000 salary. The PEDC said that part of the incentives was “cash for jobs.”

That – and the abatement – was all the information released. Possibly, because the cash promised “for jobs” will come from some Paris families making much less then $50,000 a year.

Is that a “public purpose” in Paris?

Robbing the poor to give to the rich is more like insanity.

What is the time limit for the “initial creation” of the promised 100 jobs? Is it the same amount of time allowed for the 400 to 500 jobs promised by J. Skinner?

We get all the Happy Talk assumptions about industrial money-hunters coming to Paris, but we never hear or see a report about the industries that left Paris. But the lack of transparency in both instances are problems. (Shouldn’t a report on how much “cash money” taxpayers lost on J. Skinner be public, as well as all the incentives in all agreements? If not, how do taxpayers know the net gain to the community?)

Is the sin of commission greater than the sin of omission?

While the Paris Texas Chamber appreciates job creation and new investments – especially those that help hold the line on property taxes – we realize that what the Supreme Court of the United States declared in Loan Association v. Topeka, about the giving of cash, is correct, “…no line could be drawn in favor of the manufacturer, which would not open the coffers of the public treasury to the opportunities of two-thirds of the business men of the city or town.”

The PEDC is taking the widow’s mite to give to $50,000 wage-earners –

We can’t even get Robin Hood right . . . !