Category: Uncategorized

Nearly all schemes for uplifting society fail because the originators make the error of thinking that society is a manufactured thing, which can be altered by changing the process of how things are done. Most people see social order, economic growth, education and prosperity as being unobtainable unless engineered into existence – usually, by the government or the organization sponsoring a scheme for progress. This is one of the Big Myths.

These believers demand that each of us be deeply and forever in debt to the state or the sponsoring organization carrying out the process. They dogmatically believe that each of us owes these secular creators everlasting thanks and offerings – and they scold everyone who refuses to accept such an open-ended claim.

This is the Big Myth: To complain about paying taxes – and, worse, to actively oppose or reject the manufactured process – is selfishly resisting to give what is owed by each of us puny beneficiaries for the state’s or secular creator’s beneficence, magnificence, and grace.

Another Big Myth is that government carries out the will of the people as long as its top officials are chosen by majority rule. This niave faith in majoritarian democracy is a mistake because there is, in fact, no “will of the people.”

If, as individuals, we each have a sentient mind with our own hopes, fears, dreams and preferences, how do we become “the people” – as politicians like to refer to us?

“The people” is not a sentient creature with a mind and hopes, fears, dreams and preferences. Naturally, individuals can come together to make a group, but this does not transform the group of people into a giant individual equivalent to each of the flesh-and-blood men, women, and children who make up or comprise the group. It doesn’t mean that two or more individuals cannot agree upon an objective and goals to pursue together.

For centuries, individuals have pooled their resources to create communities, build roads and highways, and organized ways to defend ourselves (or even to attack others). But all this is a form of democratic decision-making, a “best means” way for registering the preferences of each individual in a way that results in an acceptable collective decision.

But this reality does not mean that the results of the democratic decision-making process reveal that “the people” have a will that is in any way similar to the will that is possessed and exercised by each individual. All that even the best collective decision-making process does is to discover a compromise outcome that is acceptable to each member of the group.

Supposing that the results of majority rule express the will of this collective creature – creates the false and dangerous impression that if any individual objects to a majority-rule outcome, this individual is attempting to elevate his paltry self over a will not only as real as his own but also greater because it is that of many individuals. But, again, “the People” is not a being with a mind or a will. It follows that no method of collective decision-making, not even the most ideal form of democracy, reveals the People’s will.

That which is unreal cannot be revealed.

And the most pernicious of all Big Myths is that the economy and society – or, at least, any economy that is productive, and any society that is good – are the conscious creation of the state or the collective control that leads to enslavement and human misery.

Society is not a manufactured process that can be controlled and managed.

It is a living entity, comprised of sentient individuals each with his or her own mind and preferences and fears and hopes. And for too long, the reality is that Paris has treated citizens as its resource.

The Paris leadership should remember that community growth will come from Paris being a resource for its citizens.

 

return to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Jointly, currently, the City of Paris, the Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), and the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce are paying a Florida firm (Florida?) to develop a Branding/Identity – a common new tagline – which they can use to try and sell a perception of the three being one united group.

As all three have lived off the taxpayers, like parasites over the last 30 to 50-years, when have they not been united?

Yes, even the Lamar County Chamber, supposedly, a “voluntary” organization, has had their hand in the local Occupancy Tax till, which is generating over $700,000 annually.

Voters have forgotten or don’t care that for years, the city leased the Depot building on Bonham Street to the Lamar County Chamber for one lousy dollar, annually. Then, after the chamber moved out, the PEDC still gave the bunch around $60,000 of the taxpayer’s money annually for “office space” – or some such silly excuse. It was an insider’s game at the taxpayer’s expense. All three organizations knew full well what they were doing and were okay with it – until the Paris Chamber exposed the unethical (and possibly an illegal action) that was going on.

After we pulled the plug, the three closed the funneling of tax dollars (in that manner) down, while griping about the Paris Chamber, which is the second best thing they do well.

Let’s face it: The three already walk and talk in-step. They seldom fuss, only brag about who has the power. They never dissent about issues, only power. And if that ain’t loving one another, then God didn’t make little green apples and it don’t rain in Indianapolis…

Branding, in the final analysis, only promotes or sells an identity. What they want to change is not how they do things, but the perception that people have of them.

But if you’re going to brand something, shouldn’t the first objective be that it is legitimate, functional, compelling, attractive, and different?

For years, they’ve believed their process is more important than Paris’ progress, and what we see them doing is just another process to make themselves look good.

For a decade the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly said that Paris needs to restructure its community and economic development organizations, and given our reasons for the restructuring need: Property owners and tax-payers need a program that sells people on Paris, not on the existing organizations or on a series of some annual one-time event being held in Paris.

Branding failures are the state or condition of not meeting the intended objective or the expectations of people. It can also be viewed as a failure of the product.

The three organizations are only trying to brand a hope that people in the local marketplace will see them as hot stuff, the saviors of Paris.

But behind the perception they’re hoping for is a reality that these three have ridden Paris downhill for the last 50-years. Fix that, and the perception will fix itself.

A fish at the end of the fisherman’s line may or may not know that it just had a bad idea. Not Paris taxpayers. When we grab a-hold of a bad idea, we think it’s wonderful. We must be the most gullible breed of taxpayer. On that point, we’re hooked on the idea that tax subsidy programs, cash economic incentives, and restrictive improvement rules and a closer incestuous relationship between the Three Mustyrears will spur community and economic growth.

We have such a mouthful of that bait, we can’t answer the simple question, “Where does government get its money?”

While we’re floundering around in the muddy water of government inspired inflation, higher taxes, and a disintegrating society, with the line getting shorter to the frying pan, we’re still believing that paying out cash in the form of grants and relinquishing revenue (thru’ tax abatement, fee waivers, and other subsidizes, such as a special tax for a special purpose – examples being the PEDC, the Visitor’s Tax, TIF Districts, a new ridiculous ‘5 for 5’ Program’ or the recently recommended PACE Program) – promotes growth in the private sector, and that higher taxes will make everything alright.

Studies show that hungry cities, like hungry fish, often do desperate and – usually – dumb things.

We forget that, at its core, every government program sold as a public purpose has a way to fleece the public.

Consider: After 2-years of government mandated mask wearing and shutdown of businesses, schools, and social gatherings, for this fiscal year the City of Paris hit taxpayers with a 3.5% tax increase; the highest allowed by law (without a vote). This, on top of a series of yearly rate increases on water and sewer bills that add millions to the budget annually.

The results? The City’s revenue budget for this fiscal year is $58.6-million, which includes an operational budget of $47.3 million (a $7.3 million increase).

We’ve done this after two decades has resulted in a loss of population inside the city limits, according to U. S. Census reports, while most of Texas has seen rapid growth.

Like most government programs the promotion is better than the product. Listen to government and everything sounds good. So does an artificial bait to a fish.

Instead of contributing or building a prosperous economy for all Paris families and promoting the creation of good jobs over the last 25-30 years, Paris has actually deepened the expenses of small businesses, created income inequalities for working families, encourage blight and decay in many neighborhoods, and increased the tax burden on every citizen. This is not good government.

But whose fault is it?

Good government can only be achieved by its citizens.

Based on the Paris Chamber’s knowledge of economic incentive programs, gained through years of community and economic development work, we believe that every citizen should be held accountable for the actions of their government. Good government is their responsibility.

It’s why we have a vote.

The development and implementation of policies that encourage private business investments in local families and neighborhoods, encourage business growth and innovation, and reward taxpayers are how communities are likely to achieve success.