Author: parischamber

The Chairman of the Board put it to music “…these little town blues…”

Of course, Ol’ Blue Eyes was trading the blues for New York Values – values which make the Walking Dead seem like good neighbors.

Sinatra received a lot of applause for his singing, but not so much for his politics.

Texas is trying hard to be New York, the city. The state’s emotionally damaged (roughly 46%) vote for political insanity, knowing that “if the stupid can make it here, the stupid can make it everywhere . . .”

It’s enough to give a small town the blues!

Seems socialism is an easy sell to those who see themselves as victims or believe that someone should owe them money. This includes the stumble-bums in the Texas legislature who jacked the state budget up to over $300 billion, and arranged for their fellow followers in local cities, counties, and schools to share in the joy of what they call “increased revenue” –

All the cost of celebrating, however, is paid by taxpayers. Really paying, as these same (supposedly conservative) legislators forced a “median value” appraisal on all property in the state’s 254 counties, and called it “lowering taxes.”  What is the “median value” of an acre in downtown Dallas and an acre in downtown Paris, Texas? And where would property taxes be lowered?

Thank God for good ol’ Blue State Texas legislators . . .

. . . But, O, those Big Spenders in the Big Blue Cities, and in blue states like New York and California!!!

Over the past three decades, as Paris lost population, the city budget grew, fed by increasing fees and taxes. The leadership let the weeds grow. Paris became a breeding ground for litter. Special businesses received tax abatement. The PEDC started giving cash to those who promise to create jobs. Too many neighborhoods went to pot (in more ways than one). Paris did a lot of things – instead of doing what it should have done.

Currently, the PEDC, the Paris Economic Development Corporation, is crowing about a $1.3 million grant that the U. S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration gave it.

Since government doesn’t have any money of its own, and the PEDC is a local improvement organization, what moral or ethically right does the PEDC have to other people’s money?

Other than the nation now seems to have a severe case of the Crazies.

Our symptoms, like the first coke poured in Texas, were first seen years and years ago. Now, it’s reported that the PEDC Directors have authorized this “free” grant money to be placed in a non-interest bearing account at the Liberty National Bank.

Why?

Liberty National Bank always charges interest on money it loans. To the PEDC, or anyone.

Being a local governmental unit, approved by taxpayers, the PEDC’s money and debt are the taxpayers money and debt. The Directors are supposed to be looking after the taxpayer’s interest. So why give Liberty the right to earn overnight or money market interest on the taxpayer’s $1.3 million – while paying no interest for it’s use? (Since March 2022, the Fed has raised its target “federal funds rate” [the rate for overnight lending between U. S. banks] 10 times–from a range between 0% and .25% to a range of 5% to 5.25%.)

Do each of the Paris banks get the same deal?

Some of the local 46% to 53% will say, it’s no big deal.

Then, what is a Big Deal? Cronyism? Earwax buildup? Special favors? An offer you can’t refuse? Stupidity? Bedbugs? Insider trading? Blue Bell Ice Cream? Insanity? Lint in poucher-in bellybuttons? What?

Or insiders creating more of those “little town blues…”?

return to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

In the world-famous Red River Valley, Paris Texas is an economic sinkhole – and that’s being kind. Thousands of historically-obsolete houses and other buildings – unpainted clapboard, weathered, streaked with age; termite-havens with patchy, wild grasses and a variety of weed-greenery outlining vehicles parked in front yards, and not in clearly defined parking areas, in block after block of narrow, grubby chuck-holed strips of streets – are plain clues to its status as a failed community.

In its core, Paris looks older than its age, rickety and ugly, with a few amenities of polish and glitter.

Another fact is that those in Paris who try and speak the truth are condemned as “mean people”.

Its dangerous to dissent on what the leadership claims – or decides to do or not do. There is a dark heart that can be detected beneath the denials and the claims of progress.

Consider our friends at the visitors and convention council or whatever it or they may call it, who say, publicly, and with a straight face, “Welcome to Paris, a city graced by dozens of beautiful old homes and unique public architecture, creating a charming backdrop for a thriving economy and a contemporary lifestyle.”

Considering the handicaps they work under (some of their own making), they do a very good job of filling visitor spaces for events they sponsor, if not for Paris. They likely see their job as selling Paris, regardless of what they’re saying:

  • Do they actually believe that a few dozens of “beautiful old homes” negate the thousands of ugly old homes?
  • What town is bragging about not having any “unique public architecture”?
  • Three decades of in-city declining population is a “thriving economy”?
  • a “contemporary lifestyle” in a small city that will not consider pursuing a modern public WiFi or MiFi system to benefit all citizens, but will give some real estate developer millions in cash and incentives to build instant slums?

The Paris Texas Chamber is merely using the visitor’s group to point out that, as a community, we can only fool ourselves for so long before being forced to face reality.

Industry will not save us; neither will more subsidized retailers, apartments or residential subdivisions, or outside consultants long on promises but short on results.

A few amenities of polish and glitter only draws attention to the unpainted and falling down.

Community leadership created an economic sinkhole that eats whatever make-up we slap on it. Only by accepting reality can Paris change the future.

We’re burying diamonds in expensive, but cancerous, trash.

Return to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

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 . . . !