Author: parischamber

(with an apology to Woody Herman)

Most all personal “interpretations” are subjective, not objective.

The Goosey-Gander directive is ignored by most marketing people and politicians. They make decisions based on the false belief that they know what people want and / or will do. But they do not abide by “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Their personal interpretations are subjective, not objective.

The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce believes that individuals determine what they like, want or will do. It’s why they drive marketing people and politicians crazy, which, in most cases, is no big deal; it being a very short drive.

Like other laws, city codes and ordinances are needed, but only if they can be carried out on a fair, equal, and objective basis.  But when open to “personal interpretation” they will never be fair or equal or objective.

And there’s very little that is fair or equal about what Paris does, nor how it does it. 

We zone areas, and then permit exemptions – for a good supporter or one who has a little influence. (Its only politics, you know . . .)

We create ordinances for the beautification and improvement of Paris, but don’t enforce them – or only “selectively” enforce them (favorite weeds can last for years undisturbed and some of the numerous substandard buildings (some owned by slum-landlords) can feed termites for decades).

The city restricts what you can do with or to your property but not what the city can do with or to theirs (try making the right turn off Bonham Street onto 7th Street SW, or compare city street paving standards verses those for private developers).

The Historical District requires “restoration” of buildings … mere “improvements” are not allowed. Then say that “restoration” can include central heat and air, concrete driveways, double-and-tripled glazed windows, electric opening garage-doors, various kinds of weather-proofing, insulation, musical doorbells, burglar alarms, and a hosts of other digital things and improvements that did not exist when most of those buildings in the district were constructed,

And the list goes on . . . 

Only 43,000 air conditioning systems were in national use in 1947.

The first residential unit was installed in 1914 and needed a room of its own: it was seven feet high, six feet wide and 20 feet long. One of these early units carried a price tag of $10,000 to $50,000, which translates to $120,000 to $600,000 at today’s rate of exchange.

Too many times, we’re killing improvement.

Trying to meet “restoration” requirements, instead of improvement, the Lamar County Courthouse’s recurring windows and/or roof leaks costs taxpayers a truck load of bushel baskets full of money.

The City of Paris spent nearly an estimated $500,000 on trying to restore the Grand Theater a decade ago, according to reports (or the money reported ear-marked for that purpose was diverted to some other use). Now, it seems some folks have lost their ever-loving minds and want to spend an additional $4-million or so on “restoring” it – while ignoring the fact that when the Grand was originally constructed it didn’t have air conditioning . . .

Logic seems to be missing: Restoring it to what point in time? The 1930s? 1940S? Or to original status? Air conditioning didn’t get into wide use until after WWII.

    Four million dollars would go a long way to clean-up, fix-up, and paint-up Paris.

We create Reinvestment Zones for areas that do not come close to being eligible; give cash and tax abatement as incentives. Some to those who do not quality for incentives; cash to subsidize those who need subsidizing the least; and we make up the rules as we go along. And if a rule or regulation is in our way, we ignore it or change it.

And, no: The Paris Chamber doesn’t want to hear excuses about “tough situations” or excuses about “difficult choices” or excuses about “walking a tightrope” and excuses about “exceptions” to a code or ordinance.

We want to hear what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Anything else is wrong.              

 

For over a decade, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce recommended a vision vs  a brand.

We’ve known, and repeatedly put in writing, that “Paris needs a vision, a theme, and the protocols to make it a highly desired destination for a large, identified segment of the market.”

What the city, the local edc, the visitor’s and convention group, and what used to be the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce came up with is a brand that gives a new meaning to “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

Thankfully, the Paris Texas Chamber was not invited to the party where the decision to blow $85,000 of the taxpayer’s money on a “brand” bragging about how Texans in Paris reach high.

Based on arrest records, its likely smoking a peculiar weed or guzzling bottled moonshine or bonded and branded alcohol.

We would have asked if they really wanted to make Paris a desired destination for that large, identified segment of the market?

Currently, there’s already too much competition within it – as well as over consumption. In every B-movie, a crook with a gun tells those being robbed, “Reach higher.”

Now, the co-conspirators are wasting more dollars pasting this brand on all kinds of stationery, vehicles, signs, ads, etc., all paid for by mingling – on an equal basis – public and private funds or lying about it.

Sure, without a doubt, this “brand” has some sort of wobbly vision, and a theme that encourages some people to do strange things, like getting arrested for peeing in public.

Of course, it might be a little less objectionable if it didn’t make so many who participate think they can sing.

It’s not, however, the kind of vision or theme we had in mind – as standing out doesn’t always mean standing up.

When you’re lying in the gutter “reach higher” also means to try and climb the curb.

Paris may soon be known as the wrath of grapes or where the dawn comes up like thunder.

If we live up to the brand, Paris will be a place where you can start out fit as a fiddle and end up tight as a drum.

When the Paris Texas Chamber talks about a vision for Paris, it’s a way to build the kind of town where you and others (we) want to live.

The theme is a designed and designated focus on an established central objective. The vision and theme must have the imperative protocols that structure the necessary goals (steps) on how the objective will be achieved.  It must be defined and realistic, with worthwhile means to pay for achieving that objective.

Our community and economic development organization are good at promoting events that publicize and promotes the event (but not Paris: Paris is just a place where the Sphecidae or Crabronidae are having a meeting). But the vision is limited.

A mish-mash of events will not likely build the kind of community you want to live in – a town where others would want to live.

 

return to:    Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Link:

      Public-Private Partnerships

     Investing in People‘

     The Objective

 

The objective of the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is simply to be a voice for those of us in the community who, otherwise, would have no voice.

  

Where else will you see, read or hear anything that dissents from or even question what citizens are told relating to a City of Paris issue, or an endeavor of the tax-supported Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC)?    

When all other reporting entities are selling the same thing – and doing it with the same look, the same smell, and echoing what they’ve been told from the same source – isn’t there something wrong?

How many other local news entities are explaining that what’s being sold is something that will always cost taxpayers money, now or in the near future?

There’s no transparency on the what, who, why, and all the costs, but shouldn’t one entity, at least, be asking serious questions about those things?

Over the last five or six years, other than the Paris Chamber, which news outlet in Paris dissents or offers a counterpoint on what the local leadership is planning to do, is doing or has done, the way it is or is not being done, or will be done, and reports the total costs?

Yep.

None.

Not one.

They ignore the fact that each of us know there’s never complete 100% agreement on anything!  There’s always someone who is like a pig with laryngitis; disgruntied.

(Yes; pitiful. A bad pun.)

 

Anyway, when it comes to what The Three Mustyrears advocate; then, its kumbaya –    They pat themselves and the local Happy Talk media on the back, signaling a naive idealism and a sort of a touchy-feely, hand-holding spirit of a make-believe rosy-eyed unity.

However, as years roll by we never see, read or hear about the failures.

We never see, read or hear of all the incentives given or promises made to firms that locate in Paris, or how the decisions are made on which firms will be given or denied incentives. Especially, cash.

What are the guidelines on giving cash, if any? How is it justified? 

Besides stupidity?

NEVER have taxpayers seen or read or heard the results of a full forensic examination of the total cost of the incentives given: Every dollar for every incentive is a direct costs to Paris taxpayers.  Even the incentives are not reported: It’s always “and other incentives.”

NEVER do we ever see, read or hear the total cost of incentives provided to those industries and businesses that fail, but taxpayers need to know how many dollars we’re waving bye-bye to . . .

no objectivity, no accountability.

And until now, there’s been no public objections over the city council’s insanity(?) of giving themselves the right and the power to make life-time appointments to the PEDC’s Board of Directors.

But that’s another story for another time and another place about local cronyism  ––

But is a supreme court of a few local cronies in charge of the public’s money for their remaining lifetime a good idea?

The main point of all this is that the only local effort for actual transparency comes from the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce, and we’re only trying to inform everyone about the benefits of eating grapes – as our sole objective is raisin awareness.

(Yes. It’s a mental aberration, but never trust anyone without a sense of humor. Even a sick one.)

Paris has so many assets its hard to list them all. But our community and economic improvement and development organizations ignore them or play whack-a-mole when one wanting to go to work pops up. Assets all over Paris have bumps on their head.

The assets are unused deeds, while we grow weeds.

So, inside the Loop, much of Paris is dying. The things we should be doing, we ignore.

But we are determined to get all our eggs in the industrial basket – no matter what it cost us! We may not really know what we’re doing, but, come hell or high water, we’re going to keep doing it until the termites are the last survivors in a socialists paradise.

 

And that’s not funny … not even in a sad sort of way.

 

return to   Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Links:

    Off-Track On “Economic Engines”

      The Paris Texas “Comprehensive Plan’

    Reinforcing Failure