Author: parischamber

1. At its core, every government program sold as a public purpose has a way to fleece the public.

For this fiscal year, after 30-years of population loss, the City of Paris (Texas) hit taxpayers with a 3.5% tax increase, the highest allowed by law without a vote. This “small, measly increase” amounted to about a 7-million, 300,000 thousand dollar budget increase, which roughly averages another $700.37 owed by each of the occupied households inside the city limits just to pay for the increase.

Total Housing Units & Occupancy: 11,854 units, 88% Occupied: 10,432.

The increase was on top of rate increases on water and sewer bills, with a percentage of those fees swiped off and added to the annual general budget, which, if transparency was required, would likely put the increase over the 3.5-percent.


2. The promotion of government programs are far better than the products. Listen to government and everything sounds as good as burial insurance:

The most pernicious of all Big Myths is that the economy and society – at least, any economy that is productive, and any society that is good – are of the results of the state or sponsoring entity. But society is not a manufactured process, however, 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.

Stupid people actually believe that socialism is greater than the American Constitution’s construct of individual freedom with equal economic opportunity because it is based on ideas greater than their narrow view of what they see only as greed and self-interest.

But history teaches that it is the collective totalitarian control of society by a nation state that leads to the enslavement and human misery of its citizens.

 

3. 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. Government is their responsibility.

It’s why we have a vote.

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

 

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

Instead of contributing to 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 acted to lose population, deepened the expenses of small businesses, created income inequalities for working families, encouraged blight and decay in many neighborhoods, increased the tax burden on every citizen, and it has done so by meaning to do good.

This is not good government.

But whose fault is it?

 
5. It is the job of a responsible citizenry to remember – and demand – that the local leadership remember how government acts under the THE BIG MYTH, which is government viewing the citizen as
  • a) its servant: “do this, and don’t do that….”
  • b) its resource: “I need more money, its for a [my] common good.” And
  • c) “The conscious creation of everything good comes from my blessings and benevolences.”  
 
6. The Texas Legislature meets in a regular session for 140 days every odd numbered year when 181 elected officials delight in making private citizens into common criminals.

Over 8,100 bill were introduced in the 88th Legislative Session; surpassing the 87th Session, which totaled 6,919 bills. Creating laws that control our lives increase every session, creating citizens as criminals and the criminals as isn’t . . .   Soon, we’ll all be in government or criminals.

For the past 40-years, an average  of over 5,000 bills were introduced in each legislative session: You can find more information on the number of bills filed in recent sessions of the Texas Legislature here.

Now, we have over a year of listening to why they need more money and more laws, why the laws we have now need changing (’cause they got it wrong the first time),  and how all the rest of us are so desperately in need of their control because we don’t know – like they do – what’s good for us.

Then during the 89th Legislative Session, in 2025, they’ll listen to the ones who feel they still need more of our money or why we need controlling.

Can you imagine the national corruption in Nutland, D.C., with the 535 elected members of Congress hotly pursued by thousands of lobbyists waving million-dollar bribes to attain some goal outside the best interest of citizens?  If not, you’re probably one of the 83-million plus dead and alive voters who keep us in an outside normal.

 
 A (bonus) basic truth: The PARIS TEXAS CHAMBER brings clarity and transparency to the conversation.

Adding your email address to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce mailing list encourages good citizenship. It’s voluntary. It’s free. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

 

return to  Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce


The City of Paris, the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce, and the Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), and the neither fish nor fowl Visitors and Convention Council paid a Florida firm $85,000 to come up with a “brand” they could use to “market Paris”.

After a year, they and the firm came up with this: 

 

Where Texans reach higher?  How much smoking is that in grams?  Ounces?  Pounds?

 

Are  implants from China, India, Pakistan, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Japan, Mexico, Philippine, or even  Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, California, Arkansas, Iowa, Georgia, New Mexico, and other  nations and other states allowed to smoke a few grams, too – or just  Texans? 

The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce put it in writing, over a year ago, that the Florida firm would “not have a workable idea when they collect the rest of their money.”

For over a decade, the Paris Chamber has 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.”

So the above four organizations that allowed 30-years-or more of in-city population loss, increased decay in too many neighborhoods, and wasted millions of development dollars, conspired to show us that they could develop a perception that they do great things for Paris.

As we warned, it was wasting money on a wasted effort.

And the results are  …  something that can be used inside and outside the community to poke fun at Paris Texas – Where (pick one): Crooks, Rapscallions, Termites, Arguments, Maniacs, Temperatures, Cheats, Fires, Thieves, Ticks, Lies, Taxes, Fees, Prices, etc. – Reach Higher.

To be effective, a brand, a logo or a marketing campaign must be a truthful depiction of the product that is being presented to an identified potential market, regardless of the scope or size of the market, in a consistent, coherent and transparent manner.

The first thing you should want is a brand that cannot be used against you !

You build the brand the market you want wants you to be . . . .

Out of the 30-million people in Texas, half or a large percentage are native Texans. Millions live in Dallas and the state’s other Metro areas, and rural communities like Bonham, Sulphur Springs, Mount Pleasant, Reno (a community that Paris built), and hundreds of other growing places … and our organizations claim that Texans in Paris reach higher?

For what?  Falsehoods?

What are the vision and theme “for this brand”? What are the necessary protocols to hold them together – if they exist – now and in the future?

Sadly, they’ve achieved a dangerous product that competitors can use (where scoundrels reach higher), etc. 

Can’t you see it now (change colors as wanted):

Where dummies reach higher! 

Or even, “What does a Burkett Pecan and a native Paris Texan have in common?”

“They’re both nuts!” 

There’s no vision here. No theme. No protocols. Little to nothing of lasting value.

 

Just another waste of money.

 

return to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

“Summertime
When the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy’s rich
And your ma is good-lookin’
So hush, little baby
Don’t you cry” 

                                                      –  George Gershwin

                                    It’s Summertime. Again. Time for the Paris Chamber’s annual rant on “Paris Texas – where weeds reach higher”:

The Widow’s mite is often greater than a rich man’s thousands.

The City of Paris codes regarding grass and weeds:   

“It is a violation for any person owning, claiming, occupying, or having control of any property within the city to permit weeds, brush, vegetative growth, or any objectionable or unsightly matter to grow to a height greater than 12 inches.
“If the property is five acres or more, the owner or person in control is required to mow at least a 100-foot perimeter from the property line. 
“If a person fails to comply with these requirements and is convicted in the City of Paris Municipal Court, the fine could be as much as $2,000 for every day the violation exists. The city can also correct the violation at the owner’s expense and assess an administrative penalty of $220. If the costs of the work are not paid within 30 days, a lien will be filed against the property.”

 

A draconian approach – if you’re not one of the who-you-are or the who-do-you know crowd.

                                                But it’s June, and weeds are bustin’ out all over. Again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are weeds – no, grass – all over Paris that’s higher than 12-inches. In some places, weeds are already three feet fall. Some even taller. Many, as they sing in Oklahoma, are as tall as an elephant’s eye.

 

 

Regardless of the policy, there are places where weeds three feet tall (and taller) are still standing from last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               

 

 

Pitiful.  

 

 

(There’s no excuse for it.)

              We’ll see what tomorrow brings . . . .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Forgive us, but that bit in the code on any “objectionable or unsightly matter” with its 12-inch high requirement: There’s gonna be some really short people walking around if the city ever enforces it.

Why do we have ordinances, if they won’t be or can’t be enforced or enforced equally in all areas inside the Paris city limits?

The city demands that citizens follow the city’s policy and city ordinances when the city, itself, doesn’t do it.  Just look at the city’s rights-of-way.

The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce actually believes (despite what some may want to claim) that each citizen has an obligation and responsibility to the community in which they live, work or do business. Examples being you don’t litter, rob, steal, injure or kill people, and break other reasonable laws.  We also believe, on the other hand, that a community – even Paris, Texas, where weeds reach higher – also has an obligation and a responsibility to each citizen to act without favoritism or different considerations.

Decisions should never be based on perceived percentages; whether it’s the widow’s mite or the rich man’s thousands.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                           Paris Texas: “Where Weeds Reach Higher”

 

 

 

 

 

           Darn that dream

and Bless it, too

It haunts me

that it won’t come true

O, darn … darn that dream