NEW OR RECENT POST

 IF we’re honest, looking back squarely, 29-years of cronyism have created the worst period of growth in the history of Paris, Texas.

It has been worse then the years after the Great Fire of 1916, a period of solid growth in Paris.

Paris is not meeting the expectations of her citizens.

We’re not getting our money’s worth.

It’s a failure of what we have done, and are doing.

Counting the lies leading up to citizen’s approval of the Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), in November, 1993, Paris has enjoyed a lot of lies, broken promises, double dealings, and other semi-legal actions; all earning the community a well-deserved reputation in certain circles.

And now, the PEDC is spewing more double-talk than the Coronavirus has variants.

First, it repeats what the Paris Texas Chamber (and others) has said for years:

“Building a speculative building is foolish.  (EDCs don’t know what a prospect might require anymore than a cross-eyed stone-age Snapping Turtle.)

Now, the PEDC is agreeing with what we’ve said, but are –

–  also handing out at least $52,000 for designs that it claims can be later used to finish out a planned “flexible, bare-bone building“ –

Seems every time the PEDC meets, the Paris Chamber learns something new. Imagine our surprise to discover that a “flexible, bare-bone building” is not a speculative building. After all these years, we learn that both Gertrude and Willie were wrong: A rose is not a rose and the smell is not sweet.

The PEDC adds injury by saying this will save millions of dollars – !!?? (It also said said the foundation of the old Oliver Rubber plant would save money, too.)

We’re suppose to trust them.

On what? Transparency? Honesty? Double-talk? Stupidity?

The PEDC is a community representative that has said and done things that would make Joe Biden blush.

The PEDC has always been a conspiracy of cronies.

This time, cronies in the PEDC, who are cronies with cronies in the McKinney Texas office of a locally headquartered Paris firm, dreamed up a scheme to design floor-plans that can be used in different ways to finish out a pre-built (not speculative, of course, but a pre-built) building.

This way, the conspirators explain, an unknown future user – in some unknown future – can pick one of the interior configurations (or furnish their own), which, they add, can be completed “in a very short time.”

Knowing the pre-built building as they will, the bet should be that the cronies who will build the “pre-built” building, will do the act of completing the spec – uh – pre-built building, which may have to be  rebuilt to rid it of wasps, dirt-daubers, nesting pigeons, sparrows, field mice, and lots of East Texas’ Creepy-Crawlies.

Local suckers … uh … taxpayers provide the money.

Local politics at work.

Cronyism.

 

In our community ignorance, some refer to the PEDC as the “economic engine” of Paris. They’re off-track. It’s a twisted concept that does harm: Economic development corporations were never intended to be the driving force – in charge – of solicitation, decision-making on awarding incentives, and financing.

An ethical conflict exist in doing all three.

Describing the PEDC as the local “economic engine” is a personal editorial. It misses their purpose: EDCs were to serve as the community’s bankers.

EDCs were to be responsible for doing due diligence for the community on every prospect: Determining credit-worthiness, assets, products, market acceptance of products, etc., of an endeavor – before recommending incentives or arranging financing. This was to protect the taxpayer’s – and their money – and later doing verification; making sure that the terms of the agreement are met to protect the taxpayer’s money.

Even though there are positive models to follow, Paris insists on pursuing programs that have failed to build the community. Examples include

  • keeping ordinances in effect that the city does not enforce equally;
  • establishing re-investment zones in areas where no investment has been made (except the land cost), while ignoring numerous substandard neighborhoods
  • diverting tax dollars from the public base to subsidize private businesses
  • giving tax relief to a few, while forcing others to pay more
  • giving, in cash, tax dollars as incentives; etc.

Not one of those activities can pass the “equal treatment” test.

But until enough potential voters grow tired of their ox being gored, Paris will continue to elect (and appoint) those who act to take money from a lot of pockets and put it in a few selected pockets.

It isn’t charges of corruption that exist so much as it is the costs of notorious and appalling duplicated ‘improvement efforts’ that end up opaque or wasted. For instance, the city, the PEDC, and what used to be the Chamber of Commerce of Lamar County, all three, claim to do “economic” development.

Yet, they seem to never see the wasted efforts, time and money, or understand that “too many cooks spoil the broth.”

No wonder so little is actually accomplished that economically improves the lives of all our citizens.

There is order in all things.

The “economic engine” is the community – which is made up of a lot of working parts: The PEDC is just one of many.

Without the community, the PEDC would not even exist.

There is no “free” stuff.

Prior to 1987, government giveaways to private businesses were unconstitutional in Texas. Then, not-to-bright-voters were sold on amending the state Constitution to allow “free stuff” (incentive) programs to serve a public purpose.

Of course, voters, everywhere, have been sold a lot of things . . .

On June l, 1989, the Texas Department of Commerce approved a City of Paris request for an Enterprise Zone. To secure the designation, Paris had to claim the area was a “social and economic liability” and a “menace to health, safety, morals and welfare” – and promise and warrant a list of incentives that would be made available for economic endeavors – not just industry – that would locate within the zone. (Chapter 312.202. Criteria for Reinvestment Zone.)

Thirteen (13) days after the approval, the Paris News reported a Chamber of Commerce of Lamar County spokesman said that no incentives would be made available to businesses; only to industry. This violated oft-repeated and published guarantees the City of Paris made in it’s request for a zone.

We know the City lies, and ignores its own policies and ordinances; think zoning changes, street construction, demolishing buildings without asbestos reports, sidewalk repairs, signs, and the list goes on.

And now, leadership is so desperate for a success story, we’re subsidizing retail outlets.

It is not enough to promise fair play or to write policies into plans that claim to be fair. Those are words. It is the practice, what we actually do, that determines fair play. Transparency. Honesty. Character. Honor.

But Paris believes in corporate welfare: We give tax money, land, and other incentives to selected firms for a promise to create jobs.

The total costs are never considered. Those in leadership making the wonderful claims don’t want to know the net gain. They maximize what the ones footing the bills are getting for their money, which maximize the leaders importance.

Questions concerning their conclusions are not welcome.

The Paris Chamber has deplored this nonsense for years. Only after ‘all costs’ are included can the actual net gain to the community be known. It’s the same claim that every dollar spent in a community changes hands seven times. The COST of generating that dollar is seldom considered.

But until the costs – including every penny for land, utilities, grants, buildings, salaries, retirement, health care, vehicles, travel expenses, fees, meetings, advertising, all like-and-kind contributions, promotions, cost-sharing, etc.– the total amount of money transferred from taxpayer’s pockets for a project are known, the folks making the report are selling a lie.

None of that is “free” stuff.

IF Paris is to be the kind of town that people want to live in, we should implement policies that encourage private business investment by easing and streamlining the bureaucratic processes and work for neighborhood improvement in all areas; things that build a perception of a community that encourage business growth and innovation, and that reward its taxpaying citizens.

THAT is the only worthwhile incentive program.

return to The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce