Change in Paris is an inconstant constant thing.

There are older neighborhoods where weeds and wild grasses can brag that they’ve had a wonderful time for years living a seasonal life without fear of being mowed. Some are 20-years old and a few even older. The termites, who can trace their family histories back for over a hundred generations, are living high on the hog in most neighborhoods. Businesses are opening and businesses are closing, but vacant buildings are winning. Littering is inconsiderate, but constant, as so many people are really good at it. Littering, and taking a great deal of pride in knowing how not to drive are tied at second place as Paris’ greatest recreational pleasure. In a really close third place is dodging chuckholes in city streets. But far away in first place is the trouble with transparency or the lack of it.

Its difficult to keep up with all that’s going on.

Transparency is the one thing in Paris that is inconstant.

Transparency, one week a year – sunshine week – is written and spoke about in reverend tones and the media brags about reporting all that’s fit to print or report. The media uses its own “what is fit” filter to shine the spotlight of transparency on “what is fit” –

Its this “what is fit” that cause people to grow old before their time in Paris, or want to move somewhere else in time – or at least, slap their Grandmaw.  But the Texas Tribune is all over the state and is really thriving among all the locals, and where it steps intelligence dies.

And you cannot move out of Texas, because all the people moving in have the highways blocked with their versions of what is fair and progressive in the crime-filled streets from the cities and states they’re fleeing. The only thing not left behind is the stupidity.  Most are bringing that commodity with them . . .

Transparency in Paris . . . .

. . . . which sounds like a song (but sounds better then it is) leaves a lot to desire.

We’re told the City of Paris is promoting progress for the city’s welfare by subsidizing every snake oil proposal that comes along, including the giving of land and money, building streets, rental properties, installing utilities, and joining hands in private-public partnerships with unknown private entities, all singing Kumbaya, backed up by a fiddle and 111 git’tars — one of which sounds like it might be in tune —

To some of us less-enlightened, giving public tax money to these private entities seem awfully unethical, if not semi-illegal, even under democratic socialism.

Even if it is legal, its still awful: Despite years of co-mingling funds, which is a locally-accepted practice (even if the IRS frowns on it). No public-collecting governmental unit should be giving public funds to private entities, regardless of what some judge has ruled. Until the Texas Economic Development Act of 1981, municipalities were limited to giving “like or kind” site locations and improvements – but not allowed to offer various incentives, including cash grants, to any private endeavor.

Just about everything Paris that does is so worded that those who are supposed to be the watchdogs against corruption in government think its a great idea.

The Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) has never met a promoter it could refuse to hand out incentives and cash money, and brag about what a great deal it is for the taxpayers who are footing the bill. But you never hear the downside of things. For instance, the PEDC claimed that it was responsible for getting 200 of 280 jobs to Paris, and those jobs are good for a billion dollars over a ten year period. But, somehow, taxpayers were never told that during the time when the PEDC claimed it was getting those jobs, Campbell Soup announced the elimination of 300 jobs; and the loss of jobs at Sara Lee, Turner Industries, etc. Nor, was there ever a hint of what the lost of those jobs cost Paris – or even the dollar amount from years of giving incentives and tax abatement to the Campbell Company.

Its all meat – and no potatoes … and that ain’t right … like green tomatoes –

Other industrial plants have closed, changed hands, and businesses come and businesses go. But there’s never any info on the economic loss associated with a business or industry closing.

Its all Happy Talk. Sorta’ like the general, hopeful, talk about how the City of Paris is growing, when it’s the Lamar County area that’s doing it.

Repeating ourselves, again (because it can’t be said too often):

              the trouble with transparency is the lack of it.

 

 

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