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