Tag: government

 

At its core, identity is ideology . . . 

Too often, local governments – those we elect – end up listening to and carrying out the recommendations of staff bureaucrats, which raises some interesting observations:

For decades we’ve been “educated” to believe that local elections are not partisan, so no party affiliations are disclosed, as party labels might sway voters.

So the potential for local government officials to sway elections in their party’s favor seems obvious.

Special interest groups that put government interests ahead of taxpayers have long held sway over local elections. They want them to be officially declared nonpartisan – because party labels will sway voters.

Any faux outrage over partisanship entering local elections is hilariously hypocritical.

Some of the indignation comes from those who routinely accuse others of being partisan because of their policy beliefs. But they insist that their positions are not partisan.

Partisanship may most often be associated with party identity but, at its very core, it’s ideology

We all have an ideology – a collection of beliefs and ideas – but some people criticize someone with whom they disagree as an “ideologue ’… just as they apply a negative connotation to ‘partisan’ while extolling their own partisan ideology by claiming that they ‘just follow the science/experts.’

But cooperation between elected officials belonging to different parties is more likely to assure more transparency and better government.

The absence of party labels confuses voters; a voter who must choose from among a group of candidates whom he or she knows nothing about will have no meaningful basis in casting a ballot.

 

Today, local government is political.

Affable, cheerful, sincere, political-partisans that we elect are given the authority and responsibility to spend our dollars wisely, to make decisions that benefit each citizen equally, and to assure that our schools are teaching the values of limited government and equal economic opportunity in a society that requires personal accountability.

Unfortunately, those we elected have failed us for decades.

They’ve listen to and allowed the “good government” professionals – the city managers, school administrators and the political opportunistic – those who benefit personally and professionally – to lead the process of setting the policies and making key decisions they want . . .

The reason we elect so many of the partisans is because they’re nice people; they mean well. Some just fail to understand, however, that the first part of their job is to ride herd on those whom we pay to carry out the policies to meet goals that benefit all of the community.

Too many of these seats are conceded to those who are part of the crowd who believe government is good and there should be more of it. It’s why Texas has the second-highest local debt nationally, and the 4th highest property tax rates in the nation.

Governmental staffs and the professional educationalists want these problems ignored.

When its for “the children” and “community” or “economic” development, there is no end that these partisans see to the use of taxpayer’s money.

When most of us think of government, we think of civil government with its various laws and controls.

But in the most basic of terms, there are essentially two kinds of government – internal and external. Internal government or self-government is the most important and always shapes the nature of external government.

Self-government comes from the heart and the conscience, one’s character, motives, affections, and convictions of life. Self-government affects everything in a person’s life – the way one relates to his fellowman – his speech – his aspirations – his conduct – his hopes – his future.

 

Every sphere of civil local government is a reflection of this internal sphere.

Shouldn’t we ask ourselves why government keeps expanding?

In fact, the more self-government the people possess, the less external forms of government are actually needed.

No government can be good – or just – unless its citizenry and rulers have learned to govern themselves.

Paris Texas seems to fear what kind of town it needs to be . . .

 

return to the Paris Texas Chamber

Nearly all schemes for uplifting society fail because the originators make the error of thinking that society is a manufactured thing, which can be altered by changing the process of how things are done. Most people see social order, economic growth, education and prosperity as being unobtainable unless engineered into existence – usually, by the government or the organization sponsoring a scheme for progress. This is one of the Big Myths.

These believers demand that each of us be deeply and forever in debt to the state or the sponsoring organization carrying out the process. They dogmatically believe that each of us owes these secular creators everlasting thanks and offerings – and they scold everyone who refuses to accept such an open-ended claim.

This is the Big Myth: To complain about paying taxes – and, worse, to actively oppose or reject the manufactured process – is selfishly resisting to give what is owed by each of us puny beneficiaries for the state’s or secular creator’s beneficence, magnificence, and grace.

Another Big Myth is that government carries out the will of the people as long as its top officials are chosen by majority rule. This niave faith in majoritarian democracy is a mistake because there is, in fact, no “will of the people.”

If, as individuals, we each have a sentient mind with our own hopes, fears, dreams and preferences, how do we become “the people” – as politicians like to refer to us?

“The people” is not a sentient creature with a mind and hopes, fears, dreams and preferences. Naturally, individuals can come together to make a group, but this does not transform the group of people into a giant individual equivalent to each of the flesh-and-blood men, women, and children who make up or comprise the group. It doesn’t mean that two or more individuals cannot agree upon an objective and goals to pursue together.

For centuries, individuals have pooled their resources to create communities, build roads and highways, and organized ways to defend ourselves (or even to attack others). But all this is a form of democratic decision-making, a “best means” way for registering the preferences of each individual in a way that results in an acceptable collective decision.

But this reality does not mean that the results of the democratic decision-making process reveal that “the people” have a will that is in any way similar to the will that is possessed and exercised by each individual. All that even the best collective decision-making process does is to discover a compromise outcome that is acceptable to each member of the group.

Supposing that the results of majority rule express the will of this collective creature – creates the false and dangerous impression that if any individual objects to a majority-rule outcome, this individual is attempting to elevate his paltry self over a will not only as real as his own but also greater because it is that of many individuals. But, again, “the People” is not a being with a mind or a will. It follows that no method of collective decision-making, not even the most ideal form of democracy, reveals the People’s will.

That which is unreal cannot be revealed.

And the most pernicious of all Big Myths is that the economy and society – or, at least, any economy that is productive, and any society that is good – are the conscious creation of the state or the collective control that leads to enslavement and human misery.

Society is not a manufactured process 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. And for too long, the reality is that Paris has treated citizens as its resource.

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

 

return to the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

A fish at the end of the fisherman’s line may or may not know that it just had a bad idea. Not Paris taxpayers. When we grab a-hold of a bad idea, we think it’s wonderful. We must be the most gullible breed of taxpayer. On that point, we’re hooked on the idea that tax subsidy programs, cash economic incentives, and restrictive improvement rules and a closer incestuous relationship between the Three Mustyrears will spur community and economic growth.

We have such a mouthful of that bait, we can’t answer the simple question, “Where does government get its money?”

While we’re floundering around in the muddy water of government inspired inflation, higher taxes, and a disintegrating society, with the line getting shorter to the frying pan, we’re still believing that paying out cash in the form of grants and relinquishing revenue (thru’ tax abatement, fee waivers, and other subsidizes, such as a special tax for a special purpose – examples being the PEDC, the Visitor’s Tax, TIF Districts, a new ridiculous ‘5 for 5’ Program’ or the recently recommended PACE Program) – promotes growth in the private sector, and that higher taxes will make everything alright.

Studies show that hungry cities, like hungry fish, often do desperate and – usually – dumb things.

We forget that, at its core, every government program sold as a public purpose has a way to fleece the public.

Consider: After 2-years of government mandated mask wearing and shutdown of businesses, schools, and social gatherings, for this fiscal year the City of Paris hit taxpayers with a 3.5% tax increase; the highest allowed by law (without a vote). This, on top of a series of yearly rate increases on water and sewer bills that add millions to the budget annually.

The results? The City’s revenue budget for this fiscal year is $58.6-million, which includes an operational budget of $47.3 million (a $7.3 million increase).

We’ve done this after two decades has resulted in a loss of population inside the city limits, according to U. S. Census reports, while most of Texas has seen rapid growth.

Like most government programs the promotion is better than the product. Listen to government and everything sounds good. So does an artificial bait to a fish.

Instead of contributing 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 deepened the expenses of small businesses, created income inequalities for working families, encourage blight and decay in many neighborhoods, and increased the tax burden on every citizen. This is not good government.

But whose fault is it?

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. Good government is their responsibility.

It’s why we have a vote.

The development and implementation of policies that encourage private business investments in local families and neighborhoods, encourage business growth and innovation, and reward taxpayers are how communities are likely to achieve success.