Tag: Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

The Paris, Texas ‘Comprehensive Plan’ is a little goofy.

Consider pages 13 & 14, SECTION 5: THE ROLE OF URBAN DESIGN IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

On page 14, dealing with Public Art, (Item 16) states: Public art is an urban design element, and opportunities should be evaluated to place public art in areas that will enhance the aesthetic quality and reinforce the unique identity of each community.

(The italics are inserted by the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce. Generally, it has been accepted by rational minds that privately donated art is usually art; publicly funded art is usually an eyesore or propaganda, as government acts as a censor of what “art” is or isn’t acceptable.)

The Section ends with: “The application of these urban design elements through the comprehensive planning program can aid the aesthetic quality of each community. Again, since the comprehensive plan is implemented over time, these design elements should be applied as part of individual zoning, subdivision, and site plan review approvals, as feasible.”

(Two “each community(s)” in one short section is likely a boiler-plate recommendation dreamed up by a committee of government planners. Otherwise, wouldn’t it just say, “Paris” or City of Paris – ?)

Government cookies, baked for the good of government, is not how policy that is good for Paris should be determined. Chowing down on such cookies may or may not be good or bad, but Paris is not the cook.

As the policy is not attributed to an outside source, it’s either carelessness or just being lazy, but moving on:

 

 

Page 17 – SECTION 7: DOWNTOWN PARIS

Item 1. Introduction. (States):

Paris has an important historic downtown, which continues to serve as a focal point for the citizens within the city and the region. The Paris downtown is filled with social, cultural, economic, and architectural amenities and potentials. Currently city staff, in conjunction with citizens and business input, Lamar County Historical Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, Main Street Advisory Board, Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council are strongly committed to the preservation, enhancement, and upgrading of the many variables and elements that comprise Paris’ downtown.

So encouraging historic preservation is a goal. If not, why include it?

Accuracy, however, is demanded of restoration in the historical districts, which includes the downtown area. But doesn’t apply to the downtown area.  (Don’t ask; we don’t understand it, either.)

Recently, valuable historically accurate art works, privately donated to citizens, were removed from display at the public library by the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and the Library Director, saying they were an “unsuitable history” of Paris; thereby, claiming that history does not exist – except the way they want it – regardless of existing policies demanding historical accuracy.

A little goofy goes a long way.  Sadly. –

Jointly, currently, the City of Paris, the Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), and the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce are paying a Florida firm (Florida?) to develop a Branding/Identity – a common new tagline – which they can use to try and sell a perception of the three being one united group.

As all three have lived off the taxpayers, like parasites over the last 30 to 50-years, when have they not been united?

Yes, even the Lamar County Chamber, supposedly, a “voluntary” organization, has had their hand in the local Occupancy Tax till, which is generating over $700,000 annually.

Voters have forgotten or don’t care that for years, the city leased the Depot building on Bonham Street to the Lamar County Chamber for one lousy dollar, annually. Then, after the chamber moved out, the PEDC still gave the bunch around $60,000 of the taxpayer’s money annually for “office space” – or some such silly excuse. It was an insider’s game at the taxpayer’s expense. All three organizations knew full well what they were doing and were okay with it – until the Paris Chamber exposed the unethical (and possibly an illegal action) that was going on.

After we pulled the plug, the three closed the funneling of tax dollars (in that manner) down, while griping about the Paris Chamber, which is the second best thing they do well.

Let’s face it: The three already walk and talk in-step. They seldom fuss, only brag about who has the power. They never dissent about issues, only power. And if that ain’t loving one another, then God didn’t make little green apples and it don’t rain in Indianapolis…

Branding, in the final analysis, only promotes or sells an identity. What they want to change is not how they do things, but the perception that people have of them.

But if you’re going to brand something, shouldn’t the first objective be that it is legitimate, functional, compelling, attractive, and different?

For years, they’ve believed their process is more important than Paris’ progress, and what we see them doing is just another process to make themselves look good.

For a decade the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly said that Paris needs to restructure its community and economic development organizations, and given our reasons for the restructuring need: Property owners and tax-payers need a program that sells people on Paris, not on the existing organizations or on a series of some annual one-time event being held in Paris.

Branding failures are the state or condition of not meeting the intended objective or the expectations of people. It can also be viewed as a failure of the product.

The three organizations are only trying to brand a hope that people in the local marketplace will see them as hot stuff, the saviors of Paris.

But behind the perception they’re hoping for is a reality that these three have ridden Paris downhill for the last 50-years. Fix that, and the perception will fix itself.