talking, not doing . . .
Paris talks about improving Paris. Paris talks about the need to improve and beautify. Paris talks about substandard homes with unpaid taxes, and talks about what to do with them. Paris prefers talking, not doing.
Talking is a poor substitute for doing.
Behind all that Happy Talk, however, improvement is taking money – from some who can barely make economic ends meet – and giving it to others who are doing well economically, but who can help make the givers seem like they have a sound mind.
Most local builders are chased out of the city limits with inane regulations, which have created residential and business growth in most Lamar County’s smaller communities. In turn, the City of Paris uses public tax-dollars to pay for land, water and sewer services, streets, curbs and gutters, even administration, and “other development incentives” to guarantee a profit to outside firms – some who take their profit back home with them, and some who leave us holding an empty bag of promises.
Ordinances are local laws designed to hold those without brown noses to the grindstone, while allowing those with brown noses to practice “how to circumvent the law without accountability.”
Those with brown noses, for some reason, don’t like to be reminded of it.
Talking, and not doing demonstrates that Paris is at war with itself, as many weed-infested neighborhoods are breeding grounds for blight and decay –
But Paris doesn’t want to talk about that . . .
While talking, not doing, about keeping Paris beautiful, the grass and weeds keep onna’ growing. Not all weeds are flowers, but they are appreciated by all the local blooming idiots and passersby.
We use to tiptoe through the tulips. . . now we just waddle through the weeds.
Inside the city limits, there are five and six year old weeds in key places; i.e; on privately and city owned properties, along the right-of-way of state and U. S. Highways, and city streets.
Some are so old and large they are monuments to Mother Nature.
Those who believe that man can control climate should visit Paris, Texas; a city that proves weeds cannot be controlled (at least, inside the city limits). If weeds cannot be controlled, forget about the world’s climate.
As someone said, “Paris is a victory garden — too bad the weeds won.”
We’re lucky that so many weeds are covered with litter.
Littering, evidently, is a hobby for most folks in Paris, as, like the weeds, litter is all over town. All kinds of litter.
Drive around the Loop or around town and it’s likely the Florida firm that came up with the high-dollar logo proclaiming “Paris Texas – where Texans reach higher” was thinking that was how we stacked our litter or it was the only way to climb out of it.
While talking, not doing, we’re actually building a dump ground that 24,900 bewitched, bothered, bewildered and befuddled people call home.
Well, I’ve been all over this world
down to the Gulf of Mexico,
but I ain’t never seen a dump heap
calling itself a city before . . .
( – apologies to Dr. John and his Cabbage Head song…)
The Paris Texas Chamber has urged Paris to invest in people for years. It’s actually the best – and least expensive – way to do community development: Build it and they will come.
So why will we not invest in ways to help people help Paris?
return to Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce
link:
