|
We have all heard of the insinuation brandished ”white flight”, well I would like to add a new one: Green Flight.
I understand the way government works is they sit down and plot just how much money they are to disperse and to whom. Then they have first claim on your paycheck, confiscating what they want, and leaving what they think you might need to survive. The rest that is left is subjected to miscellaneous taxes: sales, sin-tax, property, school taxes, as well as anything else they can think up on the spur of the moment. I call this “operation vampire” as they continually try to get blood out of a turnip.
Let us take my case as an example. I just received my home re-evaluation at 125% of what I think I can sell my home on the open market. A few days later I see in the newspaper that the Director of Transportation wants more money to build roads and a few other things. The County Commission says they are going to propose a sales tax increase. Guess what? We denied a Special Local Option Sales Tax the last time we voted. Here comes more sales taxes. Here comes more property taxes.
Next we see the school board will have a shortfall of about $250 million in their SPLOST collections, so they are going to raise the millage rate on property taxes. I question how many more passing grades that will produce.
I sit back and wonder for what do they need all that tax money. First of all, we are expanding the Clayton County International Airport located in Henry County to accommodate jet aircraft - just in case one should ever need to land there. Plus the salaries of increased personnel it takes to maintain and operate a longer landing strip and new hanger for the jet aircraft that might decide to land there. Who knows?
Then we have International Beach, home of the 1996 Olympic Volleyball Venue. Home of fishponds, a swimming pool and a building in which the Commission wishes to upgrade to attract rentals for wedding receptions and other elaborate parties. That means we will spend a bundle, competing with private enterprise, then pay for the attendants that stand around waiting for someone to rent the white elephant. Question: will there be people who will not be required to pay for the use of those facilities?
Just those three projects require a whole lot of “shovel-leaners” as well as the two supervisors per leaner required by whatever contract the government uses. Take a ride around the county, there are a lot of government building projects going on.
Let us take a look at the other side of the coin. Private enterprise is building a lot of plastic houses; some with brick veneer façades, on postage stamp sized lots. There are gobs of apartment houses, as well as jammed together old folks’ subdivisions. It seems to me that through impact fees the county can come up with additional property tax money relief without approaching already over-taxed residents.
In so far as state highways are concerned, the State of Georgia should be maintaining those roads. They can stand back and brag about Henry County being the third fastest growing county in the country, they can maintain the roads those new people are traveling. The state is getting the additional gas tax money, what are they doing with it? Yes, they are building plastic houses; some with brick veneer façades, on postage stamp sized lots in Henry County too.
This old retired railroad man does not have a degree in Economics. Sometimes I wonder where we derive the expertise to plan and spend. I do not see experts sitting on the Board of County Commissioners, and certainly do not see any on the County School Board. Those are the people wresting my hard-earned money from my gnarled fingers and splurging it on Natatoriums, wedding reception centers, and Jetports. How many wedding reception centers in this county stay booked solid? How many jet aircraft land at Tara Field every day, and what fees are assessed for their usage, and do they cover cost? Why do we need big fancy government buildings for the smallest county in the state?
People wonder why private enterprise does not supply the facilities being provided by this County. The answer is simple. Government has abused the moneyed (read investors) to such an extent that they are leaving Clayton County in droves. That simply is “Green Flight”. It’s a shame.
|
