A tax incentive.

An Associated Press report says that an organization of government officials want to remove the current requirement that an increase in city or county sales tax be approved by local voters in a referendum. The group also want to allow cities and counties to levy taxes on development and real-estate transfers by simple majority vote. Currently, no real estate transfer taxes are authorized for local governments - though state government collects the tax. The government organization that is recommending the changes is the Tennessee Advisory  Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR),  and guess what? - our tax guzzling city mayor is a member. It is unclear which TACIR members voted for the changes and because of the Christmas break it could not be checked, but I wager that Cleveland City Mayor Tom Rowland, was one of its most enthusiastic supporters. At least for removing the voter approval part. It seems that so as not to upset developers and realtors, TACIR were not so happy imposing development and real estate transfer taxes. Rowland knows voters will not sanction tax increases so he and his group want to remove them from the equation instead of abiding by their wishes. The TACIR is basically a bunch of bureaucrats trying to eliminate the voice of the voter so they can carry on the spending spree in Tennessee. It's a case of another group with a political agenda hiding behind an organization with an impressive sounding name to disenfranchise the people that pay the bills. That's what I think.

What do you think?

Happy holidays

I know Christmas is over for 2005 but there is an important remnant left to be mentioned. Nashville's metro council rejected a request from Mayor Bill Purcell to officially rename the Christmas tree a Holiday tree so as not to offend non-Christians. Stupid, right? It is, but some of Cleveland and Bradley County's businesses are trying to be equally as politically correct. You have seen the subtle sign changes in many store windows gradually replacing the word Christmas with Holidays? I'm sure you have noticed that it is now more difficult to find Christmas cards with the word Christmas in them? Silly I know, but it's a fact. Cleveland is in the heart of the Bible Belt and its citizens have not entirely rejected the concept of Christmas as celebrating Jesus Christ's birthday. I personally don't have a problem with a business using the word Holidays if they wish but to do it so they don't offend a few people at the expense of everyone else doesn't make sense. There were a number of businesses this year that still proudly proclaimed Christmas as celebrating Christ's birthday but the numbers are dwindling as the years go by. If the City of Cleveland really want to stand apart from all the others, let it next year proclaim Cleveland the City that Celebrates Christmas and encourages all local businesses to be part of the image. The mostly Christian people of Cleveland and Bradley County and the churches of the area can take positive steps to reverse a trend that is showing disrespect for our Lord and Savior. That's what I think.

What do you think?

Betrayed

Why has President Bush become such an embarrassment to traditional conservatives?

What do you think?

The Sheriff's dilemma.

Why didn't Bradley County Sheriff Dan Gilley, make all his recent suggestions to reduce jail overcrowding before he spent $17 million on a new justice complex?

What do you think?

Hitching a ride.

Why was Cleveland public transport bus service scaled back during the busiest days of the Christmas period when people without vehicles needed them most?

What do you think?

Hypocrites

How can the Bush administration organize honest elections in Iraq when they can't in Tennessee?

What do you think?

It doesn't make sense

How can a car be more efficient using a gasoline engine to generate electricity to drive the wheels than to drive them directly?

What do you think?

Website Survey Results
.