You spin yourself into a frenzy defending your tax raiser buddies, then humiliate yourself with your transparent desperation to have opinions on things you obviously dont understand. When challenged you simply go cold shower limp and drivel something about being proud you at least sign your name and end with a smiley. Gutless moron.

You defend Republicans who act liberal and propose tax increases with your drivel about Lets Wait and Not Rush To Judgment. It really seems pretty simple, you’re a conservative fake.

I usually charge people for their gratuitous enjoyment of everything I write. Consider yourself privileged to be “gratified” on a fee-less basis.

Your above post is both gratifying and revealing. Gratifying in that you have cleaned up your language. Revealing in that as you apparently can’t compete on the merits of a local issue, you have reverted to ad hominem attacks. The latter shift makes sense in that it better fits with your ‘expertise.’

ONE thing I know more than you about is how to be honest and unafraid of attaching my name to my opinions. And that ain’t a matter of where one’s rear-end is living, Richard-Cranium.

As a on-Gwinnett resident, you don’t know your rectum from an aperture in the ground about Gwinnett County resident attitudes, politics or politicians. And here’s why your “whiny ass” comments are totally irrelevant:

Simon says:
“—why the eff don’t you stupid effers WAIT and SEE what he [Bannister] has to say? rather than blog incessantly in a whiny-ass effed manner?”

Because we ALREADY KNOW that Bannister doesn’t mean anything he says about budgets and property taxes. Ever since he assumed the Chairman position, Bannister has talked-the-talk about the need for Gwinnett County to reduce spending — but he has NEVER followed through! Instead Bannister repeatedly upped the County budget on the back of then-continuing housing growth and higher property valuations. But property growth and higher property valuations came to a screeching halt and now the County needs more new money to fund Bannister’s 2009 budget. And your ‘whiny-ass’ recommendation is we should “WAIT and SEE” and overnight, maybe — just maybe — Bannister will change his habitual spending pattern and poof — there will be no need for a property tax increase.

Simon says:
“According to [his] research,” the owner of a $200,000 Gwinnett house will only pay an additional “$182.50 over 365 days” in County property taxes to fund the Bannister budget.

What you obviously can’t or don’t get is that a majority of Gwinnett property owners — commercial as well as residential — are OPPOSED to ANY increase in property taxes during the current economic downturn.

And in that you mentioned children, your “whiny-ass” comments bring to mind a jury member in the sentencing phase who wants to give the benefit of a doubt to a criminal that admitted to killing his parents because the criminal now is claiming to be an orphan.

Strange patterns develop during recessions in the criminal industry: crime rates tend to increase.

The Commission might find itself on stronger ground for a budget increase if they were to flip those increases around between county employees and public safety employees.

http://gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=11&SubSectionID=92&ArticleID=60406&TM=44587.87

County needs a little transparency

Dave Williams
Suwanee

In his press conference Thursday, Chairman Charles Bannister issued a call to our county’s civic and business leaders to help solve the county’s financial crisis. I trust that his invitation for others to assist the county is sincere. He can demonstrate that by opening the county’s books and releasing the 2009 line item budget. Only then can taxpayers learn what their taxes are funding and the value of the services provided.

One week ago, I wrote a column opposing the property tax increase that our commissioners planned to impose on taxpayers. Despite our efforts, we had only primitive knowledge of how those taxes were to be spent, since the commission refused to share the line items in the 2009 budget.

But as a result of the county’s compliance with one of the several open records requests filed by Gwinnett cities, we have learned a few nuggets: For starters, the 2009 budget, adopted March 3, includes an 8.25 percent pay hike for county employees – 4 percent for public safety. Another revelation: the 2009 budget shows the county socking away not $43 million into reserve, as once thought, but $81 million.

The tax hike would have passed just fine, thank you, except for one small variable: the taxpayers who provide the revenue in the first place. They educated themselves and took a strong stand. The fact that this tax hike is likely to be reconsidered is a testament to the power of our collective voice when we participate in our community.

All county taxpayers should call for Gwinnett to truly open its books and share its intentions on the 2009 budget, especially as changes are now being made. Urge our leadership to listen to the citizens. But most of all, follow through on this rare opportunity to genuinely engage the constituents who took a stand against higher taxes and the growth of county government. After all, government belongs to the people, not the elected officials and staff.

I absolutely DO NOT. The commission has a responsibility to be open and transparent and give a detailed budget not just a summary. For instance , the Greenways Acquisition/Development item in the budget should have detailed explanation of why the commission wants to spend 9 million dollars more than they did in previous years. We should not be buying more land if that is what that item is. Another item is Rhodes Jordan Park 156,450 was spent in prior years but this year it is listed as 6 ,003,230 Where is the money going to? A more detailed budget should be available online.

When I made that statement, I was referring to the attack on Bill Simon and the fact he does not live in Gwinnett so he is trying to understand both sides of the issue. I can assure you that if Bill lived over in Gwinnett, he would be as upset as the rest of us about the proposed milleage rate increase. In fact, he would be supplying the pitchforks and torches

I do have hope that a large turnout Monday will have an impact on the county commissioners and on Chairman Bannister in regard to the milleage increase. I would love to see Bannister pledge to use some of Beaudrieu’s recommedations and cut out excess, no land purchases, no expansion of public safety in areas already served by cities, cut out the 8.25% non-public safety Gwinnett county employee pay raise, and to keep any milleage rate increase under 1% .

Thus the issue with what people like TT have stuck in their mind about the proposed tax increase being a “25% increase in property taxes.” That is an incomplete and inaccurate statement.

Your property bill in Gwinnett is comprised of a county tax bill AND a school tax bill (which is usually the largest portion of the total tax bill unless you are a senior citizen).

The “25% increase” is on the county portion of the total tax bill for the county services provided. According to my research, a $200,000 house is paying approximately $2.00 per day for county services.

Increase this by 25%, and you get $0.50 more per day. Over 365 days, that amounts to a true increase of $182.50 for that $200K house.

If you want to take pitchforks somewhere, take them to the Gwinnett Daily Post offices and toss a pitchfork on the editor’s desk for allowing Camie Young’s story to run WITHOUT being written accurately.

I don’t know the answers to your questions. All I said, in a very comedic way, was to wait until Bannister spelled-out his reasons before they “hung a noose over a limb.”

I would wait and see if Bannister can formulate an answer for the Monday night presentation.

The post above my post stated that Charlie Bannister would be speaking at the event on Monday night. All I did was point out the simple concept of why the eff don’t you stupid effers WAIT and SEE what he has to say? rather than blog incessantly in a whiny-ass effed manner?

You people are like little children. In fact, you are WORSE than children. But, you, TT, are probably raising your kids to be just as much whiny little sh*ts as you are. Good “father figure” you are.

I wish the recall luck. When I lived in Gwinnett, the county commission was a major reason why I temporarily joined the Libertarian party.

Bill Simon is the voice of reason. Debbie and I are the moderates, and there is an even angrier faction to our right. What was it Yamamoto said? “I’ve awoken a sleeping dragon and filled it with terrible resolve”.

*wonders if the recall may proceed anyway*

Debbie0040: You posited that “[t]here is nothing wrong with trying to get the entire story.” A true generic statement. However, are you implying that it’s a taxpayer’s responsibily to worm public information out of politicians as to how they’re spending OUR money?

Bad planning and bad management by Charles Bannister has now led to his proposed 25% tax increase to bail himself out. He told the AJC today that he would have passed it if there had not been a total rejection by the taxpayers.

Bill Simon you continue to be an apologist for losers and tax increasers.

You, sir, retain the stamp of hypocrite on your unnaturally large forehead.

I called the Chairman’s office and asked questions today. Debbie said someone would call me back with answers. I hope I will hear from them next week, because they never called back today.

I really would like to hear his side and get answers to the issues. If the answers are complex, let’s put them on the web site so people who are interested can have opportunity to study it until we do understand.

Chairman Bannister and Mike Beaudrieu both accepted the invitation to speak.

We will have Mayor Williams of Suwanee, Mayor Wilbanks of Dacula, Mayor Pirkle of Sugar Hill speaking. Any Gwinnett Mayor is invited to speak as well.

Managers in businesses across the County keep statistics for their departments to justify their existence and their budgets. We are told to just trust the County because we don’t have the facts. If we don’t understand and don’t have the facts, that is not OUR fault. It is the County’s fault for not being open and transparent. Telling us we don’t understand is not acceptable. Video all of the work sessions and put them on the website so we have the information.

While some parks may be “full every day,” it seems to be the same few people using the parks. It has been a challenge for me to find people in my neighborhood who use the parks other than sporadically.

Please find a verifiable number if you believe I am wrong. “A little low” is vague. My guess is as good as yours or another in the absence of statistics.

Why do we “need” to pay a champagne budget during austere times? Is it just so we will be able to put on the County web site, “Named #1 Park System in the Nation” and “Recipient of the 2008 Gold Medal Award by National Recreation and Park Association?”