1 OCT 08: BARGAIN TOWN
The front page of Tuesday's Ledger-Enquirer was a bit scary - with the number "777" in red ink. People who didn't know better might have thought the newspaper was taken over by Victoryland.
We all could use a bit of good economic news - so I'm pleased to offer some. As of today, items in Columbus stores cost a little less. To borrow from the commercials, it's a limited-time offer. But you don't have to hurry, as if you're buying a Bill Heard Chevrolet or something.
As of midnight, the 1999 city one-cent special purpose local option sales tax expired. So now, shoppers in Columbus only pay six cents of sales tax on the dollar instead of seven. That's a 14-percent decline - which makes Monday's drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average look downright ordinary.
The SPLOST will be replaced by the LOST, the one-percent city local option sales tax for streets and safety. But that doesn't take effect until January. Remember how city officials explained this during the summer -- the LOST is NOT a new tax. So consider the expired tax on an extended vacation....
(The city LOST will replace the school district's one-percent SPLOST in January. So where's the talk about putting THAT up for renewal at the polls? Do we need to do months of surveys about that first, like we have for finding a Superintendent?)
The Columbus Finance Department sent reminders about the tax change to about 8,000 city businesses. But we remember what happened in July, when we caught a big-name store ignoring the Georgia sales tax holiday [1 Aug]. So for the next few days, you might want to pull an old-fashioned pocket calculator out of the bottom of your desk drawer and carry it around.
So what will cost less today, with the sales tax dropping one percent? Items in department stores will, and so should other things....
+ Gasoline prices should drop, presumably by three or four cents a gallon. Now that's progress - as Columbus draws within about ten cents a gallon of Montgomery.
+ Natural gas bills will go down - which almost makes you long for a December cold wave, so we can get winter out of the way early.
+ My local phone bill stands to drop about ten cents. I can remember when that would have earned me a free call from a pay phone.
If you really want to save some money, wait to shop until Thursday. That's when the Georgia "Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday" begins. And no, that title does NOT apply to energy drinks named after NASCAR drivers....
A four-day state sales tax holiday will apply across Georgia to energy-efficient items, ranging from light bulbs to air conditioners. And for the first time, a tax break also will apply to water-saving items. So buy a low-gallon toilet, and you'll be flush with extra change.
But critics say it's ridiculous to Georgia to have sales tax holidays, when the state has a big budget deficit and the Governor is ordering departments to make cuts. Some local lawmakers called Tuesday for a special session of the state legislature on the budget. But Sonny Perdue hopes to elect Republicans who want cuts along the lines of a Fort Benning barber shop.
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E-MAIL UPDATE: As we get caught up from the last couple of days, we have responses to Monday's topic on elections and families....
Richard,
Your take on Gil McBride is off the mark. He is a good person and a respectable man. Talk with him.
If I need to talk with the candidate for Superior Court Judge, I will. But so far, no one's accused him of doing anything low-down or dirty. Of course, I haven't noticed any Gil McBride campaign billboards on Victory Drive, either....
We referred to more than one candidate on Monday:
Richard,
Once again you are trying to lay out a trap out for some unsuspecting Political Candidate to fall into. As for my political agenda in concerned, you should come out to one of those forums and check it out for yourself. I'm sure you would be able can sneak around the room without anyone seeing you." Good Luck and Happy Hunting" www.marklajoye.com
Who, me -- set traps?! If I really wanted to set a trap, I'd arrange a Tupperware party and invite every single woman I know....
Several candidate forums are being held across Columbus. But most of them have been timed badly for my schedule, due to religious observances. And this year, I'm not attending any churches which seem to make politics a big deal. I've seen more political activity by employees wearing buttons at Wal-Mart.
Our last e-mail goes back to a topic of 24 September:
Richard,
The only thing I do not understand about this entire green space mess is why we are still on this issue. The money that has been wasted legally debating on this issue alone outrages me and many others. I am certain the city and the school will work together to do something that is both appeasing to the eye and bring joy to the residents of the community. With all the problems we are facing in this community as well as our country as a whole, I think this issue is a very small one and we should be looking at the bigger picture right now, like how we intend to turn this country around.
Latin or English whatever the writing, we need to be focusing our efforts and our energy towards something that does matter to the people like fixing this economy and ensuring our city lives up to its promise regarding fund distribution of the safety and infrastructure tax the citizens approved earlier this year.
Live Well and God Bless.
Jeremy Hobbs
I guess the Education Park Coalition is pushing this all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court because members see a bigger issue at stake. They contend Columbus city officials promised them a park, then went back on their word. And in doing this, they're trying to show someone besides Paul Olson actually cares about such things.
We thank all of you who write us -- and now let's write some more about the last couple of days:
+ Columbus city officials publicly apologized to former Carver High School football coach Wallace Davis. Davis says officers mistakenly detained and handcuffed him during an undercover drug bust. So why haven't the mistakenly detained bank robbery suspects from Buena Vista Road gone before Council? Is this a case of Davis "working the officials" for one more call?
(WRBL noted the mother of Kenneth Walker was at Columbus Council, in Wallace Davis's behalf. It's almost as if she's becoming the person hearing police complaints - and if she's not careful, she could put the Columbus NAACP and Rainbow/PUSH Coalition out of business.)
+ A Harris County Commissioner confirmed there's NO evidence of any violations by Sheriff Mike Jolley. The next step should be for Jolley to call a public hearing at a Catholic church -- so everyone who spread rumors about him can go to a confessional and apologize.
+ Former Bill Heard Cadillac manager Chris French (apologies for the earlier misspellings) confirmed he's preparing an offer to buy the local dealerships. But is this the right person to head this ownership group? Rumors will spread that all the cars are French, and Iraq veterans might start a boycott.
+ The owners of Atlanta's weekly newspaper Creative Loafing filed for bankruptcy protection. After loafing for all these years, it was only a matter of time....
(The web site of Creative Loafing doesn't seem to mention the chapter 11 filing. Perhaps it's buried in the classified ads, reading something like this: "Single Tabloid Weekly seeks Sugar Daddy to fulfill dreams; long-term relationship optional.")
+ Columbus High School's volleyball team swept matches against both Carver and Northside. There's one big reason why more high school boys don't show up to watch these matches. They're not played on a beach, with the "uniforms" Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor wear.)
+ Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville told reporters he's trying to win games, "not make friends and run for office." That big sigh of relief reporters heard next came from State Representative Mike Hubbard....
+ Instant Message to the Chicago White Sox: How did you do that? You asked the fans to dress for a "blackout" Tuesday night - and you won! This makes the Georgia football team look even worse.
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