by Ron Davis on August 17, 2010
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Before the primary election on July 20, supporters of the SPLOST renewal were saying that we had to renew the SPLOST or else we would end up paying higher property taxes. The SPLOST renewal passed.
Well, I opposed it, but at least it won’t fall back on property taxes, right? Wrong. On August 10 the Board of Commissioners raised the millage rate (unnecessarily), which upset a lot of people.
There is a public hearing on August 24 to discuss the 2011 budget, which, given the number of people outraged over the millage rate increase, will probably be a crowded event. On Thursday the 19th, some concerned citizens are meeting to discuss the hearing. More information on that is available here.
The next time you’ve actually got a say in what taxes you pay, remember the SPLOST renewal. Remember the Paulding County Board of Commissioners. Remember how taxes were raised even though we passed the SPLOST. Then vote accordingly.
by Ron Davis on August 11, 2010
Following some good advice, I’m going to refrain from commenting on yesterday’s election results for a few days, but I wanted to take a minute to talk about my friend Daniel Stout.
I met Daniel last fall, a few weeks before he decided to run in the special election for the 19th district in the Georgia House. I helped with his campaign in the special election, and I worked even more diligently for him in the recent primary and runoff elections.
During his time in the General Assembly, Daniel stood firm – under extreme pressure from other Republicans – against increases in government. He remained true to his word to his constituents, and he proved to us all that it really is possible to elect a true fiscal conservative.
I was with Daniel the day he received that despicable mailer from Steve Golden. When I was furious, Daniel calmed me down and insisted we not lash back in anger. When he read what I wrote about Steve Golden, he called and asked me to back off. And after the primary, when Golden apologized for the mailer, I saw Daniel respond in love with complete forgiveness.
When Daniel got juicy bits of information about Paulette Braddock that would have hurt her campaign, he insisted that we not go public with it. He had promised a clean campaign, and he was determined to run a clean campaign – no matter how his opponents ran theirs.
Throughout this past year, I have seen Daniel Stout in victory and in defeat. I’ve seen him when he’s been viciously attacked, and I’ve seen him respond in grace. I was present when he was addressing crowds, and I’ve been with him when nobody else was around. In every one of these instances, I have seen what real integrity in a man looks like.
I am honored to know Daniel Stout and to be able to call him a friend. Being around Daniel has taught me a lot about myself, and I’m a better person because of his example. Whether you supported Daniel in this election or not, I hope you’ll go out of your way to get to know him. You may find him challenging you to be a better person as well.