Dar says taxes too low; a rebuttal

It appears the new “normal” is we must pay more and more taxes, pressuring our neighbors to do the same, redistributing the wealth if necessary.

Every time I read something from Dar Thompson, I cringe. His pro-taxation letter in the March 11 edition of The Citizen is a prime example of rationalizing radical agendas during times of crisis.

Rational thought was left wanting in Mr. Thompson’s thesis on the topic of increased taxation and quality of life. Moreover, you know something is amiss when he begins his attempt at converting our minds with, “I am reminded also of a quote from the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he stated, ‘The last thing I would ever want to be is like everybody else.’”

I can assure the reading audience that Gov. Schwarzenegger is different. With his $40 billion budget deficit, record high taxation and businesses fleeing California, the governor definitely stands out among his peers.

According to Mr. Thompson, “We will have to look no further than the mirror to see who is truly at fault.” And I will agree with Mr. Thompson on the second iteration, meaning that if an elected official deceives the public to gain office, we are to blame if we elect him a second time.

I cannot agree with Mr. Thompson’s elitist position that the government is always right. Yes, this is the same person who stated in a public forum that “we need to get around the state law” and pay the illegal debts of the Development Authority. His position has been the law and the citizens are of little concern, as he says, “This is not a time for populist government.”

Mr. Thompson says it is the time for truth, but sugarcoats things by saying, “Presently, our school board, superintendent, staff and teachers ... together with parents ... are working through these tough economic times to keep our schools the best in the state.” Please go back and read some of my past columns on the unabashed mismanagement, misappropriation and lies of the school board and you will not so easily discount such problems concerning the use of our tax dollars.

Selective memory also kicks in when Mr. Thompson fails to mention the financial miscues of the City Council of Peachtree City.

Unfortunately, Mr. Thompson does not know much about land planning, the component having more to do with making our city great than tax revenue. In fact, the reason more people are getting anxious about the future of our city is the planning component has been thrown out, creating more traffic problems, causing more unsightly development.

At the end of his attempt to convert us to be spend-no-matter-what-the-price slaves of government, he says this: “So the real question I must ask myself is this: what am I willing to invest in the company to make my asset more valuable? Am I willing to invest in continued security and safety? Am I willing to invest in quality education for my children and the other children of our community?”

As heart-wrenching as those questions are to Mr. Thompson, I am unashamedly not willing to watch the FCBOE spend millions of dollars on schools we do not need and then have to lay off teachers in the classrooms.

No, Mr. Thompson, I am not willing to watch my local governments go on reckless spending binges for non-budgeted items.

And no, Mr. Thompson, I am against police stations being built on dump sites, not following the comprehensive land use plan, the West Fayetteville Bypasses that hurts the citizens and benefits the developers, more big box stores, the TDK Extension that you love so much, using tax dollars to pay others’ illegal debts, city council pay raises in bad economies and annexations with dense residential zoning that further deplete our city’s services.

How about the continued transportation SPLOST tax increase the City Council of Peachtree City wants, Mr. Thompson? I guess you want that tax increase too; it’s only money.

I am worried about your sincerity, Mr. Thompson, when you try to buy our tennis center at a fraction of its value for your personal benefit. Your sincerity also comes into question when you say our “taxes [are] too low to support the quality we all wanted and paid for when we moved here,” but you push for a referendum to build even more expensive facilities including an ice skating rink and fitness center for your personal financial profit.

Then-candidate Dar Thompson said, “The only difference is that I’m the only candidate who has come up with ideas to help fund these areas without going into your, the taxpayers’, pocket” (Week 3 Elections Forum, The Citizen, 10/30/2007). Did you mean it back then; what about now?

What about our senior citizens on fixed incomes, our widows, the families who have lost employment and our single mothers in the midst of the horrible economy? Do they matter to you, Mr. Thompson?

But the saddest part of your attempt to convert us, Mr. Thompson, is you would not even follow your own advice. You say we need to spend more in taxes in this bad economy and not look at reduced spending (I would settle for sensible spending at this point).

But if people started canceling gym memberships at your facilities, you would, according to your logic, keep everything exactly as is and increase the remaining gym membership fees to maintain the same level of service. Right, Mr. Thompson?

[Steve Brown is the former mayor of Peachtree City. He can be reached at stevebrownptc@ureach.com.]

Words to live by from Steve Brown

Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 6:34am.

Good analysis Steve - especially this gem, ".......if an elected official deceives the public to gain office, we are to blame if we elect him a second time."

I believe these words should be engraved into the wall at City Hall,

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