GDOT has also signed off on Hwy 74 punchlist and turned maint. over to PTC and PTC can now put the Paschall Rd/Hwy 74 tunnel path approaches on the list, too????? Is it too much to hope for?

Nope on turn over for mowing and Paschall is moving forward, but, is tied into the 74 work which will not begin again until mid September.

So, yes, pushing your luck a bit on that one.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

just have to lay down for a while till the blood rushes back to my brain.
Now, let's not tease us here. I wanna see the marching bands, the balloons, and the Vienna choir boys all at the same time at the groundbreaking ceremony BEFORE I believe this news.

Really.

I think this rates right up there with man landing on the moon. Won't believe it till I see it. Then, still won't believe it. Not in my lifetime.

When David handed me the GDOT document yesterday I had to read it twice and then stare at it for awhile.

I told them to start digging quick.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

under cover of darkness, too.

Unless GDOT does yet another U-turn the money for the CSX/54 bridge/tunnel is approved and coming.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Never.

They are... amazing. As are DOR and some others.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Now that the AJC is reporting GDOT's "freeze"....is that going to affect the bridge/tunnel? Just wondering if you knew the answer. It seems that to just "freeze" GDOT due to the mismanagement would waste even more $$ throughout GA.

I have not heard anything and truly hope we are far enough into the process not to.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

But, WHEN WHEN WHEN?

If they do not change something yet again.

Believe me, I want this project finished. It is beyond frustrating.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

I am certain that you want this done as quickly as possible. It's kind of like a stick in the eye isn't it? Especially when you are campaigning for keeping SPLOST. Right?

I want the project done because it needs to be finished, is needed and there have been too many issues created in the time surrounding it.

It didn't start or go wrong when I was on Council. I am now pushing to finish it. So the stick is in someone elses' eyes.

Really has nothing to do with the SPLOST. It has a everything to do with $200,000 plus PTC will have to pay to finish it on our own.

Just remember the options if we don't get SPLOST, meaning a property tax increase of 1.1 mil or more just for golf cart paths or service cuts. Up to the voters to tell me which they prefer and I will abide by that decision. I have never said the options were desirable, but they are the realities.

I am a taxpayer every bit as much as every other property owner in PTC. So I have to pay right alone with you.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

"Really has nothing to do with the SPLOST."

It has everything to do with the SPLOST, it is an example of how ineffective government is using our money. It doesn't matter whether you were there or not, it certainly hasn't been fixed since you've been there.

Really Mr. Haddix, if we have to pay 1.1 million then raise our property taxes. It's our paths.

Let's see what kind of business we can draw into the county by having the lowest sales tax in the metro area. Let's don't continue to perpetuate a mistake with an extension to the current SPLOST.

It is my belief that the SPLOST money will be used to pay off debt and the money freed up will be used for all sorts of things and most of them won't be transportation.

Try to see the big picture here.

PTC Observer, last comment from me.

Dropping the sales tax rate 1% will not attract retail business or good employers to fill our glut of empty stores and homes. It will only drop income to the city and force higher taxes or amenity or service reductions to compensate. It will make us less attractive to business and home owners alike.

How freed up money is used depends on who you elect.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

That you are so confident that a drop in taxes will not create opportunities for growth. I am not certain what school of economics you graduated from, but last time I checked people are rational when it comes to money. They make choices based on costs.

If it costs less to do business in one county vs. another I am absolutely certain that given a choice they will choose the least cost county MOST OF THE TIME.

For example, if you purchase a car in Fayette County without the SPLOST extension and the car costs $30,000 a consumer would save $300. You don’t believe that someone would shop in Fayette first given this scenario?

Let’s take food shopping, let’s say the average family spends $150 per week on groceries. That’s $7,800 per year or $78. Now $78 dollars may not sound like a lot to you Mr. Haddix but there are families out there that would drive into the county to save this amount.

Now if you start adding all of your purchases up over the year food, gas, restaurants, electronics, toys, etc. The number gets pretty big for a family doesn’t it?

Now let’s multiply this factor by thousands of families shopping in Fayette vs. county X. The impact would be to have a surge in demand in one county, Fayette County.

It is interesting that you dismiss this basic law of economics, “consumers are rational”.

In addition to getting rid of the SPLOST, would venture to say that if you dropped ALL county imposed taxes on businesses, we would have businesses running into the county.

Of course I have not heard your argument on why you are so certain that lowering taxes would not create demand. I would enjoy hearing that argument but I am quite certain that it will be flawed.

You see in the end government is a drain on the market, it doesn’t produce anything but services that private enterprise can’t do better.

I assume that is why PTC recently got rid of 24 city landscape employees in favor of a private company. It costs less right? Now that’s progress. I haven’t noticed any deterioration of our landscape since you folks did that. How did you vote on that?

Come on Mr. Haddix, you should be able to respond to this!

1.1 mil on an average PTC home assessed value would result in a tax increase of about $220.00 a year.

Plus there is a split sales tax rate on items. Some items are 7%, some 3% and some none, unless any category has changed. And who buys a new car every year, or even during the life of the SPLOST?

Now drive those numbers up on property tax for an employer coming here with properties of a $1 million plus. Which hits them harder, sales tax or property tax?

Your numbers and thinking needs serious reconsideration.

The vote to outsource landscaping was 5-0.

I don't dismiss basic economics. My numbers are base on it.

I repeat, property tax does more to drive employers and people away than does sales tax.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

If you haven't noticed any deterioration in our landscaping services, I'd love to see your yard.

Ask twenty of your neighbors here if they will drive to Sharpsburg or Fairburn or Jonesboro (closest next county over) to do their everyday grocery shopping. Do you do that now? Do you do that same traveling to go out to eat due to the SPLOST now?

And since when is spreading the tax burden over thousands (yes, thousands) of non-Fayette Countians and in-county residents (INCLUDING renters) actually worse than spreading out over just private property owners who live in Fayette County?

How often do you buy cars? Once every 2-5 years, maybe? How many car dealers do you have to choose from IN Fayette County? Less than a handful, I think. I'll give you that one, I go out of county to shop around, and probably buy, as does just about every else who lives in Fayette County.

You need to re-think SPLOST and get the bigger picture here. If you own property here and get an additional $200-$400 property tax hike with no SPLOST, you'll be a lot more upset than going to Kroger and paying $1.50 SPLOST tax on your $150. grocery bill once a week.

People who live in PTC should pay for the paths, just that simple. If our taxes go up and we don't want to pay the bill, we can move. No one forces us to live here.

The fact that business pays more in property tax is a fact, the question is how does it compare to other counties?

A sales tax is regressive and hurts everyone, some more than others as a percentage of their income.

Our game plan should be to reduce the size of government and reduce taxes. I believe reducing taxes first will force the reduction in the size of state, county and city government. Fortunately, they can't print money like the Feds.

However, they will always want more money for doing poor work, using the poor results as an excuse for asking for more money. Just look at that terrific job of a bridge over the CSX tracks on 54 if you want one small example. My guess is they simply need more money to get it done. Why should we continue to reward this type of result?

To your point about driving somewhere else to do my shopping, I would do that if the difference in cost was significant. We should aim to make it significantly different (lower) here in Fayette County. The fact is all surrounding counties have the same sales tax rates. I think they call it collusion.

Here's the link so you don't have to go to too much trouble to get the facts. https://etax.dor.ga.gov/salestax/salestaxrates/LGS_2009_Jul_Rate_Chart_Moore_rates_09.pdf

Mr. Haddix, it's pretty simple you are for lowering taxes or you are not, the fact that citizens that use something should pay for it seems fundamentally fair to me. Why should someone who doesn't use something pay for it? Your thinking is what has gotten this country in the state it is in today. We don't need to spread the pain out to everyone, we simply need to be grown up about this and pay for what we want to have. I think government needs to get out of our lives and this includes local government.

The fact is that spreading the pain is pretty easy to do but the outcome is what we see around us in the current economy. The only answer to our economic problems is to live within our means, and not demand that someone else pay for the things we want. It is a fundamentally flawed formula and the road to disaster. By paying for those things we want, we will feel the pain and our demands on what we want the government to do for us will be muted. This is not a bad outcome.

The only problem with supporting socialist principles is the fact that sooner or later you run out of the other guy’s money. That’s right where we are today Mr. Haddix.

You have made your position clear on SPLOST, we differ on this issue and on how to live our lives. You clearly want to spread the pain. I will work very hard for candidates that share my beliefs. That's not you Mr. Haddix.

I am thoroughly confounded every time you say we need a mil increase or a SPLOST everytime something comes up that neds to be done!!!!

Do it instead of something less important!!!
Or are you saying everything else is more important?

Stay within what tax you collect!

As an independent even I think that is the way to go now for PTC.

Splost is nothing but a way to spend more money than they bring in. Those in charge will always find a way to spend that money, as in a road to no where. When ever that Splost is about to expire, they always have another project that they dream about..it is always so easy to spend someone else's money. I say NO like I did with the first School Splost and the Transportation Splost. The money they got they wasted, on things not needed always it seems with ulterior motives. Now it is time to save up for what you need, not spend spend spend. Live within your means, as in if you don't have it, you can't spend it...make do with what you have. Waste not want not I believe that is how it works.

Then tell me what you want to do without, Bonkers. What is less important costing $2 million a year we can cut.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Isn't that your job to decide?

Let me see now....you want to keep charging an added sales tax instead of the sales tax going down, is that correct?

Now you want to borrow millions more which will be paid back with the added sales tax (or continued tax if you prefer), then you will take the additional millions borrowed and spend it right away! Is that right?

Some I understand will pay off some debt we already have--maybe at a better rate?

The rest is to be spent for projects we can do without?

I do hope that you don't plan to use any of it to retain expenses we can not afford now?

Can't you get some Federal money to patch up the cart paths or patch what you can afford with the money and people you already have?

Don't you or won't you ever understand that 75% or more of Fayette voters don't want any more tax right now?

Copy some of this to the Council if you will!
Or do they even read what people want on here?

"It didn't start or go wrong when I was on Council. I am now pushing to finish it. So the stick is in someone elses' eyes."

Very close to a but, but ,but Bush.

Not close at all. The project went wrong before I was even elected.

I am responsible for supporting a delay of several months to see if GDOT would come through with almost a quarter of a million to save the taxpayers money. Also responsible for saying if they fail to come through then the taxpayers pay for it to get it finished.

Up to you to feel that was either a good or bad move.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

I really appreciate your input here..I really do...

That being said, how did get the support for the delay of 2 months to save a quarter of a million dollars when you only have 2 votes on the Council? You have told us over and over about this 3-2 vote, with the 2 being on the short side...who among the other 3 was with your opinion on this?

And unlike the original poster, I can see the benefit in having the path finished that was referenced in the original article.

Mr. Haddix,

I don't weigh in on this forum very often. Part of the reason is most people can't seem to stay on topic, wandering all over the place and not making much sense at all, most of the times.

I will violate my own position to pose some comments that I feel are central to our issues here in PTC. I will not use the Bridge over the railroad tracks as an example since it has be debated ad nauseum. I will however comment on the obvious lack of understanding of what it takes to run our city on a day to day basis.

It seems to me that hiring people with an understanding of how to get things done in a timely and cost saving manner is paramount. Our city seems to not have the qualified personnel to pull this off.

Some examples, the cartpath under Hwy 54 across Paschall Drive. The tunnel has been complete for over 6 months yet carts cannot access it from either side to get to and from the Avenue and points beyond. Who's responsible to complete this? Are we waiting on the DOT? If so, why didn't we know the rules before this project got underway. Shouldn't someone on staff be familiar with DOT project rules, where does their responsibility end, ours begin?

Secondly, the traffic light at Wisdom Road and Hwy 74. The poles for the lights have been laying by the roadside for about 1 year. The light was approved and then someone woke up in their city office one day and realized we needed "right of way" approval from CSX. Did the rail line just show up in town? Why wasn't someone familiar with this issue way before the process started. It's not unlike the extra rail line that just showed up one day, then everyone started carping about it.

It seems to me we have either untrained or unqualified employees in our city who deflect the issues when confronted with them. There are thousands of cities and towns in this country. Some have rail tracks through them, some don't. What we probably all share is a need to work with other agencies, both state and local. This calls for an informed staff to manage the day to day business of the city. To understand how to manuever through the unfortunate bureacracy that we must deal with and to do so with expediency and in a manner that is cost efficient.

I wonder how much we have spent to fix our mistakes? We are in a deep budget crunch. Let's not continue to spend our money foolishly. Get it done right the first time, saves time and money in the long run and hopefully will display confidence to our citizens that our elected officials have a clue.

That is an issue that requires a three majority on Council and has to be discussed in Executive Session by law.

Efficient management is a must and a priority to Sturbuam and me. The next Council will, as all Councils must, confront, review and decide on such issues legally.

Other legal entities can be issues, with GDOT and EPA issues for every city. GDOT especially of late with funding is there, then not there, then there and with ever changing schedules. They are common topics between cities at GMA training and meetings.

Council is not all powerful as some believe. In the day to day Staff is. Council is oversight and direction, not day to day. So, if the direction given is bad, Council failed and Staff suffers. If the day to day is bad Staff failed and Council suffers. It is an ongoing tension.

Getting back to your point, I agree good management is essential.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Don,
What you answered to the previous poster is indeed correct, but humor us by emphasizing that unlike the current administration yours would hold city employees (staff) accountable for their actions. If they continue to err by repeatedly making the same mistakes, then let's have our town prove that Georgia is a right to work state and fire some of the "dead weight."

No one employed by the city should be guaranteed a retirement funded solely from the taxes generated by us mere citizens. If city employees are not contributing toward their "old age" and are dependent upon future tax revenue for their livelihood from you and I, then perhaps we should look at why they chose to work for the city since their motivation is to self vice service to the community.

If Peachtree City is offering "Congressional" style retirement packages to lure and maintain the talent currently on board, it is my premise that our standards are far below what it should be.

Good management is indeed essential, but it is not and never will be a substitute for LEADERSHIP!

Let's get you elected!

Consider all humored. For me that is a given. Hired and paid for a job means do the job... properly.

Indeed there is one Council, it needs to do its job. There is one Staff, they need to do their job as well.

When I came on, in a beginning workshop, they were considering turning additional Council responsibilities over to Staff. Not only did I reject that I forced taking back some responsibilities.

Absentee leadership does not work.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com

Council needs to make consistent decisions in line with the current land use plan and current policies. Staff needs to be allowed to consistently enforce the decisions. As opposed to certain people being allowed to let slide just because they are friends and/or big campaign supporters.