A ceremonial Tea Party Objection is quite trivial compared to the protests and demonstrations that go around the country on tax day. I figured since the Tea Party claims to be as big as they are, there would be a louder protests at city hall, chaining themselves to the wolf statue and different antics. For example, if the Tea Party were a football team at an SEC School, their protests to this tax hike sounded as loud as the Miniature Golf team in comparison. Just sayin.

“A dozen people spoke in favor of the tax rate hike, following nine business owners, Tea Party members and parents who objected.”

Oh I get it just like your buddies you don't read the bill or in this case the article before committing like some buffoon. Bla bla bla

Where are the Tea Party Idiots now? They love to wave their pretty little signs about taxation, etc. But then when their own local government raises questions, they scatter like little Cockroaches. Put your money where your mouth is. I don't see any reaction from Teadiots during this tax increase. Hmm, Oh, I get it. Because it's a Conservative government. So when a conservative government raises taxes, the Tea Party sings Kumbaya and everything is all good.

Oh go ahead and search. I do it all the time.

http://www.floydcountytax.com/search.aspx

Jim Greer said, "Research showed him that the Rome Board of Education has cut 37 positions along with teacher salaries, and there has been a 25 percent reduction in the central office staff."

Let them cut some more. While we do sympathize, the BOE and the schools are among friends aplenty in their economic suffering. Only difference is that the BOE has some powerful recourse. Taxpayers, on the other hand, can’t very well compel others via force to purchase their goods and services or to put food on their families’ tables. Still, governments continue to fleece taxpayers (property owners) for what very well may be the BOE’s many years of over-budegting. Many employees in the private sector (those still with jobs, that is) have received either salary/wage decreases or freezes for years. These families have adapted year to year to having less by adopting a simple philosophy that says "use it up, wear it out, make do."

The Rome Board of Education has a 100% advocate in its pocket and knows it can count on the eventual passage of any budget shortfall tax increase, the taxpayers be damned. These public hearings were nothing more than a façade, a dog-and-pony to a foregone conclusion. Commissioners knew well in advance exactly how they were going to vote, despite their lengthy attempts to convince us to the contrary. The easiest solution is to raise taxes (in lieu of careful examination of alternatives) and rationalize such with all manner of doom-and-gloom scenarios had taxes not been raised.

Scott Shank said “the city must invest in its schools.” Remember, Mr. Shank, it’s not the city’s or the Board of Education’s money, except by force! The money comes from taxpayers, and these taxpayers have continuously invested in our schools. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous. Now, for too many taxpayers, the well is dry!



Business owners and other property owners who subsidize government schools are fed up with the tax-because-we-can attitude of government. Dog-and-pony public hearings are simply part of the phony process. As usual, the burden again falls upon the taxpayer.

Consolidate, privatize, liquidate poor-performing assets, even educate by lamp light if you must (better yet, parents, homeschool your kids and take control of what and how they are learning and the environment in which your kids learn!).

There is something dreadfully sinister about placing citizens' property at risk as a mechanism for taxes and as a leverage to tax increases. There is a tipping point, as expressed by many of the opposition to this tax increase, and it’s been reached. We have no more blood to give.

The most valuable lesson for our children from this episode, Ms. McNiece, is that folks (and government entities) must learn to live within their means and adapt to difficult times through creative, ever-evolving and innovative measures. Now, THAT would be a quality education!

RomeConservative You may be right.The truth is most people I know are not willing to make the hard emotional choices when it comes to children. I attended the meetings and listening to these parents and teachers talk you would think that this tax not being passed would be the end of education as we know it.I drive by the high school and the kids there all drive newer vehicles than I can afford.Our entire government is bloated and out of control.

This is just one of the many tax hikes we all should look forward to in the near future. Let's not forget about the largest tax increase in U.S. history coming down the pike in January 2011 when the Democrats in the House and Senate, with full backing from the White House, allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. Does anyone remember Mr. Obama telling everyone that if you make less than $150,000 a year you won't see any type of tax increase. Everyone in America (that actually pay federal income tax) will see a 3 to 5 percent increase in their taxes next year before the health care mandate and its taxes begin to take hold. The tax rate for dividends will increase from 15% to 36% and the itemized deductions that many American's use to decrease their tax burden will slowly be eliminated.

Always remember the phrase, "Those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it." It's time everyone becomes informed and starts educating themselves on what's happened, what's going on and what's going to happen in the future instead relying on corrupt politicians (and city councilmen) for the truth. Spending by our elected officials has reached uncontrollable and unsustainable levels and unless these leaders are reigned in our country, which is still the beacon light of freedom and prosperity for millions around the world, will crumble under debt. After all, how many of you out there in debt are able to pay off all the bills by spending more and more of that money you don't have? I pray that God does good things for the country in the future and that He and the many other patriots out there continue to do what is right and noble. Always remember, Faith, Hope, and Charity.

This is a tough one for me. I wish that they could have found other ways to accomplish this, but I am also relieved that as an educator, hopefully this means we will not have our local supplement (an average of $3,000 per year) taken from us on top of furlough days (another $1,500 per year). Personally, I'll take the $100 on my tax bill to keep my pay check and the solid education of Rome's children.

Time for some new blood on the city commission. A lot of these folks have been around for a long time. Unfortunately, I think this hike was a foregone conclusion. This crew simply doesn't have the inclination to think outside the box and nor the political will to make hard decisions about what is the true role of the local government. Nice folks, but not the leaders we need.