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ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
TAX CHANGES NOT LIKELY
Now We Get It: In announcing the sale of the
building that houses the Athens Banner-
Herald last week, the paper's parent company,
Morris Publishing, pulled one of its patented
moves: printing a pseudo-objective press
release about its own activities as though it
were a news story, complete with an unattrib
uted but highly subjective characterization of
the ABM’s recent transition to a "digital first"
model. Morris didn't even bother to include a
byline (or not to include a final "about Morris
Publishing" paragraph directing readers to its
Web address "for more information"). A ver
sion of the same "article" ran in the Augusta
Chronicle, with no mention of the fact that
Morris owns that paper, too.
It's nice when Morris reminds us who they
are by abandoning even the pretense of
journalistic integrity And if we didn't trust
the integrity of the ASH’S local staff, it would
be tempting to speculate as to whether the
paper's coverage of recent proposed develop
ments on land just outside the windows of
One Press Place had been shaped in any way
by the company's own real estate interests.
The Banner Heralds dogged skepticism of the
public-private Blue Heron initiative and open
accommodation of Selig Enterprises' PR cam
paign for its Walmart development indicate
a clear bras in favor of unfettered private
profitmaking. That influential coverage cer
tainly couldn't have hurt the parent company's
efforts to unload its albatross of a building,
but was that its motivation? We sincerely
hope not, but Morris gives us no reason not to
wonder.
Speaking of Selig: The public discourse sur
rounding the proposed mixed-use develop
ment on the Armstrong & Dobbs property at
the edge of downtown has been marked by
the repeated claim by Selig and its support
ers (including the editorial page of the ABH)
that the project, despite the absence of any
plans having been submitted for the site
is fully in compliance with ACC zoning and
planning code. That claim, stated as a simple
fact, has been an incredibly effective propa
ganda tool for Selig, as it casts any arguments
against the specifics of the project as DOA:
You don't like it? Too bad, because it's in full
(ompliance with the taw and no one has the
power to demand it be changed." The further
implication is that anyone who objects to
any aspect of the plan is an out of touch cry
baby who wants to (hange the rules after the
game's already been played.
But evidence continues to mount that the
da'm is false. The issue of whether Selig's
alleged expenditure of $250,000 has afforded
it "vested rights" to proceed with the develop
ment as planned seems far from settled. The
question of whether or not county officials
have given assurances that building permits
will be issued is wide open to interpretation,
as Blake Aued's Dec. 11 ABH article, "Could
downtown zoning change stop Walmart?" (and
earlier Flagpole coverage) made clear. Even so,
the vested rights angle may not be the best
one to pursue in terms of limiting the scope
of the development: lacking Mayor Nancy
Denson's support, ACC commissioners would
have to muster a 7-3 majority just to get a
rezoning of the area on the agenda, and likely
have to defend it in a lawsuit if it passed.
Anyway, Selig has other
serious hurdles to clear
before its deal is truly
"done." The results of a
study on the probable traffic
impacts of the project on
surrounding streets, and of
the prospects for sufficiently
ameliorating them, will
be critical to determining
whether a 100,000-square-
foot Walmart is an accept
able use of the property. It's
likely that even a study paid
for by the developer itself,
and needing approval only
from the business-friendly
GDOT, will be hard-pressed
to find that the Oconee cor
ridor, which faces serious
obstacles to widening both to the immediate
east and west of the A&D site, could be made
to handle the kind of increased traffic the pro
posed "supercenter" would bring.
And then, there's the fact that the devel
opment's proposed layout would make an
extension of Hickory Street southwest to
Oconee and Fulton streets impossible to
achieve, ever—despite its inclusion on ACC's
Transportation Corridor Concept Map, which
the M&C updated with a July 2010 vote. That's
not a trivial detail; the map reflects a carefully
considered plan to create a direct connection
between the multi-modal transportation center
and the UGA campus, and all new development
is supposed to accommodate it. A variance
from the map would have to go before the
ACC Hearings Board—along with a request
for exemption from "minimum facade window
requirements" on one of the parking decks,
according to a Nov. 17 ABH article, which may
not be as "minor" as it's characterized by a
Selig official in the article.
The bottom tine is that the developer of
this immense project—which, it needs to be
noted, can be a wonderful thing for down
town and Athens in general—is stilt account
able to the standards of this community. We
need to remember that, no matter how hard
Selig and its proxies try to make us forget.
Speaking of Community Priorities: The local
education initiative Whatever It Takes
released its Athens Community Plan for
Children Dec. 12, after this issue's press time.
The plan, produced over a year of study and
planning, is available for download at www.
flagpole.com and www.witathens.org. Printed
copies will be distributed throughout the com
munity, or can be obtained directly from WIT
by calling (706) 372-6762.
Dave Marr rvws&tiagpoie com
No. it's not beingTorn down, they’re just working on the Sidewalk But
One Press Place, home of the Athens Banner-Herald, has been sold by its
parent company. Morris Publishing Group The paper will continue to rent
office space in the building.
This time a year ago, Georgia's politi
cal leadership was on fire to push through a
sweeping revision of the state's creaky tax
code. The cries were heard in the Capitol hall
ways: "Broaden the tax base! Flatten the tax
rates! Cut income taxes for everybody!"
The tax reform campaign appeared to be
an unstoppable juggernaut that would roll
through the General Assembly and drop a
bright, shiny bill on the desk of Gov. Nathan
Deal for his signature.
The only problem was, reality intervened.
A major part of the tax revision proposal
involved the elimination of most of the tax
breaks and exemptions that had been granted
over the years to various businesses and
special interest groups. Corporate lobbyists
quickly made it clear that they weren't
going to sit still and allow that to
happen.
It also turned out that facts
are stubborn things. The aca
demic consultants and econo
mists who analyzed the tax
proposal pointed out that lower
ing income tax rates for busi
nesses. which was the primary
goal of the leadership, would make
it necessary to raise taxes on every
one else to comply with the constitu
tional requirement that the Legislature adopt
a balanced budget.
Legislative leaders kept demanding that
the analysts run the numbers again until they
came up with a more favorable outcome, but
no matter how many times you add it up, you
cannot make two plus two equal five. In the
end, the tax revision bill was yanked from the
table by House leaders before it ever went to
the rank-and-file members for a vote.
House Speaker David Ralston promised that
lawmakers would make another attempt to
revamp the tax system. The first indications
of that new campaign surfaced last week in
a legislative committee meeting. Sen. Bill
Heath (R-Bremen) proposed eliminating the
sales tax on energy used in manufacturing
and agriculture, increasing the state sales tax
to 5 percent, restoring the state sales tax on
groceries that was removed in the 1990s, and
increasing the tobacco tax from 37 cents per
pack of cigarettes to $1.37 a pack.
The revenues raised from the sales and
excise tax increases would make it possible to
lower the income tax rate from 6 percent to
3.7 percent, Heath estimated.
Senate President Pro Tern Tommie Williams
(R-Lyons) was especially supportive of the
idea of restoring the sales tax on groceries,
calling the elimination of that tax "one of
the biggest mistakes" of former governor Zell
Miller's administration.
With the leadership of one legislative
chamber ready to move forward, you'd think
that tax revision was a certainty. That
turned out niYc to be the case, how
ever. On.j of Deal's spokesmen said
the governor would not support
tax increases on groceries or
cigarettes. The House Republican
leadership also seemed a little
reluctant to start mixing it up on
the tax issue along the lines pro
posed by their Senate colleagues.
"I'm very leery of this economy
we're in now, particularly the world
situation," said House Majority Leader
Larry O'Neal (R-Bonaire). "If you couple a big
change in tax policy with what could happen
in Europe... on a short-term basis, that might
put too much pressure on small businesses."
Because of the recent reapportionment
process, many legislators will be running for
reelection in redrawn districts that include
new voters. I don't think they relish the idea
of explaining to these new constituents why
they voted to put a 4 percent state sales tax
on the food they buy.
For all those reasons, ydu can assume that
revising the state's tax laws will remain a proj
ect that is set aside for others to take up at
some point in the future.
Tom Crawford tcrawtordOgareport com
Tilt MOIU WMLB
by TOM TOMORROW
FACTS
ABOUT
NEWT
GINGRICH
MOTS: QUOTATION MARKS
OCNOTI OCNUMC QUOTf t
VISITED FIRST WIFE IN
HOSPITAL TO DISCUSS
DIVORCE * CURRENTLY TRY
ING TO 08FUSCATE STORY
0Y DISPUTING DETAILS.
Z MOST CERTAINLY DID
nor HAVE A YELLOW
legal pad;
IN A i991 NOTE TO him
self, wrote: Gin
grich--primary mission,
ADVOCATE OF civilization,
DEFINER OF civilization,
TE Ac HE'S OF the RULES
Oil CIVILIZATION, AROOSER
OF THOSE WHO FAN CIV
ILIZATION. LEADER (PoS-
SiBlY) OF the civilizing
FORCES-
HAS ALSO REFERRED TO
HIMSELF AS A "TRANS
FORMATIONAL FIGURE.'
According t o a Formes ■ led pessecution of Bill
MISTRESS, PREFERRED ■ CLINTON fos EXTRAMARITAL
ORAL SEX BECAUSE HE ■ AFFAIR WHILE HAVING AN
COULD then deny having I EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR.
SLEPT WITH HE8 ALSO
has subsequently blamed
HIS NUMESOOS AFFAIRS
ON the intensity of his
LO* FOR AMERICA.
"THERE'S NO QUESTION
AT TIMES of MY LIFE,
PARTIALLY DRIVEN BY
HOW PASSIONATELY Z
FELT ABOUT this COUNTRY..,
THINGS HAPPENED IN MY
LIFE THAT WERE NOT
APPROPRIATE."
IN '95, INDIGNATION 0>ER
A SEAT ASSIGNMENT ON
AIR FORCE ONE LED TO
BUDGET IMPASSE WHICH
SHUT DOWN GOVERNMENT.
was first speaker in
2 OS YEARS to BE
DISCIPLINED By HOUSE
For Ethical wrongdoing '
PAID UNPRECEDENTED
$300,000 PENALTY.
I
I
Blamed the murder of
TWO CHILDREN by their
MOTHER ON DEMOCRATS.
"Or VIVIDLY RE* NT*
EVERY AMERICAN how
SKA THE society IS
getting ..the only way
YOU GET change IS to
[vote rcpublkA*r
CLAIMS TO BE BAFFLED
BY OUR CENTRIST, TECH
NOCRATIC PRESIDENT,
what f he is SO OUT
SIDE OF our COMPREHEND
VON MS ONLY If YOU
JNDCSrANt XENVAN ANTI.
COLONIAL BEHAVIOR, CAN
YOU BEGIN to PIECE jj
ogctmER (his Actions)?
IN 199* MEMO PUR
PORTING to RESPOND TO
the plaintive PLEAS"
OF CANDIDATES WHO
WISHED COULD
"SPEAK WE NEWT.
compiler ur of TERMS
FOR M P fo USE (N
•ESCRIBING/ DEMOCRATS.
MouBMtf Atrri-fiAS
AAfri-OFttf AtfTI-
FAAAU't Bn An fit
PArwrric sick and
Of COURSE, TAAITOAS
ACCORDING TO A RECENT
POLL, ZOWA VOTERS CON
SIDER HIM MOST APT TO
BRING REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS TOGETHER.
WHAT? WHY IS EVERYONE!
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4 FLAGPOLE COM DECEMBER 14, 2011
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