Happy New Year - Now Pay Your Taxes
Posted: Saturday, December 30th, 2006, 3:51 pm EST
Category: Georgia Real Estate
I always feel like the first thing a new year brings is tax season and I hate tax season. It demands a lot of time for paperwork, searching files, calculating numbers, and research of tax rules. Granted CPA’s are available to do this work on your behalf, but many people tackle taxes on their own. While it seems that few people like our current tax system, even fewer care to do anything about it.
I want to introduce all my readers to the FairTax plan…
The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a rebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar revenue neutrality, and the repeal of the 16th Amendment.
I encourage you all to visit FairTax.org and become involved in improving our federal tax system. On the website you will read these reasons for switching to the FairTax plan:
* Abolishes the IRS
* Closes all loopholes and brings fairness to taxation
* Ensures Social Security and Medicare funding
* Brings transparency and accountability to tax policy
* Allows American products to compete fairly
* Reimburses the tax on purchases of basic necessities
* Enables retirees to keep their entire pension
* Enables workers to keep their entire paycheck
I would also like to point out that this type of tax will garner tax dollars from those who currently do not pay federal taxes at all, such as:
* Illegal Immigrants
* Black Market Sellers (drugs, sex, etc…)
* Law Breakers who just skip out on taxes
* Unreported Income now gets taxed when it is spent
If you have 18 minutes, then you will get a thorough explanation of the FairTax plan by watching this video:
Now think about the FairTax as you struggle through this wonderful time of the year…Tax Season.
Happy New Year - Now Pay Your Taxes
Commissioner Buzz Ahrens: An Accessible Listener
Posted: Thursday, December 28th, 2006, 3:19 pm EST
Category: Canton Real Estate
On December 27, CCPR board members met with incoming Cherokee County Commission Chairman, Buzz Ahrens, at the Justice Center in Canton. The meeting provided an opportunity for members and Mr. Ahrens to get acquainted and to discuss some hot property rights topics.
As expected, the first topic of discussion was the Proposed Land Use Plan and map. CCPR members express opposition to elements of the plan, including:
- 200 ft. set-backs.
- Discouraging of production-oriented agricultural activities like animal production.
- Denial of infrastructure to rural areas in terms of transportation and sewer improvements, and a low public services such as fire, police and libraries.
- Imposing upon our use of our property any additional level of governmental control or regulation other than the zoning ordinances already in place.
Members also expressed opposition to the plan’s Character Areas which:
- Do not reflect current land use and preexisting or approved zoning.
- Do not allow for sufficient transitional areas.
- Will deter badly needed job-growth in our county.
- Ignore growth patterns of surrounding counties.
- Ignore growth patterns already present in Cherokee County.
- Ignore planned infrastructure to be put in place by Cherokee Co. Water and Sewerage Authority.
Another point of discussion was the proposed Zoning Decision Process that will make rezoning requests even more cumbersome and bureaucratic than it is today.
CCPR stated the position that annexation is the result of past slow-growth policies and that the density in lower Cherokee will only continue. Any plan that does not reflect the inevitable growth of the county will only assure the enlargement of Canton, Woodstock, Holly Springs, Ball Ground, and other incorporated areas.
Mr. Ahrens expressed his own concerns about the process and the contents of the plan, and changes that might be forthcoming. CCPR is very interested in seeing how the Land Use Plan and Map will develop in 2007.
Points of agreement included the need for commercial growth and the need for parks and recreation in Cherokee County.
Finally the topic turned to the Planning & Zoning appointments that were announced last week. From CCPR’s perspective, the new P&Z will be dominated by slow growth activists who are relatively new-comers to Cherokee County. Mr. Ahrens expressed confidence that the P&Z appointees will be fair-minded and impartial, and that there will be no conflict of interest. CCPR expressed hopes that it is not yet too late to make some changes in the lineup.
Chairman Ahrens has been described as a "listener" and "accessible," and he lived up to his reputation during the two hour meeting. At the conclusion, members wished Buzz success in his new job and promised to stay in touch.
Stop the Abuse! against private property rights
Posted: Saturday, December 23rd, 2006, 11:21 pm EST
Category: Woodstock Real Estate
The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse. - James Madison
I have been very troubled by the recent actions of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners (BOC). It seems the power is going to their heads. Everyone knows my concerns of the illegal immigrant ordinance recently passed. I have also been very critical of the NIMBYism associated with the Macauley "Village in the Forest" and with the recent tabling until next year of the rezoning, I question the motives of several commissioners actions. But what is most foul about the recent actions of the BOC is the appointment of radicals to it’s planning and zoning commission coupled with the new plans for the Future Land Use Map. Please click the previous links to read all of my concerns and I encourage all of my readers to learn more about the issues. The only person who make a difference is you!
The recent actions, appointments, and land use planning of the BOC has been a series of attacks against private property rights for everyone owning real estate in Cherokee County. My goal is to make you think about the issue and voice your concerns. Here are some quotes to get your mind stirring about your rights as property owners…
"Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty. " John Adams "As a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights." James Madison" A people averse to the institution of private property is without the first element of freedom."
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton
This last one sums it up best and if this doesn’t get you worried about how the county commissioners view land use maps and zonings then nothing will…
"The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." Karl Marx
Click here to learn more about making a difference for your property rights in Cherokee County.
Real Estate Rebound Expected in 2007
Posted: Friday, December 22nd, 2006, 7:57 pm EST
Category: U.S. Real Estate
Doug Duncan, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, expects the 30-year mortgage rate to hover around 6.5 percent for the remainder of the year, but climb to 6.8 percent by the end of 2008.
Duncan is "optimistic about a rebound" in the housing market next year, citing still-low long-term interest rates, robust capital expenditures, and rising equity prices, among other factors.
Meanwhile, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® expects existing-home sales to slip to just above 6.4 million in 2007 from an estimated 6.47 million this year. But a pullback in construction will spark an 8.7-percent decline in new-home sales to 975,000 from 1.07 million over the same time span.
The median resale price will likely edge up 1.7 percent to $227,500 next year, and the median new-home price is forecasted to climb 1.3 percent to $241,400.
Source: Inman News, Matt Carter (12/18/06)
More Property Rights Concerns from Cherokee Property Owners
Posted: Friday, December 22nd, 2006, 3:11 pm EST
Category: Canton Real Estate
Letter to the Editor: Commissioner’s Threats…Disappointing
I just left the Board of Commissioners meeting
(Tuesday, December 19). During Case 06-12-084 for the
88.88 acres on E. Cherokee Drive, Commissioner Harry
Johnston blatantly threatened the property owners and
developer, that if the case were to pass at the
requested RD-3 zoning, that he would personally
request and vote to rescind the zoning next month,
when the “new” BOC is in place. He was very strong in
his threat that they, the property owners and the
developers, would have to be ready to financially
fight. What a disappointment to hear this type of
dictatorship from our recently elected official. The
real disappointment is that he’s there for four more
years. Why do the innocent property owners in this
county need to worry about Mr. Johnston rescinding a
zoning case on their property after it’s achieved a
majority vote. Isn’t that unconstitutional? This all
came AFTER Mr. Johnston proposed rescinding a case
that was passed December 5 for the Ruby Forest Zoning.
Is this going to be an on-going procedure for Mr.
Johnston? To vote on a case and then try to turn it
over? Maybe he should rethink his vote on the RD-3
zoning for Stringer Road. But I think not, since that
had an impact on whether or not this property was
annexed into the city of Holly Springs.
I wish everyone that didn’t vote in July could have
listened to Mr. Johnston tonight, threatening this
family, who has lived and farmed this county for
years. The other stigma is that residents who have
lived in the county for +/- one year, got up and
voiced their opinion that they didn’t want more
development so close to theirs (Woodmont!). “I’m here
and it’s OK, nobody complained, but now that the
bordering neighbors want to sell their property, I
think I’ll protest against any more development near
me.”
If the county had one dollar for every time Mr.
Johnston said “I” in his evaluations of these zoning
cases, the county budget would be increased
significantly! “I can’t live with that…it’s not what
I want…I can’t support that…I, I, I” Who in the
world does he think he is? He’s not voting as a
member of the team for the good of the county, he’s
voting for the “I” factor. Mr. Johnston lives in the
City of Canton. WE the property owners live outside
the city limits.
Darla Alfredson
Macedonia
