Pete Liakakis: Please Stop Playing Politics With Public Safety

Tomorrow it starts (8/29/08). I have decided to run a series of large ads in the Savannah Morning News to help explain the need for better public policy. There is no doubt that Pete Liakakis is standing in the way of better public policy and tomorrows ad will  explain how Pete is holding onto CNT as some bargaining chip with the City of Savannah. 

Playing politics with public safety is wrong and our community suffers while Pete schemes. Pete refuses to honor the 2003 police merger agreement which calls for CNT to be at theMetropolitan Police Department. The Chamber of Commerce also stands behind the agreement to transfer CNT as outlined in the 03 merger.

Pete wants CNT run by a bureaucrat, the county manager, while the experts say we can accomplish much more in fighting drugs in our schools and community by allowing the merged police department to use this vital tool, CNT, effectively.

Pete is acting like a King when he should be acting like a leader who wants the best for Chatham County. I will work hard to build a consensus on the commission (just like I did in 2002-2005) and we will do what Pete refuses to do.

Playing politics with public safety is bad public policy. Please join me and 4 other candidates as we begin to tell the truth and take a stand for better public policy.

Thanks.

Pete Liakakis Will Raise Property Taxes (Part 3)

When this commission took office 3.5 years ago, the entire county budget was around $350,000,000. Today right now the current budget is $502,000,000. That's unbelievable and any incumbent candidate who calls themselves a Republican ought to be ashamed. Oh I know you didn't vote to raise our property taxes in 2005, it was Chairman Pete Liakakis who cast the deciding vote.

What these Republicans, Stone, Gellatly, Farrell and Kicklighter have done is vote for the $152,000,000 in new spending that ran the cost of government up to its current $502,000,000. They can not have it both ways, "I've never voted to raise taxes" gets zero credibility after they admit to spending $152,000,000 additional each year. So if you enjoy higher property taxes and less in return from county services, then your choices should be to return the incumbents.

Consider what has happened to our economy in 2008. Locally and statewide sales tax collections are down 15-17% - this effects LOST and SPLOST money budgeted higher but will certainly be less. Next, since 75% of the entire county budget is from property taxes (which were increased by this commission) and that the average property has declined in value by 5-10% this year, what do you think is in store for next years budget?

Can you say "oh no, please don't raise may property taxes again." Ask your commissioner what he or she has against impact fees because impact fees are the only way out of this nightmare unless you are willing to accept somewhere in the neighborhood of a 3 mil property tax increase.

Campaign Signs Always Say Something

Team Chatham, (those candidates on the county commission or involved in other races who announced early this year that they would cross party lines and support one another), has one thing in common. No I'm not referring to the obvious special interest connections they share, I'm talking about their political campaign signs.

Liakakis, Gellatly, Stone, Farrell, and St. Lawrence all have 4x4 signs planted announcing their re-election bids but the glaring common denominator is that not a single one of them say what the candidate stands for.  No accomplishments, no idea about key issues, nada nothing. There's a lonely star thrown in here and there to break up the monotony but essentially these 5 candidates evidently have no record they want to herald and no new ideas to offer voters. Pete's signs are the only signs that have a phrase: Proven.   Trusted. I could have fun with substituting two other words but since I'm a gentleman and because politics should always be policy based, I won't go there.

Pat Farrell's signs are big on green and I'm sure that's an Irish illusion because it can't be an environmental choice. No big surprise that Chu's gas stations on Wilmington Island and canopy tree cutting commercial project on Johnny Mercer all have, or will have, large Farrell signs (follow the money, not the sawdust ).

Dave Gellatly's signs say "Re Elect" and that's it. Re elect what? Why Re elect Dave? After 8 years shouldn't you have to have some accomplishment to point to? If the number of nails in campaign signs wins elections, Dave has it made! How about: Hurricane Prepared - that would have at least said something about the candidate.

Miss Helen Stone's signs have the strongest graphics and composition. Plenty of free space there to trot out a few accomplishments but none are seen. Even a simple line like, "I listen" would have been helpful. Or, "E" for Whitefield would have been appropriate.

Sheriff Al St Lawrence's signs take angles to a new height. But that's it. No copy about the new jail, no words of wisdom about prisoner security, just the obligatory "Re Elect" slogan. "Serving Chatham County since the mid 80's" would have done well. Or, What Constitutional Officers want, they get."

Pete Liakakis's signs are also void of accreditation or accomplishments. I thought of several appropriate improvements over "Proven.  Trusted." How about, Raised Taxes Once, Raise Them Again" or, Keep CNT disconnected!  Or, Why Have Impact Fees When We Can Tax Ourselves!

Now I know many of you candidates read my blog and yes I'm poking a little fun at your signs. You can do the same, I can take it. But I want you to know I have no issues with you as people, I respect you and some of you I consider associates. Politics shouldn't be about personalities, it has to be policy driven and policy based.  Read my signs: John McMasters/New Leadership/Better Public Policy/ No New Taxes.  Now let's write some meaningful copy.

Congratulations City of Savannah - Hello Chatham County

The City of Savannah has shown strong leadership with its' environmental policies. The goals are there and so is the commitment to actually do it. I am very proud and want to thank the council members for their leadership. The ideas coming out of the city should illustrate to the county commission you can take action and move ahead without endless study groups (CEF) and idle rhetoric.

There are many candidates this county election cycle who have sound principal and smart ideas for a cleaner and better Chatham County. It takes better public policy to change how government works and does things and the city of Savannah is now a role model for all of Chatham County. 

Curbside recycling is just a start, the city has so much more on their to do list. Chatham County thinks somehow the county is different from the city - they are wrong. People want curbside recycling, bike paths, sidewalks, canopy tree protection and reduced carbon emissions.

Pay attention to the discussion coming in September and October from the many candidates who are running on positive and inspiring issues and ideas. You will be impressed and delighted by new views and new strengths.

AirTran bids Chatham Farewell: Rice Hope Picks Up

I hated to see yet another economic nail hammered into in the Chatham County coffin. Wal Mart closes down an 800,000 sq ft warehouse while another 150,000 sq ft built for another company will not be opened (SRS) and now AirTran leaves Savannah/Chatham.

The Savannah Morning News is doing a wonderful job of artificially propping up the bad business news by serving up a happy Savannah Port story every 4 days (next port story due day after tomorrow). They have also found another business sector to adulate and it's home builders. Sure, sales are non existent, foreclosures are kicking in and prices are falling so what's a newspaper to do? Yesterday it was Beacon builders novel idea to build smaller homes (that means less green space and more profit). Today the newspaper sort of balances that with a sad story about Rice Hope subdivision (in Kicklighter's district I believe) where so many unsold and foreclosed properties exist that the developer doesn't even bother to cut the grass or maintain the grounds. Give credit to the homeowners who are doing it themselves.

While the good people living and raising their children at Rice Hope spent their weekend cleaning up the builders neglected properties, Lamar Smith (a builder who is developing Parkside neighborhood at Rice Hope) was hosting a breakfast and tour of his newest project for the Greater Savannah Homebuilders Association and local Realtors. As one of the touring Realtors put it, "Long Point, Henderson, Southbridge - all these subdivisions took forever to get off the ground." 

Talk about irony.

Post Post:Thursday 8/21/08

I received an email from Lamar Smith who kindly pointed out that his project at Rice Hope called Park Side is keeping up their end of the bargain and working hard to make a wonderful project work. I could not discern from the SMN article exactly who was responsible for what out at Rice Hope so the confusion was entirely mine. Lamar did agree that there are problems at Rice Hope but they are not within Park Side. I plan on visiting Rice Hope and taking a look for myself. I'll let you what I find.

Pete Liakakis will raise property taxes (Part 2)

When Lynn Pitts, the Senior Vice President of SEDA (Savannah Economic and Development Authority) says, "I think everyone is aware that the economy has slowed...... we know things are going to improve at some point but how long the slowdown will last is still anyone's guess." it sure makes you wonder how Chatham County will balance the 2009 budget.

Two major companies have changed course about doing business in Chatham County. WalMart is closing down an 800,000 square foot distribution warehouse in SEDA land (Crossroads Business Park) which it has occupied since 2001 and National Retail Systems 147,000 square foot distribution center will not be occupied (Ribbon Cutting ceremonies happened back in February 2008).

Then there's a real estate auction going on this weekend out at Tybee. A failing local real estate market and impending foreclosuers has generated 30 beach properties to be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

The Tax Assessors office has been busy sending out 21 day change of value notices to hundreds of people who have appealed their 2008 values, REDUCING the values. I know because we got two in the mail. Seems the value Chatham County put on the properties this year won't hold up under appeal when sales comps for like properties are compared.

Then of course the State of Georgia last week announced a reduction in money due Chatham County, about $7,000,000.

What this all means is next year's Chatham County budget will be very short on revenue. That means only two things; either we have to cut services or raise property taxes (there's a third choice and that's impact fees on new construction but does anyone really see this commission going against the Chamber of Commerce?) . Sorry to say raising property taxes is what the current commission has done (2005) and will do again next year. It is the hands of one man's vote, Chairman Pete Liakakis.

The vote will come down as a 4/4 split and Pete will have to decide it. I don't think people will be happy after Pete casts his vote. They will open their Georgia Power bill, their grocery expenses will be up, their Chevron/Texaco bill doubled and then there's their Chatham County tax bill. Man, it's going to be ugly.

Pete, you should have put some money aside in the boom years 2004-2007 instead of spending it all. Pete, please explain why Chatham County has LESS in reserve today than when you took office 4 years ago? Why did you support Al St. Lawrence's $110,000,000 jail when the real and accurate cost should have been half that? Voters want to know.

Project DeRenne Gets Off The Ground With a Good Start

Last night I attended the first Project DeRenne public meeting. Connecting Savannah was the prior study name and after great expense to taxpayers, little was accomplished to advance the widening hopes of the commercial interests along the corridor (mainly Memorial and Candler hospitals growth).

From a roll call basis, I should point out that Pete Liakakis arrived about midway through the discussions, basically very late. I did see Karen Grainey who arrived early. She is a candidate for the county commission 6th district but her opponent, incumbent Dave Gellatly, was a no show. Helen Stone was there and so were new alderpersons Larry Stuber and Mary Ellen Sprauge. Larry lives in the affected area and knows engineering and committee process, the people along and around DeRenne are lucky to have him actively participating in Project DeRenne.

It's a good thing that Connecting Savannah failed. In my opinion, that is the principal reason the widening of DeRenne has not happened. It's because citizens (called stakeholders) did participate in the lengthy Connecting Savannah study process. Further, when the Connecting results were finally published and advocated widening DeRenne, those same people said, "wait a minute, what meetings did you participate in because these results don't accurately reflect what the study group concluded." Nice try CUTS, but spin alone will not trump citizen involvement.

Let's hope that this time with Project DeRenne that citizens input is given the weight it deserves and I believe it will be. Judging from last nights first meeting, it was clear that widening is not a forgone conclusion. In fact, at my table of 8 people, 7 out of 8 said traffic/congestion is manageable the way it is - especially when the alternative is taking peoples homes and widening to 7 seven lanes. I looked around the room at the "masts" where each table of 8 people where asked as their last task to place seven cards in order of most important to least important, most important on top and least important at the bottom. The traffic card never made it to the top of any of the masts I saw, it was either at the middle or below middle. What was on top of virtually every mast? Respecting and preserving neighborhoods.

Why Are People Moving Out of Chatham? Why Do We Lose Major Companies to Other Counties?

UGA demographer Doug Bachtel recently issued a report on the changing demographics of Chatham County (you can read the entire story at Savvannhow.com/coastal empire/8/9/09).

The paper writes, "In recent years more people have moved out of Chatham County and into neighboring counties. Most of these people have been white, with more education with higher incomes, he said." Futher, "Chatham County and Savannah are not growing like they should, people are moving to the suburbs. This issue is not going to go away. Once it starts, it's really hard to stop."

I don't think it's limited to whites and you must wonder what the reason is that so many people, family people black and white, are moving out? I  will say that the number one reason is the school system. The school system is also the reason that many companies choose not to locate here. Company executives have to ask what kind of school system is available to our employee's dependents? Is it a good school system, is it achieving at par with other school systems? Is is safe? Will we be able to attract and retain our workforce based on the local schools? It is the answers to questions like these that cause companies to look elsewhere and local people to move out of Chatham.

According to Bachtel, "It's going to take a total community-wide effort to improve the quality of life in Chatham County." Amen.

I would like to add a further definition to the demographers solution and that's the specific issue of achieving better public policy from our local governments: county, city and schools. Improving quality of life is a goal, not a plan to improve it.

The next posts I make will be about specific public policy ideas/changes that I believe are the ways and means to improving quality of life in our community. I look forward to hearing from you as to what your thoughts and ideas are on these important questions.

What Commissioners Can Do, and What They Don't Do

I wanted to tell you about two recent experiences involving the county which tell me that there is much room for improvement when it comes to taxpayer/county customer service.

Now I know Helen Stone recently wrote a nice letter to the editor of the Savannah Morning News carefully explaining that she and the commission only appoint the 5 member Board of Assessors. The Tax Assessors office is not directly under the spell of the county commission so if your property taxes went way up this year (as most people's did) Helen can't help you.

First experience: of the properties we own, this year we received one change of value notice: last year the value was $314,500 and this year (2008) it was going up to $554,500, a 43% increase in one year! This is a commercial apartment building so no Stephens Day freeze. Another property, a 3 unit apartment on E. Gwinnett went from $314,500 to $513,500, a 39% one year increase and no Stephens Day freeze BUT WE NEVER RECEIVED A CHANGE OF VALUE NOTICE FOR THIS PROPERTY. This had happened a few years ago so I knew to check the website and there it was, a major increase and no notice to the taxpayer! You can't appeal what you don't know about. NoT rolling back the millage is considered a BACKDOOR TAX so this makes for a DOUBLE SLAP IN THE FACE. Helen, if you want to do something helpful, you could look into this type of county error and find some solution.

Second experience: Good friends asked me to help them appeal their giant value increases and I said I would only I could not go to the scheduled hearing dates. I had a letter prepared on behalf of the owners and faxed it to the Board of Equalization on July 26, 2008. When I called to see if they had received it, they said NO. We took to the BOE the fax transmittal log print out from the fax machine from which the letter was sent showing on 7/26/08 at 2:15 p.m. a fax was sent to 912.447.4955, the BOE fax number and the report "result" said OK. They told us to forget it! They couldn't care less if an activity report confirms a fax sent to them or not, they pretty much said there's no possible way they could misplace an important document. Uh huh. Helen Stone might could look into this and at a minimum ask the BOE have a little courtesy and flexibility for the overly burdened Chatham County taxpayer.

Better yet, this year the commission could have rolled the millage rate back but instead this commission passed along to taxpayers a huge BACKDOOR TAX INCREASE. (Remember though, Pete Liakakis thinks he hasn't raised your taxes.)

A Fish Rots From The Head Down: Pete's Admonition....

Yesterday I received a call from Pete Liakakis. It wasn't nice but he thought he was doing me a favor. Pete informed me that he was running a 'clean campaign.' I could tell from the comment there was an inference there that I was not running a 'clean campaign.' So I asked, "Pete is there something I've done or said thus far that you feel is 'dirty campaigning'? If so, I'd like to know."

And so out it came that yesterdays post, "Pete Liakakis will raise taxes" struck a nerve. After a 5 minute diatribe (some of which was in the third person), about how Pete had lead the charge to reduce the city millage rate back in the 1990's I asked, "What about 2005?" and "what are you going to do next year 2009?" Well, Pete says it was my fault he had to raise the millage rate in 2005, you know the 5 million budget shortfall story. And about next year's budget shortfall, Pete had no response.

Now this is where it gets really creepy. Pete tells me that "people have gone out to California (I moved from California 16 years ago) and they have collected "affidavits" about you John - about some real unpleasant behavior you've done John and like you know, I told then not to release it because you know, Pete doesn't play dirty politics." 

I immediately offered to meet Pete out at the Savannah Morning News so he could release whatever he or they have on me and get it over and done with. I'm sure there must be something bad in my past. (After concluding the conversation, I emailed the Savannah Morning News to inform them of Pete's warning to me and that they were welcome to follow up directly with Pete.)

Then I said, "Pete, this call is awfully strange. Let's see if I have this right: you are calling me about running clean campaigns and then you inform me that some unidentified third party which you evidently have some sway over, may or may not release something negative about my past (2 decades and beyond) and you claim you are running a "clean campaign?" Pleeeese.....

You know for a minute I honestly flashed back to 1971, the Nixon white house: G. Gordon Liddy, Jeb Magruder, John Mitchell, Bob Hadlerman,  and John Ehrlichman. It was ugly then, and now. 

I will make this observation based on this phone call: the current leadership of the county commission lives in the past and refuses to look forward to promote better public policy for the citizens of Chatham County. The whole Team of Nine is actually the Gang of Nine and they are all  about preserving their power.  Where's the innovation, where's the progress over the last 4 years? We all know that their spending has increased 142 million dollars a year over 2004 spending (41% increase) and they have less in reserve today than when I left office. 

The leader of The Team Of Nine is out of step and should be replaced this November. Does anyone want more Richard Nixon like antics? It's time to move on and do the people's work.

Pete Liakakis will raise property taxes

Pete Liakakis will raise your taxes. It's a guarantee you will be writing larger property tax checks next year and the year after. Pete loves to say he never voted to raise your taxes but he has and will do it again. In 2005 Pete cast the deciding vote to raise the county millage rate. So much for saying Pete has never raised taxes.

Now that the genie is out of the bottle, the 09, 010 and 011 county budgets will fall well short of need and ol Pete will again be the deciding vote and raise your taxes again, and again. You will hear all about how bad the economy is, how sales tax revenue continues to come in under projections. Expect some sophomoric comment like, "We didn't want to do this, but we have no choice."

Wrong, wrong, and wrong. The commission has the option to institute impact fees on new construction. Fees that would be paid by people who are moving to Chatham from somewhere else. Considering who is supporting Pete, builders and developers, there is zero chance to avoid a tax increase to existing citizens because Pete will not bite the hand that feeds him and keeps him in power. No it's not the voters, it's the kingmakers who want to avoid better public policy like impact fees on new construction. Without impact fees, the builder gets to sell his or her product at market price while everywhere all around Chatham County new construction sells with impact fees as part of the sales price. Can you say, "cha-ching."

Impact fees will generate between 30-35 million dollars a year, all paid by those who want to take up residence in Chatham County. Why that's enough to actually reduce our millage rate and give everyone a nice size tax reduction. Why haven't we done this sooner? Ask the chairman.