Thursday, June 10, 2021

Christmas In Summer

It's that time of year! Time for the annual City of Dunwoody tax increase. Yes, the unbroken record of tax increases will remain unbroken as city bureaucrats drive towards a "Dividend Aristocrat" version of taxation: always up, never down. And they really, really like the sound of "aristocrat." 

And they're running with that, proposing that a now-part-time position be made full-time. See how the virus spreads? And just what is that position? That would be the position of "business retention manager." Mind blown, right? 

As your eyes recede into their sockets and the blood slowly stops oozing from your ears your bruised brain is probably wondering "what the hell does the Chamber of Commerce do?" Bingo! There is no (longer) a Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce. Why? Because once businesses took over city hall, there was no need for Chamber as business get everything they want without argument or negotiation and hence without need of an advocate. And let's be clear, a phone call from a resident is met with disdain from city hall bureaucrats while a caller from a business is met with "Good morning, what can I do for you today?" 

If this city really were about local control, if it really is constituted to serve the residents, the voter, the taxpayers, then this position would not be made permanent full-time, it would be permanently eliminated. As would every other position that even faintly resembles something that should be the responsibility of a chamber of commerce. And then, if a business wants the city's ear, let them show up at a council meeting and make their case in the three minutes allotted. Just like the folks this city is supposed to serve.