SO...
6-11-08
GOODYS store in the Selma Mall is closing. This will affect City tax revenues, which are down $150,000 in the first 8 months of this fiscal year compared to the same period in the last fiscal year. The significance of sales tax revenues continuing to decline every year is that more than 60% of the city's General Fund Budget is paid for by sales tax. In FY 2006, sales tax revenues were $11,576,806. In FY 2007, sales tax revenues declined to $11,431,373. In FY 2008 which ends September 30, it appears sales tax revenues will be down even more; yet, Mayor Perkins continues to spend more money.
Instead of dealing with the city's General Fund financial crises, the Mayor recommends spending the cash reserves of the city. It appears to us that he is trying to break the city before he leaves office on November 1. He continues to waste money traveling all over the country promoting himself. In the first 8 months of this fiscal year, he has already spent his entire $15,000 travel budget.
The only other city official who spends money on travel like the Mayor is City Clerk Lois Williams. She has already spent her entire $7,000 travel budget with 4 months left in the fiscal year. Interestingly, the Mayor and Ms. Williams often spend money going to the same conferences. We have always wondered why so many people have to go to the same places at taxpayers expense.
The closing of Goodys not only affects city revenues, it affects the quality of life in Selma. Those of us who have lived here for a while remember clothing stores such as Jacksons, Lilienthals, Teppers, and Leons. We sometimes accompany our husbands to buy clothes. We know that there is not one store in Selma where men can get a quality suit. That is just one evidence of the deterioration of the quality of life which has taken place in our once lovely city, especially in the last 8 years with Perkins as Mayor. Though he is not the only reason, he is a major reason that the city's population continues to decline, people have to go out of town to get quality clothes and other items, and the city has trash, weeds, and garbage all over town.
Meanwhile, the Mayor and his minions, Leashore and Crenshaw, continue to try to extract a pound of flesh from Councilman Cain by having one of their flunkies on the police force, Evelyn Ghant, continue to persecute Cain for an alleged assault. Citizens of Selma, do not forget the context in which this occurred. Crenshaw had repeatedly disrupted the city council meeting. President Evans had repeatedly asked (5 times) Ghant to remove Crenshaw from the council chamber. Ghant replied that she wasn't removing Crenshaw unless she removed Evans also. That will give you an insight into how arrogant Ghant is. Cain was simply trying to find out who Ghant was. Of course, everyone knows Perkins is behind this! It seems to us that Chief Riley should have his officers out arresting criminals instead of wasting time harrassing city council members, especially one that is not even going to run again.
We are very sorry that Councilman Cain has decided not to seek re-election to the Council. His decision makes it more imperative that Councilman Dr. Cecil Williamson run again. We had heard that Williamson and Cain had agreed some months ago that one of them would run again, and at that time, it was thought that Cain would run. Because of job related and other considerations, Cain can not run, so we urge Dr. Williamson to seek re-election in Ward 1.
Speaking of Chief Riley, we understand that a window has been knocked out of his car and that his house has already been broken into. While we respect his courage in choosing to live in a high crime area, we question his judgement, especially since he has a wife and young children. And we really question his judgement in his decision to completely ignore Council President George Evans. We do not know whether he is doing this by choice or if he has been instructed not to have anything to do with Evans, but we consider this to be very disrespectful and a serious error in judgement to simply ignore the person who looks like he will be the next Mayor of Selma. Chief, take our helpful, free advice and make some contact with Mr. Evans, even if you have to do it secretly.
We are amused by Mayor Perkins' continuing efforts to justify the $300,000 a year that is budgeted for TrustBuild, or as we affectionately know it, his re-election campaign committee. He knows that a majority of the council members are ready to cut this figure down to size in the next budget year. Our opinion is that TrustBuild is one of the most useless social engineering programs yet devised by the Mayor. If he had his way, he would abolish the police force and put social workers on every corner to tell people where to go to get hand outs, which seems to be the major function of TrustBuild.
SO...these are our opinions for today! We would like to hear yours! Please email us.
