My city made several changes last year that affects everyone who works here or lives her. One was to make all public places smoke free. If you are a smoker that could be devasting but only if you let it. For those of us who are non-smokers it is great. For way too many years we have to put up with people who felt it was their "right" to put us at risk from second hand smoke and polute our clothes, hair and skin with smoke. No more walking through a cloud of smoke from employees smoking in the front access to a business. And, to set the record straight, the loss in business/revenue did not happen. In fact business has improved as non smokers realized they could now frequent the business of their choice and not worry about the effects of 2nd handsmoke. Life is great!
The second thing the city did was to impose a crushing motel tax. I think it is now 18% (If credit cards charged that much, or home mortgagees, it would be considered unfair, fould, etc.). The reason? To pay for pet projects that citizens did not want to pay for. Now, I realize that many cities throughout the country have the same type of tax, but I always thought my town was better than that. Guess not. Now the word is "come, visit us and see all we have to offer but while you are here, help us pay for a few special projects". I'm ashamed for the city counil that voted for that increase.
The third is the city decided to annex land south of the city. This is not the first time but it is certainly the biggest. This time the excuse went like this: development is coming so we want to make sure it is developed correctly (i.e. more strip malls). The fact that most of the residents in the soon to be annexed area to not want annexation was not a factor. Again the city just said: (more or less) learn to live with it. With the annexation my city will be the 2nd biggest in the state. But big is not always good. With it comes decay of the older parts of the city, increases in taxes to run sewers, new roads, increase in government to handle the new areas, etc. Shame on the city for this land grab.
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3 comments:
As for the motel tax, folks are lucky if they have someone to stay with when they visit your city. Enjoy your blog!
Stoodup. I just read your entire blog and am so touched reading the post you wrote about me. You have always been there for Mom also, if not physically all the time but emotionally supporting both me and Mom. I love you dearly!
Hello. Your sister sent me your blog address and recommended I read it. Which I did. I've never met your sister in person - just via e-mail and our blogs. We kind of got hooked up because I had been reading her granddaughter's blog and had commented there. I think maybe somewhere along the road of life you, your sister and I may be some kind of distant relatives as there are many similarities we share. I suppose it is more the fact of the era in which we grew up though - 40's, 50's and 60's generation ya know!
Like you, I love to read too. Take a trip around the world and never leave my sofa or arm chair is my theory when I'm curled up with a good book!
Although I do believe there is a life after this one, as in eternal -not reincarnation -like you I don't fear dying but I don't welcome it exactly either. I'm too nosy! I have three grandchildren I love dearly -the oldest grandson will be 11 in August (my older daughter's son) and the two younger ones, my granddaughter, age 4 1/2 and her baby brother, will be 2 next month -are my younger daughter's children. Both the two little ones are autistic. But as much as I love my older grandson, he's such a special young man - it's the two little ones that grab me, make me want to stay around forever to watch them grow and especially, to see them meet goals and achieve things many parents take foregranted with children that things will just happen easily and automatically.
Being a grandparent does change your perspective on things greatly though, doesn't it? If the Good Lord invented anything better than grandkids, He obviously kept it for HImself is my theory!
Hope you get to spend many, many, MANY years with your grandson and are instrumental in his life, his growth. Through that aspect, you can pass on to him many of the attributes you too were raised with and who knows, maybe facilitate a bit of "change" on your own that way. It sure can't hurt, can it?
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