The HC Citizen Newsletter Edition 419-A July 29, 2013 Detroit Files For Bankruptcy: Where Next? On July 23rd, Detroit, Michigan filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States History having over $18 billion in debt and over 100,000 creditors ranging from retired city workers to Wall Street bond investors. The city has filled for Chapter 9 which deals with municipalities. A mediator has been named in the process to help compromise the problems between the contentious entities in this messy case. Federal Judge Gerald Rosen will be the mediator. He is a conservative with libertarian leaning values. The Attorney General of Michigan said he would represent the retirees who face losing their retirements in this case. All lawsuits filed by city workers, retirees and pension funds were halted and the suits against Michigan’s governor and treasurer as well according to Judge Steven Rhodes. With all the distressed properties within the city and the movement of citizens away from Detroit, it has brought on severe problems. When the big auto manufacturers began moving away and building overseas and in other places the workforce dropped dramatically. The unemployment rate for Detroit is at 29% as of the last report. There are several factors to blame in this debacle. The United Auto Workers Union, the liberal government leaders, finance companies and the United States government. Will this happen in other areas. It could because the Michigan Judges are saying that the General Obligation Bonds of the City of Detroit can be seen as unsecured debts and this will have an impact upon the bond issuers and pension liabilities in the whole State of Michigan and beyond. This could result in different credit ratings for municipal bonds. There are many cities in the nation who are currently on the brink of disaster as well and could default on their General Obligation bonds. The Judges have said that the citizens cannot be taxed for the failure of the governments to lead. Another place that went bankrupt was Stockton, California and they are in dire waters still today. San Bernardino, CA went into Chapter 9, Vallejo, CA also Chapter 9, and Jefferson County Alabama filed for Chapter 9. These are examples of communities that have been in trouble in the United States. We also have problems with cities in Georgia as well. Many of the municipalities have spent far too much money for the amount they are receiving. Most of these places have double digit unemployment. Different companies that look at municipalities and the viability of them be fruitful are going on daily. One company is Sperling’s. They said that the unemployment rate for Henry County is currently at 10% while the average for the United States is 8.6%. Another good example is the City of Stockbridge. The Labor Force is listed at 13, 335, but of this total only 11,887 are employed leaving 1, 448 unemployed with a rate of 11%. The population of Stockbridge is approximately 26, 000 people. Only half of these people are eligible to work. The other half can’t find work, are retired, disabled or are children. When you have half of your city’s population being in this outlook then there is not much of a tax base even though the city does not collect property taxes, but the county does. Stockbridge has spent quite a large amount of money in the last 6 months that should have been watched more closely, thus leaving open the door of problems down the road. But this is just an example of what is happening across America and the current Administration in Washington is feeding on this type of despair. Keep a close watch on what comes from the bankruptcy in Detroit because there could be some serious ramifications down the road and if cities and counties are not prepared then a chain reaction can occur that will be a domino effect across the nation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………. News From the Cemetery Research Group Friends of the CRG, We hope you are having a great weekend, we have added a few new pages to our site. We hope you find them interesting and educational. Zone 1 Ward Berry cemetery. crghenry.org/ward_berry_cem/ward_berry_fam_cem.html John Clark Family Cemetery crghenry.org/john_clark_fam_cem/john_clark_family_cem.html Zone 2 Walker Family Cemetery crghenry.org/walker_fam_cem/walker_family_cem.html Zone 4 Benjamin Franklin Thomson Cemetery crghenry.org/benjamin_franklin_thomsom_cem/benjamin_franklin_thomson_fam_cem.html More pages coming soon, thank you for your interest in the cemeteries in Henry County Georgia. Alfred Britt Founder CRG Thank you to our friends at the CRG and if you know of a cemetery problem contact them at [email protected] . ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Where to get Chicken Supplies You can find some really nice chicken coops at Tractors Supply on Hwy 81 E in McDonough. They also have the feed and medicines needed for the fowl. They also carry chicken wire. You can also find chicken wire at Lowe’s and Home Depot. True Value Hardware Stores also carry these products. The Feed Mill on Hwy 81 E in Ola has feed for the chickens as well. If you have never had chickens before, it would be wise to purchase a book on the subject of raising chickens which can be found online or at any bookstore. Tractors Supply also has books on the subject. They also sell baby chicks at different times. If you would want to build your own chicken coop then there are books with plans for some very nice and ornamental dwellings for the hens. The main thing is to make sure that you have wire over the top of the pen to keep out predators. Also, around the bottom make sure no predator can enter that way either. A good chicken can make a great friend for anyone who would like to take up time with them. They are fun to watch and hey the benefit of the eggs they produce is a plus. Since the Henry County BOC has made legal to have 4 backyard chickens on ½ acre lots and larger then just about everyone can enjoy these beautiful birds. There will be HOA’s who will not allow this, but that is the price for living in an area that is not truly free. Thanks again to June and Larry Stanley for working to get this for the citizens of Henry County. ……………………………………………………………………………………………. Thank You to Erik Charles The citizens of Stockbridge would like to thank Henry County School Board Member Erik Charles for having the school supply event for needy people recently at Stockbridge Elementary School. This is a great event to help those who need supplies for school and cannot afford them. Mr. Charles has worked very hard for a long time for our children and we just wanted to say thank you for a job well done. ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Some Funny Thoughts This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Watergate hearings. For those too young to remember, back then the administration had an enemies list. They were spying on reporters, and they used the IRS to harass groups they didn’t like. Thank God those days are gone forever.—by Jay Leno ………………….. An employee asked his boss for a raise. “Well,” the boss replied, “due to the fluctuational predisposition of your position’s productive capacity as juxtaposed with industry standards, it would be monetarily injudicious to implement an increment.” “I don’t get it,” the employee said. “Exactly.” …………………. If the meek ever do inherit the earth, my advice is to get a good lawyer and fight the case. ………………….. I don’t mind running into debt. It’s running into my creditors that’s embarrassing. ………………….. A hunting guide told his group, “We’re lost.” “How can we be lost?” one hunter exclaimed. “You said you were the best guide in Maine!” “I am, but now we’re in Canada.” ………………….. A Caveman ran into his cave and yelled, “A tiger just chased me across the savannah!” “Why?” his wife asked. “Well, I didn’t think to stop and ask it.” (A Here’s Your Sign Moment.) ………………….. The best safety device a car can have is a rearview mirror with a patrol car in it. ………………….. Thank you to the American Legion Magazine for these funny quotes. …………………………………………………………………………………………… A Survey Conducted about Stockbridge Recently, we conducted a survey of different people on the street to see their opinions on how the Stockbridge City Government is performing currently. The following is some good interesting information. The information was gathered from 50 different people from all backgrounds. 1. Do you feel the current Mayor is performing his duties well? 22 said yes and 28 said no. 2. Do you feel the current Council is performing their duties well? 18 said yes and 30 said no and 2 had no opinion. 3. Do you want a new police department for Stockbridge? 9 said yes and 41 said no. 4. Do you like the idea of a road connecting Rock Quarry Rd & East Atlanta? 17 said yes and 27 said no while 6 were undecided 5. Do you feel that a police department will need city property taxes? 42 said yes and 8 said no. 6. Do you want city property taxes? 0 said yes and 50 said no. 7. Which Mayor would you prefer running the city? 12 said Rudy Kelley; 28 said Lee Stuart; and 7 said Mark Alarcon; 3 none 8. Of those announced who do you want as Mayor? 7 said Mark Alarcon; 33 said Vanessa Holiday; 8 said Houston Neslon; 2 said Tim Thompson. 9. Do you feel that Councilman Thomas is ignored by the other members? 44 said yes and 6 said no. 10. Do you like the idea of beer and wine at the upcoming Bridge Fest? 21 said yes and 27 said no and 2 were undecided. _______________These results not scientific and are based on a measured group of citizens on the street as to how they feel about the above 10 questions. But it does give a representative idea about how people are feeling. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… Another Recent Survey About McDonough This survey was conducted much as the one in Stockbridge to get the opinion of the people on the street and their ideas. This survey gathered opinions from 35 residents of the area. 1. Do you feel that Mayor Billy Copeland is doing a good job as Mayor? 30 said yes and 5 said no. 2. Do you feel that the City Council is doing a good job? 27 said yes and 8 said no. 3. Which council member do you think is most effective? 15 said Sandra Vincent; 10 Gail Notti; 8 Rufus Stewart; 2 Rufus Amis 4. Do you feel the council is spending too much money on property? 18 said yes; 10 said no; and 7 undecided 5. Do you feel the city manager was hired correctly? 30 said no and 5 said yes. 6. Do you like the new sign ordinance for McDonough? 14 said yes and 18 said no and 3 were undecided 7. Do you feel that the economy is good in McDonough? 19 said yes and 15 said no and 1 was undecided 8. Should the Geranium Festival be moved to Nash Farm? 33 said no and 2 said yes 9. Do the McDonough Police do a good job? 26 said yes and 5 said no and 4 had no comment 10. Should the city be more open to the public with meetings? 34 said yes and 1 said no _______________________Again this is not a scientific poll but it does give some good measurement of how people feel. ………………………………………………………………………………….. Advertisements: Tractor Supply on Hwy 81 East has what you need for your farm and home. ………………… Glen Haven Baptist Church on East Lake Road is a church waiting for you to come and visit and possibly become part of the family. ………………… Shane’s Rib Shack on Hwy 155 at East Lake Road is the place to go for some really good Bar-be-que. ………………… Tooloopeas is the new country cooking restaurant on East Atlanta Road in Stockbridge in the Publix Shopping Center. Go out and enjoy some of that special fried chicken, pork chops and fried grits over salmon. These are old family recipes and are waiting for you today. ………………….. Stockbridge Recycling is the place to take your scrap metals and aluminum to get a little extra money and clean up as well. They are on Hwy 42 S in Stockbridge. …………………… Dawg Eared Books on the Square in McDonough is a great place to shop for books and other gift items. Stop by and visit especially when author Jeffery Wells is in so he can sign one of his books about McDonough. ……………………………………………………………………………………….. The HC Citizen Newsletter Created by Mr. Larry Stanley
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 07:17:49 +0000
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