Went to a Chamber of Commerce
meeting this past week… It was a meeting open to all; Van Buren County
Commission and City of Spencer Commission were invited. The issue to
share/discuss was a proposal submitted by Fender/Morgan to the chamber for the
revitalization of Downtown. What is being proposed, at this time, is the
production of a couple of studies to determine scope, span, priorities, costs,
projects and their eventual execution. The three key entities to make this
happen, at this stage, are: the chamber, the City Commission and the County
Commission. Their main accountability is the identification of and application
for Government Grants (Federal and State) to fund these studies. I think we are
up to a great start, but also to an uphill climb, and here is why: of the City
Commission, only one alderman attended and her attendance there was limited to “listen”;
on the County side, only the Mayor and one commissioner attended (out of nine,
I believe… However, the wife of the Chairman of the County Commission passed
away on the day of the meeting; his absence was quite justified). According to
Fender/Morgan, in all other efforts of this kind around the state, the County
or City own the initiative and the chamber supports it; in this case,
both the County and City have yet to
‘show up’, with the people at the chamber having led the efforts so far…
I will be going to the next meeting of the County Commission and get their
position on this initiative. By the way, the next meeting on this subject is
Thursday, August 16th 2012, 6PM CST, at the Chamber of Commerce.
Please come if you can.
We all have heard enough already
about the shooting in Colorado. I only wish there was a way to tell when
somebody’s mind starts to decay and tending towards that type of violence so it
could be diagnosed, treated and prevent all the loss! Only a wish!
Went this past weekend for lunch
to a friends’ house in Phase III; they split their time between South Florida
and Hawks Bluff. They ordered from their preferred fishery in Florida (and had
flown in overnight) fresh jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, baked clam in their
shells, and a blue marlin spread that was second to none I’ve ever had. Lunch
was an experience which ended too soon! After lunch we sat around in the
terrace for a good conversation, and some folks engaged in an abbreviated wine
tasting… Made it back home sometime after 7PM (extended lunch!) The food was
great, the host & hostesses were most gracious, and the company simply superb!
It is going to be a tall order to top this one!
Brief political note: this past week there was cloture in the US Senate
regarding Outsourcing Tax Credits – The measure was rejected by a 56-42, with 2
not voting. Here is the deal:
Current tax law allows for the cost of moving jobs overseas
to be deducted as a business expense. S. 3664, sponsored by Senator Debbie
Stabenow, D-Mich., would end that tax break while continuing to allow a
deduction for jobs returned to this country or moved within the United States.
The bill would provide an additional tax credit for 20 percent of the cost of
moving jobs back to the United States. On July 19, the Senate rejected, 56-42,
a motion to take up the bill, which would encourage companies to bring jobs
back to the United States. The motion fell four votes short of the 60 needed to
invoke cloture on the motion to proceed made by Majority Leader Harry Reid,
D-Nev. Four Republican Senators, Scott P. Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins
and Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, and Dean Heller of Nevada voted with all
participating Democrats to take up the legislation. No further action is
scheduled on the bill. Our Tennessee senators voted as following:
Ø Sen. Lamar Alexander voted NO
Ø Sen. Bob Corker voted NO
They both voted to continue the current tax law which allows for
the cost of moving jobs overseas to be deducted as a business expense. Who the
hell are they representing?
Now, the recommended book: “For One
More Day” by Mitch Albom. It is the story of a mother and a son, and a
relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What
would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?
A day like today in 1783, 229 years ago, Simon Bolivar, liberator
of five countries (Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador & Peru) and founder
of another (Bolivia), was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He "is today considered one of the most
influential politicians in American history." - Wikipedia
Last, but not least, food for
thought:
“Talent
is God-given; be humble. Fame is
man-given; be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful”
- John
Wooden
So, stay humble, grateful and
careful, my friends…
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