Portland, Tennessee Blog

Daniel said,

".... I have no problem with churches being exempt, but they shouldn't rally support for and against government business while enjoying tax exemption. They shouldn't be able to build huge buildings for recreation without paying taxes and then rally against other residents enjoying the benefits of revenue from lbtd or Sunday Beer Sales...it's hypocritical and an abuse of power."

I agree completely. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Go Jody! Go Jody! Go Jody!

You know...the comments where people are trying to figure out who someone is....or what name they are using......that's what I was referring to.
I could care less if people use their real name or call themself Mickey Mouse.....it's the content of what they say that is important, isn't it? And, it sure doesen't have to agree with mine. I love to hear all sides of an issue and see why people feel and vote the way they do.
I'm may be out-spoken, but I'm not narrow minded or think my ideas are better. Most of the time, I have no clue what's going on....LOL
I do know that Jody McDowell was voted Vice-Mayor last night at the Council meeting...I thought that was cool. :)

The comments that I disregard are the ones where people seem to be just bickering between each other ..... comments that don't have any facts in them.....

Okay, but I'm concerned that you would say, and I quote, "I, for one, totally disreqard those comments, because they contribute nothing useful to this medium". To me that COULD be saying you disregard the facts because they are inconsistent with your beliefs and opinions. What a shame that would be. You can disagree with the conclusions that are drawn from the facts, but please don't disregard the comments because you don't agree with them. I many times don't agree with your comments but I don't dare disregard them.

In a lot of the past comments here there was a lot of reference to numbers......I looked back again...and think it's referring to the number of crimes in Franklin, KY vs Portland....is that what the numbers refer to ? If so, I think I've got it now !

DeeAnna, what "number thing" are you referring to that you haven't yet figured out?

Well, now...I feel like the dense one here....I have no idea who the Anon M Us person is and I don't care..and I haven't lost any sleep trying to figure out that number thing. I, for one, totally disreqard those comments, because they contribute nothing useful to this medium. I like to ask questions and get answers --- I'm happy that the Councilman always gives me a serious answer to my questions and I appreciate him for that. I would like to see other knowledgeable folks here that can provide some answers to questions, but he's right...as long as there is this CB radio mentality going on here.....they won't participate. Honestly, if I were the blog editor, nothing useless or anything that doesn't stay to the point, would not appear on the blog.

Whether it can be figured out or not is not up to me.
But (and for the last time) it is not me, or maybe proper english is, "it is not I".
Besides, you give me too much credit, I did not notice the pun on the name until it was pointed out; remember I am the dense one on the council.
Hey, I am going to catch grief no matter what, mine as well be me.
And for those who can discern who is the one at the keyboard, I suggest you apply at CSI Miami, because you are good.
The old saying is a good one, "if you look hard enough for evil, you can find evil in anything"; I guess what makes that true for some is that they have already decided it in their mind.

I will tell you what is “sad”, this blog could have been a great tool for info that you could not get elsewhere, but due to this kind of foolishness, many who can answer the questions some seek will not respond, and no real debate can ever be had; it does not matter if you agree or not to have a worthy debate, it only matters if it takes place between reasonable people.

So, having relieved some pressure from the top of my head, I feel better.
Anyway……

At least this blog has served to thicken my skin; I do not cut as easily….:)

Fire Away……

Councilman. Don’t you think we can’t figure out who "Anon M. Us" is?. Sad.

SJackson

Daniel, you are so right !!

I couldn't agree with you MORE.
Thank you for your comments on that. You said it better than I ever could....

Let's, meaning let's as the citizens of the United States. I have no problem with churches being exempt, but they shouldn't rally support for and against government business while enjoying tax exemption. They shouldn't be able to build huge buildings for recreation without paying taxes and then rally against other residents enjoying the benefits of revenue from lbtd or Sunday Beer Sales...it's hypocritical and an abuse of power.

I am once again surprised that Daniel, being the ace reporter he is, hasn't properly researched the topic he speaks on. I believe churches are granted exemption from property taxes by statute and through the TN State Board of Equalization. It's not up to local authorities to decide that. His sentence "let's....... start charging tax on every church building" is a statement that is ignorant of TN law. Daniel, did you really not know that or did you just think none of the rest of us did?

Now Daniel.............., I like your suggestion!! imagine the tax dollars that would be generated if churches in this town had to pay property tax too. yet they are the ones that are mostly responsible for axing lbtd every time it gets voted on.

Everyone knows our crime numbers are high, higher than Franklins. We have more sex offenders here than any other city per capita in Sumner County. Our police force responds to over twice the calls that White House does and we have far more burglaries, domestic calls and violent offenses than White House. All that without LBTD or Sunday Beer Sales, that's why that argument has no validity. Would you rather a drunk drive two miles to get a six pack or 30? We need more officers, we need revenue, you have to take advantage of what will work in your community, if not, let's cut out all the donations to non profits and charities and start charging tax on every church building.

Jerry, you are missing the point again. Don't worry so much about who said it - just worry about whether it is accurate or not. If those numbers aren't accurate then please give us some that are. You would be no better off knowing who I am and frankly I couldn't care less who you are. But since you mentioned it, how many readers know Jerry Lomat? I've lived here most of my life and I never heard of a Lomat. Is that name made up??? LOL ;)

DeeAnna,

Thanks! and Yes, I was using a little sarcasm. :)

Jerry -
I just read this section...and thought your posting about Franklin, KY was hysterical. It was meant as a joke, right? I am in Franklin, KY all the time.....I have yet to hear my first gunshot !

However, a Portland Police officer had to fight for his life at Hill's in Portland, not so long ago....

Will be listening for those Franklin gunshots...

I do all my shopping in Franklin, KY. I live in Portland, but there is nowhere to shop or eat here.

They are not YOUR numbers "Anon M. Us". They are the numbers of "Stayin_and_Lovin_It".

Oh wait you are the same person. You just admitted it.

Jerry,

I don't think I'm getting through so I'll say it again.....they are not MY numbers as you allege - they are the numbers of the Franklin KY Police Dept. You interpret them however you want. Maybe, if you are truly now doing all your shopping in Portland out of fear, we have accomplished something after all.

Don't worry too much about who is posting or how many aliases they have. This is a blog. Just consider the information (or rants, as you call them) and form your own opinions.

Also, when you posted, as "Anon M. Us" this most recent time,you defended your facts and figures from your post as "Stayin_And_Lovin_it"

Did you not notice that? Did anybody else? Get one alias and stick with it. I'm just sayin....

OK Councilman, I give it to you. Franklin, KY according to your numbers has indeed turned into a modern day Memphis in terms of crime rates since they voted in LBTD. You can't go anywhere without hearing gunshots. I now feel unsafe when I do all my grocery shopping up there. Now I will shop nothing but the city of Portland, even if it means I have to eat at Arby's 8 times a week, and get all my clothing at Fred's.

Jerry,

I take that to mean you can't dispute the facts. I thought not.......

Whatever Mr.Callis....

Jerry,

Those aren't rants, they are pure facts. Dispute them if you can. Do you refer to the comments as "rants" only when they disagree with your opinion? If you can't accept debate and others' opinions you are in the wrong place.

BTW, I'm not sure who you insulted by saying my posts belong to Councilman Callis -- me or him. LOL

Sorry to disappoint you, but those are not me.

I think it is funny how since Mr. Callis took so much flack with his more confrontational posts in the past, he is now posting "Anon M. Us"-ly and what not.

Notice how his posts as Councilman Callis are posted within a short amount of time as the Anti-LBTD rants....The way those posts are worded are EXACTLY the way he used to post when being confrontational in the past....be honest, it's you dude.

Judy,

Thanks for that information on LBTD in Franklin. Come to think of it, it flies in the face of Mack's suggestion that LBTD had no impact on crime rates in Franklin KY, doesn't it. Thank you.

BTW, Gallatin has never been the size of Portland - it's more than double the size in population and pretty much always has been. It has relatively easy access to BOTH I65 and I40 and sits in the middle of a major highway with 31E. Portland sits 4 miles from the interstate. You must have a need to go there before you'll find it. We just won't get alot of interstate travelers stopping by for a meal or shopping -- LBTD or not. Major restaurants know that.

Since it states we can post about garage sales, that is exactly what I'm gonna do :) Thursday,Friday, & Saturday from 8am-3pm I will be having a yard sale at 153 Cornerstone Blvd., if you would like any further info, please contact me at welovetaterbug@aol.com. Thank you!

MDL - Absolutely, I actually started backing them up starting them on Thursdays, But Wednesday would probably be the best since the Leader does come out late Tuesday and like you said things are getting lost in the prior weeks that are current. Coming right up!

Judy,
Would it be possible to start the new thread for the week on the day the town papers come out rather than wait until Friday?

It never fails two days pass and we start discussing what's in the paper, then bam, on Friday the new thread starts, leaving some things unnoticed on the last one.....

I just read on the front page of the Progressive, that in the budget meeting, a figure of $46,000 + is what the city gives to different charities.....
is it published somewhere what charities receive this money? And can the city afford to be giving away money like this? I think it even talked about increasing it to $66,000.
Shouldn't the city's needs to taken care of first...and then if there's money left over...give to charities???

Staying - I might be wrong, not sure on this and I'm sure someone will correct me but I think Franklin's LBTD didn't pass until Nov of 2006, if that is the case I hardly think the 2005-2006 increase had much to do with LBTD since many are just now getting up and running.

Also on the comparrison of Gallatin to Portland (trafic/population), I think if you look at that city years ago prior to LBTD they probably were close in comparrison to what Portland has now, and Gallatin does NOT have an Interstate. Gallatin is a larger city than Portland and had the room for the growth that came along when all the good things happened in Gallatin, I'm sure they got tired of their residents spending all their money in Rivergate, now they keep it in their OWN Town!

Terry George - Now that's an Idea, I LIKE IT!!!

Why not make the factories an asset in bringing revenue to the city.When i was a boy,my grandmother worked at a nursing home in Franklin,KY.She was required to buy a sticker for her car to drive to work up there.Why not charge the people who live in surrounding towns and counties,that work in Portland factories,a once a year "employment tax".They come here now,work,get paid,and then go home to their respective towns to spend their money.Let's just say $100 per person,per year.That would bring in probably as much as the LBTD revenue.

Many police agencies have changed the way they do reports, they now include every phone call as a report. It is also unrealistic to say these places to eat wouldn't come to a "small town". Our work force each day puts the daytime populaton of Portland well over 20,000 and with the interstate access we have we could have something better than what we have now, which is not a lot of anything. JW ,-we've been agreeing here a lot lately, I like it, but I'm sure the days are numbered.

Mack,

Don't just assume you can bluff us with rhetoric and expect us to believe it without researching it. Where did you get your "No big deal, no increased crime" information? As a matter of fact, Franklin, KY's crime rate DID go up significantly from 2005 to 2006. According to their police records, the number of crime reports increased from 1048 in 2005 to 1454 in 2006; that's about a 40% increase. Did they double their police force? NO. Should they have? MAYBE, given those statistics.

The comparison of Portland to Gallatin is not valid by any means. Just look at the difference in population and in traffic counts.

One more thing, this past Holiday weekend we had a house full of company, besides for our Sunday cook out we ate out most of the time. We had a party of 6 at Logans on Friday night, Party of 9 Sat Lunch at MoMo's, Sat Evening Party of 12 at Red Lobster, number of Alcoholic Beverages consumed """0""" It's not necessarily the ALCOHOL PEOPLE! Some of us like to DINE! NOT eat BEANS!

Mack --- Great point you made !!
And you are soooo right. I may be very wrong, but
I have concluded that Portland is run by a few families who do not want growth OR any changes.
I think their influence is so felt in the churches, workplaces and the business arena......that they have such a tight rein on Portland, that change is impossible right now. Time will take care of it....but it will be a LONG time...but in the meantime, they will enjoy being in control...something that they hope they never have to relinquish or share with anyone else...but I remember when Gallatin was the same way....and you see, time took care of it...and now Gallatin is a growing and properous city.
Sometimes Portland seems like it's in the Twilight Zone to me....lost in time somewhere..not being willing to step into the 21st century. Just my opinion.

Hey Mack - I Don't think Crazy would be 6 weeks out, maybe more like 10 days. I would hate the thoughts of having to cook that many meals at home, might mean having to go to KY wal-mart to buy more pots, pans & groceries, ohhhhh noooo! Like your Post :)

I remember when Don Wright was Mayor of Gallatin, and all the LBTD restaraunts were coming to town, he said in the News Examiner that the DUI rate was DOWN because people weren't driving back from Rivergate and further after having a drink with their meal.

So the scare tactics about how we will need more police protection are just that-scare tactics. Has Franklin, KY's crime rate went up since their passing of LBTD? Have they had to double their police force? NO!

They are a town about the same size population wise as us, and because of the interstate, have a substantial increase of people coming in and out of their town over the course of each day, and guess what? No big deal, no increased crime. Those of you so anti-change, I challenge you to not do ANY shopping outside of Portland for 6 weeks. I'm talking, dining, errands, you name it. You'll go crazy. That's because all the goods and services are in bordering towns...

I believe LBTD will definately pass in 2009 because more voters will be out voting due to it being a Mayoral Election and not because of the LBTD issue, however, by then it will be too late for it's passing to really do any good or harm to this town as we will then be surrounded within 15-20 miles by some of the nicer eateries, retail chains & specialty stores one could ask for that MAY of looked at portland had LBTD passed in the earlier years.

We will continue spending our money at restauraunts/lounges, retail chains, grocery stores and fuel stations in other cities and states enabling them to benefit from lower taxes, improved services, better roads, increased property values etc. etc. while we continue to look forward to more & more polution in the water we drink, & the air we breath from the wonderful high class factories that continue to take our farmland and turn it into a concrete jungle, afterall nobody wanted the changes that would come with LBTD right..... enjoy!!

So fatten up your pockets for the increases in taxes, & services that I'm sure will follow in the upcoming years from our City, and don't blame THAT on LBTD.

Just My Opinion, for what it's worth!

It's just how I and many others feel and have witnessed in other communities. I don't have statistics to toss at you, it's just my opinion!

More gross revenue? Or more net revenue? I agree with you on the former but not the latter. You must factor in the additional costs to the city as well. If you don't believe it will require more police protection, just ask Chief West or others at the PD. On what do you base your assertions? Can you give us the projected additional amounts you think it will bring in or is that just a generic statement?

I know LBTD won't bring big chain restaurants, but I do think it will bring more revenue, plain and simple!

And I don’t for a second believe that voter apathy will disappear because of LBTD in Portland, TN. I wish it would, but it won’t. This isn’t the first major issue that has come before voters in this town. Oh, you’ll see a few more voters in 2009 because of the mayoral election, but the LBTD issue won’t bring’em out – it never has. And when/if it does pass, you won’t see those major restaurant chains that the advocates of LBTD tell you about. The traffic count isn’t there, friends. It’s been asked before, but how many small towns like Portland have a Logan’s and an O’Charleys?

And look how much ground was covered from then to now, just five votes shy! It's an obvious statement of time for a change. Unfortunately, a lot of people (72%!) didn't take the time to vote. I don't think they will let that happen again!!

And that's exactly what they said last time.........

Anon M. Us

Well my friend, I araely ever agree with Daniel and I am fully on his side on this issue. For what its worth next time it will Pass.

Hmmmmm.....leave it to our liberal friend Daniel to link the price of a can of paint to LBTD. Stop whining - it failed! More of us who voted didn't want it than did want it. To my surprise, you didn't also blame the high price of paint on George W. - it must have been partially his fault as well. LOL

I apologize for any confusion. I have two corrections for my previous post about "strawberry quick"
1. It looks like POP rocks candy (the kind that sizzles in your mouth)
2. It is not necessarily mixed with the drink mix of the same name - there many colorful and sugary substances that can be mixed with it and it is believed that the flavoring is used to mask the bitter taste and to appeal to kids by making it seem less dangerous.

WARNING: There is a "new" form of Meth called Strawberry Quick. It is actually mixed with the popular powdered drink mix of the same name. It smells like strawberries and looks like rock candy, and it is being marketed to children.

Is this "designer version" of Meth already in Portland? I don't know, but it's candy-like appearance would certainly make it easy to overlook, so I thought I would share the info.

My husband is taking his brother to see it today :) They are going to the new Gallatin Theater...I've heard it is very nice! They have $5 Tuesdays and free refills and really great seating arrangements. Has anyone been to it yet?

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End premeired last night and my teenagers begged unmercifully to go. So with written proclaimations stating that I was the coolest mom on earth, we made the trek to Madison for the midnight showtime. ;)

WOW! Though very long (2hrs 45 min) it was worth every gross, adventurous, nutty second. Much, much funnier than Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

MDL,
Trust me, I completely understand what you mean by comparing prices...I am living on a budget, and just because those chosen few can afford to spend 1,2,5 or 10 dollars more on one item, I am not one of those lucky people! You have to make do with what you have and if I only have $50 for groceries, I can't waste a single dollar! If the price differences were reasonable, I'd say it wouldn't make a huge difference, but factor in taxes and I've flushed money right down the toilet.

You can add that to the long list of reasons...just a thought...wonder how much money we would have made in Portland last weekend if we would have had a few more places to eat that serve the forbidden fruit...MDL and company might of been able to get their spray paint for $5 to...just a thought.

Shopping in Portland

I know we've discussed in the past about how many local residents go elsewhere (usually Franklin, KY) to purchase items. I remember someone saying it was silly to drive to KY for a few things to save a minimal amount.

For myself, I do all my major shopping @ Walmart in Franklin. But I did have an example I wanted to share.

We all know that Marathon & Flying J in KY tend to be several cents cheaper on gas, except maybe Swifty here in Portland.

But the other day, my husband was going to a local store (which we go to occassionally and they are great people!) here in Portland to get a few plumbing things.

I asked if he would pick up a can of Rustoleum spray paint so I could finish redoing our lawn furniture (I'd already used several cans from Walmart in KY). They had it and he noticed it was marked on the shelf as $12. He figured it was a mismark and proceeded to check out to ask. It was actually correct and the clerk said it was indeed $12 a can!!! This is about $4.74 @ Walmart and I've never seen it more than $5-6 elsewhere. Needless to say, he didn't buy it and I just added it to my growing list and purchased it when I returned to Walmart in Franklin!

This is prime example why a lot of people don't shop locally. We'd like to, but it's rather hard sometimes to justify the price differences!!

DebraP - You're right about the Insurance Companies, they will cancel your homeowners insurance if you don't meet their requirements, we have the locking gates that you can't open from the outside..... Heck I can't even open them from the inside... LOL

I loved the pool when we got it, the grandkids still enjoy it, but I no longer enjoy the maintenance that comes along with a pool that you can only use 4 months a year.

I used to have an above ground pool and when I called my insurance company to inform them they said I must have a fence around it and a gate with some sort of lock that alittle child can not open. I don't know if insurance companies differ on this or not.
There are way too many "stupid" mistakes made around water. Epecially when children are involved.

Jessica - We also have a pool and yes I do believe there is a code requiring a barrier of at least and I'm not 100% sure on this, 4ft from the ground to the top of the pool, this can be via fencing, or if the pool is constructed 100% above the ground and is 54" tall. Most above Ground pools are put in the ground atleast 1 ft so most of the time it does require a fence, we have a 6ft wood privacy fence so I never really checked into the exact requirement on the fencing. And I do believe this can be enforced thru the city, but not 100% positive.

You're right though on pools, big risks and liability when unsupervised children are allowed to swim. All my grandchildren now know how to swim, but they are never allowed to swim without an ADULT (parent/Grandparent)on the Deck when they are in the pool.

One of the stories in the Tennessean got me thinking about pools and safety. There is a lady in my subdivison with a large,above ground pool, her young children play alone in it and they allow neighborhood children to swim as well without any supervision, but my main concern is there is no fence around it, is that a law here in Portland? It is required in certain areas or all? I wasn't sure, so I thought I'd run it across you guys :)