And the headline reads: "Gardenhire, Carter Push Bill To Require Audits Of Recipients Of Hotel/Motel Tax".
Why is it our legislators will write a bill, imposing the weight of law, on one specific situation while leaving so many others open for the future? And another waste of tax dollars?
How much does it cost to process one piece of legislation, $50,000? The amount has been determined by our state legislature. It was used as justification for limiting the number of pieces of legislation allowed for submission when those good Republicans took over as our legislative majority six or seven years ago, back when Richard Floyd was so fond of saying "We're gonna write a law."
Why write legislation covering only the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors' Bureau when with fewer words every government contractor could be equally covered? Even a casual observer might see this is only right and proper, that if tax dollars over a pre-determined level are involved the contractor should be subject to audits... or all contracted services, whether the contractor be a non-profit or a for profit enterprise.
But that might catch up with some of the maintenance services too, particularly for the school systems.
Now, this doesn't preclude citing the reasons for implementing the legislation, misbehavior on the part of the Chattanooga CVB in the instant situation, or even the individuals involved, but isn't it a waste of our tax dollars to make law that isn't general enough in its language to be applied to similar situations in the future? I mean, like, there's a reason Carl Sandburg once commented "If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell." Messrs. Doak and Whitaker are hardly the first, nor will they be the last, to attempt pounding on the table and yelling... or threatening those who have caught them, allegedly, with hands in the cookie jar. The best defense is always a good offense, isn't it.
Five-year-olds on the playground... "you better leave me alone of I'm gonna hit you... I'm gonna hit you..." If Mr. Doak has a case for a lawsuit, why threaten? Like the old saying goes... just do it.
You put your right foot in
You put your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around
Royce Burrage, Jr.
Royce@Officially Chapped.org