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Comment:

Thanks, but no thanks. Why on earth would I want a job like that with someone like me always whining and grumbling about something? I got me a brand new ‘Be Your Own Boss Captain of Industry” kind of full time job picking up pop bottles alongside the highway. I learned about it on the interweb thingy. I’m gonna get rich…..rich, I tells ya!

Comment:

Awww, RATS! If that is true guess I better hustle on down to the Ferrari dealership and cancel my order, get my deposit back and use it to enroll in one of those English As A Second Language courses, then think up another get rich quick scheme. Picking up pop bottles alongside the road looks pretty good.

Comment:

Ryank, You recognized em.

Comment:

You have waaaaaay too much time on your hands. Perhaps you could use that time to do some more research. What you quoted in bold in your post is how a Meals Tax is SUPPOSED to work. However, in the 522 case, the restaurants are not within town limits and the town cannot collect a meals tax from them and the restaurants cannot collect a meals tax from their customers on behalf of the town. They were therefore adding the equivalent of a meals tax to their utility bill. The court found this to be wrong and therefore overturned the agreement.

The key line here is "It is clear as a matter of law that the Meals Tax is not a tax that the restaurants would pay - no matter where they are located." This is why it was overturned in court. Because the restaurants WERE paying it.

Comment:

Whacko Jacko for Town Council !

Comment:

Trimming the Police Department in economic times such as these would be a dire mistake. This economy is likely to INCREASE crime rate, not decrease it.

Offenses such as shoplifting and thievery could possibly become accompanied by force - as the times worsen. Just because we are small does not mean that statistics don't touch us here as well.

Decreasing ANY police services, INCLUDING pay to the officers and dispatchers could possibly spur them to jobhunt elsewhere.

I think the citizens of Front Royal would feel much more secure if the police force stayed the course and kept up the excellent service it has strived to provide.

I am sure there are plenty of other non-essential places where cuts can be made.

SUPPORT YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT!!!!!

Comment:

Since the manner of the death of the cavy wasn't determined, how does "cruelty" apply? If the animal was humanely killed, where does the word "cruel" come into the equation?

Cavies (the proper name for guinea pigs) have been raised and served on the dinner table for much longer than they've been kept as pets. While they do make fun pets, they are also a food animal. There are, indeed, breeds of cavy that are raised expressly for their meat.

This entire affair is ludicrous--a hideous waste of taxpayers' money especially in these trying times.

Potbellied pigs, incidentally, ARE considered companion animals by many owners. They make special furniture for them, potty train them, keep them in their own houses and walk them on leashes. They may not be Dr. Scott's choice of pet, but I don't think that's the criteria that laws are made from.

Dawn
Fluff N Furr Angora (rabbits)

Comment:

Hmmmm.....I went down to the courthouse and looked at Circuit Court case #L09000018. It's a stack of paperwork about a foot high (3 folders and a 4 inch notebook) and here is what I found: When both sides of a lawsuit agree on things, they create a document they title "Stipulated Facts". I found such a document dated 10-30-2009 and this is what it had to say, in part:

"...Exhibits 6 - 7 - & 8 Stipulated Facts. It is clear as a matter of law that the Meals Tax is not a tax that the restaurants would pay - no matter where they are located. The Meals Tax is a "Trust Fund Tax" imposed on the restaurants customers. (Town Code 75-24 Exhibit 7) It is collected from the customers and remitted to the Town by the restaurants acting as the Town agent. (75-25) Between the time the tax is collected and remitted, these funds are held in trust for the Town (75-30). For these tax collection services the restaurants "receive a commission" in the form of a deduction from the tax so remitted (75-31). This pattern is mandated by Virginia Law and is the same pattern found in various statutes dealing with trust fund taxes."

Did you see the part that said " It is collected from the customers and remitted to the Town by the restaurants acting as the Town agent."? I think that part is pretty clear in saying the plaintiff and the defendant agree the restaurants collected the tax from paying customers.

So, since the Town and the restaurants both agree the restaurants collected the tax from the customers,......

So, Applebee, TGI Friday, and Cracker Barrel, I think you owe your customers some tax money refunds. How much is my share of the tax refund?

Comment:

lol Whacko, some of your points are on and some are off, but who am I to think otherwise?

btw do you think big boy that Mr. Athey's point was that the member can not vote on this issue, period?

I have read that the funding for the local police has been funded pretty much fully. Does this take away the need to even raise the real estate and personal property taxes?

Comment:

Is this the same blue ribbon panel that judges pigs at the county fair?

Comment:

There is trouble in paradise!!!

Parker's adversaries want him investigated for un-American activities? Why, the nerve, thinking independently from the official party agenda of officially approved thoughts. What if this gets out of hand and EVERYBODY does it? Why, it's genius.....genius I tells ya.

Parker got his revenge for being left out to dry on the censure motion. What goes around, comes around.

Once again The Big Cheese toots his own horn, telling us just how great he really is and then with the next breath muckrakes errant party rank-and-file disciples. Can't these guys get along with anybody, including themselves? Are they now eating their own, in public no less? Or is it called chewing them up and spitting them out? Or kicking them out of bed? Or treating them like lepers? Or taking them out behind the woodshed?

Anyway, this could be fun watching events unfold while waiting for the results from the next good ol' boys led back room meeting, the one filled with the heavy smoke, fun-house mirrors, and tabloid journalists.

Is it a secret the idea for the Corridor Restaurant lawsuit and conspiracy came from this room? I dunno, I'm just sayin......lots of funny stuff going on here.

Comment:

Once again Sheriff's Dept. Open mouth and insert foot! Animal Control Officer Laura Gomez needs to learn the laws before she recites them. Repitles are not "companion animals" under VA State Law, and do not have the same protection. This however was a guinea pig and is considered a companion animal.

As for Whacko Jacko, pigs are not companion animals. Really dude, if you are going to speak about something, speak about it intelligently and with facts behind you. We are not in Thailand, we are not talking about factory farming of animals (chickens, beef, etc), although those animals are treated just as inhumanely. And if you want to know what the code section is for companion animals so you can educate yourself and speak intelligently, it is 3.1-796.66 (definitions).

As for Animal Control, I am glad to see they are finally doing something in this county, but I am sure they will botch this one up too....they can't even tell if their own canines were poisened or not?

Comment:

Duuuh........Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a couple hundred "blue ribbon citizens" have already spoken to the Council by way of the public comment period at the last town council meeting.

Tewalt and Hrbek were napping and didn't get the message? Did Tewalt encourage Robinette to chime in with yet another of his specious, worthless, smoke and mirrors opinions attempting justification for revisiting the vote??? What a bunch of convoluted reasons he strung together. Something wrong is going on here. Anything else warm and smelly sticking on the wall for Tewalt's lackey Robinette to use?

At the Town Council meeting didn't the majority of the speakers favor increasing taxes ONLY IF it meant saving police and library jobs? And now Hrbek and the Tin Foil Hats want a second opinion and a second bite at the apple?

Doesn't the PRIVATE sector "downsize" when profits are down? Why does the PUBLIC sector resist "downsizing" the budget? Is it a bad idea only because it will hurt the feelings of a few people? Instead you'd rather hurt everybody's feelings by way of their pocketbooks instead?

And now Hrbek, desperately seeking re-election votes from ANY source, meets with a Trojan Horse Republican Party front organization led (?) by a Tin Foil Hat Whacko who has presented only boiler-plate rhetoric and no worthwhile ideas, had nothing of substance to present for consideration, and who is merely seeking publicity for his merry band of horn-tooters, the discredited weak beverage party, the party that did not elect its self-appointed leader.

Golly, do you suppose "they" would stack that blue ribbon citizen panel with specially chosen Kool-aid drinking good ol' boys, hand picked because their right legs are longer than their left ones, causing them to lean in a particular direction while standing and move in circles when they are walking?

Naaah, only the Mafia taints juries, huh?

Comment:

The problem here is;

Most don't realize an increase is in the percent rate.

As the percent rate grows, so will the Government that needs the $.

Don't look for better times! As history shows, taxes will never be reduced.

It's time to reduce the Government Gluttony.

Comment:

Basics? If thats the case then get the govt out of my pocket. You can't tell me it costs 54 million for the basics. And if the county govt. knew there was a problem why did they commit to spend 15 million on a new courthouse, right after they made all the improvements to the front of it? If the basics is all we can afford thats fine. But mismanagement of funds is not an excuse.

Comment:

frivolous

Comment:

Observations from a mind free of government control:

The picture of what the Tea Party is all about is coming into focus. First, they misrepresent themselves to the world as a grassroots organization rising from the patriotic hearts of normal Americans everywhere. However, in reality they are actually a tiny faction of Republican party disenfranchised ultra conservatives who believed their party was not conservative enough, especially about economic ideology, and they set off to establish a party faction to push for change. By trying to be all things to all people, the Tea Party welcomed every wing nut and conspiracy theory group in the country. To their regret, Tea Partiers soiled themselves with the baggage that accompanied the wackos and the tin foil hats.

Today the Tea Party is not a grass roots phenomenon. Far from it. They don't like to admit it but their roots are firmly Republican. The Republicans inserted loyal party members into the Tea Party organization, Trojan style, to regain control. They were successful. The Tea Party organization has lost any semblance of independence from Republican Party control. Their organizational structure is joined at the hip to the Republican Party organizational structure led by Dick Army.

This explains why Republican Party member Ratigan doesn't want the world to understand he is the Republican in charge of the local Tea Party activities. Ratigan represents himself as a Tea Party "organizer" preferring his Republican roots remain in the background. Ratigan is best described as the Trojan Republican 'minder', keeping the local hard core Tea Party members narrowly focused on just 3 talking points; fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets. They want nothing to do with social issues and deliberately avoid issues like gay marriage, abortion, and racial equality. The hatred of President Obama is racial based and politically sustained by Tea Party members refusing the smallest of concessions such as the validity of his birthplace. Republicans believe keeping the Tea Party out of divisive issues will attract Independent voters into the Tea Party fold and enhance Republican chances of being elected into local, state, and national offices.

Social issues pack a wallop and Tea Partiers find it difficult to keep social issues out of the conversation, telling us to go elsewhere and get involved in other organizations that already deal with social issues. Hence, the big Tea Party push for citizens to volunteer to "help" needy neighbors and thus prove the need to eliminate Social Security.

Tea Partiers have had their 15 minutes of public spotlight. Despite denials from the diehard core supporters, the Tea Party is gasping on its death bed trying to regain the spotlight and attention they do not deserve.

Comment:

I may be remembering wrong, but hasn't Mr. Athey missed quite a few votes himself? Is really going to put down someone who at least shows up, but abstains when he can't even be bothered to show up to work for the citizens of Front Royal? This is the problem with the Republican party, they like to talk and talk and talk tough, but it would be nice to see them put their money where their mouth is.

Comment:

Sorry Delegate Athey, maybe Shae Parker is just a smarter representative than you are.

His choice to abstain from voting on the recent Front Royal real estate and personal property tax increase was pure genius.

He may not get your vote but he sure gets mine.

Comment:

I agree with Delegate Athey that elected officials are better than appointed ones. But that would not change the outcome of Monday night/Tuesday Morning's vote, where Mr. Parker's valiant abstention prevented the tax hike from being approved.

An elected Councilman Parker could employ exactly the same procedure after Mr. Athey's legislation takes effect that an appointed Mr. Parker did under current law. And there are evidently many voters in Front Royal who will cheer him on if he does.

If Mr. Athey supports higher taxes in Front Royal, perhaps he should tell the Daily outright. Your reporter might give him a call and ask our Delegate to clarify his implication that "serious public officials" should raise taxes, while appointed council members who refuse to raise taxes are indulging in "gamesmanship."

I would be surprised if Mr. Athey, a good Republican, supports raising taxes in the middle of the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression.

If your reporter asks the tough questions and deflects does not settle for glib pleasantries, his efforts would produce a good interview of great interest to your readers.

Christopher Manion
Front Royal