St. John's Estates

Today, members of SJE Development Company, LLC and Mt. Olive Community Outreach Center, Inc. (the community center for Greater Second Mt. Olive Baptist Church) broke ground on a new project in Albany, Georgia. In Phase I of the project, St. John's Estates will provide 148 housing units for members of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church and the surrounding community. The Boyett Village was part of the abandoned military housing left by the Navy when it closed the Albany base.

I am proud to have been an attorney working on this project. Everyone involved believes that this will help fill a vital need for affordable housing in Albany as well as revitalize an area of the city that was otherwise abandoned when the military left.

News Coverage: WALB News, Channel 10, Albany, Georgia, WALB Video
Albany Herald

New Jobs For Georgia

Sy-Klone International is moving all of its manufacturing operations to Perry, Georgia. Sy-Klone will occupy the former HAG Steel plant and invest about $7 million into the plant. The operations will provide about 50 jobs once it is fully operational. The Macon Telegraph

HNI Corporation announced last week that it was closing its manufacturing facility in Virginia and consolidating operations at the Cedartown, Georgia, facility in 2008. The Cedartown HON Company, which manufactures office furniture, anticipates the move will add 175 local jobs. Rome News Tribune

Sumitomo Chemical and Toyo Ink Group are creating a joint venture in Griffin, Georgia, adding another 50 jobs in the process. The joint venture will make products for the automotive industry after constructing a 90,000 sq. foot facility. Atlanta Business Chronicle

Self-Employed Want Insurance Deduction

The Atlanta Business Chronicle has a story today about the health-care costs for the self-employed.

Other types of businesses can deduct health insurance costs as a normal business expense. Sole proprietors can deduct these costs when they calculate their income taxes, but not when they calculate the 15.3 percent self-employment tax, which covers Social Security and Medicare... The average self-employed individual pays $12,106 a year for family health coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. He or she could save $1,852 in payroll taxes if these costs were deductible.

Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis introduced H.R. 3660 that would provide the tax deduction for the self-employed. It was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Major Banks Losing Market Share

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced late last week that local deposits grew by about four percent. However, there has been a shift in deposit activity, away from the largest national banks to smaller, local banks. Atlanta has added 10 more banks since this time last year.

FDIC Numbers

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Related Blog Posts:
Fifth Third Bank Expanding in Georgia
New Small Business Bank Opens

A Big Thank You

The Bert Show, on Q100, is trying to gather enough handwritten letters to be able to send one to every soldier serving outside the United States on Thanksgiving Day. Letters may be dropped off at any Taco Mac location, starting on Wednesday. All letters must be received by October 26. For more information, please see The Bert Show.

Hawkinsville Bans Baggy Pants

Hawkinsville, a Georgia town of approximately 4,000 people, now has a ban on baggy pants below the waist and exposes skin or undergarmets. Violations could result in fines and/or community service.

Atlanta is currently considering a similar ban.

McDonough + Beer/Wine + Parks

JasonPye.com is reporting that the City of McDonough has passed an ordinance allowing beer and wine at two of the city parks, under certain conditions. The various conditions include 1) an event hosted for a non-profit organization, 2) not at the same time as any youth events, 3) the event must be catered, and 4) Henry County must provide police services.

Sales Taxes for Service Businesses?

In case you have not been following the news coverage on Georgia's Speaker of the House Rep. Glenn Richardson's tax reform bill, here is a rundown.

A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide for the comprehensive revision of provisions regarding taxation and finance and abolish most state and local taxes; to provide for a comprehensive flat tax to be known as the fair tax; to provide for procedures, conditions, and limitations; to provide for local revenue guarantee proceeds; to provide for applicability of prior tax provisions; to change certain provisions regarding certain defaulters; to change certain provisions regarding specific powers and limitations of powers of the General Assembly; to change certain provisions regarding other or supplementary appropriations; to change certain provisions regarding appropriations; to eliminate certain provisions regarding the motor fuel tax; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

In other words, Richardson wants to do away with property taxes and tax services at 4%. However, I can see counties doing the same thing to services that they have done to the sale of goods - every county has added to that base 4% - not to mention occupancy taxes where most counties and/or local municipalities have added another 5-8% tax on hotel stays in addition to sales taxes. Some of the news articles even hint at this possibility.

Georgia General Assembly - Summary of Bill

Americus Times-Recorder - Positive net gain for Georgia since tourism is the second largest industry, demand for services will not change, but demand for land ownership will go up and help landowners, particularly farmers, reduce the cost of business.

Augusta Chronicle - Some are worried that it will hit low- and middle-income people the most, the ones that do not own land.

Augusta Chronicle - The change would hurt businesses, as most outsource at least some of their services (accounting, legal, janitorial), and this additional cost is passed on to the consumer.

The Brunswick News - Some are pointing out that it would help the housing markets not to have property taxes.

And from other Georgia Blogs...

Safe As Houses talks about the property tax deduction that you will have to forego on your federal income tax return.

Tondee's Tavern opposes the bill because it will hurt Georgia businesses, particularly ones near one of the state borders.

Today is the Last Day To Register to Vote

If you want to vote in this November's elections, then you must register to vote today. Voter registration applications are available at the Secretary of State's Website.

Guns in Employer Parking Lots Again on the Agenda

Dick Petty's InsiderAdvantage is reporting that the state Republicans are bracing for another heavyweight bout with the National Rifle Association on one side and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on the other side in this year's battle over whether employers may ban guns in cars parked at the workplace. The Republicans are preparing for an off-campus caucus this week and both sides have already started the lobbying.

As previously mentioned in "Some of This and That..."

A Push To Change Juvenile Laws

Rome will be one of the sites for a town hall meeting by JUSTGeorgia, a new coalition trying to update Georgia's juvenile laws. JUSTGeorgia is holding several such town hall meetings across the state in an effort to collect local ideas in preparation for the next General Assembly session. Savannah was the first city to host a town hall meeting; other sites include Macon, Conyers, Albany, Columbus, Atlanta, Gainesville, Athens, Milledgeville, Griffin, and Cobb County.

JUSTGeorgia
Rome News Tribune
Savannah Morning News

Immigration Policies and Work-Site Enforcement

Today must be focus on illegal immigration day as both the "local newspaper" and the Savannah Morning News both have articles relating to immigration enforcement. The Savannah Morning News reports that immigration policies are hurting law enforcement investigations. The AJC says that immigration work-site enforcement has changed, resulting in nearly zero noncriminal fines to businesses employing illegal immigrants. Instead, Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been focusing on criminal cases where employers are "knowingly break the law by encouraging or participating in immigrant smuggling, abusing workers, not paying taxes or document fraud."

Profile on Shirley Franklin

Although I normally try to stay away from politics, I will pass along this news story. Newsweek is doing profiles on several powerful and influential women in America. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is one of the women that Newsweek chose to spotlight.

Shirley Franklin
The entire Newsweek article

Newell Rubbermaid Makes Perimeter Area Home

The Peach Pundit is reporting that Newell Rubbermaid will be moving its headquarters to the Perimeter area, near Georgia 400 and Abernathy Roads.

Lawsuit by Georgia Firearms Dealer Goes Forward

Remember New York City Officials Taking Georgia Firearms Dealers to Court? Now the tables are turning. The Georgia firearms dealers are taking New York City officials to Court in Georgia. Adventure Outdoors, Inc. is alleging that the New York City officials defamed their business. U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester is allowing 6 of 13 potentially defamatory statements to go forward in the Georgia court.

For more on the lawsuit, see the Daily Report.

Ameriprise Fined by Secretary of State

The Georgia Secretary of State fined Ameriprise Financial for forging "customer signatures on financial documents prepared by two of hte firm's salespersons." The fines include $175,000 in investigative costs, a $40,000 civil penalty, and a $10,000 donation to the Investor Protection Trust.

Georgia Secretary of State Press Release

New Program Allows State Office to Collect DNA Samples

The Athens and Newnan offices of the Office of Child Support Services are test sites for a new program designed to speed up DNA testing in child support cases. In those two offices, medical technicians can now begin to collect DNA samples. By allowing the in-office collections instead of farming out the collection to the third party DNA labs, the office hopes to save at least a week in obtaining DNA results.

News Coverage: Athens Banner-Herald

Atlanta #14 in ID Theft Cities

Since my own personal bank account was hit for several hundred dollars this summer, it comes as no surprise to me that Atlanta is ranked number 14 among U.S. cities in ID theft.

The Top 50 Cities
Atlanta Business Chronicle

Bynum v. Weeks

National Evangelist Juanita Bynum's divorce case is moving forward. Last week, she filed for divorce in Gwinnett County and was also granted a mutual restraining order. Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III has denied the cruel treatment and the separation that Bynum alleged in her petition. Weeks is also seeking alimony or other support. Weeks has not yet filed his answer. See the "local newspaper."

Aaron Rents Expands

Aaron Rents, Inc. acquired Prime Time Rentals 33 stores in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Aaron Rents has not disclosed the purchase price for the company's 33 stores.

Sales Tax Holiday Reminder

This is a friendly reminder to you that this weekend is the second sales tax holiday of the fall for Georgia retailers. This sales tax holiday is for energy efficient appliances and products. For more information, visit the Georgia Department of Revenue website.

Stock up on those fluorescent light bulbs now.