New Postage Rates

Just a friendly reminder: postage rates go up May 12.

For more information, check the US Postal System website.

Florida Joins Clemson, Auburn on Georgia Roadways

The University of Florida is joining the ranks of Clemson University and Auburn University as the only out-of-state colleges with Georgia license vanity plates.

Hopefully, the Gator faithful can help defray the impact of the reduced state tax collections. In January, tax collections were down 7.1% or about $140 million from a year ago. Sales and income taxes account for the majority of the State's tax revenues. If tax collections do not increase, then the state could be looking at not being able to meet its budget for the fiscal year. The budget is approximately $20 billion for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008.

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.

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.

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

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.

State Rep. to Sponsor Bill For Unpaid Family Leave

State Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta) said she will sponsor a bil that would provide up to 24 hours of unpaid leave per year for workers to deal with their families' medical and educational needs. This would include such tasks as taking children to doctors appointments, registering the children for school, or attending parent-teacher conferences.

For more on this proposed legislation: "local newspaper"

Wild Adventures Auctioned Off

Update to Wild Adventures to be Sold: Wild Adventures, the Valdosta, Georgia, theme park, was sold at a private auction on Tuesday. Herschend Family Entertainment, a Missouri company, bought the South Georgia amusement park for $34.5 million. Herschend is already familiar with the Georgia players as it currently operates Stone Mountain Park in suburban Atlanta.

Cypress Gardens, the Florida theme park, was sold for $16.8 million at the private auction.

Adventure Parks Group LLC, the parent company of Wild Adventures and Cypress Gardens, is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The sales are currently awaiting the approval of Middle District of Georgia bankruptcy court.

Strange News Story of the Day...

Passenger Smuggles Horse in Dog Crate on Plane

The minature horse was crammed into a dog crate in a flight from Germany to Atlanta and was to continue onto South America. The horse is apparently in good shape now; the passenger and the airline are being issued fines.

Changed Your Name? Check The Status of Your Drivers License

When the federal government passed the Federal Real ID Act in 2003, the Georgia Drivers Services Department began checking drivers license names against the Social Security Administration's database. If your name did not check against your name with the SSA (according to your social security number), then your drivers license was canceled. The Drivers Services Department would send you a letter, at your last known address, to tell you that you could clear up the discrepancy within 120 days.

Many individuals, particularly married women, have been hard hit when they find out, sometimes years later, that their drivers licenses were canceled. So if you have changed your name for any reason, including marriage, divorce, adoption, please check with the Drivers Services Department to make sure your license is valid.

See the "local newspaper" story for more information.

You can contact the Driver Services Department at 678-413-8400 and the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

Campbell Asks To Surrender Law License

Bill Campbell, the former Atlanta mayor now serving a prison sentence for tax fraud, has asked the Georgia Supreme Court to allow him to voluntarily surrender his law license.

News Coverage: Associated Press

Force Moving Back to Gwinnett

The Georgia Force is moving back to The Arena at Gwinnett Center with a 10 year lease. The team played at The Arena for the 2002 and 2004 seasons but has spent the past couple seasons at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta.

See: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Hawks & Thrashers Can Sign Long-Term Contracts

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued a ruling on Tuesday in favor of Atlanta Spirit LLC in their fight against estranged owner Steve Belkin. Now the owner of the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers can enter into long-term contracts without a court's approval. This allows the teams to freely negotiate with Josh Smith and Marian Hossa for long-term contracts.

The ruling also allows the Atlanta Spirit group to buy out Steve Belkin. Previous court orders allowed Belkin to buy out the rest of the Atlanta Spirit group.

Recording Phone Calls

With phones such as the new Nokia N81 and others allowing owners to record phone conversations, now is an important time to review Georgia law on recording phone calls.

O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-62 makes it unlawful for "any person in a clandestine manner to intentionally to overhear, transmit, or record or attempt to overhear, transmit, or record the private conversation of another which shall originate in any private place" and for "any person, through the use of any device, without the consent of all persons observed, to observe, photograph, or record the activities of another which occur in any private place and out of public view." There are some exceptions, including when a person is observed in jail and when the owner or occupier of property does so for security purposes and crime prevention.

O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-66 says that nothing in the above noted code section "shall prohibit a person from intercepting a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communication or one of hte parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception."

Thus, in Georgia, you can record the conversations that you are a part of, the conversations that you have on your cellphone. However, be careful about recording conversations that other people are having, unless you have their consent.

But This News Story is from Georgia...

A cautionary tale for fast-food workers: don't put too much salt on that cop's free hamburger. Fast Food Worker Arrested

At least it isn't a Georgia Court...

From the tipline of local attorneys: Ah, those crazy Californians. California Carpenter Has Right To Work Nude.

Let's hope this one doesn't catch on anytime soon.

Updates to Your Estate Plan

Several readers have asked how often they should update their estate plan, including their wills, advanced directives (living wills) and power of attorneys. My general recommendation is a cursory review every year and a detailed review every five years or any time that there is a major event. Major events include:

• Marriage
  
• Divorce
  
• Birth or Adoption of a Child
  
• When a child reaches 18 years old
  
• When you receive a significant inheritance
  
• When you have a significant change in assets
  
• Change in health status

Wild Adventures To Be Sold

Wild Adventures, the southwest Georgia theme park, is set to be sold. Actually, the parent company of the theme park, Adventures Parks Group, LLC, will be auctioned off in Macon on September 25, as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing from 2006. Also at auction is the Winter Haven, Florida, theme park Cypress Gardens. Interested bidders would have to meet a minimum floor, which for Wild Adventures is set at $35,850,000. The auction is closed to the public.

News Coverage: Albany Herald and Valdosta Daily Times

Pirelli to Make Tires for Mercedes

Pirelli Tire North America will manufacture tires in its Rome, Georgia, manufacturing facility for the German automaker Mercedes-Benz's Vance, Alabama, plant. Pirelli moved its headquarters in 2002 in order to focus on the new manufacturing plants in the southeast. For more, see the Rome News Tribune.

Rome Conference Center Planned

Evans Construction Company is negotiating with a major hotel chain to lease space in the proposed conference center in Rome, Floyd County, Georgia. Evans Construction has already obtained the air rights necessary to build the complex above a stadium parking area east of the State Mutual Stadium.

News coverage: Rome News Tribune