Fresh Loaf

If you’ve been wondering what you could give the Atlanta City Council to make them happy, wonder no more – they’ve issued a list. Unfortunately, unless you’re a state lawmaker, you won’t be able to provide any of the items on the list.

Here’s a selection of wish-list items:

• Amend State law to allow local governments the ability to restrict guns in city parks.
• Amend State law to allow local governments the ability to restrict ownership of assault weapons within the city limits.
• Amend State law to allow municipal courts the ability to suspend drivers’ licenses for failure to pay fines.
• Amend State law to authorize municipalities to require vacant property registration.
• Amend State law to permit photo speed detection devices in school zones.
• Amend the City of Atlanta charter to allow the City to impose a wholesale alcohol tax increase.
• Amend the City of Atlanta charter to allow the City to increase the tax-by-the-drink tax on alcohol.
• Amend the City of Atlanta charter to allow the City to impose a by-the-glass tax for beer and wine.
• Amend State law to permit a local option real estate transfer tax to fund greenspace acquisition and  maintenance.
• Amend State election code to require independent school districts to compensate municipalities for the costs of conducting their elections.
• Amend State law to allow cities with a development authority to negotiate for the sale of city surplus  property, as an additional tool in marketing property.
• Amend the City charter to allow the municipal court to add a 10% surcharge to any criminal or traffic fine imposed to fund court programs.
• Amend State law to permit the use of liens to collect water/sewer bills.

As for the first two, it ain’t gonna happen; we’ve got us one gun-lovin’ Legislature.

As for raising local liquor taxes: Drunks, unite! We need to fight back this latest assault on intemperance!

And the rest of the suggestions seem to be focused on squeezing a few more shekels out of us, the public – through speeding fines, a court surcharge, a real estate transfer taxes and added leverage on drivers and water-users to pay our bills and fines.

Fellow turnips, prepare to be squeezed.

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The state pulled in $94.2 million less in taxes compared to this time last year. Alcohol beverage taxes rose a healthy 5.2 percent, however. Chalk that one up to college football season starting and the always dependable alcoholic demographic!

For you number lovers out there, download the revenue collection statistics here.

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State tax credits for a variety of energy-efficiency improvements and installations on homes and businesses are now available. The eligibility criteria is available for viewing at the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority’s website.

The perks cap out at $2.5 million each year and will be pro-rated among the applicants. The credits sprang from HB 670, a piece of legislation that Pam Davidson, one of the Republican candidates for the Public Service Comission, helped push through the notoriously un-progressive General Assembly this past session.

Here are some facts from a GEFA press release.

Consistent with Governor Perdue’s commitment to the Conserve Georgia campaign and the Governor’s Energy Challenge, the tax credit creates an income tax credit for a variety of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies including:

• Active solar space heating;

• Solar electric and solar thermal electric;

• Wind;

• Certain bio-electricity facilities (non-residential only);

• Geothermal heat pumps;

• Efficient lighting (non-residential only); and

• Energy efficient buildings (non-residential only).

“The Georgia Clean Energy Property Tax Credit is part of our state’s investment in a clean energy future,” said Chris Clark, executive director of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA). “This incentive will accelerate Georgians’ adoption of energy efficient technologies and will help them to meet the Governor’s Energy Challenge.”

Most credits are capped at 35 percent of the cost of the property or a certain dollar amount established by the statute. There are different credit limits for residential and non-residential installations. The bill also provides tax credits for wood residuals delivered to qualified renewable biomass facilities. The Georgia Forestry Commission will establish the value of the biomass credits.

A total of $2.5 million in tax credits are available each calendar year from 2008 to 2012. The Department of Revenue will provide quarterly updates about the amount of available credits via its website – www.dor.ga.gov. GEFA will provide annual reports on the energy and economic benefits of the tax credit.

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Yowsers.

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that net revenue collections for the month of May 2008 (FY08) totaled $1,473,892,000 compared to $2,140,232,000 for May 2007 (FY07), a decrease of $666,340,000 or 31.1 percent.

The percentage decrease year-to-date for FY08 compared to FY07 is 0.1 percent.

Perdue says, however, this dip was to be expected.

“These figures are not surprising given April’s sharp rise in collections due to processing improvements made by the Department of Revenue,” said Governor Perdue. “We will continue to monitor revenue collections and responsibly manage the state’s fiscal affairs.”

Note the decrease — $666,340,000. Lucifer announces his arrival in the most mysterious of ways, people!

While I start filling up squirt guns with holy water and cold calling priests to bless my army of the righteous, pore over the numbers here. (It’s a PDF.)

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Gov. Sonny Perdue this morning suspended a scheduled increase of the state gas tax.

“Frankly I don’t think we can justify raising tax on gas at a time of economic stress on families,” he said.

The increase would have occurred July 1 and raised gasoline 2.9 cents per gallon to 13.9 cents. It’ll now hold tight at 11 cents per gallon. Taxes on diesel, aviation gasoline, propane and compressed natural gas would’ve raised prices to 16.5 cents, 20.9 cents, 8.2 cents and 13.8 cents per gallon, respectively. Perdue estimates the suspension will save Georgians $70-80 million dollars. That also means it’ll cost the state the same amount for transportation projects that the tax revenues fund. The suspension stands until the next legislative session in January.

“I hope we can send a clear signal to Georgians that we understand the strain on families’ budgets by high gas prices and we are doing all we can from the state’s perspective to address that,” he said.

Yet the solutions Perdue offered were akin to sticking bubble gum in a leaky dam.

“I think it’s time we seriously looked as a nation at drilling on our own land and becoming more independent from that perspective while we search for alternative energies for the future,” he says. “I’m persuaded we’ve got great reserves here that we can bring to the market very quickly rather than being held hostage from the international perspective.”

When asked if he’d consider a switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids both for his personal transport and the state’s fleet of vehicles — Perdue politely said he already travels light.

“We look at that occasionally,” he said. “What I find is that is more political fluff and messaging than effect in that area. I’ve seen people do it. I see them ride a little car for a little while and then they’re back in big vehicles after a while. I think the very fact in the whole Conserve Georgia effort we’re trying to build a cultural aspect of really only driving as much as you need… I travel pretty lightly as most of you know. We don’t send out two or three vehicles as most other [states] do. We’re obviously encouraging our departments to use the size vehicles they need.”

Andisheh Nouraee of Decatur says the governor’s suspension will save him 33.6 cents per week. “That’s an extra three pieces of spearmint gum per week. I think my co-workers will be pleased with that. Particularly on hummus day.”

Not once during this morning’s press conference did Perdue mention rail options or possible state assistance to MARTA. Georgia is the only state in the country to not offer funding to its largest metropolitan area’s main transit system.

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