The Madison County Journal published a rather amusing essay last week about the Madison County Tax Assessor:
Like some Republicans and so-called conservatives these days, Madison County Tax Assessor Gerald Barber is contributing to the spending problem and he gets angry when questioned about it.
A few weeks ago he and Tax Collector Kay Pace asked the county to spend approximately $12,600 for custom carpentry for the courthouse annex they moved to Madison. This includes enclosing a wet bar in Barber's office and building a "home" for a water cooler, coffee pot and microwave.
Barber justified the expenses, saying taxpayers will see the benefits, too. Because so many residents will head into the annex, buy their car tag, pay taxes, and take a trip upstairs to use a microwave on the new countertop. If they were that desperate for a quick "nuke," they could just use the kitchen at the annex, something Barber is proud of having now.
On Mr. Barber's county webpage, there's a quote that states, "It is my desire to administer a professional, courteous, efficient Tax Office that returns a maximum net tax to the cities, schools and county governments. The only successful and tolerable method of doing my job is to be fair and equal in all my decisions. My door is always open to you."
Mr. Barber's definition of professional and courteous come into question after he berated a Journal reporter for even questioning the carpentry expenses and if he thought they were an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. He said the whole matter was "silly" and taxpayers would appreciate the new building.
"We have a federal government shut down today and you're nitpicking about an issue about some cabinets," he yelled.
Because every time taxpayers have to foot a five-figure bill, we are supposed to smile and say thank you?
We actually think taxpayers would find it silly that their tax dollars are spent enclosing wet bars and building custom shelves for Mr. Barber's tax books. Much less a custom cabinet for water and coffee, and as he exclaimed, a microwave!
These sound like the typical Washington D.C. expenditures that have helped lead to a $17 trillion national deficit.
We'll let Mr. Barber rant for a spell about the coffee cabinet:
Barber: No! No! It holds water, it holds coffee, it has a microwave. I spent $10,000 remodeling my kitchen. People do that. I don't know what world you're living in but people spend that kind of money on remodeling on a regular basis whenever you're trying to customize it for specific people.
Barber: We have a $60 million budget in Madison County and you're talking about a few hundred dollars of a building that the last building we did we also had to customize shelves and book shelves because I have a library, I have code books. I have research books because we have stuff that we use on a regular basis.
We have a federal government shut down today and you're nitpicking about an issue about some cabinets because a couple of supervisors have fed you and [Journal Publisher] Jim [Prince] a bunch of nonsense and if ya'll bit it, bit a hold of it. And I would've written a letter to the editor back then but Jim doesn't print letters to the editor that disagree with him.
Use the arithmetic, taxpayers come to this building, and they enjoy the visit there and it's convenient and it's safe and they get through looking at it and they say, 'now what do ya'll think taxpayers?' The taxpayers will make the decision here in the next few weeks if we made a good decision or not and I'll bet you money that they think it's a very good decision. And a couple of supervisors have been feeding you guys some erroneous information and you bite it like a bass biting a bait. And that's wrong.
They are worried about getting something good for their money. They are worried about getting something tangible, they are worried about having a safe environment to do business in now how much taxes do you pay, lady?
Journal reporter Aline Carambat: That's really none of your business.
Barber: You don't pay any taxes here I doubt, so why don't you ask someone who pays taxes here what they think. Ask them if they should have a safe building with a red light and parking lot they can park in. And if you come into a building without having someone sneeze on you in the winter time and you think you have pneumonia because you have 15 people in a room that's big enough for 5.
Well, the coffee cabinet seemed like solid questioning after he begged supervisors to buy the building because it would be more cost-efficient than building a new one, never mentioning there would be carpentry costs and $80,000 in closing costs for the lawyers and engineers.
He did say in June that the county could re-stripe the parking lot to accommodate more parking spaces for less than $2,000.
Total renovation costs associated with the new annex, aside from the purchase price, have so far totaled more than $50,000.
While spending $12,600 for carpentry work on a $2.3 million building is indeed miniscule, it's symbolic of what's wrong with government, especially seen in Mr. Barber's response.
At Canton Municipal Utilities, the commissioners used to share one copy of the claims docket. It wasn't because General Manager John Wallace was trying to be sneaky, he just didn't see the need in spending the extra pennies to print numerous pages. Pennies! Because it was ratepayer money that was being spent, and those pennies add up to dollars.
In Ridgeland, Mayor Gene McGee doesn't take home the city car. He doesn't drive it from his house to City Hall, to the grocery store, and to the bike trails. It's used for city business and for city business only. Why? Because each mile, each tank of gas, costs money.
Barber, and the supervisors who continue to approve these small expenditures that add up to considerable amounts of money, could learn a lesson from people who actually take taxpayer monies into consideration before swiping the credit card.
Elected officials are public servants, not kings or tyrants.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Gerald Barber: Tough Guy
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30 comments:
I am a Madison County taxpayer, and I agree that this nitpicking.
I too am a Madison County taxpayer 9:13. Please step up and pay the bill out of your own pocket.
If you don't believe Barber's bait-and-switch, overtime for parks in the middle of nowhere, and all the other boondoggles don't add up to big bucks then you're likely maybe both.
I have been to the new building after it was acquired, during renovation and when it was ready to open. That story is a bunch of crap. Gene Magee and his little stooge Gerald Steen are behind that article... it makes it very obvious when at the end they try to compare Barbour and Magee. They are just mad cause they tried like hell to force Barbour to move into the Police station building in Ridgeland. That building has problems. No one wants to move their after the RPD leave. When their strong arm tactic didnt work and the votes changed and they lost a few of Steens hand-picked county employees, they think this article is a way of hitting back. Look, Gene and Gerald, you tried to screw someone over and it didnt work and they got you back for it. Now you want to cry cause you lost, well actually you got the score run up on you. Grow up little ladies.
If the problem is that BCBS has, in effect, a government sanctioned monopoly, then the solution is not more government intervention in the market.
Give true competition and the sancity of contract a chance...
I saw the title of the post and thought it was about what it takes to get home safely after the zoo's Fright Night.
While I'm microwaving my frozen burrito on my next visit will I be able to indulge in the wet bar? If so, I'm all for it.
King, I agree with you more often than not, but I'm going to strongly disagree with you regarding Gene McGee's stewardship of taxpayer dollars. I raise Harbor Drive and the entire Harborwalk debacle as prime examples. Also, that fancy new restroom facility for the walking trail cost a small fortune (low to mid six figures.) The non-use of a municipality-provided vehicle for personal travel is one of the oldest tricks in the small-time politician's playbook.
Actually the part bout McGee and Steen is true. They tried to muscle the county into moving those two offices into the RPD building after it moves. Didn't work.
Microwave - yes;
Water Cooler - yes
Coffee Pot - yes
Wet Bar - No
Sounds like the "carpentry" was granite and not tile or formica. I don't mind them setting up a nice place for employees, but based on the article, I'm visioning a kitchen that you typically see in a high priced law firm. Same with the whole wet bar idea. Not something you would expect to see in a government office.
The Hit Piece. Journalism Ethics and a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. A PARODY: Big Daddy-Gene Magee: Gooper, whats wrong? Gooper-Gerald Steen: Oh Big Daddy, Im so upset. I tried to keep Gerald "Brick" Barbour from getting that new building. I had the votes, but that mean ole Brick got the votes changed back into his favor and made me look bad...(sniff sniff). Big Daddy: There there brother man, dont cry. Im sure you can get that one vote to change back. Gooper: I cant big daddy, and that mean ole Brick got my county administrator, my county political advisor and my HR lady FIRED. All because I did what you told me to do Big Daddy, You told me to move to Madison I moved to Madison, you told me to become a Board of Supervisor member, I became a Board of Supervisor member, Now im going to protect my interest. Im not a back stabbing politician for nothing. I picked a fight with Brick Big Daddy and he beat me up. Its just not fair. Big Daddy: Come here Brother Man, let Big Daddy give you a hug. Now here is what we are going to do. We are going to call Sister Woman over at the Madison Journal. We are going to to get her and her little No-Neck Monsters to do a HIT PIECE on Brick and we will fix his wagon, clickity-click. Gooper: But what will we have her say about Brick Big Daddy. That he was out jumping the high hurdles at midnight, that he won the Cut Glass Punch Bowl? Big Daddy: No Brother Man. We are going to fill the air with mendacity, averis and greed. Gooper: I dont know what those words mean Big Daddy. Big Daddy: Dont worry Brother Man, you will smell it soon enough. Now go get Big Mamma. I want to take a look around this county and get to know the land people that live here. Fade Out.........................
Gerald Barber is a bully who's been in office too long. He's also a big-government Republican.
Time for him to get primaried.
Speaking of gubment bullshit, who drives the City of Ridgeland, black Cadillac Escalade? It's passed me twice, headed north, between Carthage and Louisville as I was making my way up to MSU football games this year.
Madison County, the white folks version of Hinds County, especially their county governments, one dominated by African American Democrat loonatics, clowns, big wasteful spending, cronyism-contracts, the other dominated by white Republican loonatics, clowns, big government wasteful spending, cronyism-contracts.
The Hinds crime will continue moving north into Ridgeland and Madison County over the next 10 years, it is destiny.
I always thought most politicians are either drunk or stupid to make the decisions they do. I guess the wet bar let's me know which one.
An Average American and Madison County Journal employee walk into a room. They are both asked to describe what they see. The average citizen says I see a microwave, an empty table and some crap plywood nailed together with a bad paint job. The Madison County Journal employee looks around and says...I see a high end commercial grade kitchen, custom detailed cabinets and a wet bar.
KF, look at articles "Barber getting French doors at annex" and "South Annex for a Taj Mahal price" from same newspaper.
If the Madison County Journal is going to continue to write political stories on behalf of Mayor Gene Magee and BOS Gerald Steen, then do they have to include the MCJ on their FEC filing report? Or is this considered an under 200 dollar contribution?
A MCJ reporter showed up at the new Tax Assessors/Tax Collectors office and noticed some well dressed gentelmen from Japan in the building. They were drinking water and snacking on some chips. The next day the MCJ runs an article that headlines, OUTRAGE! WEALTHY FOREIGN DIGNITARIES WINED AND DINED BY LOCAL OFFICAL ON COUNTY BUDGET AND TIME AT NEW HOTSPOT CALLED THE WET BAR!
This is breaking news from the Madison County Journal. We have reports that many people throughout the day are coming in and out of a building on Hwy 51 across from Mamma Hamils restaurant, carrying cash in and walking out with suspicious packages. A deep undercover source tell us that this could be/maybe/but not sure, an ongoing drug distribution operation. Another "secret" informant is comparing it to the "FRENCH DOOR CONNECTION" We will keep you posted as details come in. This is Lyan Meassoff Madison County Journal News
This is pretty funny. The MCJ story made me laugh but some of these responses have had me in stitches. Not Shaggybevo stitches but close.
...........about that black Cadillac SUV.
It's really a brownish Escalade, and I see him all over town in it. He just left five guys!
Under what authority does a black/brownish Cadillac Escalade with Ridgeland lettering on the rocker panel head up to Miss. State ball games. Next question, what authority grants the driver to exceed 80 mph?
This is stupid. I pay taxes in Madison county. Lots of taxes. I own a company and one of my offices is in Madison. Gerald Barber is a wonderful person. He is only in the business of doing his job well. All he was doing was improving his work environment, and with all he has done in public service, he deserves it. Barber is 100% right, this is nitpicking. He is totally trustworthy and a true servant of the public. Leave him alone.
Gerald Barbour is a pompous windbag that truly enjoys blowing his own horn. He's claimed bankruptcy several times. Spent taxpayer dollars for a law enforcement package Dodge Charger to ride in which prompted the Tax Collector to purchase, with county tax dollars, a law enforcement package Tahoe for herself ride in. She couldnt let the ASSessor get ahead of her. Yall tell me why an electetd official needs a law enforcement package vehicle to ride in.
The supervisors all have Tahoes and crew cab Z71 pickups to ride in. Why do they need something like that? They put the Road Department manager and his 2nd in command both in crew cab Z71s, the fire cordinator in a crew cab Z71 which I've seen at the boat landing at Tommy's Trading post with a bass boat hooked to it.
Even Karl Banks daughter-in-law the solid waste garbage girl rides in a loaded GMC crew cab pickup complete with her child safety seat so she can haul her kids around in a county owned vehicle. But I guess she is exempt from county rules since she is a supervisors daughter-in-law. Banks put her at the Road Department so his sone abd grandkids could have county medical insurance.
Yall want to talk waste......there ya go.
WOW!!! Barbour filed for bankruptcy? So whats the bankruptcy filing number??? And that CHARGER...OHHHH!!! Boy thats a good one! Guess you failed to mention those vehicles are fleet vehicles and are bought on state contract. BOS is the same way...at or below cost set by the state. You really seem like your someone in the "KNOW!" Kinda like someone who just got fired for knowing so much!!!! Enjoy your unemployment benefits...and Happy Holidays! Dont forget to read the new INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FROM THE MADISON COUNTY JOURNAL next week. DO YOU REALLY KNOW SANTA CLAUS?: OBVIOUS CHILD PREDATOR CAUSE HE IS ALWAYS INVITING CHILDREN TO SIT ON HIS LAP, PROMISING GIFTS AND KNOWS WHO IS NAUGHTY!
I think you missed what he was trying to say on the vehicles. Why vehicles equipped like those are? True enough the ones purchased are on state contract and at a reduced price but wouldnt a lesser equipped cheaper cost vehicle work work just as well? Why Tahoes and Z71's? Why not a fleet Impalas and Work Trucks? Is there an "image" they are trying to project?
4:41 I wouldnt knows who's been recently fired at the county. I dont work there and have no plans to. I only know what I see.
@2:30pm we know you don't work at the county anymore. Terminated your ass is what they did. Try out the Obama care website. Your not doing anything now. You got plenty of time to sign up. HEY. Did. You find those bankruptcy filing numbers yet? We don't have all day like you do. Chop Chop missy!!!! And don't forget to check out the Madison County Journal lead story next week. Aliens: Do they exsist and why do you deny it? Racist!
so who got fired now?
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