Elaine Harris Spearman Commentary: Gadsden mayor's work has more impact than TikTok antics
Did you know that the mayor is on TikTok? The Wall Street Journal gave the city of Oneonta, our neighbor, front page status with “The mayor of Oneonta, Alabama, draws attention and visitors with TikTok clips.”
Believe it or not, the continuation on Page A2 has pictures of Mayor Richard Phillips, with one depicting his dance steps with a group of young people on the “main drag” in Oneonta.
This while officials in Washington are expressing fear over the use of the Chinese platform. There are concerns that TikTok gives Chinese officials a means to snoop on Americans, or distribute propaganda.
In the quest to “make City Hall seem more than a place to pay a parking ticket,” the mayor has also involved city officials in the “Mayor Shenanigans.”
There are 7,000 “views” so far, and the mayor takes the position that “even if they only get a thousand views, that is a thousand people who know about the community and what they can do here.”
Well, this is very fine and interesting to those who are interested. There may be a reason why the 41-year-old mayor sees the farcical request of staff and his antics as a good idea. I probably don’t.
A major “like” for the Gadsden is Mayor Craig Ford working hard to uplift the image of our city with industry, jobs and trash pick-up, and taking action in regard to vacant and derelict properties.
The formation of an inclusive government with a plan for future growth has a far greater impact. All of the committed growth and inclusion will let people know what they can do in Gadsden.
The cities of Etowah County and their leaders have greater fish to fry. They could have died in their sleep had not they awakened to the impending doom.
The “doom and gloom” is real, however, if the occupational tax levied by five county municipalities is decimated.
Just so those who read this commentary is clear, I was in the cabinet of the first African American mayor of St. Louis. We graduated from law school together. I was the legal advisor and chief of staff to the city's comptroller, and the city’s budget was within the comptroller’s domain..
The “earnings tax” in St. Louis serves the same purpose as the occupational tax. All residents of the city, regardless of the location of their employment, pay this tax. Employees of businesses located or performing work services within the city also pay this tax, no matter where they live.
The tax accounts for one-third of the city's revenue. It is 36% of the general revenue that is used for fire, police, paramedics, parks and street repair. It is 1%of earnings and brings in $240 million a year. There is not a need to raise the tax to 2%.
Legislators that are intent upon saving Alabama’ residents money for personal use should take a page from the book of Alabama Arise and stop this from being one of 13 states in the nation that tax food.
Stop believing that it is a legislator’s job to regulate morality, and allow people to game within the state rather than cross two state lines.
State Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, seems to possess common sense that is needed to improve the lives of the people of Alabama.
Although he was addressing a bill that will affect classroom teaching and curriculum, he called it an “example of government overreach,” adding, “We need to stay in our lane."
Rep. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston, echoed a similar sentiment when she said, “They need to think through whether the legislation would be good policy, five, 10, or 50 years from now.”
Those attacking the occupational tax should take heed.
Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The views reflected are her own.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine Harris Spearman looks at Oneonta's TikTok mayor
