https://vimeo.com/80301844

http://vimeo.com/79726021

Visiting with the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on November 18 was Kate Parker, the GRSP student whom the club is helping to sponsor at Benau University this year. Kate arrived from New Zealand in August and is enjoying her Georgia experience. She told the group about her life back in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, and showed pictures of her family and pets, including a wonderful shot of her horse coming into their kitchen to steal a carrot. Horseback riding, skiing, biscuiting (tubing), and hiking are favorite family activities. She gave a brief history of the settlement of New Zealand and showed beautiful scenes from Te Awamutu, Rotura, Lake Taupo, Wellington, and Auckland. There were lovely snow-covered mountain scenes and pictures of black and white beaches. She pointed out differences in English vocabulary with words like chips, jandels, fizzy drinks, lollies, biscuits, and togs. The most popular sport there is rugby (New Zealand won the World Cup last year). She concluded by talking about prominent New Zealand industries: sheep, dairy farms, fruit (like kiwi), and tourism. The Harry Potter films have caused a surge in tourism.

Richard Steele, Tax Commissioner for Gwinnett County, spoke to fellow Rotarians at the noon November 11 meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville. He offered an update on the Title Ad Valorem Tax situation, as well as information about other taxes. As for the Title Tax revenue, he reported that the total revenue generated through October was $81,391,251.00. After the 57% portion to the State of Georgia is subtracted, the County has received $34,998,238. He projects that because of this change in the tax situation, probably the County will be $13 million to the good by the end of the year. He reminded the group of the February 28, 2014, deadline for vehicle owners to opt-in to the Title Tax of 6.5 percent. Moving on to Property Tax Returns, he said that property owners have between January 1 and April 1 to change reported values; businesses are required to file every year or face a late fee. Homestead Exemption applications have to be in by April 1, 2014, and Senior Exemptions are available. Assessment Notices giving the Board of Assessment’s valuation of property are mailed out in April; property owners have 45 days to appeal the valuation. The appeal can be filed online. He pointed out that much information is available on the website www.gwinnetttaxcommissioner.com.

https://vimeo.com/79672948

https://vimeo.com/79676020

At the November 4 noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville, Congressman Rob Woodall brought the group up to date on what is happening in Washington. As Congressman for the 7th District of Georgia, he has been at the center of many of the financial battles in D. C. He serves on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is Chairman of the Republican Study Committee’s Budget and Spending Task Force. He began by describing the current Congress, pointing out that 40% of members have been there three years or less and that many come from broken communities. He asserted that laws have unintended consequences and focused on Obamacare as one example. Focusing on the debt situation, he pointed out that total federal spending has decreased over the past couple of years; he thinks we are going in the right direction. With his “Spending is the problem” chart he sought to impress on the group what will happen in the future if we do nothing about the national debt. He maintained that the problem was not that taxes are too low but that spending is the problem. Using another chart, he contrasted the House Republican plan with the Senate Democratic plan for the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. One reform he emphasized involved the Earned Income Tax Credit system, which he asserted was rife with fraudulent claims. He then opened up the floor to questions. Some of the issues discussed included the “kicking the can down the road” past record of Congress, the unsustainable looming expense of Medicare and Social Security, the history of government shutdowns, the lost ability of the Congressional Oversight Committee to function, and projections for the next election cycle. He ended by saying a cultural change needs to take place where Congressional leaders and members put the welfare of the country over the welfare of the parties.

https://vimeo.com/78580226

At the noon meeting on Monday, October 21, 2013, Tieg Reeder spoke to his fellow Rotarians about the current tax situation in this country. He emphasized the uncertain nature of the tax policies and divided his talk into the “good, bad, and ugly” aspects of the tax situation. Under the “good” he pointed out the tax provisions of the American Tax Payers Act of 2012 which have been extended and made permanent. Under the “bad” he pointed out some provisions which are expiring and the new tax increases which were made permanent. Much of what he discussed concerned taxpayers in the higher tax brackets. Under the “ugly” he focused on the uncertainties of the Affordable Care Act which goes into effect on January 1 and talked in detail about Medicare surtaxes and whom they will affect. He ended by sharing some planning points re: tax exempt bonds, Rolf IRA distributions, and gifting.

At the noon meeting on October 7, Dr. Mark Iken brought his home Rotary Club up to date on developments and growth at Lawrenceville’s four-year college, Georgia Gwinnett College. Dr. Iken is Vice President for Educational Technology at GGC. After reviewing the vision and institutional goals for the school, he noted how the college has grown from a population of 118 in 2006 to 10,000 in 2013. He described the commitment to an electronically enhanced education, emphasizing that that does not mean online courses but, rather, the best facilities possible to enhance students’ learning. GGC distinguishes itself by being an “access” college where students who would not qualify for other state schools can find acceptance and a chance to get a college degree. Dr. Iken featured the Student Success Program which helps students build their skills and cited excellent retention rates for freshmen in the developmental classes. In fact, the overall retention rate for students who continue their college education at GGC or elsewhere after the freshman year is an impressive 84%. He described the diverse student population, which reflects the diverse population of Gwinnett County. He ended by showcasing the successful athletic programs and the new Allied Health and Science Building which will house the newly approved School of Nursing.