Click to enlarge photos.By D.A. King
Guest Columnist
"Any individual, partnership, corporation or entity which engages in any activity with the object of gain, profit, benefit, or advantage in the unincorporated area of Cobb County is considered to be engaged in business and must obtain a Cobb County Business License or Business Registration Certificate for each location in Cobb County prior to engaging in these activities."
- Opening paragraph from information booklet distributed by Cobb County Government in the Cobb County Business License office.
Few of us have missed the vague message of "change" from Barack Obama's presidential campaign, but the most liberal Senator in the United States isn't the only political candidate for "change."
Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens - while not nearly as openly - is working very hard for change right here in Cobb County. Some of the changes he is making may not be easily seen unless you know where to look, but they are worthy of our interest and inspection.
For a shining example of Chairman Olens' recent changes, look no further than the official Cobb County Business License office Web site. For decades, obtaining a Cobb County Business License involved going to the Business License office, completing a business license application, paying the proper license fee and waiting a few days for your business license to arrive in the mail.
Ah, the good old days. There have been very recent changes to the old way of getting a business license from the Business License Department. First - and remember this one - for the most part, it is not a business license anymore. That has been changed. If you get it online, the "business license" application you file in the Cobb Business License office is now an "Occupation Tax Certificate" application. (The county has not had time to change the printed version yet - or the general information booklet quoted above.) To better accept the change, try to ignore the fact that there are business licenses - I mean "occupation tax certificates" - hanging in businesses all over Cobb that read "Regular License," like my own does.
Which brings up another change: Until July 16, the Business License Department Web site displayed a paragraph explaining that there are "31,000 Cobb Business Licenses." As part of Olens' change campaign, that paragraph disappeared last week. So did the term "business license" in more than 20 places on the county Web site.
Another change: Cobb spokesman Robert Quigley tells us that there are now only 1,098 Cobb Business Licenses.
Quite a change, eh?
By now, the reader may be asking "Why the changes" - and, "Did the Spanish language version of the Business License page change too?"
Here is why - and no, the Spanish version of the Cobb Business License page did not change. Because of a 2006 state law - the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act - local governments in Georgia are required to use a federal database called the SAVE program to verify the eligibility of any alien applicant who has signed a required affidavit saying he or she is living here lawfully and is eligible for what the feds and the state of Georgia call "public benefits."
Like adult education, housing assistance, homestead exemptions, small business loans and eighty other benefits, commercial licenses are "public benefits."
The term "business license" sounds far too much like it is a commercial license (because it is). And because Cobb is issuing business licenses - I mean occupation tax certificates - to nearly anyone who has the license fee (i.e. occupation tax), that in order to successfully avoid compliance with the law, the term "business license" had to go.
The reader might be thinking right about here that we should not need another law to tell us not to encourage an illegal alien to open a business in our community, that we could just use common sense and not let that happen.
Me too.
The law also requires local governments in Georgia to verify that newly hired employees are legal residents. How long before we see the word "employee" changed in Cobb to avoid compliance? Such as calling employees "reimbursed task assistants"?
I also find myself wondering how long it may be until it is either more profitable or politically expedient to redefine the downtown Marietta area. I can imagine the new signs now: "Welcome to Marietta Circle."
D.A. King is president of the Cobb-based Dustin Inman Society, which is opposed to illegal employment and illegal immigration.
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Posted Comments
I hope our county commissioners and the county attorney fully understand that aiding and abetting illegals is a felony.
As usual, King has it exactly right, and everyone can see it. If Olens is allowed to get away with this, which laws have ANY meaning? Can we taxpayers change the description of our paychecks ( "depositable proceeds from tax certificates to assist in tasks?)to avoid paying taxes on them? Can I avoid paying my water bill if I call it something else? I know that King has sued Olens, and I hope that all of this comes out in open court for the world to see what is going on here. Calling it Marietta Circle isn't as farfetched as it may seem if business licenses are now cerificates and are not permission to start a business here. Sam Olens is wrong and the lack of any comment from the other Commissioners is very telling. WHO RUNS COBB COUNTY, Olens or the citizens? I heard Sam wants to be Governor Olens...hahahaahahahaha good one.
This is great! Thank you MDJ! I can only hope that Olens tries to make us believe D.A. King is wrong here...that would be even better reading. I am passing this one around work...I mean my "occupation location".
Now I can remain silent no longer. The Cobb business license department offfers information in Spanish?! - but Olens has changed the name of business licenses to get around stopping illegal aliens from opening businesses in Cobb?!!! I heard that D.A. King is having another rally in August, I don't care what I have to cancel that day, I am going to the rally and let the Commissioners know that we are watching them and that this is total nonsense. I am disgusted with the "change" and a I want to know when they are going to speak up about this transparent effort to violate the law. As king says, even if there was no state law, we should be doing all we can to stop illegal aliens from operating businesses in OUR community! This does NOT pass the smell test....Peeeouuuuuew!
THANKS to the MDJ and D.A. King! Whatever name is used, it looks like Olens wants all the illegal money he can get. Note to Sam Olens - WE DON'T! I want to know that the illegals will not be allowed to renew their BUSINESS LICENSES in December, and that no more will issued a BUSINESS LICENSE or I will be raising as much cane as King... If the MDJ hadn't told me about this, I never would have known. What else is going on over there that we don't know about? SAM: GET RIGHT WITH THE AMERICANS IN COBB OR GET QUIT!
BOO Sam Olens Hooray D.A. King! You can fool some of the people some of the time...
I thought Olens was a cut above the rest. I was wrong. I guess his parents never taught him self- respect. I feel sorry for him.
Massive mind-blowing illegal immigration is destroying this nation before our very eyes. Very powerful forces (big business, organized labor, Catholic church, Latino pressure groups) do not want to impede this massive influx of foreigners across our borders because it gives them power and financial gain. Battles between citizen groups and "open borders/amnesty" forces are being played out in hundreds of communities across the United States. God bless those informed and involved citizens of Cobb County who are taking a stand and making a difference in the national struggle to stop the illegal alien invasion of our country.
Mr. King I wish we had you in Gwinnett.The ordinary person feels the effect of illegal immigration.Our state is in deep trouble and only a few seem to see this.D.A. keep fighting for the people.
To me the whole illegal alien phenomenon, and its consequences, job depression, wage depression, crime, gross violation of labor codes, overpopulation, etc.etc. are all on our heads--Americans. When we are so utterly complacent, that we don't care about our culture, our customs, even our friends and family, by not getting on these politicians, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
Boy they do not business license in Ca any mexican that wants to cut grass or clean a pool justs goes to work.
SEND THEM ALL PACKING...ILLEGALS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS ALIKE!!!!! HOW ABOUT A SIDE ORDER OF CRONY POLITICIANS TO GO ALONG WITH THEM???? TWO MAJOR PLAYERS COME TO MIND....WHO SHOULD BE IMPEACHED BEFORE EVEN SITTING AT A PRESIDENTIAL DESK. VOTING FOR EITHER IS LIKE KICKING YOURSELF IN THE PANTS! RON PAUL CAN'T BE BOUGHT...LOU DOBBS KNOWS WHATS UP!!!! I'LL BE WRITING THEM IN ON MY TICKET!!!! PRES AND VP!!! OBAMA AND McCAIN.....like having a choice between pain or sadness for us all.... C'MON...WE, THE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!! HOW MUCH BETTER WILL EITHER ONE OF THESE ECCENTRICS MAKE IT FOR US???...MAYBE THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL HAVE IT GOOD, BUT WE WON'T!!!!!
This absurd issue and waste of taxpayers' money and time is a great example of what happens when stupid and unenforceable laws are passed by state legislators regarding a federal issue which they have little knowledge or grasp of. Whenever such laws are passed by grandstanding politicians (SB 529, SB350,etc), they will wreak havoc on their own local and county governments and constituents, who don't have the funds or manpower to enforce them,forcing them to find the many loopholes, and will set up such useless battles as the one between this group and the County.
Yeah. we should all listen to Rich Pellegrino! OPEN THE BORDERS AND PICK A LAW THAT WE WANT! Rich...bad idea to bring up the concept of " grasp". Rich for village thinker! On Mars!