Viewpoint: Local government doesn't know business -, Albany
News, Weather, Sports  Viewpoint: Local government doesn't know
business   The City of Tifton must now borrow millions to pay
off a $10.7 million debt it owes on a bond to fund the failed
City-Net cable company.  We have now seen financial setbacks in
several South Georgia cities as a result of a city's government
trying to compete with services already provided by private
companies.  The City of Cario, part of CNS cable, announced
losses of one-half-million dollars each year, and a total debt
of $12 million.  Lee County lost a third of a million dollar
investment in Camvera, a new wireless company.  This all started
with the mis-guided temptation by city leaders to create more
revenue today, rather than living within the established
budgets, or making the tough choices of cutting spending, jobs
they were hired by us to do.  Also, they dove head-long into an
industry, the cable business, they did not fully understand.
Their own officials have told us