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World News
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Atlanta's Weekly E-Magazine
Jun 22nd - Jun 29th, 2001
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IMAGES: Salvador Dali
World News
Market News
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SALVADOR DALI
(1904 - 1989)
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Born on May 11, 1904 in Figueras, Spain by the full name of Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech, he was a Surrealist painter and printmaker, influential for his explorations of subconscious imagery.
As an art student in Madrid and Barcelona, Dali assimilated a vast number of artistic styles and displayed unusual technical facility as a painter. Early recognition of Dali's talent came with his first one-man show, held in Barcelona in 1925. He became internationally known when three of his paintings, including the Basket of Bread were shown in the third annual Carnegie International Exhibition in Pittsburg, PA in 1928.
The following year Dali held his first one-man show in Paris. He also joined the Paris Surrealist Group. That year Dali met Gala Eluard when she visited him with her husband, poet Paul Eluard. She became Dali's lover, muse, business manager and chief inspiration. Dali soon became a leader of the Surrealist Movement. His painting Persistence of Memory (1931), is still one of the best known surrealist works.
In the 1930's Dali switched to painting in a more academic style under the influence of the Renaissance painter Raphael. As a consequence, he was expelled from the Surrealist movement in 1934. Dali and Gala escaped from Europe during World War II, spending 1940 - 1955 in the United States where the Museum of Modern Art in New York gave Dali his major retrospective exhibit in 1941. This was followed in 1942 by the publication of Dali's autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali.
After the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982, Dali's health began to fail. It deteriorated further after he was burned in a fire in 1984. Much of this part of his life was spent in seclusion. Dali died on January 23, 1989 in Figueras, Spain from heart failure and respiratory complications.
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Editor's Corner
COMMISSIONER NANCY BOXILL'S TAX MEETING
Property taxes. Rapidly increasing property taxes. That's what brought about forty Midtown residents to Grace United Methodist Church on Thursday, June 14, 2001 to meet with Fulton County Commissioner Nancy Boxill whose district includes Midtown.
The meeting was sponsored by the Midtown Neighbors' Association and organized by Jannie Gerds, Vice President and candidate for City Council for the 6th District. With the final County vote on the tax millage rate scheduled just 6 days later, it was hoped that the meeting would provide an opportunity to learn how property taxes are calculated and assessed, for the Midtown property owners to express their concerns about rising taxes, and ask Ms. Boxill to work for relief from what is becoming for many a burdensome tax levy.
Gathered in the Church's West Transept surrounded by rich wood and beautiful stained glass, some at the meeting may have been wishing for Divine intervention to bring about relief from rapidly increasing property taxes. Any such relief as Commissioner Boxill explained, will not be forthcoming from County Government. At least not this year. And this was confirmed by the vote of the Commission on May 20, 2001 which rolled back the County rate a scant 0.35%.
For those Midtown property owners who have experienced 30%, 40% 50% and greater increases in appraised value over the previous appraisal, this millage rollback is of virtually no significance. And its significance is further reduced in light of the fact that other taxing jurisdictions take a larger share of the property tax dollar than does Fulton which received 29%. As pointed out by Ms. Boxill, the lion's share of property taxes collected in Midtown goes to the City of Atlanta Schools, 53% to be exact. The City of Atlanta takes 17%, the State of Georgia 0.5%. Governments in all taxing jurisdictions have become intoxicated over having ever and ever increasing amounts of taxpayers' money to spend.
Let's look at the City of Atlanta whose population, in spite of a recent upturn, has actually declined over the last three decades. Atlanta's population in 1970 was 495,039. According to the recent Census the year 2000 population is now 416,474, a decline of 16%. With a population nearly 80,000 greater than today Atlanta's operating costs in 1970 were \$56,120,401. The budget passed in March 2001 stands at $1,069,457,432. An increase of 1,906% which is four times greater than the growth in the Consumer Price Index. No wonder taxes are skyrocketing.
Something must be done and that something starts with the elections in November. The City Councilpersons, County Commissioners and School Board Members we elect must not only talk about reducing expenses and cutting taxes, they must work and act to do so. If they do not, then runaway Government and School costs will most certainly continue, and along with them, increasing property taxes.
Owen Omundsen
Guest Editor
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