Today’s hard copy of the AJC has a map of the proposed annexation area that city commissioners are reviewing currently, but the online version is just a bunch of bullets summing up the process.  No real new info.

I guess that means its just for readers of the AJC that DON’T read Decatur Metro. (Yuck, Yuck…)

Here’s the top line summary…

People living in and around Decatur are collecting petitions, sending out mass e-mails and attending City Commission meetings, concerned about an annexation plan —- even though it’s still in the conceptual stages.

A lot is at stake. There’s the possibility of adding as many as 7,800 residents, a move that would have far-reaching implications on the city’s school system and tax base.

Read the full summation here.

Why does it seem that some folks are acting SO surprised about the strong reaction this process has received early on?  Even though an actual vote is months away, this plan is under serious consideration.  That’s enough to get residents of any city out of their armchairs and into the streets, especially in a civic-minded town like Decatur.

It seems that we’ve got the AtlantaCuisine.com forums talking about the Liquor License Non-Renewal too. And these are some knowledgeable folks!

Read the thread here or at least check out the comment below from the thread that gives the best explanation I’ve seen on how one could potentially get tripped up by the endlessly bureaucratic liquor license process.

“For those unaware, it takes two alcohol permits to be in business: a state license in order to purchase from a wholeslaer and a city (or county if you are in an unincorporated area) to sell to customers. Plus, the local license is wortheless unles you also have the state permit.

Well, lets see here. Most companies with more than a handfull of employees use a payroll service and they automatically take out state payroll taxes each pay period. The cost to renew the STATE permit is $200 (L,B,&W) and could be done online this year and paid with a credit card. So if the state is refusing to renew permits because these businesses owe money to the state, it almost certainly has to be because they are not remitting the sales and use tax due the 20th of each month for the previous month.

Read the rest of this entry »

A year ago, the sky seemed to be the limit for Starbucks. Plans for 40,000 stores worldwide were met with some skepticism, but most seemed to think if anyone could do it, it would be Starbucks.

But then, as 2007 got into full swing, the wheels started to come off.

It became apparent that while Starbucks still had tremendous growth opportunities overseas, things were very different on the domestic front. Same store sales data seemed to show over-saturation and the stock fell 40%. The once trendy status symbol, which I once heard described as a “four-dollar Mercedes”, wasn’t so trendy anymore.

Others looked past the saturation argument and instead blamed the quality of the product. These folks accused the fully-automated machines that could better handle the growing lines at the counter, but removed much of the “je ne sais qua” that the friendly, but fiendishly busy Barista provided.

Regardless of the reason, in 2008, Starbucks is looking to reinvent itself. CEO superstar Howard Schultz is back in the saddle and has promised that the company will return to its roots. That means no more hot breakfast sandwiches, which were being tested in many metropolitan areas, as well as many other secret plans not yet revealed.

So, after that brief recap here’s the question of the morning: Do you think Starbucks can pull it off?

If the coffee chain were to revert back to a time when their service was more personalized and focused on the coffee, would you make a point to stop on the Square a grab a cup? Or are the Decatur coffee animals (Java MONKEY or Dancing GOATS) more your style? Perhaps you just prefer to brew your own…