The rumors are flying that Jim Folts will be running for mayor as an Independent and a fiscal conservative. If the rumors are true this would be a great development for Blount County.

There has been a serious financial catastrophe created by Dave Bennett and his actions using derivatives to finance county debt. It is alleged that during his approximate 10-year tenure no principal was paid on county debt. Becauase of this, Blount County is now facing a huge balloon payment of approximately $50 million in 2011. Is it just a coincidence or did Dave Bennett leave (or was pushed out by the Machine) because he knew the debt issue was about to implode? The next county finance director should insist on an audit by a major accounting firm who specializes in municipal debt. It is expected that because of this debt, our property taxes will skyrocket in 2011.

If Jim Folts does run for mayor he will expose what has been happening over the last 10 years and return the county to fiscal solvency again. He will ensure that the residents of Blount County know with transparency the issues they are facing and take the necessary steps to resolve our debt crisis.

Spending more than 10% of their GDP on weapons of mass destruction.

“… the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are leading a region-wide military buildup that has resulted in more than $25 billion in U.S. arms purchases in the past two years alone …”
link

1/7 of our ÖL. $120 million / day.

“… Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister Wednesday rejected Yemeni rebel claims that they had voluntarily withdrawn from Saudi territory …”
link

The above link has been moved to a Log-In site. Must be too much anti-corporate information. Closest replacement I’ve found, lives here, until that too becomes too controversial.
link

Questions:

1.) Will we be stupid enough to get involved in yet a 4th theatre of operations, for our great great great grandchildren to pay for?

2.) If we are that stupid, will we side with the good guys or the bad guys?

Izaak S. Standridge has picked up a petition for D5-A as an Independent.

Did anyone else try to watch last night’s Planning Commission meeting on the web? I tuned in about 30 minutes late only to find that there was no audio. A few phone calls netted viewers who said there was sound early in the meeting then the audio went off.

Was it turned off or was there a technical problem? I can’t help but remembering how Samples turned off the audio to silence audience approval and applause.

From WBIR:

The questions brought up by state campaign law for deputies may soon be resolved in Hamblen County.

State law prohibits any active deputy from making an endorsement in a political campaign.

But what about when a deputy is running for office? An opinion by the state attorney general indicates that the deputy running while working for the sheriff’s office would constitute an endorsement of his/her own campaign.

That law and interpretation brought about some entanglements in Hamblen County.

Sheriff Esco Jarnigan put Ernie Burzell on unpaid leave when Burzell announced he planned to run for Sheriff of Hamblen County.

But an employee running for Sheriff of Jefferson County and another running for a constable position kept punching the time clock and collecting a paycheck.

Full Story here: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=111843&catid=2

From Knoxnews:

Loudon County Mayor Doyle Arp, who served as property assessor until August 2006, has said he made the reductions after requests from property owners. He did not return calls seeking additional comment. Ross, who owned almost all the properties in question, has said he did not request any reappraisals. Jenkins said there were no records of requests for adjustments. Ross also did not return calls seeking additional comment.

A clerk in the assessor’s office has signed an affidavit saying that Arp told her to record the changes to the Rarity appraisals in June 2005, several weeks after the official appraisals had been entered, Jenkins said.

The affidavit also states that Arp told the clerk to destroy the official tax cards after keying in the data rather than following standard procedure of attaching the old cards to the new cards. Jenkins said that the TBI has not yet interviewed the assessor’s office clerk.

Full story from Knoxnews.com found here; http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jan/28/rarity-case-goes-to-ag/

Tonight, President Obama stated we needed to reduce wasteful government.

In the Republican response, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell stated we to do the same.

Either one or both isn’t telling it straight, or tomorrow will be a new day.

If not, blame your Party.

CAPPE’s Eighth Annual ChiliFest, which is both a contest and a tasting opportunity, is set for Saturday, February 6 from 4-7pm at Stovall Family Life Center beside First Church of the Nazarene, 1608 E. Broadway, Maryville.

The event begins at 4pm, with tasting and judging continuing until the winners are announced at 6:30pm. In addition to the different chilis and a variety of beverages, tortillas and quesadillas will be available along with a bake sale of delicious home-made treats. Everyone will be eligible to win door prizes.

Several contestants from area businesses will challenge previous winners who are defending their titles. Judges will select the winning chefs in three categories: beef, other meats and vegetarian chili. The general public will vote for the People’s Choice winner. Four $50 prizes will be awarded.

To enter the contest, submit an entry form and the $20 entry fee by February 2. Each contestant is asked to bring a minimum of four quarts of warm prepared chili in a crockpot, and to provide a ladle and someone to serve.

Entry forms and advance tickets are available at Southland Books (601 East Broadway) and Waste Not, Want Not (1505 East Broadway).

Suggested donation for admission is $5 in advance and $6 at the door (children under 10 admitted free). Admission includes tastes of entries and one bowl of chili and one vote for the People’s Choice winner.

For more information, call Mike Cook, CAPPE President 984 9003 or Susan Keller 982 4267.

McCulley advises that he no longer wants to run for re-election for the County Commission. I hope that some of you can convince him to stay in the race. He is one of our best commissioners, a real conservative who can’t be bought, blackmailed or intimidated. He votes things up or down, as he sees them and is no puppet. He is a brilliant man and our county commission will suffer a big loss without him. I know very little about Caylor who now is the only one running for that seat that I know of-can any of you tell me more about Caylor or do you know of someone else who might run? I understand that if McCulley offically steps down that Jim Melton might be interested in that seat, along with Caylor. Whadd U allow?

Coach had a smile his face could barely contain. If the grin didn’t put across his zeal for life, the vice grip handshake would.

If when you imagine athletics, you think wool ball cap, old style coaching shoes, discipline, order and reverence toward those coached taught - Coach Baird is the guy you see. Athletics, not just sports, kept him going. Whether it was calisthenics in the gym or picking a grounder clean - doing it right, doing it for fitness and doing it for fun were the mainstays.

All the accolades and a life well lived are recounted by Blount Today here:
http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/jan/25/boydson-baird-maryville-college-coach-and-administ/

There is information in the BT article stating where to direct donations. No surprise, memorial donations should be to the MC Athletic department.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Again. Remember. All 5 of these Supreme Court Judges were appointed by Republican Presidents. Ne’er forget.

From the Nashville Examiner:

It seems no one likes last week’s Supreme Court decision that wipes out most limits on corporate spending in political advertising campaigns.
President Obama used his weekly address to once again criticize the ruling. (John McCain also expressed dismay)
The Washington Post’s editorial board is in shock (the “difference between a corporate person and an individual person” is “obvious to anyone who has not gone to law school"); the NY Times’ editorial board is urging action ("Congress must act immediately to limit the damage").
The one group that’s not jeering? Lobbyists, who stand to gain a tremendous amount of influence as they broker deals between incumbent politicians and the corporations whose ad money could potentially elect –or unseat– them. A Republican campaign lawyer told the NY Times that the decision “is going to flip the existing campaign order on its head” by putting “on steroids” the trend of nonparty groups dominating campaigns. “Candidates lose control of their message,” the lawyer said. “Some of these guys lose control of their whole personalities.”

Full editorial; click here: http://www.examiner.com/x-15870-Populist-Examiner~y2010m1d24-No-one-likes-last-weeks-Supreme-Court-decision-on-campaign-contributions-Except-Lobbyists

I never liked Jay Leno. Never a funny word left his lips, and his experiment merely left carnage behind and a realization that without pleading for help, his future of entertaining the public was waning.

Conan was witty, young, smart, quick on his feet, and absolutely original. NBC will be all the worse for this, but I know that when Mr. Owns-A-Lot-Of-Gas-Guzzling Hot Rods, wants to do whatever he wants to do, he has the backing of all the Corporatocracy in his network.

Bad move NBC. Your loss. This may become the least watched Night Show ever, and tyme slot has ne’er a thing to do with it.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Link to Save Democracy: http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4&tag=redirect

From the Daily Times:

Foothills Land Conservancy partnered with the North American Land Trust on the easement, said FLC Executive Director Bill Clabough.

“It’s a real gift to Blount County,” he said. “It’s basically the north face of the Chilhowees. When you’re driving down U.S. 321, it’s the part of the Chilhowees you’re looking at. To think that it will never be developed is a great gift from that group.”

For the full story, click here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100122/NEWS/100129981

Kudos to Three Sisters Two Associates LLC and to Mr. Beall for the preservation.

I saw where Clinton just landed a new tenant for an industrial park. Reports say this solar company will bring 250 jobs to that area. I wonder why the elected officials in Blount County couldn’t get this company to locate in the empty Maryville-Alcoa-Blount joint industrial park venture off Hwy. 321. I also wonder what officials are doing to get some companies to locate in that park, which I think has about two tenants, if that.

From Reuters:

The 5-4 ruling was a defeat for the Obama administration and the campaign finance law’s supporters who said that ending the limits would unleash a flood of corporate money into the political system to promote or defeat candidates.

The ruling by the conservative majority transformed the political landscape and the rules on how money can be spent in future presidential and congressional elections, which already have broken new spending records with each political cycle.

The justices overturned Supreme Court precedents from 2003 and 1990 that upheld federal and state limits on independent expenditures by corporate treasuries to support or oppose candidates.

Full story, click here: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60K3SK20100121

Vote here: http://pages.samsung.com/us/4seasons_hope/essay_grid2.jsp
Select Carpenters Middle (middle of list) and follow the steps.

From The Daily Times:

Carpenters Middle School is in the running to win $210,000 in a national contest, and the school’s faculty, staff and students need your help to win.

Terri Bradshaw, Carpenters Middle School’s literacy leader, recently wrote a 100-word essay for Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope essay contest that discussed the impact that technology would have on the school.

Bradshaw turned in the essay before Thanksgiving, and officials selected Carpenters Middle School as one of 21 finalists before Christmas, Bradshaw said.

For the full story, click here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100121/NEWS/301219985

CMS homepage: http://web.me.com/carpentersms/cms/Home2.html

A $400 million solar factory is coming to East Tennessee, along with as many as 500 new jobs, sources tell 10News.

Tomorrow in Nashville, Governor Phil Bredesen and various East Tennessee leaders will make the announcement at the state capitol.

Full story from WBIR: http://www.wbir.com/news/breaking/story.aspx?storyid=111310&catid=29

For every $1 that is raised through the Share the Warmth Program, the State of Tennessee will match $2 through our Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
This comes at a time when many Blount County residents are in need of utility assistance.
Since July 1, 2009, Blount County Community Action Agency has assisted over 650 people with LIHEAP funds for energy assistance and has over 500 on the waiting list. Additional funds will be received and there is an opportunity to receive even more through the LIHEAP Leverage Match of non-federal funds. Those funds can include:
* Donated private dollars to BCCAA
* Dollars spent by another local community agency on specific energy assistance needs for LIHEAP-eligible households which has been coordinated through BCCAA
*Reductions in, or waivers of, utility costs for LIHEAP-eligible households that have been negotiated or coordinated by BCCAA Each donation to Share the Warmth through your utility bill (City of Maryville Utilities, City of Alcoa Utilities, or Atmos Energy) or to Blount County Community Action Agency goes to help those who are low income and need help with utility bills.

http://news-herald.net/story/11470

Among the concerns the group has addressed are a loss of the unique mountain heritage and charm of East Tennessee and the over-development and commercialization of certain areas of the highway.

From Walker:

“We have a dysfunctional democracy. We have something the founding fathers never intended.

Namely, we have people who are career politicians. They don’t come from the real world, don’t go to the real world and as a result they view their position as a job - rather than public service.”

For the full interview, click here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-january-18-2010/david-walker

A friend sent me this, and I found it to be quite interesting.

*SB 2496 by *Overbey.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises of the Clayton Center for the Arts in Blount County. - Amends TCA Section 57-4-101; Section 57-4-102 and Section 57-4-301.

This bill authorizes the sale of wine, alcoholic beverages and beer at a civic arts center complex in Blount County that has a performance hall with at least 1,100 seats, has a flexible theater, consists of two buildings, and allows alcoholic beverages to be served when the center is hosting ticketed events, private functions or is rented to another party. The annual tax for a civic arts center that is authorized to sell wine, alcoholic beverages and beer pursuant to this bill will be $150.

From the Daily Times:

The EPA is soliciting public comments for the next 60 days for the reconsidered standard that will be set somewhere between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million.

The tighter standards will be costly but will ultimately save billions in avoided emergency room visits, premature deaths, and missed work and school days, the EPA said.

The proposal presents a range for the allowable concentration of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, from 60 parts per billion to 70 parts, as recommended by scientists during the Bush administration. That’s equivalent to a single tennis ball in an Olympic-sized swimming pool full of tennis balls.

Full story, click here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100117/NEWS/301179972

From The Daily Times:

The Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division has awarded a $24.7 million contract to Bell & Associates Highway Construction of Brentwood to build the next section of the uncompleted Foothills Parkway.

The contract, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), is to design and construct an 800 foot-long bridge No. 2 on the eastern end of the unfinished Wears Valley-to-Walland segment of the Parkway, known as the “missing link,” in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

More online here; http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100115/NEWS/301159993

Related: http://www.wearsvalleyhomes.com/nationalpark/foothills-parkway-map.jpg

Detils on Knoxviews- Immediate Opportunity to Help in Haiti http://knoxviews.com/node/12815

From CNN Money:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – President Obama on Thursday will call on Congress to tax the largest banks to ensure that U.S. taxpayers don’t lose a penny from the federal bailout of the financial, auto and insurance industries over the past year.
The “financial crisis responsibility fee” would target major institutions. It would be levied on those that were the main contributors to the financial crisis and the most significant beneficiaries of the extraordinary actions taken by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, a senior administration official said.

For the full story, click here: http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/14/news/economy/bailout_tax/

BTW - the “main contributors” were hedge and pension fund managers. They’ve made off with the loot and are long gone. If you had to guess who is going to assume the costs of these fees, who would you pick? The banks or their customers?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here is a guy I can really support! He picked up his petition today!

I notice on the information for the Blount County Agenda meeting for tonight, January 12, 2010, there is a Resolution to Amend the Zoning Regulations, by adding design standards for private non-commercial airstrips. And I again noticed in today’s article of The Daily Times these new regulations will not affect the airpark already under construction off Jeffries Hollow Road in Seymour.

This brings up an interesting question; “If the new standards will have no effect upon the construction of this airstrip already under construction and the existing county zoning regulations do not list private airstrips as an allowed use, or a use that can be approved as a special exception, then why is the commission in the process of amending the county regulations that will not have any bearing on the airstrip currently under construction, but the new amendment will allow additional private airstrips to be constructed within the county?”

It is my understanding that the citizens of this county elect the members of the County Commission to represent their views on the county issues. This does not seem to be the case in the amendment of these regulations, as can be found by the comments made at all of the meetings where these amendments were addressed. Most of the citizens have expressed their desires that no additional airstrips should be allowed within the county.

If the new amendments will truly allow additional airstrips within the county against the citizen’s desires then why are the commissioners considering amending the existing regulations that currently do not allow them? Please note that the current zoning regulations for every district of the county clearly state “All uses are prohibited except uses permitted by special exception by the Board of Zoning Appeals”. These regulations contain a list for each district of uses that can be approved as special exceptions, and they do not contain the use of a private airstrip.

but not as a “R” but an “I” so I don’t understand why he is listed as getting a petition for the May election instead of being listed for the Aug election…..

OH! Here is why! ALL candidates who want to be on the Aug General County Ballot must file by noon on Feb 18.

From the DT:

There is new technology to help adults with disabilities live more independently. A Knoxville agency plans a demonstration in Maryville.

The East Tennessee Technology Access Center Inc. will demonstrate assistive technology devices at the Everett Senior Center, 702 Burchfield St., Maryville, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Senior citizens, people with disabilities, family members, caregivers, therapists, educators and nonprofit organizations who might work with seniors and people with disabilities would benefit from this workshop, according to an ETTAC news release.

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100110/NEWS/301109969

I know we only had a little snow, but every drop of it “stuck.” Especially to the roads. I’ve heard a lot of stories about accidents on the slick roads, but am a little stunned by the number of people who live on county roads who say they still haven’t so much as seen a road crew. This stuff is so dry, they could practically get it off the roads with a street sweeper! Why are so many country roads left untreated this snowfall? Is there just nothing they can do for a light powdery snow? It is certainly keeping a lot of folks at home.

Meanwhile, I’m sure the Northerners among us are laughing their heads off! Although I have to say it was a Northerner who sideswiped my mailbox on the snow.

MetroPulse’s Betty Bean has an interesting article showing that there really are Republicans who will say out loud that they do not agree with the prevailing GOP’s “leadership” about the environment. See:
http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/jan/06/tree-hugging-republicans-east-tennessee/

Here is a quote from one of the featured people, Laura Cole. “For me that crystallized the whole consumer attitude: Buy it, rezone it, clear cut it, build a subdivision on it, sell it and move onto the next greenfield. That’s how it goes. Consume everything and don’t worry about what you leave behind because you don’t have to stay. There’s always another field.”

Sound like anybody you know?

Moved out of the PPE discussion.

Comment from: tnyawho@yahoo.com [Member] Email
“The current Commission majority would rather keep their eyes closed, holding on for dear life to “the way we’ve always done it", than looking toward the future with their eyes open.”

Don’t mean to hijack the thread, but this brings a question to mind. What limits to the power of the county commission exist? Can they do whatever they want or can they only do what they are allowed by state and federal, laws or constitution?

From the Daily Times: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100107/BREAKING/100109950

In response to the letter to the editor from Nina Gregg pubhlished in today’s Daily Times, I wonder what you think about completing the PPE (Pellissippi Parkway Extension)? For it, or agin’ it?

When the going gets tough, the tough head for greener pastures?

From Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0613428620100106?type=marketsNews

Rivals have hammered the white-haired Dodd, a 35-year veteran of U.S. politics, over his connections to the financial industry and two mortgages he got in 2003 from Countrywide Financial Corp, once the nation’s largest home lender that was acquired by Bank of America in 2008.

Dodd got the loans through a Countrywide VIP program.

Critics said they represented a conflict of interest since Dodd’s committee oversees mortgage lenders. A Senate ethics investigation followed.

In February 2009, Dodd said he acted properly, refinanced the mortgages, apologized to the people of Connecticut over the episode, and made public all records related to the loans. The ethics investigation ended.

Tennessee’s version: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aIDXwparnPLM

Link to video; http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6050247n&tag=api

From Blount Today: http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/jan/04/hat-ring

From Mayor Cunningham:“I was surprised by it, but I understand politics,” he said. “The thing that surprised me was that he is running as a Republican. In my 40 years since returning from Vietnam, I’ve never seen him at a Republican function.”

Presto! http://www.blounttoday.com/photos/2009/nov/25/15075/

That fact could have been “garnished” by a quick Google search.

Cunningham said he hopes the race is positive. “I’m not going to get down in the gutter, but I can only control one side of the fence,” he said. “I can’t control what an opponent does.”

But he will gladly question whether or not the man is what he says he is? Basically the first salvo is to keep repeating that the man is not Republican, all the while ignoring Mitchell’s Republican voting record. Not only deep on his side, but rich.

BTW - Ed Mitchell would have been 15 forty years ago. The last 30 he was fighting fires, just not over at the GOP.

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (January 5, 2010) – The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League announced today that a new professional women’s softball team, the Tennessee Diamonds, has been franchised and will begin play in 2010 in Blount County, Tenn. The last time a professional sports team operated in Blount County, Dwight Eisenhower was President of the United States.

http://tennesseediamonds.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/national-pro-fastpitch-softball-is-coming-to-tennessee/