The next Blount County Democrats monthly First Friday Luncheon is April 2, 2010.
We have a terrific speaker with an important topic which should be of interest to all tax payers or future tax payers in Blount County.

Jim Folts will speak on the Blount County Debt Mess.

Where: The Alcoa Ryan’s.
When: Meet and greet at 11:30 AM
Program begins about: 12:00.

Program abstract:


* The Blount County debt has doubled to nearly one quarter BILLION dollars since 2003.
* Blount County has the highest debt per person in East Tennessee.
* A $46 million balloon payment on this debt must be made next year.
* Half of all the debt is in variable rate bond / swap deals - more than double the level the State Comptroller considers prudent.
* The $96 million of swaps held by the County are costing the taxpayers than $2.1 million per year.
* All the County's variable rate bond / swap deals "blew up" in the financial crisis, costing millions of taxpayer dollars in fees, for financial Band-Aids.
* The County has paid large fees to a company that does not even have its own phone number or place of business.

Unless the citizens of the County ACT NOW, this mess could send your taxes soaring. Learn what YOU can do.
Jim says, “We cannot reform the County government without YOU. “

Forrest Erickson

From Business Week:

In a reversal of a long-standing ban on most offshore drilling, President Barack Obama is allowing oil drilling 50 miles off Virginia’s shorelines. At the same time, he is rejecting some new drilling sites that had been planned in Alaska.

Obama’s plan offers few concessions to environmentalists, who have been strident in their opposition to more oil platforms off the nation’s shores. Hinted at for months, the plan modifies a ban that for more than 20 years has limited drilling along coastal areas other than the Gulf of Mexico.

Full article here: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EPHPD80.htm

From the Washington Post by way of the AP: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032901276.html?hpid=topnews

Delaware and Tennessee won bragging rights Monday as the nation’s top education innovators, besting D.C. and 13 other finalists to claim a share of the $4 billion in President Obama’s unprecedented school reform fund.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan picked the winners after a team of judges in the Race to the Top competition unexpectedly gave tiny Delaware the highest ranking, with Tennessee close behind. Delaware won as much as $107 million and Tennessee could be awarded $502 million.

Leaders in both states pledged to establish national models for data-driven reform, tying teacher evaluation to student performance in an all-out effort to close achievement gaps.

For a list of requirements placed on schools to receive the money, click here; http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03252010a.html

http://www.wate.com/Global/category.asp?C=21819&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4654750&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

In this week’s program we take an in-depth look at this legislation and its potential impact on our way of life. Joining Gene Patterson are Dr. Richard Briggs of Mercy Health Systems and Dr. Mark Green of Blount Memorial Hospital.

From the Daily Times:

Blount County Schools face $6.3 million worth of potential budget cuts, which include a nearly 8 percent workforce reduction, if the Blount County Commission doesn’t approve a nearly $79.66 million budget.

The system currently has 1,040 1/2 full-time equivalent positions. Officials have proposed eliminating 83 positions — or 7.98 percent of its workforce — through retirement, attrition and workforce reduction.

For the full article, click here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100328/NEWS/303289982

Eight Convicted for buying votes in Clay County, Kentucky

From the Lexington Herald-Leader:

Testimony at the trial indicated that vote-buying has been chronic and widespread in the county, to the point many people saw nothing wrong with it.

After Eugene “Mutton” Lewis, a convicted drug dealer who said he’d bought votes for decades, described a candidate giving him $1,000 and asking for help, a defense attorney asked whether there weren’t ways to help a candidate besides buying votes.

“Not that I know of,” Lewis responded.

Read more: http://www.Kentucky.com/2010/03/26/1197075_p2/jury-convicts-all-8-defendants.html#ixzz0jTr7AUVr

For a good laugh, read the whole thing.

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and UTPD Capt. Keith Lambert are surprised by the increase of bias-related incidents on campus!!! Maybe they have to look no further the recent DONATION call, in the form of a letter, made by the TN Republican party Chair, Chris Devaney

http://www.capitolnewsconnection.org/node/14393

OR from the Nashville schoolteacher’s, Mark Druen, bumper of his car. It was rammed by an outraged driver that did not like his Obama sticker on the bumper.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100327/NEWS03/3270355/
Victim+of+road+rage+sparked+by+Obama+sticker+pleads+for+civility

OR the anti-Semitic literature on Obama Hussein which was handed out in 2008 by the TN Republican party.

http://donklephant.com/2008/02/27/tennessee-republican-party-smears-obama/

OR when the TN Republican party came out with their attempts to ’smear’ Michelle Obama

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/
\us_elections/article3963576.ece

OR when State Sen. Diane Black’s staffer made a SLIP and sent out a racial email that depicted Obama as “two eyes”

http://crooksandliars.com/logan-murphy/latest-gop-racial-outrage-tn-sen-dian

I could go on but I won’t take up anymore valuable blog space. I think I made my point, TN has a tendency to racial slurs and it starts with the supposed adults in this state. It’s way too easy in this state, in the nation too, to come out with a racial slur or rhetoric and then say “I am sorry” after you have the fire fueled. Of course we have Palin that doesn’t even have the intellect to realize what her “lock and load” rhetoric, followed by the map with her targeted elected officials in cross hairs, fuel to the radicals amongst us - can’t wait to see what the climate will be like when Palin comes to Knoxville for the infamous Palin email charge case…..get ready Chancellor, I predict it will be interesting!

An insightful letter to MetroPulse about the fight over “development” in East Knox County is relevant in Blount County as we choose new local officials.

Judy Loest writes:

“Developers have no long-range vision; they are in for the quick return, and they put all their eggs in one basket: an engine-clogged freeway. Even here in Tennessee, where industry has been slow in coming, there is no lack of evidence of the sad fate of such poorly planned ventures. What are we left with when they go belly up or pull up stakes and move on to the next big thing? Impoverished neighborhoods and environmental hazards, more brownfield sites for the Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation to figure out how to clean up and revitalize. In the coming economic gloom, such efforts will be low on the state’s priority list. And if food supply becomes the major concern, who’s going to grow it in contaminated soil?

Jane Holtz Kay, author of Asphalt Nation, has written extensively about how America has sold out to developers its greenfields, the virgin lands on the fringes (like the Thorn Grove community); how two million acres of farmlands are leveled each year, the forests and fields filled with Big Box Bang 4ur Buck stores, the wetlands drained for McMansions and gated subdivisions.

Maybe we all need to rethink the term “progress.”

Here is the link to the letter:

http://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/mar/24/progressing-disaster/

Supporters of Health Care Reform, are calling themselves, the “Coca-Cola Party.” Members of the Coca-Cola Party voted unanimously on the adoption of their new flag: The Rained on Leg. Seems that opponents of Health Care reform are perfectly okay with Socialized Tax Dollars going to feed 3 simultaneous Wars, yet cry FOUL when tax dollars stay home to help our own populace here on our own soil.

I’m not too impressed with certain factions of neo-revolutionaries, that assume no one is offended when they use symbols from our noble past, as their own.

I get a manufacturing e news letter which had this article:
Report: China Leads In Clean Energy Spending

http://www.manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=248662

I fear the lead weight of conservative miss information about the science of climate change and the strong ties to fossil fuel have already put us and future Americans in a catch up mode regarding sustainable energy.

To all conservatives I say, Argue for your limitations and you get to keep them.

Forrest Erickson

P.S. Will you teach your children Mandarin now so that, as a peer, they may conduct business with the worlds fastest gowning economy? Or will you teach your grand children Mandarin so that they can say with, proper and sub servant respect, Dà lǎobǎn to their big boss?

From The Daily Times:

Blount County officials are considering a change in the structure of the Blount Partnership, which has operated for 40 years.

The Partnership is composed of Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blount Industrial Development Board, Blount Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Foundation.

Previously the Partnership operated under a memorandum of understanding among the four groups.

Now the group is attempting to come up with a new legal document detailing the operation.

At a called meeting of Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Tuesday afternoon, a proposed joint venture agreement and a joint operating agreement were discussed.

For the full story, see The Daily Times: http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100324/NEWS/303249971

The group is to meet again in a called session at 3 p.m. April 6 in the Blount Chamber of Commerce conference room.

Comments my friends??

I first heard about this at a meeting a few weeks back and began to study it further. At first I was strongly against it. I can see some resemblances to snitching on neighbors over petty differences and how that might be more pronounced in a high school setting. However, we already have anonymous tip lines, and this is just an extension of that. My discomfort comes from the area of how easy it seems it would be to abuse the system. How do you balance individual rights in this? I have already heard second hand of some false tips being reported, although I haven’t seen those items in the paper.
If you have nothing to hide, then an inquiry into what you are doing should not be seen as a threat. I support our police and county officers, and depend on them, but worry about harrassment from other students. What if you’re not in certian cliques? I guess I’m wondering about accountability of the tipster. Can they be charged with giving a false report, etc? My other question was about cell phones in the schools. I was under the impression kids weren’t supposed to have them on, but I don’t know about lunch and between classes. I also wondered if this new program was funded by a grant or if it is a simple extension of the 911 service?
The report in the Daily Times suggested they wanted it to go county wide to all residents in the future, and sighted tips about drunk drivers, speeders, and such. If we aren’t supposed to text while driving, this seems to send a mixed message.
If you are accused by a tipster, what rights do you have to prevent search? On school grounds, the school maintains the right to search lockers and vehicles at any time. Can you have a parent present before that takes place? I’ve been out of school for too long to know what the rules are now.

I don’t usually request favors on this blog but this time I am. PLEASE read this short article, first posted about 2 hours ago, and then call the Senate switch board and ask for Alexander and Corker’s office - tell them to STOP these childish games and get on with people’s business!!! or suffer the consequences at the voting booth. 202-224-3121

(Corker’s office told me I should be calling the leadership of the GOP, not Corker and I proceeded to give her an earful)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/gop-senators-refusing-to_n_511639.html?view=print

I keep hearing about small business co-ops, allowing insurance providers to cross state lines, tort reform, end anti-trust exemptions and more.

Question: Why were these ideas unachievable from 1980 - 1992 and 2000 - 2008?

From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/health.care.main/?hpt=T1

Washington (CNN) – A sweeping bill overhauling the U.S. medical system goes to President Obama’s desk on Monday to be signed into law.

The House of Representatives passed the measure late Sunday, delivering a historic victory to Obama, who had made it his No. 1 domestic priority.

The bill passed in a 219-212 vote after more than a year of bitter partisan debate. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.

Tennessee Valley Republican Response: http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12180318

Since this is going to be the topic Monday on HHH morning show, I thought I would throw it out here. I have the option of taking any illegal drugs I want where I work. I know you’re amazed by this fact! Now, there are consequences if I get caught using illegal drugs. I lose my job, lose my benefits, lose my insurance. However, believing in personal responsibility, I still have the option, just as every other person working does.
The consequences for exercising that option depend a great deal upon the company you work for and the position you hold. However, welfare recipients are not held to that same standard. On one hand, perhaps they shouldn’t be. They are not being paid to do anything. There are no performance standards to be met. It is sometimes, not always, the lack of ability to meet certain performance criteria that causes people to be on welfare. I’m not judging them one way or the other. Some don’t have the training, some don’t have the drive, and others have other problems.
My view on the welfare benefits is not set, so I welcome open discussion.
Jobless benefits is different. While receiving this compensation, recipients are supposed to apply for three positions per week. Since a majority of companies now include drug screening in the employment process, taking drugs while seeking a job seems to make the job search portion of it moot. Most employers won’t hire you if you fail a drug test. Therefor, I would have to support random drug testing of those receiving unemployment benefits.
In addition, think of the jobs that would be created to do the testing, keep track of the records, and hear appeals of those denied benefits.
All in all, a nice can of worms for a Saturday afternoon.

If you haven’t read Michael Moore’s open letter to Rep. Bart Stupak I would suggest you take a minute, it’s a good read. I know all politics are local here, but as I read this I thought that it could have been written for a few bright local and state politicians too.

By the way, I lived in Stupak’s county, actively worked on his campaign in 2000, and attended his victory party on election night - on this issue - I strongly agree with Moore and strongly disagree with Stupak digging his heels in and voting NO on just one issue.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/my-congressman-bart-stupa_b_506649.html

Here are the contents of The Raven Society’s most recent press release:

Maryville, TN, March 19, 2010 - Voters can now access information about all candidates running for County Mayor and County Commission – regardless of party affiliation – in one convenient internet location. Candidate position questionnaires were mailed on March 2nd to each candidate who qualified to run for commission or mayor in the General Election. The responses are now posted at the website. While this survey is primarily focused on issues related to growth, planning, and infrastructure, all candidates were also invited to send their own campaign literature, photographs, web links, and statements to their constituency. The Raven Society posts all candidate-provided information to its website for free. The goal is to make it easier for voters to compare candidates within their individual districts, as well as to make it easier for candidates to distinguish themselves among their competition without breaking the campaign budget. The information will be updated to reflect changes after the May 4th Primary, and will remain accessible until after the August 5th General Election.

On Sunday, April 25th, The Raven Society is hosting a reception and program about election issues for both the candidates and the public. It will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Blount County Library.

The Raven Society is a non-partisan political action committee which supports preservation of the rural, natural, and historic qualities of Blount County and East Tennessee. Information on the Society, as well as the Candidate Comparison Resource can be found at www.ravensociety.org or by calling the chair, Gail Harris at 983-5652.

# # #

Thank you Joe!

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/031810_CBOestimate.pdf

I made a point of getting the CBO documents directly from the Fox News site so noone would say they were “monkeyed” with.

But here’s the CBS Report: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000691-503544.html

The CBO report should reassure some Democrats on the fence about the bill, since it reportedly estimates the health care plan will cut the federal deficit by $130 billion in its first 10 years and by $1.2 trillion in its second 10 years.

“We are absolutely giddy over the great news” that the bill will reduce the deficit, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) said today, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson reports.

President Obama this morning praised the reform package as “the most significant effort to reduce deficits since the balanced budget act in the 1990’s.”

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/12/texas-education-board-app_n_497440.html

I guess the good news here is that we can’t afford to buy textbooks in Blount County anyway.

Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation’s Founding Fathers, but not highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state. Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a “constitutional republic,” rather than “democratic,” and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.

“We have been about conservatism versus liberalism,” said Democrat Mavis Knight of Dallas, explaining her vote against the standards. “We have manipulated strands to insert what we want it to be in the document, regardless as to whether or not it’s appropriate.”

Following three days of impassioned and acrimonious debate, the board gave preliminary approval to the new standards with a 10-5 party line vote. A final vote is expected in May, after a public comment period that could produce additional amendments and arguments.

Decisions by the board – made up of lawyers, a dentist and a weekly newspaper publisher among others – can affect textbook content nationwide because Texas is one of publishers’ biggest clients.

Ultraconservatives wielded their power over hundreds of subjects this week, introducing and rejecting amendments on everything from the civil rights movement to global politics. Hostilities flared and prompted a walkout Thursday by one of the board’s most prominent Democrats, Mary Helen Berlanga of Corpus Christi, who accused her colleagues of “whitewashing” curriculum standards.

Thursday night Blount County has the opportunity to show it’s citizens another ray of sunlight via the Resolution to Encourage Public Participation.

Here’s a few things other governments are doing to shed some light on their operations.
Bradley County, TN Committee Openings
http://www.bradleyco.net/committee_openings.aspx

State of Tennessee, TDEC boards and committees
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/boards/

and a local paper stepping up

Marion County, Ohio
The local newspaper has a database of all city and county employee salaries.
http://tinyurl.com/ykudqgy

Updated: with WBIR video link as provided by Right is Right.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

From 60 Minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/12/60minutes/main6292458.shtml?tag=currentVideoInfo;segmentTitle

By 2005, Burry had come to the realization that the Wall Street bond market had lost its mind. It was buying up hundreds of millions of dollars in dicey loans to unqualified buyers who were, in Michael Lewis’ words, “one broken refrigerator away from default.” Burry concluded that the subprime market would collapse in 2007.

“He notices for the first time that there are pools, there are mortgage bonds supported by pools of loans, and most of the loans are, what you call negative amortizing interest only loans. Which means that, you, the homeowner, and buyer, you borrow the money, and you not only don’t have to repay your principal, you don’t even have to repay the interest. And if you just don’t pay anything, they just add to your loan,” Lewis explained.

“You can’t lose your house, in theory, right?” he added. “They’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Now is the time to lay a bet. And it’s before anybody does.”

More:

Burry figured out that these mortgage-backed securities would become worthless if just a small percentage of the dicey loans went bad and he wanted to bet against the worst of them. He decided that the best way to do it would be to get Wall Street to sell him inexpensive insurance contracts on the securities that would pay off big time if they failed. The contracts were called “credit default swaps.”

“He conceives that they are going to invent on Wall Street credit default swaps on subprime mortgages, essentially, insurance contracts on the bonds before they even do. And he helps, he participates in the creation of this instrument,” Lewis explained. “And Michael Burry is the first one in.”

Part 2 of the 60 Minutes Story: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6298084n&tag=api

More from a local candidate on derivatives: http://www.blounttn.net/RegionsRipOff.htm

More on the S&P rating agency: http://www.blounttn.net/S&Preportispoor.htm

It is one thing to talk about preserving farmland and another to try to do it. Here is a current effort. I would want to know what a candidate for Joe McCord’s seat thinks about this:

Senate 3634 and House 3695 in TN legislature:

“No person or entity shall condemn Class I, II, or III farmland in a county designated by the United States environmental protection agency as not attaining the national {here is a word that is blacklisted…why???…it starts with amb and ends with ient) air standards pursuant to title 68 chapter 201 for the purpose of introducing air pollution sources into that county.”

The question is so important that it needs its own thread.

Should the person actually live in the 8th or not?

What qualifications are important?

Why is it that Dave Bennett decided to leave the finance director/assistant mayor position when he did? Perhaps it was because he knows the county is facing a coming crisis with the derivatives he and Jerry Cunningham help put in place. Through the use of these swaps and derivatives, Bennett and Cunningham have created a situation where the citizens of Blount County are facing a balloon payment of over $50 million and a high percentage of the county debt in variable rate bonds. They should be hanging their heads in shame over for what they did to our great county.

There was only one commissioner, Ms. Reeves, who really tried to get to the bottom of this and she was stonewalled at every turn. All of the other incumbent commissioners should be fired through the upcoming election because they buried their heads in the sand and did not do their jobs. They were more interested in politics than protecting the citizens of the county. We should vote all of the spineless incumbents out of office.

The mayor and his minions have and will use the Daily Times to distort the facts and try to sway public opinion. The fact remains that we are facing a financial calamity. It was their job to responsibly manage the county budget and plan for the future. Instead, they used high risk derivatives and sealed our fate. Do you really want these people around for another term?

Dave Bennett, Jerry Cunningham, and the commissioners (other than Ms. Reeves) will be directly responsible for your taxes going up. You should thank them personally the next time you see them in the community.

P.S. What have they done to bring in new industry and create high paying, sustainable jobs?

I was reading today on Foxnews.com about some democrats in Congress who are wanting to eliminate the abortion funding from this new health bill. About 99.9% of the Republicans want the same thing. The majority of Republicans don’t like this new health plan and basically want it scrapped.

So are they being hypocritical by saying they want the government to control what a woman can or can’t do with her body but they don’t want the government to choose the type of healthcare coverage?

Let me say, I think an abortion is an easy way out for some people, but its not for me or anyone else to tell someone what they can or can’t do to there own body.

By the way, it’s not called PRO-ABORTION its called PRO-CHOICE. Next thing you know they want to decide on who can get a prescription for birth control.

A rather valid point was made at the inaugural Smokey Mountain Tea Party Patriots meeting tonight. All these calls to investigate Bush, or find Obama’s birth certificate, or dig into the BCS, are simply distractions.
I’m not defending, or taking sides on any of the issues of the past. If the CIA blew up the towers, or Obama was born in Africa, or Kennedy had affairs, or there was a second shooter, it simply does not matter. Not today!
How can I say that? We have an election coming up in less than two months here in this county that will decide who governs us locally for the next four years. We have a County Commission meeting next week in which debt and public input and awareness are central issues. We need to educate our friends and neighbors about what is going on right here in Blount County.
I’d like to see Barney Frank and Chris Dodd brought up on charges for what they did forcing banks to give sub-prime loans, but I know we are never going to see it. So, I don’t dwell on it, don’t worry about it. There is nothing I can do about it. I guess I could use it as fuel to fire my passion for MEANINGFUL change. Either way, even if I found out the truth about what happened and who did what and everything I wanted to know, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. It wouldn’t change a thing.
We need to remember the past; we need to learn lessons from it and gain wisdom, and avoid repeating the mistakes made there. That goes for personal life and human history. We can’t spend our time and energy dwelling on it though. It is a wasted effort.
Monday night there is the first of the district candidate forums sponsored by the Citizens for Blount County’s Future. If you’re in district 4, then go and listen. If you’re in another district then find out when your meeting is and go, listen, ask questions. Find out if there is any difference between the candidates, and make an informed decision. Talk to your friends, your neighbors, and the people you work and worship with about what is going on in this county.
All the other stuff out there is just stuff; we need to focus on what is ahead of us. If we don’t change things locally, statewide, and nationally, we will lose this country. We will tell our grandkid’s about how great it once was when we were free. Let’s change our direction and save our future.

Watch this video from 54 minutes on; http://75.130.57.76/meetings/Agenda%20Committee/AG20100309.WMV

Looks like the biggest issue coming out of the Agenda meeting was that protocol wasn’t followed on hiring a company for financial advice on our debt, which seems to have now become a long term financial advisor.

The task of the Budget committee was to come back with three options for the full commission to vote on. Not all commissioners were able to attend the Budget meeting, thus they maybe had no grasp of what was presented. I was able to attend, and personally was able to pretty quickly surmise PFM was not only the most logical choice - but really the only practical choice. Two of the companies were both providers of the type instruments we have been involved in and advisors. The current state guidelines prohibit this arrangement. One had no financial involvement in the state excluding work with The College of the South and no office in Tennessee.

This left PFM. And it wasn’t the case they were just the last man standing, they had by far the best presentation.

However, commissioners not on the Budget Committee or in attendance at the meeting, still had no background on the committee’s choice. A suggestion to bring them all back was called for, but as McCulley pointed out, with the Budget Committee recommending PFM - the others would likely not return.

In the end, it was decided to ask only PFM to come back before the full commission (although there is video archive of all presentations). The come back request is understandable as protocol wasn’t followed per the full commissions request.

Hopefully, the full commission will find out what their actual role will be. If their advice is to go to fixed, which are at record lows, there should be no need for a long term ongoing contract.

The County debt has doubled to nearly one quarter BILLION dollars since 2003. Blount County now has the highest debt per person in East Tennessee. A $46,000,000 balloon payment on the debt must be made next year. And County General Fund spending is growing at 2.5 times the rate of inflation.

Jim Folts, candidate for District 7 Commissioner, is making a presentation at the Greenback Community Center, on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:00 pm. In his presentation he will show why the May 4 primary will be a very important election, if we are to prevent County taxes from soaring. See this link for details. Learn more about Jim’s campaign at this link.

Jim will also be speaking with the Carpenters Middle PTSO at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, March 9 at 6:30 pm in the school cafeteria.

If you have not yet reviewed the Agenda package for Tuesday’s Commission meeting you might want to go over and do so. Commissioners Reeves and McCulley have a great resolution to encourage the public to participate in the local government.

Key points include advertising open commission/board seats that are appointed by the Commission.

Listing the member and their terms of all commissions/committees/boards.

Make it easier to find all the public notices pertaining to local government- right on the County website.

K.I.S.S.

What does this little acronym mean? Back in my military days;
it went something like this: Keep It Simple Stupid. I know we aren’t supposed to use the word stupid anymore, but if it is apt to the situation then I don’t see the problem.
In the county commission meeting I attended on February 18th the Chairman admitted he had begun to realize how little he knew and understood of what former finance director Dave Bennett and
bond agent Ayers of Regions Financial had informed the commission of with regards to the county budget for the last few years. Finance is complicated, especially when you get into derivatives, and rate swaps,
and on demand bonds. I’m not saying I understand it either. I’m saying that up front. Jim Folts has helped some, but I still have much to learn.
If something is so complicated that you can’t understand it, then don’t vote to approve it. At the very least get someone who can explain it to you before you do! There are a lot of things in contracts that I haven’t understood when it came to financing my home or my vehicles. I have had someone explain them to me. I ask about early payoff penalties or transfer fees. I want to know what something is going to cost me before I ever sign on the dotted line because I am the one who is going to have to make the payments. It appears these things were never done with a majority of the financial decisions of the current commission.
Can we do better? This is a valid question when you realize the amount of debt the county has, and that a 46.5 million dollar payment is due next year. Using information provided by The Daily Times, I have been enlightened to the fact that the county has over 61 million dollars of payments due next year on a budget of just over 40 million in the general fund. Something must be done.
We could all pay an extra $5000 of property tax next year. I haven’t found anyone who is willing to do so. Most people I’ve spoken to don’t have the means to do so. One suggestion I have is to pay out a five year bond at 5% fixed interest sold through the local banks. That is a better yield than thousands of people in our county can get on a five year fixed CD (Certificate of Deposit). Another suggestion is figuring out where we can cut waste out of our spending. Some departments of county government do an excellent job overseeing the funds they use. Some do not. In addition, nonprofit entities in the
county should not be funded with taxpayer money.
Due to the contracts currently signed, and the legalities of their binding, I do not know for sure what can be done. I would like to see Dave Bennett and Regions Financial held liable for the poor advice they have given the county in the last four years. I am interested in hearing what plans the new financial director has for reigning in the excessive spending of the current administration. I would like all of it in simple and specific terms.
Keep It Simple Studiously. When I was in public speaking class I was taught there are three parts to a speech. Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. I want all of the citizens of Blount County to understand how we are going to get out of the mess this administration has created. The interest and fees we are paying each year could be better used in a variety of manners in this county.
Speaking of questionable financing, I would like to see the 8 million dollar shortfall from the education budget in the past four years returned to it. While we now have an 11 million surplus in the general fund, I don’t think education should have been robbed to
accomplish this.
I urge everyone reading this to take a serious look at your candidates, their motives, and what they have accomplished in the past four years, positively, or negatively, then decide whom you will support in the upcoming primary.

Jerry L. Harvey Candidate District 4 Seat A

From Blount Today:

Carpenters Middle School is in the running for $210,000 in prizes from Samsung. Terri Bradshaw said Friday she was notified Monday that the school’s essay in the Four Seasons of Hope contest had placed in the top three finish.

“They have selected the top three schools, and we are going to be going to New York City on March 30 where they will announce the grand prize winner on March 31,” she said.

Bradshaw found out Monday but contest rules said contestants could not release information until the company announced it on their website. The grand prize winner gets $210,000 in merchandise, and the other two finalists get $50,000 in merchandise each.

“I can’t believe it. I’m just speechless. I was stunned,” Bradshaw said. “I didn’t think for a minute - you hope - but I didn’t think we would get to the top three.”

For the full article, click here; http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2010/mar/06/cms-finalist-samsung-210000-promotion/

Click here for larger image.

If you’re poor, we’re going to scare you. If you’re rich, we’re going to stroke your ego. Sounds about right.

For the full presentation of the RNC scare/ego tactics, click here; http://www.politico.com/static/PPM136_100303_rnc_finance_leadership.html

3 Toll Booths
to be initially
Installed

by Lumpy Sheepbert
of the Dilly Dally Tymes staff
04 March 2010

In an effort to bolster up sagging road taxes in the county, de-rail speculations of passenger rail service, and keep the asphalt flowing; officials have decided to try 3 toll booths on major arteries leading into the county. These locations are not up for public discussion, and the normal avenues of local funding and money changers have all agreed that this is the best direction for the county.

As seen on Blountviews.com http://blountviews.com/node/1034

This is something that you won’t read in the Daily Times. Seems Maryville has been identified as a city with one of 37 HATE groups in Tennessee by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Here’s the link:

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map?ondntsrc=MBC100370YNH&newsletter=dnewsgen-20100302#s=TN

Are we good people? Some would have to believe we are a nation of evil. We became great off the back of slaves brought in from Africa and Europe, turned a blind eye to the Chinese slaves that built the railroads, and fought a war to keep people in suppression.
Any student of history who has done an honest survey of the past will know these statements are not completely true and ignore many of the facts surrounding the founding and growth of our nation.
I’m not saying that our nation hasn’t done evil things over the course of the past 235 years. There have been terrible things done in the name of our nation, but I don’t think we are evil. Overall, the United States has been a force for good in the world. Without our intervention in the two great wars the world would look much different today than it does.
Most of the major inventions of the last 150 years have come from the United States. Our system of Capitalism, individual freedom, and personal rights, is unlike any other nation in the world. While there are those in our society who feel we should hate our individualism and selfish pursuits, those are the things that make us great.
Here is one simple question to judge a country as good or bad: Do people want to get into it, or out of it? More people want to get into America than want to get out. Although there are quite a few I would be glad to see go personally. I’m sure there are some with similar feelings about me.
Now, on a local level, do more people want to move into Blount County, or move out? I’ve spoken to several who are thinking of leaving. The current government for Blount County has chosen their own path in recent decisions concerning, Fluoride in the water, the purchase of the old Levi’s building (Ceramaspeed property), the purchase, and sell, of fairground property, allowance of private airstrips, and a general feeling that the constitution, the current zoning laws, and the will of the people have no bearing on their decisions in many cases.
A general failure of understanding, and unwillingness by several representatives to study the issues in depth has put many of our individual freedoms at risk in the past four years.
Those we serve decide whether or not we are good. Have the current Mayor, Sheriff, Commission member’s and other elected officials served you well?
One good man can change the course of history. I may not be a history changer, but the government is best run by local people on a local level. I don’t want state or federal government directing my life from an office somewhere in D.C. or Nashville. I feel the local government has rubber stamped too many of Washington and Nashville’s directives without questioning if we must abide them by law, or if they even apply to the people of our county.
Are we good or not? You decide, beginning May 4th.

Jerry Harvey–Candidate District 4, Seat A

First Friday Luncheon, Air Quality Issues for Blount County
Where: Alcoa Ryans
When: 11:30 AM Friday March 5, 2010

Frequent contributor Dennis Wetter will lead us to a better understanding of the issues of Air Quality in Blount County Now and in the Future

Abstract:

You may be aware that EPA has lowered ( lower is better) the ceiling on ozone and smog concentrations in the Knoxville Metro area. Blount is in non compliance with the 0.75 current standard. The new proposed standard of 0.60 will bring some real pain to people in Blount County. This air quality standard will have major impact on transportation as transport is responsible for one half of all area pollution. One might ask “so what"? The bottom line is at the present standard there are many premature deaths in Blount County and thousands of asthma and other breathing problems in BC. I would present the problem and why it occurs and also discuss potential solutions. If a region wants to STIFF the EPA, the law then allows cuts in federal highway funds.”



Meet and eat starts at 11:30 Program and discussion starts at 12:00 Tell the Ryan’s cashier you are with the Blount Democrats and you will be directed to our room.
Tell everyone who has to breath about this program.

Organized by volunteers for the Blount County Democratic Party. Find us at: http://blountdems.org/

Forrest Erickson

Where Did Common Sense Go?

Sometimes you have to wonder about people. You read a story in the paper, or watch the news reports, and you shake your head in disbelief at what some fool did. You ask yourself how someone could make such an idiotic choice when the results of the given situation should be obvious.
Here is my for instance: Recently a man was killed while attempting to steal copper from a utility substation. A Jourdanton man was killed early Friday after he was shocked by 69,000 volts of electricity as officials said he was stealing copper wire from an Atascosa County substation. Officials said they think was standing atop one of the substation transformers, cutting off one of the wires, when the electricity arced toward him. Because of the amount of power in the transformer, he wouldn’t necessarily have had to come into contact with the grounded metal to be electrocuted. With a voltage that high, “it reaches out to you.”
Heck, what is 69,000 volts anyway? Those “High Voltage”, “Electrical Hazard”, and “Danger-Do Not Enter” signs are just there to keep the undetermined out are they not? My Liberal friends would suggest we need to figure out how society failed this man so that others won’t attempt similar actions. Guess what? I found over 38,000 reports when checking on Google for the most recent. I guess this is just one criminal who won’t be turning to a life of Labor.
Why didn’t he use just a little common sense? I mean if 120 volts is bad for you, then the 13,800 or 69,000 KVA may do a little more damage. But, we know the problem is running rampant. Watch “COPS” for half an hour, or “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” We hear about these Mental Giants listening to Phil Williams give us his stupid criminals updates. We laugh; we judge them in a small way and think to ourselves “Well, at least I haven’t done anything that stupid.” I am going to admit up front, that on rare occasion in the past I have done things a certified idiot wouldn’t do on a bad day. We all have. Those choices are few and far between however, and (so far) none have been caught by a video camera.
There isn’t a week that goes by that a coworker laments the stupidity of some recent decision made by management, or another worker, or some relative on that other side of the family. We wonder “what were they thinking?” Most of the time they weren’t. I thought for a long time it might be limited to lower and mid level management in corporations, but I have been proved wrong again and again. I rationalized it by saying that its rampant among leftist liberal wackos, but not so common among my conservative brethren. Finally I admitted that individuals are extremely intelligent, but people can be amazingly stupid.
A few years ago when I first considered running for county office I looked at the commission landscape and saw it filled with mostly Republicans. I assumed (wrongly) that the cinch of the Bible belt and support of local churches would ensure strong conservative oversight of social and fiscal programs. Spend taxpayer money like it was your own, and you’ll soon realize how much you can do without and still be happy and comfortable.

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Your local paper online, has two mentions of Sen. Bunning today, but no explanation of why he is taking this fiscal stance. Sen. Bunning is doing what he is doing in effort to reign in wild spending. If these road projects are the most important issues in the U.S., then our congress men and women should have no problem finding $10 billion in waste to pay for the work. Instead the DT and Obama believe your kids should get the $10 billion bill. As long as theys is gettin’ theirs - some don’t care who pays or when.

Bunning also wants Geithner fired along with Bernanke. I think to his credit.

Can a party member, either side, please explain how being a Democrat or Republican is relevant to the duties of any elected offices in Blount County government?

On my previous blog a question came up; Is Ed Mitchell a Democrat? Jerry Cunningham thought he was in a recent news paper comment. This reminded me of the Lincoln Day dinner statement published in the Blount Today May 21st, 2008,

Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham recently made an apology regarding comments he made during the May 9 Lincoln Day Dinner.

While introducing Blount County General Sessions Judge David Duggan, Cunningham spoke about how the Democratic Party in Blount County had become more liberal in the last few years and included individuals who “hit the county line criticizing everything that moves.”

After three Democrats were elected to the commission, he said he often found himself frustrated by them. His next comment at the May 9 Lincoln Day dinner was what raised the ire of some in the community.

“Janice asked me one night where I was going, and it was one of those nights I was mad with those three,” the mayor said. “I said I could go to the bottom of the hill and turn right and go to the Knoxville Zoo, or I could go left and go to the committee meeting,” he said. “I could see the monkeys at the zoo or see them at the committee meeting.”

On May 16, the mayor issued the following statement:

“Recently, in jest, at a dinner, I made some remarks which offended some folks. Since being elected, my family and I have endured many remarks made toward me, not in jest, but out of malice, anger and hatred. That, however, does not justify my remarks. As a matter of conscience, I regret having made these comments and apologize to all who were offended,” Cunningham said.

I don’t expect the democrats will ever forget that statement. I’ll bet most of the democrates will vote for Mitchell during the republican primary and hopes he wins and then deal with Mitchell instead of Cunningham during the general election.

The City of Alcoa announced today, the 7 millionth Visitor to their famous local Rail Museum


Pictured above the City of Alcoa’s Mill Street Rail Museum, established in 2010

by Lumpy Sheepbert
of the Dilly Dally Tymes Staff
01 March 2012

Heralded by fan-fare and orchestration led by the Alcoa High School Band, the City Manager and Mayor of the City of Alcoa, awarded a Key to the City to Mr. Gwrhyr Gwastawd, of Sawnsea, Wales; as he was the 7 millionth visitor to pay for admission to the Mill Street Rail Museum. The City Manager, Jon Dohnson praised the event as a smashing success. “Had we known how popular this would become, we would have built a museum here decades ago. The amount of Commerce we’ve had as a result of finally completing the Passenger Line from the Airport to Downtown Knoxville, has brought employment and visitors here from around the Nation, and as Mr. Gwastawd’s presence here proves–from around the World.”

Not to be outdone, the County had built a Museum in Townsend to compete with the Mill Street Rail Museum–the two year old Asphalting the Appalachias Museum. County Mayor, Ethy Nawl, said in a press release today, “Although we’ve only had a few visitors here at our Asphalting the Appalachias Museum, we hope to have some more stimulus money to keep the doors open, from Governor Haalsm. We know that with tyme, most folks will see the advantage of our mission, versus that crazy steel rail craze!”

Seems like Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J. has a real question to ask Lamar Alexander on his story, used at the recent health care summit, about his friend who is facing health care issues. I wonder how Alexander would answer – NO?

“Sen. Alexander started the discussion on their side by telling a story about a man he met in Tennessee. But if I understand the story correctly, the man is married to a woman who has breast cancer. And he’s afraid he’s going to lose his job, and if he loses his job, he told the senator, it would cost $2,000 a month for health insurance. And the senator used the man as an example of someone who didn’t want the bill but did want us to fix the problem.

It occurred to me that what people ought to focus on is that man and what the two sides are offering here……”

to read more - http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/02/26/andrews