January 20, 2006 Some thoughts on local politics and conflicts of interest

Local politics, laced with rumors and the occasional factual comment, is like a long-running TV soap opera.

To get elected:

Talk conservative money management... Then tax and spend or borrow and spend after the election.

Talk about controlling spending... Then vote for every additional spending proposal that comes around after the election.

Talk about conflicts of interest, ethics, openness, and restoring citizen confidence in government... Then proclaim, after the election, that there are no ethical conflicts of interest in voting on funding issues where your wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, or sister is involved.

The plot line of this political soap opera is always the same---get power, get money, get control of tax dollars, and then spend, spend, spend as you dole out favors and jobs to friends, family, and the well-connected to build your political kingdom and your political security.

Oftentimes, large segments of the voting public are not even aware of all the interconnected power relationships--both business and family--that affect how the people's money is spent.

There are a lot of conflicts of interest in the local political world, and they are being discussed.

Thankfully, the emphasis on ethics at the state level appears to have increased concern and awareness of ethical conflicts of interest at the local level.

People are starting to notice and to talk more openly about conflicts of interest and the way these conflicts seem to affect hiring decisions, appointments, and votes.

The "conflict-of-interest" issue was brought up at a county commission meeting on October 20th when a gentleman asked Chairman Joe Spoone and commissioners Herbert Harville and Ricky Bruce to refrain from voting on a school issue because of their close family and economic ties to the school system.

The most serious conflict-of-interest allegation involved Commission Chairman Joe Spoone. Commissioner Joe Spoone is the brother of School Board Chairman Carolyn Spoone Holt.

In fact, School Board Chairman Carolyn Spoone Holt had appeared before commission (and before her brother Joe) prior to October 20th to ask for additional money from the county to start a new International School for Hamblen County students who don't speak English or who have limited English ability.

Carolyn Spoone Holt's public plea to her brother Joe Spoone for more public money is just the tip of Joe's many conflicts.

Joe Spoone actually has three financial and ethical conflicts of interest when school funding issues come before the commission.

Ethical conflict #1 is that Joe Spoone's sister (Carolyn Spoone Holt) is a member of the school board and current school board chairman.

Ethical conflict #2 is that Joe Spoone's brother (James Spoone) is employed by the school system as a bus driver.

Ethical conflict #3 raises the most significant concern about Joe voting on school issues. Joe Spoone's wife (Charlene Spoone) is employed by the school system as a technology assistant.

Since James Spoone and Charlene Spoone are not teachers, they do not have the protection of tenure in their employment. They can be fired or their positions can be eliminated.

Now if Charlene Spoone is concerned about her employment with the school board, her pay, or her benefits--all of which benefit Joe as well--would she mention these concerns to her husband Joe Spoone in discussions at the dinner table, at family gatherings, and around the home?

On October 20th, a citizen asked Joe to refrain from voting on the International School and on all school funding issues because of Joe's ethical and financial conflicts of interest.

Joe denied the obvious ethical conflict of interest and voted in favor of using county dollars to help start an "International School" just like his sister had asked.

Many people spoke at the October 20th meeting and made a simple request that county funding of the International School be put on a public referendum during the already scheduled May 2006 primary elections.

The voice of the people in regard to the International School, however, will not be heard in a referendum.

Joe Spoone, despite his financial and ethical conflicts of interest where school issues are concerned, cast the 8th and deciding vote ensuring that the International School will become a reality next year.

This reality also means that significant future costs will be incurred by Hamblen County taxpayers in continuing and maintaining this new school instead of using existing classroom space to serve these students.