April 3, 2009 My "April 1st" Blog Entry Was a Prank! Mayor David Purkey Still Thinks Taxpayers Shouldn't See the Proposed County Budget Online

I received several calls on April 1 and April 2 from people who had read my April 1 post and were excited to find out that County Mayor David Purkey was actually going to post the proposed county budget on the county website.

They were also pleased that my April 1 post reported that Mayor Purkey had actually decided that they--the citizens and taxpayers of Hamblen County--were smart enough to understand what a proposed budget is and that changes might take place during the budget process.

When I pointed out the date of the post (April 1) and the significance of that date (April Fools' Day pranks), one of them laughed and added that she definitely got pranked. Until we talked, she actually thought David Purkey had had a change of heart, had come out in the open, and had decided that the taxpayers pay enough to be able at least to see the proposed county budget online.

I had fun writing the April Fools' Day post, but, no, David doesn't want you to see the proposed budget, and yes, he still thinks little old taxpayers would just be "confused" by the big old budget and budget changes.

David, like 99% of politicians, just wants you to dutifully pay those sales taxes, pay those property taxes, pay those wheel taxes, pay those business taxes, pay those litigation taxes, and on and on and on.

Now that April 1st is over, I'll put a note at the end of that post to let everyone know that nothing has changed in County Mayor David Purkey's Office---

David still does NOT want taxpayers to see the county's proposed budget on the Hamblen County website.

David still thinks taxpayers couldn't possibly understand or handle seeing changes to the proposed budget during the budget process. They would be "confused."

David is still afraid of "someone sitting in a law office somewhere."

And I don't have a clue as to what David's assistant Amber Shelton does for David with those extra FIVE hours per month that she said she has to assist him.

The only thing that is clear at this point is that David will NOT ask her to use those hours to serve the public and post the proposed county budget on the county website.