Tuesday, August 31, 2010

August 31, 2010 Mayor Barile and Five of the Six City Councilmembers Meet in JOHNSON CITY To Discuss Morristown Finances, Beautification, Sewer, Increasing Revenue (Taxes, Fees, etc)

Mayor Barile and five of the six City Councilmembers met with City Administrator Tony Cox at the elegant Carnegie Hotel (above) in Johnson City on Friday, August 27, and Saturday, August 28. Councilmember Gene Brooks did not attend. Pictured above (L-R) are Mayor Barile, Kay Senter, Doc Rooney, and Tony Cox. The other picture (L-R) shows Bob Garrett, Claude Jinks, and Frank McGuffin.

Over the course of two days, these seven individuals spent around 10 hours discussing City of Morristown financial woes, unemployment, sewer problems, and their Morristown wish lists.

The City was just barely able to pay its bills last month, and that led to discussion of ways to raise more revenue (translation: dip into YOUR pocket and take more of YOUR money to cover for years of excessive spending and mismanagement). Some ideas for revenue enhancement included adding additional "user fees" on top of the new $10/month garbage user fee that will start in September, increasing property taxes, and increasing sewer fees.

Bob Garrett won the prize for one-liners: Now we know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck.

If ever the "news"paper should have covered a meeting, this was it. But, alas, no one from the "news"paper was there on either day even though these were open meetings.  Bob Moore, the "news"paper's city government reporter, didn't make it to either meeting.

Of course, the intent of having a meeting of the MORRISTOWN City Council in JOHNSON CITY was to keep the pesky public out of the way. On keeping the public away from these meetings, Mayor Barile, the five councilmembers in attendance, and new City Administrator Tony Cox can say "mission accomplished." Almost. 

Citizens for Accountability which tapes local meetings had representatives in Johnson City on both days. Both meetings were taped, and the tapes will be available for viewing in 1-2 weeks. I'll provide info and a link to where the tapes can be viewed at a later date.

City Administrator Tony Cox plans to prepare a summary report of the Johnson City discussions and will no doubt provide it to the "news"paper.  Maybe the "news"paper will use the City's summary/press release to write an article or a series of articles about the Morristown City Council's retreat in Johnson City.

I'll post documents and handouts from the meetings in the next few days.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

August 29, 2010 Citizens for Accountability To Host Debates Featuring TN State House of Representatives Candidates and TN State Senate Candidates

Citizens for Accountability (CFA) is sponsoring two debates on September 30. There is no charge, and the public is invited to attend.  Here is the CFA press release which can also be viewed at the website for Citizens for Accountability: www.morristownhamblencfa.com

PRESS RELEASE
Citizens for Accountability will be hosting two debates on September 30, 2010. The first debate will be between State Representative candidates Don Miller (R) and Larry Mullins (D). The second debate will feature State Senate candidates Senator Steve Southerland (R) and challenger Jack West (D).

The debates will take place in the Community Room at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 5266 located at 2503 East Andrew Johnson Highway in Morristown, TN. Attendance is free and open to the public.

The debate for State Representative for Tennessee’s 10th district will begin at 6:00 PM on September 30th. Republican nominee Don Miller and Democrat nominee Larry Mullins will each give an opening statement before fielding questions from the debate moderator. AtCit the conclusion of the debate, each candidate will give a closing statement. Questions will be chosen from those submitted to Citizens for Accountability by the public.

Following a short break, the State Senate candidates will take the stage at approximately 7:15 PM. State Senator Steve Southerland, Republican, is seeking re-election to Tennessee’s 1st district which encompasses Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, and Unicoi Counties. He is being challenged by Jack West, Democrat. The Senate candidates will give an opening statement, field questions from the debate moderator, and give a closing statement.

Residents of Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, and Unicoi Counties may submit debate questions by e-mailing questions to Citizens for Accountability morristownhamblencfa@gmail.com or mailing questions to Debate Questions, P.O. Box 165, Morristown, TN 37815. All submissions are confidential, and selected questions will not be available to the candidates or to the public until the debate.

Citizens for Accountability is a local group that works in a non-partisan manner to inform, educate, and advise citizens about local government meetings and government actions that affect the livelihood and liberty of citizens.

In June, Citizens for Accountability hosted its first-ever debates featuring the Mayoral and Sheriff candidates in Hamblen County. Citizens for Accountability co-founder and debate organizer Charles Cook stated: “With the county debates this summer, attendance was close to double the expected 150. Since we anticipate an even larger crowd for the state senate and state representative debates, we are hosting these debates in the large community room at the VFW.” The VFW staff will operate a refreshment stand with soft drinks and bottled water with all proceeds going to benefit local area veterans.

The website for Citizens for Accountability is www.morristownhamblencfa.com

CONTACT:
Charles Cook, CFA co-founder
cfcook1968@aol.com
423-748-9670

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

August 4, 2010 Stancil Ford: Too Sick To Stop after Hit-and-Run, Well Enough To Preside at County Commission Meeting 90 Minutes Later as Though Nothing Had Happened

Yesterday's News-Sentinel story on Stancil Ford's hit-and-run on June 30, 2010, is still available to online readers by clicking here.

The paper quotes Stancil and MPD Chief Roger Overholt as saying Stancil wasn't charged because he hit the people due to a "medical condition."

Well, the "medical condition" that prevented Stancil from being charged in the incident did NOT prevent him from ignoring his victims and going on about his important business on June 30 as if nothing had happened.

This picture (above) is of Stancil talking to Larry Baker before the start of the 5:00 meeting of the county commission on June 30, 2010.  Does Stancil look concerned about the two elderly people that he had hit 90 minutes earlier and left on the side of the road? There is another picture of Stancil at the meeting on my original post of July 17

He hit and left two elderly people on the side of the road and went to a county commission meeting. In the News-Sentinel article, Stancil tells just how concerned he was about the elderly couple.

FORD: "The only thing that bothers me is that it's being used politically."

Me. Me. Me. Stancil never mentions any concern for the victims of his hit-and-run! Stancil never offers an explanation to the public or to the victims of why he left the scene only to show up at a county commission meeting?

Readers of the News-Sentinel can make online comments. If you go to the story and continue to scroll down past the article to the comments, there are some interesting and pointed comments such as:

Mr. Ford's medical condition is commonly referred to as: "hitandrunism".

Usually not recognized by most law enforcement unless you are a politican in need of some excuse for bad behavior. Apparently the Morritown Chief thought it was good for this occasion. The voting public is suppose to buy anything thrown at them I suppose!
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Sometimes, when you 'absolutely, positively' have to be there....well, a little rear ender is nothing...
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But yet he went to the county commission meeting. Stancil Ford is the biggest loser ever. I vote for ANYONE that is running against the main.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

August 3, 2010 Run, Stancil, Run! (Hit-and-Run!)

While the local "news"paper is still protecting County Commission Chair Stancil Ford from any local  coverage of Ford's hit-and-run on June 30, 2010, there is a brief report in today's Knoxville News-Sentinel. Click here for the News-Sentinel article.

I provided info on Stancil's hit-and-run on July 17 with copies of the Traffic Crash Report and Impound Form. Click here for the blog post and documents.

Thankfully, Stancil didn't hit the older couple head-on and no one was killed. But just like Teddy Kennedy's cut-and-run at Chappaquiddick, what Stancil did and said after the accident is telling.  According to the News-Sentinel, Stancil said, "The only thing that bothers me is that it's being used politically."

No concern for the victims. No explanation of why he went to a meeting right after the accident. It's all about Stancil! It's all about power. It's all about protecting the powerful. FORD: "The only thing that bothers me is that it's being used politically."

Stancil and MPD Chief Roger Overholt say that Stancil wasn't charged with hit-and-run because there was a medical problem.  Overholt then admits knowing that Stancil went to a county commission meeting after the wreck! 

Overholt never explains what kind of medical condition prevented Stancil from being charged with leaving the scene of an accident but didn't prevent Stancil from showing up at a county commission meeting immediately after the crash.

Stancil doesn't comment at all about showing up at a county commission meeting immediately after the wreck and apparently driving right past the people he had hit so he could do what he wanted to do instead of what he was legally and morally required to do.

Click here for a picture of Stancil at the county commission meeting 90 minutes after the crash. Too sick to be charged with hit-and-run but healthy enough to make it a county commission meeting? 

When the cover-up starts, it never ends.  And, in typical political fashion, protect yourself and blame someone else. FORD: "The only thing that bothers me is that it's being used politically."

Jacko Fishman and Miko Fishman own Stancil and don't want to damage their puppet. Jacko and Miko and crack reporter Bobby Moore know that it's pretty near impossible to explain--with a straight face--how Stancil was too sick to be charged with hit-and-run but was plenty healthy enough to drive past his victims and show up at a county commission meeting.  There is no local "news"paper or "news"radio.  Both are controlled by the Fishmans and simply ignore any "inconvenient" news and facts about political friends.

Stancil is part of the good old boys ruling class, so he can flee the scene of an accident involving $6,000 property damage and personal injury to others, go to a county commission meeting, and not be charged and not have it even mentioned in the local "news"paper.

[Sometimes the local "news"paper is forced to report "news" after the Sentinel or some other outlet breaks the story. After totally ignoring the story for over a month, we'll see if there is some little "all is well" report in today's or tomorrow's "news"paper.]

According to one of the victims, 73 year-old Betty Eldridge, her car still hasn't been repaired. Well, of course not.  Stancil has more important things to take care of--like making sure that HIS truck has been fixed and re-painted and doesn't show any evidence of his hit-and-run. 

It's all about Stancil. The little people? They don't count.