August 27, 2012 Carl Murphy Speaks To City Council on the Tilman GOINS-Don MILLER race

Carl Murphy spoke to City Council at its August 7 meeting about Tilman Goins'  recent victory over State Rep. Don Miller.

Murphy went to Nashville this past spring with Councilman Gene Brooks to ask local Rep. Don Miller to allow a local referendum on proposed changes to the MUC Private Act involving the appointment process for MUC Commissioners.

I went to Nashville a couple of times as well. I also called several times to ask both Don and Sen. Steve Southerland and other legislators to let the people vote on the proposed changes to the MUC appointment process.

That's all we asked---let the people vote! I explained to Steve, Don, and other legislators that the MUC appointment process then in place had been adopted BY THE PEOPLE in a 2001 referendum election along with a set of MUC changes and, therefore, any change to the appointment process should be placed on the ballot for a vote BY THE PEOPLE in 2012. 

As Carl notes, Don refused to let the people vote. Several other legislators privately (and some publicly) encouraged Don to let the people vote. Don refused every request to let the people vote.

Shortly after Don and Steve pushed their new MUC appointment process through the state legislature, Tilman Goins came forward to challenge Don.  And on August 2, 2012, Don lost his seat in the State House of Representatives after one term. Click here.

Don had the money and the political machine behind him.

Goins joined the race to stand up for the people and the principle that a local law passed by the people should not be overturned by one, two, or 132 legislators in Nashville or by five Morristown City Councilmembers.

Goins brought out several other issues and endured vicious attacks by Don and his followers.

Don ran ads about Goins' two "government checks" without ever explaining that one of those "government checks" was a small Veterans Administration (VA) check for a service-connected disability related to Goins  years of military service in the Marine Corps  and the US Army.

[The other government check is, of course, Goins' salary as an elected county commissioner which is just like Don's "government check" as a state representative--only much smaller]

The attack on Goins' VA disability pension was gutter campaigning at its worst. Miller's implcation  that a VA service-connected disability pension is like a free-loading "government check"
was an affront to all who have served in the US Armed Forces.

The rest, as they say, is history.

August 3, 2012 Tilman GOINS Defeats Don MILLER

March 13, 2012: Rep. Don Miller sponsored a bill in the state legislature to change the Morristown Utilities Commission (MUC) appointment procedure that had been approved and put in place in 2001 by a vote of the people.

During discussion of his bill, Don was asked if he would let the people of Morristown vote on his change to what the people had already approved. Don said "No."

August 2, 2012: The PEOPLE finally had their referendum.

Tilman GOINS defeated Don Miller.

August 1, 2012 Don Miller Has The Courage to Stand Up to Unions, Special Interests, and even Linda Noe

The above is a 17-second clip from State Representative Don Miller's opening statement at a public debate at Walters State on June 18, 2012.

I was not at the debate but was told by others who were there that my name made it into Miller's  opening comments as he bragged about his "courage" to do his "duty" and his "courage" in standing up to Linda Noe.

Well, the only thing that I ever asked Don to do was to let the people of Morristown vote on Don's bill to change the Morristown Utilities Commission (MUC) appointment process from the appointment process that the people had already voted for as part of the 2001 MUC referendum election to what Don had decided in 2012 would be best.

If Don thinks that refusing my request and those of many others to let the people vote on his MUC bill somehow shows  "courage," that's funny and pathetic at the same time.

Don didn't stand up against me. He stood up against the people of Morristown. He made a mockery of the 2001 referendum.

Turning your back on the people and overturning an appointment process that was put in front of the people and overwhelmingly approved BY THE VOTERS in an election as part of a series of MUC reforms is not my definition of "courage."

Turning your back on the people and refusing to let the people vote is cowardly and shows complete and utter contempt for the people.

October 1, 2010 State Representative Candidates at CFA Debates

State Representative Candidates Don Miller (R) and Larry Mullins (D) are pictured with their #1 supporters after last night's debate at the VFW in Morristown.

The candidates gave opening statements, fielded approximately 11 questions, and then gave closing statements.

The debate was sponsored by Citizens for Accountability.  A video of the debate will be on the CFA website in just a few days.

September 30, 2010 Miller-Mullins and Southerland-West Debates Tonight at VFW at 6:00 PM

State Representative Candidates Don Miller (R) and Larry Mullins (D) will face each other tonight in a debate in the VFW Community Room (2503 East A. J. Highway) beginning at 6:00 PM.

State Senate Candidates Steve Southerland (R) and Jack West (D) will participate in a debate beginning at 7:15 PM in the VFW Community Room.

Citizens for Accountability is the sponsor of these debates.

September 29, 2010 State Senate and Representative Candidates Debate at VFW Tomorrow

Tennessee State Representative candidates Don Miller (Republican) and Larry Mullins (Democrat) will participate in a public debate at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Community Room at 6:00 PM on Thursday, September 30.

A debate between Tennesssee State Senate candidates Steve Southerland (Republican) and Jack West (Democrat) will follow at approximately 7:15 PM.

Citizens for Accountability (CFA) is sponsoring the debates. These debates are open to the public, and there is no charge to attend.  There will be a short intermission between each debate. The Community Room is located upstairs at the VFW building at 2503 East Andrew Johnson Highway..

The CFA press release is here.

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