The Hamblen County Budget Committee--composed of all 14 commissioners--has a special called meeting today at 4:30 PM at the Helen Ross McNabb Center. The Committee will tour the current facility from 4-4:30 just prior to the meeting.
[A public notice of this special called meeting was published in the local newspaper on Sunday. That's good because the last time the Budget Committee had a special called meeting to consider the McNabb and Morristown Hamblen Hospital Foundation's requests for donations of public money, there was no notice in the newspaper.]
Helen Ross McNabb Center, a local non-profit, is asking the Hamblen County Commission to give it $100,000 of public funds to help build a new building.
The point person for the request appears to be the local newpaper publisher/editor Mike Fishman.
[Fishman, along with Denise Terry Stapleton, recently requested and received a donation of $51,000 for the McNabb building from Morristown Utilities Commission round-up funds.] See Fishman at MUC here. See the MUC vote on the donation here.
At its August meeting, the Hamblen County Commission did not vote on the McNabb and MHHS Foundation requests, instead sending both requests back to the Budget Committee. See post here.
Fishman was at the Hamblen County Courthouse on Tuesday with other McNabb personnel.
Showing posts with label Mike Fishman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Fishman. Show all posts
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
July 10, 2012 Helen Ross McNabb Center Requests $148,000 from MUC for New Building
Helen Ross McNabb Center (HRM), a community mental health organization offering mental health, substance abuse, and social services, is asking the Morristown Utility Commission to provide $148,000 of funding toward lighting at a new building to be built by HRM.
If the request is granted, the money would come from MUC's "round-up" program where actual MUC bills are "rounded-up" to the next dollar and the money collected above the actual billing is put into a fund from which commissioners donate funds for qualified and approved community projects.
[Your MUC bill is automatically rounded-up unless you opt out and ask to be billed only for the actual amount.]
Mike Fishman spoke to MUC Commissioners on June 28 to start the discussion:
Denise Terry Stapleton spoke of her involvement with HRM:
Helen Ross McNabb's Houston Smelcer spoke:
MUC Commissioner Lynn Elkins: "Addiction and mental illness is epidemic...Our workforce is going to suffer. Why provide services for surrounding counties?...If it weren't for the surrounding counties, we wouldn't have enough people to operate our plants now."
MUC took the request under advisement.
If the request is granted, the money would come from MUC's "round-up" program where actual MUC bills are "rounded-up" to the next dollar and the money collected above the actual billing is put into a fund from which commissioners donate funds for qualified and approved community projects.
[Your MUC bill is automatically rounded-up unless you opt out and ask to be billed only for the actual amount.]
Mike Fishman spoke to MUC Commissioners on June 28 to start the discussion:
Denise Terry Stapleton spoke of her involvement with HRM:
Helen Ross McNabb's Houston Smelcer spoke:
MUC Commissioner Lynn Elkins: "Addiction and mental illness is epidemic...Our workforce is going to suffer. Why provide services for surrounding counties?...If it weren't for the surrounding counties, we wouldn't have enough people to operate our plants now."
MUC took the request under advisement.
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.
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.
Friday, December 11, 2009
December 11, 2009 City Finance Committee Puts ETPC Land Acquisition by Purchase or by Eminent Domain on December 15 Agenda
The Finance Committee of the City of Morristown met at 3:30 PM yesterday in the little conference room near the City Administrator's office. The room---which can only hold about 10-12 people comfortably--was full. The Mayor and councilmembers were seated around the table with Jack Fishman, Bobby Moore (Tribune reporter and employee of Jack Fishman), and a few department heads. Frank McGuffin, chair of the Finance Committee, was late in arriving. Councilmember Kay Senter was not present.
A few people managed to find a seat inside the room, others stood inside the room, and still others, including some city department heads and sewer consultant Lamar Dunn, stood in the two doorways or in the hallway.
[Despite the larger council chambers right next door and a large community room upstairs in the multimillion dollar City Center, the Finance Committee meets in a cramped conference room that is probably not larger and is likely smaller than the City Administrator's office. This conference room is also a secluded meeting place for unannounced meetings of the Mayor and Councilmembers to discuss and deliberate on public business privately prior to walking into the council chambers to vote, but that is a separate issue that I will address more fully in the coming weeks.]
Jack Fishman, who is the longtime head of the Industrial Development Board and President of the company that owns the local newspaper (the Citizen Tribune), wants the City to go ahead and approve acquisition of privately held land in the East Tennessee Progress Center (ETPC).
Click here to see the previous post about the private land that Fishman wants the city to purchase from willing owners or take by force through eminent domain from any who don't want to sell their land.
Fishman said that he recently obtained local employment figures for 2002 and 2009 from the state employment office. He said that these figures show a "startling" loss of 5,000 local manufacturing jobs during that time, explaining that there were about 13,000 manufacturing jobs in the area in 2002 and in 2009 there are just over 8,000. Most people are not startled by that figure. Most people have known about and have been concerned about the exodus of local manufacturing plants to Mexico and China for a long time. Many of these same people have lost their jobs because of the "sucking sound" of jobs leaving this country for cheap labor, less regulation, and lower taxes.
Fishman said, "Our situation is not good." He added that the Industrial Board had been through a 2-year "hiatus" of no prospects. Apparently, there are now two new industrial prospects (1 foreign company and 1 domestic company) along with a possible plant expansion of an existing industry. Fishman used code words for the two new prospects that have completed preliminary surveys. He said that they each would require about a 90-acre site if they eventually decide to locate here. He added that Thom Robinson, director of the Chamber, was not present at the Finance meeting because he was working with a prospect and "I sent him to 'bow'."
[Fishman added that most companies start by selecting about five states and then checking out four locations in each of those 5 states. The company then does a preliminary evaluation of those 20 sites, conducts additional research, narrows the choices down, and, of course, makes site visits before making a selection.]
A map of the Master Plan for the ETPC was flashed on the screen. Randy Corlew, engineer for the Industrial Board, discussed the Master Plan. Fishman said that he doesn't want to invite industry to our community if "I don't have a place to put them."
Claude Jinks said that he can't believe what has happened in the past two years.
Mayor Barile said we can see the problems in the increase of people at the Daily Bread.
Bob Garrett said, "Put it on the agenda." Then he said (jokingly), "I want to thank Mr. Fishman for coming and bowing to us."
Fishman said the Industrial Board could probably have an appraiser by February. The appraiser will determine Fair Market Value for the property, an offer will be made, and then the purchase/sale will "close." Neither the Mayor nor any councilmember asked what happens if a private property owner does not want to sell. Of course, they already know that Fishman's answer to that question would be--- "Take it" through eminent domain. They also already know that Fishman has prepared an ordinance for them to pass that provides for just that-- "taking" the property of anyone who does not want to sell through eminent domain proceedings.
If eminent domain is used, this could end up being a negative for industrial prospects. Often new industry is hesitant to come and locate on land that has been taken from its owners agains their will. If there are several industrial locations available, most companies would prefer to locate on land that has been developed without the ill-will created by the use of eminent domain.
In light of recent city cutbacks of employee hours and other financial concerns, Gene Brooks asked Fishman how the city could pay for the private land that is currently appraised at about $1.3 Million.
Fishman first said that he is not the Finance Director for the city. Then he added that he would recommend borrowing the money through the issuance of bond anticipation notes over the 3-year phased acquisition period.
Perhaps Fishman should have stayed to hear more about the city's situation, but he left before the city's sewer meltdown was discussed.
A few people managed to find a seat inside the room, others stood inside the room, and still others, including some city department heads and sewer consultant Lamar Dunn, stood in the two doorways or in the hallway.
[Despite the larger council chambers right next door and a large community room upstairs in the multimillion dollar City Center, the Finance Committee meets in a cramped conference room that is probably not larger and is likely smaller than the City Administrator's office. This conference room is also a secluded meeting place for unannounced meetings of the Mayor and Councilmembers to discuss and deliberate on public business privately prior to walking into the council chambers to vote, but that is a separate issue that I will address more fully in the coming weeks.]
Jack Fishman, who is the longtime head of the Industrial Development Board and President of the company that owns the local newspaper (the Citizen Tribune), wants the City to go ahead and approve acquisition of privately held land in the East Tennessee Progress Center (ETPC).
Click here to see the previous post about the private land that Fishman wants the city to purchase from willing owners or take by force through eminent domain from any who don't want to sell their land.
Fishman said that he recently obtained local employment figures for 2002 and 2009 from the state employment office. He said that these figures show a "startling" loss of 5,000 local manufacturing jobs during that time, explaining that there were about 13,000 manufacturing jobs in the area in 2002 and in 2009 there are just over 8,000. Most people are not startled by that figure. Most people have known about and have been concerned about the exodus of local manufacturing plants to Mexico and China for a long time. Many of these same people have lost their jobs because of the "sucking sound" of jobs leaving this country for cheap labor, less regulation, and lower taxes.
Fishman said, "Our situation is not good." He added that the Industrial Board had been through a 2-year "hiatus" of no prospects. Apparently, there are now two new industrial prospects (1 foreign company and 1 domestic company) along with a possible plant expansion of an existing industry. Fishman used code words for the two new prospects that have completed preliminary surveys. He said that they each would require about a 90-acre site if they eventually decide to locate here. He added that Thom Robinson, director of the Chamber, was not present at the Finance meeting because he was working with a prospect and "I sent him to 'bow'."
[Fishman added that most companies start by selecting about five states and then checking out four locations in each of those 5 states. The company then does a preliminary evaluation of those 20 sites, conducts additional research, narrows the choices down, and, of course, makes site visits before making a selection.]
A map of the Master Plan for the ETPC was flashed on the screen. Randy Corlew, engineer for the Industrial Board, discussed the Master Plan. Fishman said that he doesn't want to invite industry to our community if "I don't have a place to put them."
Claude Jinks said that he can't believe what has happened in the past two years.
Mayor Barile said we can see the problems in the increase of people at the Daily Bread.
Bob Garrett said, "Put it on the agenda." Then he said (jokingly), "I want to thank Mr. Fishman for coming and bowing to us."
Fishman said the Industrial Board could probably have an appraiser by February. The appraiser will determine Fair Market Value for the property, an offer will be made, and then the purchase/sale will "close." Neither the Mayor nor any councilmember asked what happens if a private property owner does not want to sell. Of course, they already know that Fishman's answer to that question would be--- "Take it" through eminent domain. They also already know that Fishman has prepared an ordinance for them to pass that provides for just that-- "taking" the property of anyone who does not want to sell through eminent domain proceedings.
If eminent domain is used, this could end up being a negative for industrial prospects. Often new industry is hesitant to come and locate on land that has been taken from its owners agains their will. If there are several industrial locations available, most companies would prefer to locate on land that has been developed without the ill-will created by the use of eminent domain.
In light of recent city cutbacks of employee hours and other financial concerns, Gene Brooks asked Fishman how the city could pay for the private land that is currently appraised at about $1.3 Million.
Fishman first said that he is not the Finance Director for the city. Then he added that he would recommend borrowing the money through the issuance of bond anticipation notes over the 3-year phased acquisition period.
Perhaps Fishman should have stayed to hear more about the city's situation, but he left before the city's sewer meltdown was discussed.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
March 18, 2009 Sunshine Week Editorials
Some Sunshine Week Editorials Across Tennessee...
Knoxville News-Sentinel
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
The Jackson Sun
The Citizen-Tribune? Nothing yet.
Is support for Open Meetings by the local paper a thing of the past?
Is Mike Fishman's support for Open Records in 2004 a thing of the past?
*Thank you to Michael Silence for mentioning this post on his popular News-Sentinel blog.
Knoxville News-Sentinel
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
The Jackson Sun
The Citizen-Tribune? Nothing yet.
Is support for Open Meetings by the local paper a thing of the past?
Is Mike Fishman's support for Open Records in 2004 a thing of the past?
*Thank you to Michael Silence for mentioning this post on his popular News-Sentinel blog.
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