May 3, 2013 Kay Senter's Record on Trailer Next to Weigel's on West A.J. Highway

   
As Paul Harvey would say, the "rest of the story" about Kay Senter's experience on City Council is on a trailer that is parked on the old Morristown Chevrolet site on the West Andrew Johnson Highway next to Weigel's. [Some people may be able to enlarge the picture simply by clicking on it]

Sometimes government "experience" is actually just lots and lots of experience in raising taxes, starting new fees (garbage fees), increasing old fees (like sewer fees) to astronomical levels, refusing to respect and let the people vote on issues (MUS), and using taxpayer dollars and taxpayer-paid city employees to promote a YES Vote in a referendum on a sales tax increase.

And this doesn't even mention Ms. Senter's many attempts to censor or limit public comments at council meetings.



   

March 16, 2010 Public Notice: City of Morristown Looks To Borrow Up To $4 Million Dollars To Make It Through the Next 4-6 Months

The City of Morristown has gone out looking for money to borrow so it can make it through the end of the current fiscal year.  Three years of robbing Peter (sewer fund) to pay Paul (general fund) without authorization or approval isn't going to fly this year,

How much is the City looking to borrow? Oh, anywhere from $2 Million up to $4 Million. Bids or proposals from banks will be opened on March 24.

What's the problem? Not enough cash to pay the bills---especially with debt payments coming up.

Where's the money from the 2008 sales tax increase?  The City told you to VOTE YES for the sales tax increase. How's that sales tax increase working out?

Where's the money from the 2007 property tax increase?  The City raised the property tax rate by 40-cents, then lowered it by 15-cents after the 2008 sales tax referendum was approved.  That's still a 25-cent property tax increase. How's that property tax increase working out?

In less than three years, the City has raised property taxes, has raised the sales tax, has boosted sewer fees out the roof, and has cut expenses (supposedly). And they are still crying for more as they talk about a higher hotel-motel tax and a garbage fee and maybe another property tax hike.

The City taxpayers, trying to stay afloat themselves, sing aloud: "Where has all the money gone?" Good question.

May 6, 2009 Two New City Council Members Are Elected and Sales Tax Increase Is Now Countywide

Morristown City Council will have two new faces and one familiar face.

Bob Garrett defeated former assistant City Administrator Jack Kennerly to take the vacant Ward 1 seat. Gene Brooks took the at-large seat, prevailing in a crowded field over former MUS head Bill Swann and incumbent councilman Rick Trent. Kay Senter retained her Ward 3 seat over challengers Charles Cook and Larry Lane.

As I predicted on Monday, the sales tax increase referendum passed yesterday. Only Hamblen County voters living outside the city limits could vote in this referendum.

Governments will not give up on getting more and more tax money as shown by the mutiple sales tax referenda held in Hamblen County in 15 months.

A single countywide sales tax increase referendum failed in February 2008.

After the countywide tax increase was rejected, the governments (Mayor Barile/city council and Mayor David Purkey/county commission) decided to go with a split-vote tactic, separating the failed countywide sales tax referendum into two separate referenda (inside the city and then outside the city) with two separate goals.

The city voters passed the sales tax increase inside the city limits in June 2008 after being offered a 15-cent property tax reduction in exchange for a YES vote on the sales tax. The city's pick your poison referendum was: Either pay the 40-cent tax property tax increase OR pay a 25-cent property tax increase and an increased sales tax!

Yesterday, the county voters passed the sales tax increase outside the city limits after being told that they had to pass the sales tax increase in order to get some of the tax dollars being collected by the city flowing to the county schools.

[NOTE: The city had previously used the "for the children" mantra in trying to get support for the first (countywide) sales tax referendum in February 2008. Click here to see Morristown Mayor Sami Barile's letter expressing concern for the children and education. When that referendum failed, the city held a city-only referendum which passed in June 2008.

After passage of the city-only referendum, the city's concern "for the children" evaporated. The City considered giving some of its "excess" sales tax money to Hamblen County Schools but decided not to. The city's concern for education boiled down to this message to the county and school system: "You'll have to pry that money from my cold, dead hands."]

With a referendum on a sales tax increase, the government never gives up. With Hamblen County's initial rejection of an increase, it then became a "divide and conquer" battle. Offer one group (city voters) one thing and then hold another referendum and offer another group (county voters) something else.

Just get those higher taxes passed! Anyway. Someway. Every which way.

May 4, 2009 Sales Tax Referendum

I'm guessing that the city's blackmail referendum making the sales tax increase "countywide" will pass tomorrow.

Click here to see how the blackmail referendum came about.

Here's the 15-month saga in a nutshell showing that the government--city and county--never give up on getting more tax money! County commissioners and County Mayor David Purkey saw the first countywide sales tax increase defeated in February 2008 despite the letter sent out by Ford and Purkey on county stationery and despite never-ending Tribune front-page press releases supporting the increase.

The City, which had just raised its property tax rate by 40 cents in 2007, decided to try again and again offered a carrot to city voters in order to get the increase passed citywide. The carrot: the city would roll back its historic and unprecedented 40-cent property tax increase to "only" a 25-cent increase IF city voters would support a sales tax increase in June 2008. City voters said "it's a deal." See the taxpayer-funded letters sent out to city voters here.

Now the county is piggybacking off the city results. Several commissioners, Mayor David Purkey, and school board members are happy that the city passed the tax increase in June 2008 giving the county yet another opportunity to push for the increase "outside" the city limits.

The Chamber has asked its members to get out and vote for the increase.

The School System has encouraged voters---including, of course, the huge block of school system employees---to get out and vote for the increase.

Several county commissioners, including commission chair Stancil Ford, are going around encouraging a YES vote on the increase.

County Mayor David Purkey, who signed letters on county stationery supporting a sales tax increase in 2008, is still on the tax 'em more bandwagon even if it takes a two-step referendum to get there.

The Tribune has run its editorial supporting a sales tax increase just like it did back during the 2001 sales tax increase referendum (which failed) and just like it does every time that most any tax increase is on the table.

So...the city finally got what it wanted in June 2008 and the rest is history.

The county has held down interest in tomorrow's sales tax referendum by scheduling the referendum on a date when no other county office or issue is being voted on. Unlike city voters, county voters are not being offered a property tax decrease. There will be a low overall county voter turnout but a high turnout of school and chamber voters and the referendum will likely pass this time.

And Director of School Dale Lynch has not prioritized his spending or said exactly where any additional sales tax money will go---but you can rest assured that all your tax money WILL BE SPENT and that everyone will come back asking for MORE.

May 1, 2009 Win the Vote Committee Turns in Sales Tax Increase Financial Disclosure Statement

The Win the Vote group supporting the Sales Tax Increase Referendum in Hamblen County filed its first financial disclosure form on April 28. More on Win the Vote in a previous post.

Win the Vote reports taking in $2,380. [$1,680 in unitemized contributions under $100/each. $700 in itemized contributions from two individuals: $500 from County Commissioner/Win the Vote organizer Ricky Bruce and $200 from Hamblen Schools Supervisor of Business/Win the Vote treasurer Traci Antrican.]

The group appears to have already paid out $530 [$30 for a voter list and $500 in itemized expenditures "over $100 to each payee."]

Win the Vote lists itemized expenditures of $2,850 for postage and mailing and $115 for a sign as outstanding obligations.

April 27, 2009 Sevier County Voting on Sales Tax Increase (Again)

The News-Sentinel has an article and interesting comments on a second sales tax increase referendum in less than a year in Sevier County. Hamblen County also has a second sales tax increase referendum on the May ballot.

There are many similarities between the Sevier and Hamblen sales tax increase referenda. The article and online comments on the Sevier referendum are here.

Sevier County voters defeated a sales tax increase about 10 months ago. Hamblen County voters defeated a sales tax increase a little over a year ago.

The powers-that-be in Sevier (school board, county commission, etc.) have put the sales tax increase referendum back on the ballot in Sevier. Ditto for Hamblen County.

The leaders in Sevier think that the voters didn't understand the issue the first time. Ditto for Hamblen.

This time, the powers-that-be in Sevier are trying to better educate the public in order to get the voters to vote in favor of the sales tax increase. Ditto for Hamblen.

The sales tax increase in Sevier is, of course, for the children. Ditto for Hamblen.

There is one interesting difference, however, between Sevier and Hamblen.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters says he has agreements from the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg to give all the sales tax that would normally belong to each city to the schools.

Hamblen County Mayor David Purkey has never gotten an agreement from Morristown--the only city in Hamblen County--to give all or a large part of the sales tax that would normally belong to the city to the schools.

The City of Morristown goes on and on about education when the City is trying to garner votes for a sales tax increase. Click here.

But Morristown-- unlike Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg--quickly forgets about education once the sales tax increase passes. If a sales tax increase passes, Morristown keeps every penny that it can instead of giving all or a large portion of its share of the sales tax increase to the schools. Click here for more information.

Whether the current sales tax increase passes or not, Maybe Mayor Purkey and Director of Schools Dale Lynch ought to contact Morristown Mayor Barile and see if she can get the City to donate all or a large portion of the City's sales tax to education.

April 11, 2009 Referendum on Sales Tax Increase in Hamblen County

The committee to increase the local sales tax in Hamblen County from 9.5% to 9.75% was formed on Monday.

If enough money has been raised or if the Tribune extends credit, the Win The Vote sales tax increase committee will probably have a big ad in the Tribune tomorrow asking Hamblen County voters to support the sales tax increase from 9.5% to 9.75%. Letters or postcards may follow. Then students, school employees, or parents passing out literature at work, sending e-mails, and going door-to-door.

We may see an original editorial--unlike the typical Tribune editorial that has been copied from some other paper. There will probably be an onslaught of letters to the editor and the proverbial Tribune "series" of articles on schools and the sales tax--all with the Tribune's and School Board's classic pro-tax stance.

You can blame this third push for a sales tax increase directly on the City of Morristown. In the first (countywide) sales tax referendum in February 2008, the City tried to get city votes by promising a city property tax decrease. The city and county both noted that part of the money would go to education--- "for the children." David Purkey and Stancil Ford prepared and signed letters on county stationery that were sent out to county voters. That referendum failed.

Despite the setback, the City was determined to get a sales tax increase approved despite the initial setback. So the City held a second referendum--just for city voters--again promising city voters that the City's 2007 historic 40% property tax increase would be rolled back to a 25% increase if the sales tax referendum was approved. Letters were sent out by Mayor Barile and the council saying in no uncertain terms vote "Yes." Sort of like the county's "pick-your poison" wheel tax referendum in 2002. The citywide referendum passed.

City voters reduced one poison (property tax) by voting for an increase in another poison (sales tax). Then the City--which had joined in expressing passionate concern for education in the first referendum--decided to keep ALL of the sales tax instead of voluntarily contributing part of its sales tax increase to "the children."

In this third sales tax referendum, the county is pushing to make the city's sales tax increase countywide---just as it would have been had the first countywide referendum passed. The county is NOT offering any roll back in property taxes to county voters.

The city and county have orchestrated a two-prong approach to force/extort/blackmail voters into finally approving, in effect, a countywide sales tax increase. The City went first and offered a property tax reduction to finally get the sales tax increase passed in the city. The County is going second and, if the tax passes, city, county, and school officials will have gotten what each wanted all along--more tax money.

With the never-ending push for more money, where is the plan describing exactly how additional money will be spent, what improved educational outcomes will be realized, how much test scores will rise, how student literacy will be improved, or how much graduation rates will go up?

From the Win the Vote committee: This is about "the children." The answer to all school woes is money, more money, and still more money.

From the taxpayers: We love the children. The answer to all school woes is NOT money. And can you tell us how much taxpayer money will be enough? Just a ballpark figure will be OK. 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%?

June 4, 2008 Citywide Sales Tax Increase Passes

Not surprisingly, the citywide sales tax increase referendum passed.

The vote was 979 YES and 525 NO.

Very low voter turnout.

County Commissioners will no doubt implement step two of the Plan B alternative countywide sales tax referendum in short order.

[Plan A was the failed February 5 referendum for a countywide sales tax increase.]

Plan B is the alternative two-step countywide sales tax increase.

Step one: passage of the citywide sales tax increase through a carrot-and-stick "pick your poison" offer to city voters. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Step two: passage of the sales tax increase by county voters (outside the city) through a campaign to capture $1 million of the city's $2 million sales tax increase for education. County voters will NOT be offered even a temporary property tax rollback as were city voters.

Watch for the word "opportunity"---that's the latest buzzword. This will be an "opportunity" to add $1 million to education spending.

In the end the result is the same as the initially rejected countywide referendum. It just took more time and effort to educate and persuade those pesky voters. Plus offering a temporary carrot or two to get the desired long-term outcome.

According to the government (just ask them or watch the news reports/press releases), government financial problems are always the result of low taxes/lack of revenue.

Government doesn't issue press releases and rarely do you see news reports (locally, anyway) about overspending due to multiple levels of administration, job creation and promotion for relatives and cronies, and perks that go beyond standard benefit packages.

And this brief list doesn't even include basic financial mismanagement due to no-bid contracts, multi-million dollar wish lists, and years and years of interest-only debt payments so that you just pass the debt on to the next generation.

It's far easier to just scream "more money" and put out press releases and use tax dollars to send out letters to get a YES vote on a tax increase than it is to tackle the real expenditure problems and to work to save and protect those hard-earned tax dollars.

June 3, 2008 On Election Eve, Tribune Front Page Banner Headline Mentions Sales Tax Referendum

Sales tax election tomorrow

That was last night's headline in the Tribune. The report is that 577 people voted early.

During this election, the Tribune has carefully avoided the front-page infomercials that were the core of its "news" reporting during the failed February 5 countywide sales tax increase referendum.

Instead the promotion of this citywide sales tax increase referendum has been by the City with promotional letters sent out at taxpayer expense with the specific request that the recipient vote YES on the sales tax increase. [I may have missed it, but I don't remember the Tribune reporting that these letters went out--even though the Tribune, its owner-publisher, and most staff and reporters would have received these official letters.]

The City plans to slide a permanent sales tax increase in with the offer of a temporary 15-cent property tax increase.

Then the plan is for the county to come back and try to pass the sales tax increase in the county.

If at first you don't succeed (countywide), try, try again (citywide and then county only).

The fall back plan (city vote, then county) began as soon as the countywide referendum failed.

That's likely why the City, despite early talk of supporting the schools, has NOT agreed to provide any of its extra $1 million in projected sales tax money to the schools. That leaves it open for the county to call for another referendum in the fall and say we need to pass a sales tax increase in the county so we can swipe the extra $1 million back from the City "for the children."

The City will say fine and, boom, the permanent sales tax increase is in countywide despite the initial resistance of those pesky voters.

And then the good old boys can resume the practices of administrative overstaffing, hiring relatives, making interest-only payments on debt, overspending, $100 M city wish lists, and $50M? $70M? county building programs.

Conflicts of interest, no-bid contracts, nepotism, special raises to select workers, and take-home vehicles and lots of late model chrome for the elite can continue!

May 27, 2008 Mayor Barile Appoints Support Tax Increase Committee

The City of Morristown has formed a committee to support the sales tax increase in the current referendum.

The name of the committee is "City of Morristown." Click on the image for all the details.

Mayor Sami Barile appointed City Finance Director Dynise Robertson as treasurer of this "City of Morristown" Committee.

The treasurer's address is the Morristown City Center! The treasurer's phone number is 581-0100--the same phone number for the City of Morristown!

If you are a Morristown property owner, the committee recently sent you a nifty personalized letter--that you paid for--to encourage you to vote YES for a sales tax increase.

Squeezed by soaring costs of gas, milk, food, insurance, utilities? Too bad.

Gotta raise those sales taxes so people pay more taxes on the purchase of basics.

Tax 'em when they earn. Tax 'em when they spend.

Tax 'em, Tax 'em, Tax 'em.

Take their money and then, boom, use those tax dollars to send out letters encouraging a YES vote for even more taxes.

Mr. Ponzi (scheme), the government's going to put you out of business!

UPDATE: Taxing Tennessee has added a post and comment on the "arrogance" of this City taxpayer-funded "propaganda." Thank you to Ben Cunningham, a taxpayer-watchdog!

May 25, 2008 The City Has Mailed Its Taxpayer-funded Pro-Tax Letters

The Morristown City Council sent letters last week to "Morristown Property Owner."

The letters ask each recipient to vote YES for a sales tax increase in the June 3 referendum.

The letters have individualized property tax information and state that the City Council has "committed" to roll back last year's historic 40-cent property tax increase by 15-cents if the referendum passes. Click on the image at left to view one of the letters.

The letter campaign is part of a mighty effort to cajole a "yes" vote out of a segment of the voting population with no thought about the effect of another sales tax increase on young families, the elderly, and low-income workers--all of whom will be hit hardest with the higher sales tax rate of 9.75%.

The City Council alone votes on property tax increases. The voters, however, have the say on sales tax increases.

Since the Council has to rely on voters to pass a sales tax increase, the City is resorting to extraordinary means--including a temporary partial tax rollback or what some have termed "temporary tax reduction bribery"--to get voter approval of a permanent sales tax increase.

If the Council can get the voters to agree to a sales tax increase, the Council can do the obligatory and temporary 15-cent reduction and then turn right around and vote in future property tax increases without going to the voters as is necessary with the sales tax.

About the only way to get voters to vote themselves a sales tax increase is to frame it in terms of "pick your poison," so that's exactly what the City is doing.

The City administered a 40-cent property tax poison to city taxpayers in 2007. Now the Mayor and City Council are telling city voters that they can substitute a sales tax poison for part (15- cents) of last year's property tax poison by voting YES on the sales tax increase.

Sales taxes are regressive and impact the working poor, the elderly, and those on fixed incomes the hardest.

Sales tax dollars, as pointed out by City Councilman Mel Tucker, are an unreliable, up-and-down source of revenue for the City. The sales tax dollars of outsiders are particularly unreliable because outsiders do not have to come to Morristown to shop.

This referendum offers a short-term carrot (a temporary 15-cent property tax reduction) in order to get voters to approve a long-term and permanent sales tax increase.

The letters are about spending taxpayer dollars to convince property owners that they can benefit by laying a permanent regressive sales tax increase both on themselves and on the working poor, the elderly, and individuals and families who rent.

Look at the people who will benefit by the sales tax/property tax swap.

Then look at the people who are likely to be hurt by the swap--those who own inexpensive housing, those who rent, those who have small fixed incomes, those already suffering with gas at nearly $4/gallon and milk hovering around $5/gallon-- those who already have great difficulty in purchasing the basics of life.

Where is the letter explaining how wonderful it is for these individuals to pay even more sales tax? The government can not tax itself into prosperity, but it certainly can tax its citizenry into oblivion!

May 18, 2008 Sales Tax Vote: All Quiet on the Morristown Front

Yes, there is a citywide sales tax referendum going on. Early voting started last week. Election Day is June 3. The Tribune has been pretty quiet---so far.

There have not been any front-page pictures/headlines/articles quoting all the elected and unelected "leaders" who support the tax. This is quite a contrast to the incessant front-page pro-tax articles/advertisements in the Tribune in the days leading up to the February 5 countywide sales tax referendum that failed.

Maybe the June 3 citywide referendum is going to be a stealth election where the powers-that-be network to make sure that the troops come in and vote for the tax increase, and other than that, mum's the word. Quiet. Don't remind the average taxpayer about the city's June 3 "pick-your-poison" sales tax referendum and early voting.

Bob Moore wrote an article back in March indicating that the City was going to spend $12,000 on this citywide referendum to educate and advocate for passage of the sales tax increase. As of about noon on Thursday, the City had not yet registered with the Hamblen County Election Commission as a "committee" to support the sales tax.

During the last (February 5) referendum, the City of Morristown formed a committee to support the sales tax. This "committee" put up "Vote YES for Sales Tax" signs on city property and at the Courthouse and mailed out letters signed by the City Mayor and all Councilmen encouraging Morristown residents to vote YES for the sales tax increase.

The City donated $3,500.00 tax dollars to this committee. The "committee" spent $3,066.26 of those donated tax dollars to "educate" those voters who might be inclined to vote against a sales tax increase. The City's finance director Dynise Robertson served as treasurer of that committee.

Click on the images above to see the City's donation of $3,500.00 tax dollars to this committee and the itemization of the committee's $3,066.26 in expenditures. [No, I don't know why or who spent tax dollars at an Office Max in Johnson City instead of Office Max in Morristown.]

Most local residents vividly remember the 2002 "pick-your-poison" wheel tax referendum. Tribune headlines provided the education, "Voters Should Pick Poison." (See above). Bob Moore's article quoted the Commission Chair as telling voters it's an "either-or" proposition---either you vote for the wheel tax OR there will be a property tax increase. Voters dutifully "picked" the wheel tax, and County Commission just as dutifully passed a property tax increase just a few short months later.

Now it's the City's turn. They want city voters to "pick" a sales tax increase despite the fact that sales taxes are among the most regressive taxes. They hit everyone, for sure, but they hit the poor and those on fixed incomes the hardest. Despite the disproportionate and heavy burden of sales taxes on the poor, the City spent over $3,000 tax dollars on the last failed sales tax referendum and, according to City Administrator Jim Crumley, the City may spend even more tax dollars ($12,000?) on the current sales tax referendum in order to "educate" voters to vote YES.

The City wants to put the sales tax increase "in-the-revenue-bag" and then property tax increases can resume. Pick one poison (by referendum) and then the property tax poison (that you can't vote on in a referendum) will be just down the road. Just like the county.

The sales tax increase will then be just another eternal tax burden that hits the poor, the elderly, and those on fixed incomes every time they purchase the basic necessities---a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, shoes, a shirt.

There is already a tremendous sales tax burden (9.5%) on goods purchased in Morristown/ Hamblen County.

Isn't that enough? Aren't people having enough trouble as it is paying for $5/gallon milk, nearly $4/gallon gas, and sky-high food, utility, insurance, and sewer increases?

March 20, 2008 Four for Four: Batting 1.000

I'm batting 1.000! See my predictions in my March 15 post.

According to yesterday's page 8 Tribune article, the City of Morristown is moving ahead with plans to hold a city-wide referendum after the narrow failure of the February 5th countywide sales tax referendum.

Nothing surprising about that. In every pre-February 5th front-page tax-promotion article in the Tribune, the City repeatedly stated that it would hold a city only sales tax referendum if the February 5th countywide referendum failed.

Where I'm 4 for 4 and batting 1.000 is in predicting the City's four plans for spending the $2 Million dollars that the City estimates it will take in if its city-wide referendum passes.

My March 15th predictions in blue and the City's March 18th intentions in red:

1. The City will reduce last year's historic $0.37 property tax increase by $0.15.
The City will reduce last year's historic $0.37 property tax increase by $0.15.

2. The City will give some of the increase to the schools.
The City will give some of the increase to the schools.

3. The City will use some of the increase to build up its fund balance that has been drained.
The City will use some of the increase to build up its fund balance that has been drained.

4. The City will use some of the increase for capital expenditures.
The City will use some of the increase for capital expenditures.

Four-for-four!

The article adds that the City will probably hold a special election instead of just placing the referendum on the ballot for the already-scheduled August or November election.

This means that the City taxpayers will have to pay roughly $8,000 for costs of the special election where there would be no cost to City taxpayers if the measure were placed on the August or November ballot.

In addition to the $8,000 in costs for a special election, the City is apparently planning to spend another $12,000 of taxpayer dollars for, as the paper reports, "public education and advocacy."

[NOTE: During the last referendum, the City was reported as planning to spend $4,000 for public education and advocacy via letters and signs to promote the sales tax. Looks like the City's ante has tripled.]

It's time for another prediction.

If it ever looks like the city special sales tax referendum won't pass---even with free front-page Tribune advertising/articles and even with the spending of $12,000 taxpayer dollars for "public education and advocacy"--- then the City will spend even more and do whatever it takes to educate and advocate for the passage of this referendum.

Cut spending? No. Live within your (the taxpayers') means? No.

March 15, 2008 Another Sales Tax Referendum?

Same song (More Taxes); Second Verse (Another Sales Tax Referendum)

The City of Morristown is going to discuss a City-wide Sales Tax Increase Referendum at its March 18 meeting.

Click here to see the entire City Council Agenda for March 18. The last page lists items for the Council's Work Session on that day.

Item #1 Discussion of City-wide Local Option Sales Tax Referendum.
Item #2 Budget Review.

Wonder if anyone at the Council will add an item to the Work Session agenda?

Item #3 How to Live Within a Budget (Like the Citizens Do) by Making Painful Cuts (Like the Citizens Do) and Eliminating $100 Million Dollar Wish Lists.

Locals are aware that a countywide sales tax increase referendum was on the February 5 ballot and was narrowly defeated.

The countywide referendum was defeated despite the efforts of the City in using tax dollars to put up Vote YES signs and to send out mass mailings to Morristown residents urging them to Vote YES; despite County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford (with help from the P-16 Council and the Tennessee Technology Center) sending out letters to county residents urging support for the referendum; despite the School Board's support; despite the Chamber of Commerce's support; and despite the unending free daily front-page advertising/articles in the Citizen-Tribune telling everyone how truly GREAT a sales tax increase would be.

When will the government decide it has enough of our money?

The current 9.5% sales tax is already HUGE and hits lower and fixed-income individuals with a vengeance.

Shortly after I paid our property taxes (February 29!), I ran into an acquaintance and we started talking about taxes. He, like so many others, is sick of taxes, taxes, and more taxes; fees, fees, and more fees. Then he said something that I've heard before but it bears repeating.

The government taxes us when we earn money and then taxes us again when we spend what little we have left!

Apparently, the City of Morristown is determined to increase the current 9.5% sales tax. With the failure of the first (countywide) referendum, my guess is that the City will schedule a citywide sales tax referendum and will say that if the increase passes: (1) they will reduce last year's city property tax increase by 15-cents; (2) they will give some of the increase to the schools even though not required to do so; (3) they will use some of the money to build up the city's reserves that have been drained by years of uncontrolled spending and borrowing; and (4) they will use some of the money for capital projects.

Now if I were a city resident, I would have a question about this. With the February 5 countywide referendum, the city expected to get $1 Million new sales tax dollars and said that it would use the $1 Million to reduce the city property tax rate by 15 cents.

With a proposed citywide referendum, the city expects to take in about $2 Million new sales tax dollars. If I were a city property taxpayer, I would expect that $2 Million to translate into nearly a 30-cent city property tax reduction!

This is nothing more than a desperation tax to cover years of uncontrolled spending, outlandish borrowing, and living high on the taxpayer's dollar.

And you can bet that the Citizen-Tribune will be behind this tax increase all the way with constant free front-page (advertising) articles and pictures---just like it did in pushing for the countywide tax increase.

I think I can even tell you in advance how this tax increase will be "sold" to city voters. The theme of the tax increase will be that out-of-towners will pay most of the new taxes.

Tax yourself so you can tax others at the same time.

But out-of-towners don't have to come here to shop any more. Major retailers have opened stores in surrounding cities. And with the price of gas, an out-of-towner would certainly think twice before traveling anywhere to shop.

So will an added tax really mean more revenue or will it just be a negative that discourages people from driving to Morristown to shop?

February 3, 2008 Where's the Director of Schools on the Sales Tax?

Director of Schools Dale Lynch has been strangely quiet lately.

No front-page picture with smiling face telling everyone that increasing the local sales tax would be just wonderful. He's usually not one to back away from a fight. Could it be that even he finds it hard to ask county voters to tax themselves in part to help city taxpayers get a property tax cut?

Then again, maybe the Tribune is saving the good doctor for the final sales tax front-page advertising push on Monday.

There has been no mention of how the schools would actually use any increased sales tax revenue. Of course, there has also been no mention of how the schools have used the $5 Million in extra BEP money that was received earlier this year.

No mention of the existing school construction debt of $35 Million+ or - from the 1998 school construction program on which the county has spent millions in interest for years without paying a penny toward reducing the principal of the debt.

No mention of the $500,000 that the school system has paid to the county every year to help make the interest-only payments on the 1998 school construction program.

No one should worry too much about Dr. Lynch's silence. The good Dr. Lynch will be talking up a storm and he will find a way to spend every penny that comes his way---and more. The good Dr. Lynch and the Hamblen County School Board will be draining the taxpayers dry this year and next and the next.

Educational programs are started--e.g the vaunted Gateway Testing program--are pushed for a few years as a great educational innovation and then forgotten. And the layers and layers of administrative staff just grow and grow.

And student progress? Well, they always say that more money will somehow "improve" education. $5 million dollars in new BEP funding for Hamblen County was provided this school year. What improvements were made? Did any dollars go toward teacher merit pay? Did any dollars go to hire teachers in critical and hard to fill areas like physics, calculus, and advanced English?

I am happy to see that there is increased emphasis on the basics again. The 3 R's (reading, writing, and arithmetic) must be pushed in the early grades. Working toward improvement in the basics doesn't necessarily require any more money. What it does require, however, is a curriculum that stresses these skills and allots enough TIME for student mastery in the primary grades.

Money and education are not necessarily synonymous. However, when it comes to (tax) money and education, two things are certain:

1. You can bet your bottom (tax) dollar that Dr. Lynch, the school board, the city, and the county commission will never have enough of your (tax) dollars!

2. And some people in Hamblen County--particularly those at the upper economic levels--think that every dollar that is appropriated for the education budget is truly a dollar for "education." They haven't yet realized or won't admit that tax dollars in the "education" budget can be shifted, wasted, and manipulated just like tax dollars in any other city or county budget.

That's why someone needs to watch the school spending closely.

February 2, 2008 Dialing (oops) Mailing for Dollars

The full-court press is on. Morristown Mayor Sami Barile and the city council have sent out their PRO-SALES TAX letters. [Click here to see Hamblen County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford's pro-sales tax letters that were mailed by the local P-16 council. ] The Tribune is going full-tilt with pro-tax pictures, pro-tax interviews, pro-tax front-page articles, pro-tax everything.

If you click on the images above, you can read the desperate plea of city officials to city residents, "asking... encouraging...and recommending" that city residents vote YES to increase the local sales tax. The city is trying to piggyback on the schools and get a coalition of votes with the "for the children" theme. Strangely, the city actually had to send a reminder to the school board to get the school system to call a special meeting to jump on the "for the children" tax bandwagon.

The city is also using a variation of the county's 2002 "pick your poison" wheel tax referendum tactic. In 2002 the county told voters that the wheel tax referendum was an opportunity to pick your (tax) poison. The Tribune ran a banner headline and front-page article reporting that voters could EITHER vote for the wheel tax OR there would be a property tax increase. A majority of county voters took the bait and voted YES on the wheel tax. Then the county laughed and went ahead and added a 15-cent property tax increase three months later. So much for truth in politics.

The city has put a little twist on the county's 2002 "pick-your-poison" blackmail. Instead of waiting until after the referendum, the city raised property taxes a whopping 40-cents first. Then the sales tax referendum was put on the ballot with promises by the city that it will reduce its historic 40-cent property tax (poison) to a historic 25-cent (poison) if voters fall for the referendum bait again. Of course, the city can keep its promise by simply cutting the tax rate for one year and then go right back to the same old overspending and overborrowing again.

Just like the 2001 sales tax referendum and the 2002 wheel tax referendum, the Tribune is providing free front-page advertisements (oops) articles promoting higher sales taxes.

What's missing in this money grab? Accountability. Fiscal responsibility. Honesty. Concern for the taxpayers.

City and county government and the school board are pushing the tax increase for various reasons, most of which are hidden behind nifty words like what a great "opportunity" a sales tax increase is. One-half will be "for the children." The other half will be for city residents who will have their massive 40-cent tax increase pared back to a 25-cent tax increase. Yes, county residents get the wonderful opportunity to subsidize the city property tax reduction.

The real opportunity that the city is looking for is a way to grab more tax dollars. The city may make a one-time adjustment in the city property tax. Then the city will wait it out a year and jump right back in to hike the local property tax again and again as the impending financial disaster arrives. The disaster on the city doorstep is inevitable. Years and years of overspending and overborrowing have only postponed--at great cost--the time when the city has to "pay the piper."

The county also is looking for a way to grab more revenue while there is cover in saying it's all "for the children." The $5 million extra BEP funds that the School Board received this year are never mentioned. Just the familiar refrain of more, more, more money.

There are many county financial problems, and they go back to the pattern of overspending, overborrowing, and paying interest only on huge bond issues. The city and the county are in deep financial trouble.

There is no talk of righting the city or county financial ship of state. The only discussion taking place is about increasing the tax burden for citizens of Morristown and Hamblen County even more.

Interestingly, the school board is not pushing the sales tax nearly as persistently as one would expect. The board had to be cajoled by the County Mayor and City Mayor to hold a special meeting to endorse the sales tax increase. The school board's low profile in the tax debate is not all that surprising. Board credibility isn't high, and they do not want to draw any attention to the fact that the schools ALREADY RECEIVED over $5 Million extra BEP dollars this past year. Where did all that money go? The schools and teachers ought to be in great shape with that bonanza. Why doesn't the board like to discuss the way that it switches money all around after their budget is approved.

The familiar pro-tax opinions of Andy Smith, Tish Jones, Thom Robinson, David Purkey, Stancil Ford, Sami Barile, Jack Fishman, and Janice Haun get front-page or editorial page press day after day after day.

I am far more impressed with the honest and forthright opinions of taxpayers such as Dr. W. Robert Gronewald, H. Richard Haley, Gwen Holden, and others who have written letters to the editor expressing their disgust with $100 million dollar "wish lists," uncontrolled debt, a temporary wheel tax followed by county property tax increases, an unprecedented city property tax increase, and the ever-increasing costs to taxpayers of gas, milk, utilities, and insurance.

Many of those who draw a government paycheck every week--particularly elected officials who drive taxpayer-provided cars and get paid even when they don't show up for work--don't get it.

They have never punched a time clock or met a payroll with THEIR OWN MONEY.

They don't realize that there are people who have nothing--NOTHING--left at the end of the month. They don't realize that there are actually people out there who get NO pay raise, have NO pension, have NO health insurance, and have NOTHING left to give.

The schools have $5 million more BEP dollars this year than last year. Yet, in these toughest of economic times, the schools are trying to get more and the city is trying to piggyback on the schools.

When will the government have enough tax money? When it has ALL the money and ALL the power.

January 27, 2008 City Forms "Support the Tax" Committee

The cycle of spending, borrowing, and raising taxes is moving at warp speed!

Hamblen County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford signed letters on county letterhead a few days ago that were then mailed to citizens urging taxpayers to cast their vote FOR an increase to the local sales tax.

Now the City of Morristown has registered as a "committee" to encourage voters to vote FOR an increase to the local sales tax.

The form above is the city's Single-Measure Committee filing. The name of the committee is "City of Morristown"; the purpose of the committee is to support the sales tax; the appointing authority is "Kay Senter," member of City Council and East High teacher; and the treasurer is "Dynise Robertson," a city employee.

The City has put up signs (see above) at the City Center and at the Courthouse--where early voting is underway--encouraging people to vote YES to increase the local sales tax.

The Tribune has an article today reporting on the county's Purkey-Ford tax letters and the City's Committee to support the sales tax.

It reports that nothing was legally wrong when County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford signed a letter on county letterhead and then had someone else pay for printing and mailing it out.

At Commission's January 24 meeting, Purkey said that "the education foundation" paid for the mailout. When I specifically asked if he was referring to HC*Excell, a non-profit foundation, Purkey wouldn't respond and just repeated "the education foundation."

Now the Tribune reports that the county mailing was "actually paid for by the P-16 council but was officially done by the Committee to Support the Sales Tax Referendum for Education." Really?

The Tribune article is very careful to point out that County Administrator of Elections Wanda Neal said that the P-16/HC*ExCell group followed the law in registering as a committee prior to making any expenditures.

But what about the City tax-support committee? The Tribune fails to mention that the city violated election laws by spending money and putting up signs at the Courthouse and at the City Center (see above) well before the City filed to become a tax-support committee on January 24th. Ms. Neal knew that the City did NOT follow the law and did NOT register prior to making expenditures, so why was this fact left out of the article?

Totally amusing. (1) Frenetic forming of a "city committee" that will spend taxpayer dollars to tell voters to vote to increase the local sales tax. (2) Mass mailing of letters from County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford, both of whom support the sales tax, encouraging a YES vote on the sales tax increase. (3) A never-ending series of Tribune articles from, of course, tax supporters.

Sort of like the last sales tax push in 2001 when one of the benefits touted by the Tribune was a "fish-and-release" pond.

The city and county on their own and with the considerable help of the school board are spiraling out-of-control with debt and more debt, overspending and overruns, and the only answer they can think of is more taxes.

This sales tax money grab is just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, the city's historic 40-cent tax increase might become the city's historic 25-cent tax increase for a year--- and then watch those tax increases resume, bigger and better than ever. The county/school board tax increase is going to be astronomical next year.

No one is minding the financial store.

There are illegal biddings, wasteful spending, huge raises for the "select," huge car allowances, false documents, discrimination against bidders, friends put on county insurance, free lunches--- all on the taxpayers' dime. There are unannounced meetings to appoint, of all things, the Ethics Committee.

Do NOT hold your breath until the Tribune does a series of articles on the above documented allegations. The county is in a mess, the officials and employees involved in illegal biddings, falsified documents, money switching, and waste are all "protecting" each other, and the Tribune comes to meetings and just puts out a county press release.

How about cutting down on fancy SUV's and trucks with all the chrome? How about eliminating illegal bidding so you have true, competitive, legal bids and contracts? How about saving money by cutting out some of the supervisory layers at the city, county, and school board? How about looking for ways to save instead of coming up with a $100 million dollar city "wish list" and a $60-$100 million dollar school board "wish list"?

How about doing what the average person has to do every day, every month, every year? Live within your means!

Here's a reminder to all the borrow-and-taxers, the spend-and-taxers, and the tax-tax-and- more taxers.

There are a lot of people on fixed incomes in Hamblen County whose "wish list" is being able to put food on the table and pay for medicine.

City, county, and school board officials ignore these people and the middle class that also struggles to make ends meet. The elected are concerned with themselves, their $100 million dollar "wish lists," their never-ending dreams of exciting ways to spend new tax money on earlier and larger pensions, cars, car allowances, club memberships, and, of course, jobs, perks, and salary increases for themselves and family members.

The big push for increasing taxes by $2 million dollars is that it's "for the children." Well, if that's really why the city wanted the county to join in the sales tax increase, then the city should let the whole $2 million go toward the schools---put the City's $1 million with the Hamblen County Schools $1 million "for the children"!

January 25, 2008 Purkey-Ford Send Out Tax-Us-More Letter

The letters are in the mail.

Hamblen County Mayor David Purkey and Commission Chair Stancil Ford want your vote FOR increasing the local sales tax in the referendum.

Purkey and Ford have sent out a "tax us more" letter using the old 2002 "pick your poison" wheel tax blackmail tactic.

"Pick your poison" was the Tribune headline during the 2002 wheel tax referendum when Commission Chair Maudie Briggs proclaimed loudly and clearly that voters could choose EITHER the wheel tax OR there would be a property tax hike.

Well, voters "chose" the wheel tax in May 2002, and Hamblen County Commissioners, no doubt laughing the whole time, took that $1 Million+ and then went ahead and increased the property tax by 15 cents anyway.

Predictably, the Citizen Tribune (a/k/a Jack Fishman) has endorsed the higher sales tax and, just as predictably, the Tribune is running a series of articles on the sales tax referendum---a series that so far has only included comments and interviews of people who support the newspaper's editorial stand.

Fair and balanced? Nope. Slanted and tilted toward taxes, taxes, and more taxes. Yes.

Ford and Purkey stated yesterday that the "education foundation" paid for the printing and mailing of the letter that they signed and that went out on county letterhead. Purkey and Ford were apparently referring to HC*Excell, a 501(c)(3) non-profit---but the letter itself doesn't provide the identity of the financier.

County Mayor David Purkey has already been quoted in the newspaper encouraging people to vote to increase the local sales tax and stating that the commission was unanimous in supporting the sales tax increase.

At yesterday's commission meeting, Commissioner Larry Baker pointed out that Purkey's statement about the commission supporting the sales tax increase was wrong. Baker said that he did NOT vote to support the sales tax increase; he only voted to put the sales tax on a referendum. Stancil Ford agreed that the only vote commissioners took was to put the referendum on the ballot.

School Board Chairman Janice Haun got her turn in the newspaper yesterday. Her message was the same old/same old-- send more money to the school board. Haun said that she ISN'T sure where the money will go, but she IS sure that she wants it and that Dr. Lynch will find a place to spend it. She never mentioned that the school system got an extra $5 Million in BEP money last year. Hopefully, Dr. Lynch was able to find a place to spend that!

Purkey, Ford, Haun...Who will be next in line to tell voters how to vote and to encourage a YES vote for a sales tax increase?

Some Predictions:

Morristown City Mayor Sami Barile and/or City Administrator Jim Crumley, both of whom are adept at overspending, raising taxes by 40% in one year, and then dreaming up the sales tax increase to get county taxpayers to help city officials lower the city tax rate.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Thom Robinson keeps a somewhat low profile but would be good for a pro-tax soundbite.

Director of Schools Dale Lynch will surely jump in and push for more money. The schools got an extra $5M in BEP funding last year. But, of course, that can't be enough. More, more, more!

HC*Excell Director Tish Jones will be pushing for higher taxes of all kinds as she constantly repeats "it's for the children, it's for the children, it's for the children."

Alex Rom-Roginski, newly-elected Chamber of Commerce president and Tish Jones' husband, would gladly speak in favor of higher taxes as he has before.

Commissioner Ricky Bruce, who has been telling Hamblen Countians for years that they are undertaxed, should be giving his enthusiastic support for this tax increase and the next and the next!

Commissioner Joe Spoone, whose wife, sister, and brother get school system paychecks, might say something, but he usually likes to remain quiet and let others vote for the tax increases that end up benefiting him and his family.

Commissioner Joe Swann, whose wife is a school teacher, thinks you just can't tax people enough "for the children" no matter where the money goes or what happens.

A smattering of P-16 officials, industry leaders, and perhaps even a current or former principal or teacher would round everything out nicely.

By the time the newspaper series ends, everyone should know exactly how to vote (remove tongue from cheek).

January 20, 2008 $40M Hamblen County Debt: Interest Only Payments

The image above is Page 131 from the 2006 Hamblen County Audit. At the very bottom, it shows that the county issued $40M of debt in 1998-99-00-01. It also shows that as of June 30, 2006, NOT ONE PENNY OF THIS DEBT HAD BEEN PAID DOWN.

Most of this debt (about $35 Million) was for the 1998 School Building Program. The rest was for the Courthouse Addition and other small projects.

You can link to the entire Audit and scroll down to Page 131 to get a much better view of this page and the debt information.

The State of Tennessee is moaning about an impending "revenue shortfall." With the government, it's never "overspending." It's always a "revenue shortfall."

Morristown and Hamblen County? Same story. "Revenue shortfalls." We can manage to pay for new cars, SUV's, fancy trucks, computers, free (taxpayer-provided) lunches, and other perks for elected and appointed officials. But what does the lowly taxpayer get? Property tax increases, wheel taxes, new fees, increased fees, new permits, more costly permits.

And now just a few months after city officials zapped city taxpayers with a 40-cent property tax increase and county officials zapped county taxpayers with a 10-cent property tax increase, they are encouraging taxpayers to vote for a .25% sales tax increase to go with the 9.5% sales tax rate we already pay.

Is anyone minding the store at the city or the county?

The City of Morristown doesn't have a clue about its revenues, but the City has a really nifty $100 million dollar "wish list" according to a December Tribune headline and article.

Hamblen County muddles along adding more spending for SUV's and other vehicles, $600/mo car allowances, salary increases close to 10% for a few select employees, and on and on.

The School Board is asking for $57 Million or more for another school building program when we haven't even paid a dime on the old $35 Million building program. See the Audit above.

Who devised this brilliant "interest only" plan? The old 1998 county commission.

It's sort of a fiscal Ponzi scheme--nobody is quite sure who will get left holding the bag, but the idea is to pay interest only, postpone paying the debt itself, and hope someone else is left holding the bag.

While the School Board is talking about $57 Million or more for renovations to East and West High, County Commission Chair Stancil Ford apparently thinks the total may be $70-$100M. Nobody is quite sure what the plan really is or what the cost will be. A new East High? A new East High and renovations to West High? Renovations to East and West?

And, of course, nobody has asked why the School Board--just four years ago--built a new library that just sticks out like a sore thumb at East High for about $1.3 million and now that same Board is contemplating building a totally new East High somewhere else. Who is doing the planning at the Board offices?

[NOTE to anonymous commenters-to-be. Yes, I discovered and know a lot about the 1998 school building program. I was a teacher, pushing for school improvements in 1997, and then I saw it become a money grab, a bidding set-up, and a give-away of taxpayer dollars. When two entities---and it doesn't matter who they are---get 35 of 36 contracts where they "bid" for the work, something's going on and that something is not competitive bidding.

Besides, if the Board was so sure that it was all legal, why in the world wouldn't they let anyone see the 1999 letter that their lawyer Scott Reams wrote to them about letting the construction managers bid and get paid two, three, or even six ways on a school job? Surely that letter just explained how very legal it all was. Or did it?

The whole thing was a bidding set-up that circumvented the requirements of competitive bidding, so I met with the State Comptroller in August 2001 to explain face-to-face what was going on. The construction managers were set up with a huge bidding advantage by the Board--the construction management fee and reimbursables. Because the Board didn't provide this money/bidding cushion to other bidders, no other bidder wasted his time trying to bid against the (favored) construction manager. The managers knew they had an advantage. That's why they bid for lots of work but never tried to bid against each other. Result: The "managers" got paid to do the work under one or several contracts and got paid handsomely to manage themselves under another contract.

Stancil Ford was at the August 2001 meeting as our State Representative and Commissioner Larry Baker was there, too. The Comptroller prepared the new legislation, and the General Assembly UNANIMOUSLY passed the new law at its next session, making it clear to even the Hamblen County School Board that you don't let the fox guard the henhouse--and you sure don't pay the fox to guard the henhouse!]

Well, what are county commissioners saying now about taxes? Nothing. The only official who has mentioned the "T" word (taxes) is the county trustee who has said that it will take a 45-cent tax increase just to make INTEREST payments on a new $100 million dollar school building program. Yes, the trustee is talking about making INTEREST ONLY PAYMENTS AGAIN. Is that a great plan, or what? Is anyone ever going to pay the debt off?

The county goes 8+ years making "interest only" payments on a $35 Million dollar school building program, and now there is talk about borrowing $100 Million with "interest only" payments again. Who thinks up this stuff?

Spend, Spend, Spend! Tax, Tax, Tax!

Voters may have a short memory, but it really hasn't been that long since the infamous 2002 "pick your poison" wheel tax referendum. County officials tricked voters into voting "YES" in the wheel tax referendum by telling them via a Tribune article that it was either the wheel tax or a property tax increase. Then, just three months after the voters made their "choice" and voted for the wheel tax, the county enacted a 15-cent property tax anyway.

Today, there's a sales tax referendum on the ballot. And officials, just as they did in 2002, are telling taxpayers to vote YES in the sales tax referendum. If you vote YES, you will have the privilege of paying another 1/4 cent sales tax on top of the 9-1/2 cents in sales tax that you already pay for every $1 purchase. I think I'll vote NO.

Of course, some people will listen and respond to the city's version of "pick your poison." The city is telling its taxpayers that if the sales tax increase passes, then the City will take away 15-cents of last year's 40-cent increase. Really? For how long?

The county commission isn't offering to take away any of last year's 10-cent property tax hike. Commissioners are encouraging county taxpayers to vote YES to more sales tax (1) so the county can help boost city revenues and give city taxpayers tax relief and, of course, (2) to help the School Board get more money to shift all around "for the children."

You really can't make this stuff up!