Appeal of $10,000.00 Fine Denied

I know there is another blog topic where this fine is discussed but this is somewhat different.
This is information you will not read or hear much about for sometime yet.

It has been kept quiet for the must part and even many on the School Board were not told about it. In October 2007 the Giles County School System received word that they were being fined $10,000.00 for consistent tardiness in submitting teacher contributions to the Consolidated Retirement Fund. This contribution is 5% of each teacher’s monthly salary. It is supposed to be received at the retirement center not later than the tenth of each month. The fine was paid on 7 December 2007 in order to prevent accrual of interest.

At the November School Board meeting I asked about this fine, if correction had been made to prevent future violations and if anyone had been disciplined or would be disciplined as a result. I was ignored by the Board and Director. The Director of Schools, Mr. Tee Jackson, later did offer the statement that “the report was late once and that was only by one day and the fine was being appealed”.

Well, the fine was appealed and the appeal was rejected. The Director of the Tennessee Retirement System, Jill Bachus has denied the appeal on the basis that, “over the past four years the contribution from Giles County had been late consistently”. The letter was received here on 19 December and to this date there has been no information disseminated to the public about this fine being upheld.

Why hasn't this information been announced on the radio or printed in the paper? This money is wasted with absolutely no benefit to the county, the school system or any child in the system. Will the School Board do more than hide their collective heads in the sand or will they finally get a backbone and demand action. Yes there are a couple on the board that are trying but it's mighty hard to stand against the others and their determination to keep things looking good while the termites of inefficiency and incompetency eat away the very foundation. Allen Barrett

Commissioner Pay Hike Proposed To Accompany Tax Increase

Should County Commissioners vote themselves a pay increase? The proposal presented to the Legislative committee and approved by a four to three vote to recommend approval by the full commission is to pay each commissioner thirty dollars if they attend a committee meeting whether they are members of that committee or not. It seems some commissioners are not please with the pay they agreed to when accepting the position. As was stated this morning by one commissioner, It cost a lot to run for office then drive to town to attend these meetings, I just think the people want us to be paid for our expenses to serve them. Another commissioner stated, "Every commissioner knew what the job was about and how much they would be paid before they took the job. They agreed to the pay then why change it now". This was the sentiment echoed by other commissioners in the room. One commissioner stated, " Some of our commissioners have to drive fifteen to nineteen miles to attend these meetings. The state pays their people forty cents a mile it don't seem wrong to pay commissioners thirty dollars to attend these meetings". Correct me if I'm wrong but would forty cents a mile for a twenty mile, forty mile round trip, not be sixteen dollars about half the thirty dollars proposed.
Now comes the question, is it appropriate to increase the pay of commissioners at the same time they are acknowledging a tax increase will be necessary in the near future? Seems to me the need is for a decrease in spending not another increase. Call your commissioners and voice your support of opposition to this proposal. It is scheduled to be voted on at the next full Commission Meeting. Allen Barrett

WATER PROPOSAL FOR THE COUNTY

It’s reported county officials have a solution to the problem of many being without water in the county. This plan calls for the county to borrow four million dollars install approximately 60 of the needed 400 miles of water and then turn those water lines over to the individual water districts.

This is without doubt the dumbest of all options other than to do nothing. Why in the world would any thinking person, other than a government official, seek to correct a problem by borrowing money and basically turning it over to the very entity that have been primarily responsible for the problem to begin with. It’s like going to John Dillinger and saying, Mr. Dillinger I have observed that you have a knowledge of banks, I would like to open a savings account with you and deposit a million dollars.

Look, are the water districts doing a good job, for the most part they are but as separate districts they simply are under sever limitations that could be easily overcome by one consolidated system. It is a totally failed system, not necessarily the individuals involved, that buys water sells it over triple the purchase price and still loses money and can not provide water to every citizen in the county.

One consolidated water district covering the entire county is the only reasonable answer to the problem. The county commissioners know this, the county executive knows this, and most citizens know this. When the representative from the Southern Water District presented his case for improving the water system he was asked straight out, “Is there any solution to the water problem better than consolidation?” His response, after apologizing to some water officials, was an emphatic “No”. He went on to explain that each county that had consolidated their water system not only experienced great saving from reduced duplication of services, but each county experienced unprecedented growth.

The problem isn’t just a matter of meeting the needs of the county today, which the current districts have not been able to do, but for the future. Most everyone understands that the major obstacle to getting people and businesses to move here is the situation with the water supply. That’s why there has been practically no development at the interstate exits. Ask yourself why is it that Lewisburg is extending their water lines to provide service to the Milky Way Development? Many complain about businesses moving to foreign countries but is it any different than having other counties provide basic services to our county? I urge everyone to contact their commissioner and politely ask them to stop supporting a failed system and demand consolidation of the county water districts. If they are opposed to consolidation ask them to please explain their opposition. Allen Barrett