Will There Be A March From Minor Hill To Pulaski O 18 July 2015

Currently there are plans being made by a group from Fisk University to march from Minor Hill School to Pulaski in what they refer to A MARCH AGAINST FEAR. According to the E-Mail I have this is more a march against southern heritage than against fear. The justifications for this march are mostly based to pure fabrications.  

The E-mail is dated 6/29/2015 is from an Edward Trimmer (trimmer@martinmethodist.edc). 

The e-mail states that they "seek local churches or groups who have vans that they are willing to share in transporting marchers". 

This is from the body of the email: "On July 18,2015, students from the historic Fisk University in Nashville invite all who seek racial equality, social justice and peace to march 14 miles from Minor Hill, Tn to Pulaski,Tn. in an effort to grow a moral movement for positive social change. This march will be in solemn commemoration of the victims of the Emanual AME massacre in Charleston, SC. and embarked upon because we believe it’s time to move forward together in the spirit of unwavering hope and love that will dispel the hatred that’s forever changed those families and many throughout the country”.

So far this sounds like a legitimate movement in support of the family struck down in the senseless murders by a depraved man in South Carolina but then this next paragraph appears and a more sinister activity is unveiled.  

“We have chosen the route from Minor Hill to Pulaski based on data from the Southern Poverty Law Center that indicates that Tennessee has 29 active hate groups- more than any of our surrounding states. In February a Tennessee man and member of a Klan -affiliated church was fined and sentenced to jail for burning a cross in an interracial couple’s yarding Minor Hill. Just 12 miles away, the small town of Pulaski is known as the 1865 founding sight of the KKK and the modern-day epicenter of that supremacy. Every October the town plays host to the Ku Klux Klan’s “Heritage Festival” where racist skinheads, neo-nazis and klansmen have flocked for decades. The knights and their families march up and down the street with KKK flags, selling racist tracts, pins and Klan robe patches.”

It is not by chance that the route from Minor Hill to Pulaski has been chosen by this badly misinformed group. Sam Davis, the boy hero was captured in Minor Hill and wrongly hanged in Pulaski where a monument now stands.  The Southern Poverty Law Center has lost so much credibility due to their own racially biased views that the FBI recently dropped them as a source for information on hate crimes and activities. 

“We recognize this as proof that our racist history isn’t just back to haunt us. It never left. We know we live in a country where racist violence exist — unabated and unreconstructed — both in symbol and in policy”. 

Clearly this is at least in part an effort to continue the current attack on all signs real and imagined of southern heritage. 

I understand that this group currently does not have a parade permit, will they be allowed to march without a permit. In consideration of the extremely dangerous for any group to be walking, even single file is dangerous, this thing should be stopped before it accomplishes the mission of hysterical separation.

Want to check this out call the mayors office. I have the email

     

County Executive Plain Out Lies During Legislative Meeting

Today when the question was asked by Commissioner Amyett to have the E-911 budget taken out of Resolution 2015-34 "Appropriations to nonprofit charitable organizations" and voted on separately, the County Executive made one of her patented snarls then told a complete outright lie. 

She stated, "Whatever E-911 ask the county for we have to give it to them".

The county is obligated to give the same amount as last year. There is no question about that but as far as increasing the contribution it is ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY, plain and simple. The County then when off on some wild story about if they are not given what they ask for they will close up and it will cost the county a lot more. Well, first of all there is no danger in them closing and if they were by some slim chance to close we have the option of joining with Lawrence County to provide the E-911 service. All this was smoke and mirrors to get what she wanted but the fact she straight faced lied is the most egregious thing that happened in the meeting and the saddest part is that most of the commissioners there knew she had lied but refused to challenge her.

Last Of The Questions I Tried To Ask At The Public Hearing On The Budget.

Page 14, Line Item 55733-105 Line item The pay for supervisor of the Transfer Station is listed at $50,000 where last year it was $34,113.00 an increase of $15,887.  How can this be justified? Do we even have a transfer station?

Page 14 line item 55710-312, contract with private agency $70,006.00. Is this the dead animal pick up? How do you justify using taxpayer money to subsidize the income of certain private individuals and especially when some commissioners may benefit from this subsidy? 

On Page 15, Line Item 56900-101 shows a new employee listed at a salary of $34,113.00.   Does this position have a job description? Was the position advertised?  Was the position approved by the Commissioners? 

Under this same 5699 line Item the part-time employee position has been eliminated and the same amount is listed for other salaries and wages. Who will be the recipient of that $12,485.00? 

You gave extra many to the Senior Citizens to help with meals for shut ins then gave money to the Human Resources Agency which listed meals to shut-in as one of their expenses.  Is this an overlap of efforts?  

How many of the “charities” have actually been checked as to what they actually do and if they are actually qualified 501c charities? 

These questions could have been responded to this morning during the six minute Public Hearing but no one on the Budget Committee made and effort to give any answers and those other commissioners  in the room had no opportunity to answer anything. 

Tomorrow The Commissioners vote on this budget, I urge you to call your Commissioners and ask these questions before they vote.  

Yet More Questions Asked At The Public Hearing On The Budget

I could find nowhere that identifies the Ambulance Service as giving any money back to the county.                                                                                                       What page and line item is that money listed under?                                                 

Is page 2 line item 43100 “General Service Charges” $1,610,000 what the ambulance services gave to the county, if so that means the Ambulance Service had another loss of over a million dollars.

In addition to pay increases at the Ambulance Service  there are $3000.00 listed as a new item for medical and dental services this is separate from the $19,450 for Medical Insurance. To whom does this apply?

Where is the line item that shows how much was collected and paid to the collection agency for the Ambulance Service. Is that page 13 line item 55130-317 Data Processing Services  $110,000.00. 

More Questions But Few Answers

These are more of the questions I tried to ask at the Public Hearing on the Budget.

There are a number of new positions listed in this budget that I have been told are being filled by the Emergency Management Director and his assistant. 

Page 6, Line Item  51750 - Codes Compliant;

Page 10, Line Item 54150 - Drug Enforcement; 

Page 11, Line Item 54310 - Fire Prevention & Control; 

Page 12, Line Item 54900 - Other Public Safety; 

Page 16, Line Item 57700 - Flood Control. 

In addition to this also listed on Page 11, Line Item 54490 - Other Emergency Management

I understand all these are positions to be held by The Emergency Management Director and his Assistant. I understand these are part time positions.  

How much time each week will be spent on each job and if the position of Emergency Management is a Full Time salaried position  how much time is spent each week on this specific job.

Since the positions of Emergency Management Director and Asst. Director are salaried positions how can there be $6,000.00 for overtime. How can this be justified for a salaried position when those personnel have so many other new duties. How are they distinguished for pay purposes. Will time cards be maintained for each separate position and if not are these new positions salaried? 

The total  increase in salary for these two personnel is, Director’s new salary $58,197.00 an increase of $4,637: while the Assistant Director’s  new salary is $55,427.00 an increase of $10,005.00.

More Questions Offered At Hearing On Budget

 Page 17, Line Item 58600 Employee Benefits - Who is benefiting from these expenses such as life insurance at $4,000.00? This is in addition to the other Insurances listed.

 Page 6, Line Item 51600-101 Registar of Deeds: Page 7; Line Item 52400 County Trustee’ s Office  and Line Item 52500 County Clerk’s Office - Each of these show that last year there was no money budgeted for the supervisor or deputy salaries but benefits are shown how is that possible? 

There are a number of places for various insurances that total well over a $100,000.00. How many of those policies were bid out, advertised and had competing bids? When will those policies be up for renewal?

This Is One Of The Questions I Tried To Ask At The Public Hearing On The Budget

QUESTIONS FOR 2015/16 BUDGET HEARING           29 JUNE 2015

1) The amount contributed to the Industrial/Economic  Development Board was increased by $10,000.00.   I understand this was to pay a new employee. Are you aware that employee also serves as a City Alderman in direct conflict with state law against conflicts of interest and Ethical Behavior, the same conflict that prevent Mr Speer from serving as Mayor and Director of Industrial/Economic Development Board?  

Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-17-102  (2014)

8-17-102.   Chapter definitions -- Application to jointly created instrumentalities, utility districts and school districts. 

  (a) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

   (1) "Commission" means the Tennessee ethics commission;

   (2) "County" means a county, metropolitan or consolidated government, inclusive of any boards, commissions, authorities, corporations or other instrumentalities appointed or created by the county or an official of the county. Furthermore, for the purpose of this chapter, the county election commission shall be considered an instrumentality of county government; and the administrator of elections and other employees of the election commission shall be considered county employees. Likewise, for the purpose of this chapter, the county health department shall be considered a county department and its employees shall be considered county employees;

   (3) "Ethical standards" includes rules and regulations regarding limits on, and/or reasonable and systematic disclosure of, gifts or other things of value received by officials and employees that impact or appear to impact their discretion, and shall include rules and regulations regarding reasonable and systematic disclosure by officials and employees of their personal interests that impact or appear to impact their discretion. The term "ethical standards" does not include personnel or employment policies or policies or procedures related to operational aspects of governmental entities;

   (4) "Municipality" means an incorporated city or town, inclusive of any boards, commissions, authorities, corporations or other instrumentalities appointed or created by the municipality; and

   (5) "Officials and employees" means and includes any official, whether elected or appointed, officer, employee or servant, or any member of any board, agency, commission, authority or corporation, whether compensated or not, or any officer, employee or servant thereof, of a county or municipality.

(b) If a board, commission, authority, corporation or other instrumentality is created by two (2) or more local government entities, such creating entities shall, by amendment to the interlocal agreement or other agreement creating such joint instrumentality, designate the ethical standards that govern the jointly created instrumentality.

(c) Utility districts shall be considered separate governmental entities and shall be governed by ethical standards established by the board of commissioners of the utility district in conformity with § 8-17-105(b). Water, wastewater and gas authorities created by a private act or under the general law shall be considered separate governmental entities and shall be governed by ethical standards established by the governing board of the water, wastewater or gas authority in conformity with § 8-17-105(b).

(d) County, municipal and special school districts shall be considered separate governmental entities and shall be governed by ethical standards established by the board of education of the school district.

Financial Committee Public Hearing On The Budget

It's rather amazing that in an effort to discredit my questions during the Budget Hearing this morning the reporter chose to focus on one, possibly, miss stated question instead of any of the other nine questions. 

I was given three minutes to ask my questions and even though I was the only person who was allowed to speak, my request for additional time was denied, thus I had to say everything within that three minutes, I had to skip part of the prepared questions, then the meeting which started at 9am was adjured at 9:06 and commissioners were paid for a full meeting. 

Now for the possibly of a miss stated question. On 23 June WKSR reported under the title "E-911 Recesses Budget Meeting".The problem was reported as "the 911 Board Meeting was adjured because of budget problems" ."Members voted to contract with Putman and Hancock for an audit". 
24 June under the title Pulaski Board Approves Budget this statement was made "A yearly resolution for the city to enter into an interlocal agreement with Giles County E-911 was tabled until board members are able to read the agreement".

I wonder why there was nothing reported about the hearing being a totally non responsive hearing or the denial by the chairman that he had the authority to adjust the time allotted to speak. 

Tennessee Code Annotated  5-21-111.  Budget -- Hearings -- Supporting documents -- County action.  states "(2) Such publication shall also contain a notice of a public hearing to be conducted by the budget committee at which any citizen of the county upon five (5) days' written request shall have the right to appear and state such citizen's views on the budget.". The statue says nothing about a three minute time limit that the committee has chosen to impose nor does it state anything about answering questions or altering the time allowed for speakers. What the law does not define the committee has the authority to define, in other words the whole thing of limiting one person to three minutes and not answering questions is completely decisions made by the Committee, which like many other things refuses to take responsibility for.