Do you want status quo or bold reform?

Bold Reform. It’s time for a new direction. It’s time for a new way of doing things. I believe we have much bigger issues that require immediate reform in order to position the State and our Counties and cities for the 21st Century as we compete with other States and countries around the globe.

Priorities. Voters tell me that their top State priority is modernizing our government for today’s economy and the future. Voters tell me that they want good jobs and a healthy community. We have so many areas in government to improve on. Like the voters that I have spoken with, I know that we need a new approach to governmental operations for the future, not a government stuck in the past. The status quo is just playing around the edges. I see no logical reason that our State and local governments cannot be improved. As a community leader, I know that we must aspire to achieve simplicity, efficiency and accountability in government in order to position the State and local governments to excel in the future and not just cave into the status quo. There is no time to waste; we have to get working! We can invest in our priorities through the savings and resources from true reform, not more status quo.

Metro, Hybrid or Status Quo. The time is right to move forward to a more streamlined and efficient government at all levels, especially under the purview of the State Representative’s legislative authority to reform government at the State and local levels. The platform for my campaign is simple – simplify government by streamlining State and Local government operations to save cost and invest for the future.

Leadership. As your next State Representative I can introduce laws and cast votes for this new approach. This is the job of the State House and Senate. No one else can change the laws that can improve our local governments – I will. I will introduce legislation in the House to reform government by streamlining the levels of government. I will propose ways to modernize the government by simplifying the cooperative agreements between the State and its Counties and Cities – basically, reforming Metro Government laws that offer the benefits of: simplicity, efficiency and accountability. We can achieve this through a reformed metro government model, a new Hybrid model or come up with a new way.

Current Laws Fail. Tennessee law is stagnant. Tennessee's out-of-date State laws on Metro Government were originally passed all the way back in the 1970s. They require cities and counties to mutually agree to Metro Government which is often against their individual political self-serving interest. Oddly Metro Government has only passed in 3 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. A new approach is needed right now to economically survive with our limited resources and tax dollars.

Status Quo. I am not one of those who think that our system is fundamentally broken or that our system is infested with “good ole’ boys”, but I do believe my new reforms will renew our economy. I believe cooperation makes perfect sense to voters; however, politicians often have a hard time achieving true cooperative agreements due to territorial protectionism. I sympathize with those elected officials and current government employees who are reluctant to accept change. I understand that it is always easier to keep on doing things the same way we have always been doing things, however the world is changing and we are competing with our neighboring counties, States, and other countries across the world. My opponent, Kent Calfee, has been the status quo for over 20 years. It’s time for new leadership.

Change is Fundamental. It all happened right before our eyes, but as a reminder - our current form of local government has, in fact, changed over the past 30 years. At the county level, we have gone from a county judge with a quarterly court to a county mayor with a county commission. Across the State, at the city level, we have gone from city commissions to city councils. We have always modernized our local forms of government in an effort to make them simpler and more efficient and more accountable. It’s time that someone with a vision fought for new, better government for Loudon and Roane counties.

Focused Leadership. As a candidate I have researched what "one" piece of legislation that I could introduce to make a positive impact and I firmly believe this is it. Why? Because, I realized that the combination of our many current local governments into one that would produce a government that would be simpler, more efficient and more accountable than the multiple separate governments that currently exists. I will reform those out-of-date laws to ensure counties consider the benefits of streamlined government. A metropolitan government is simpler - one government instead of many, one Mayor instead of many, one representative legislative body instead of many, one law enforcement agency instead of many, one finance department instead of many, one codes department instead of many, one public works department instead of many. In Roane County, they have already combined several aspects of government resulting in one dispatch department instead of many, one school system instead of many and one 911 departments; therefore, streamlining the local government is a logical next step to respond to economic demands.

Improvement:

• Would this mean better coordinated economic development opportunities? I believe, yes. The efforts of the County and cities would be working towards one common goal – more prosperity for all of all the people.
• Would this mean fewer employees? I believe, yes — over time, by reducing the necessary number of employees could be a benefit of metropolitan government.
• Would this mean less government buildings? I believe, yes. We could solve the problem of the courthouse and City municipal building overcrowding through a metropolitan government.
• Would this mean better government accountability? I believe, yes. Metro government could include an internal audit department. The new metropolitan could send out itemized tax statements so that every taxpayer would see where their tax dollars are being spent.
• Would this mean better education for our children? I believe, yes. Streamlined government would allow us to reinvest for our future and retraining for our workers.

Vote. This is your vote, it is not their's. If someone tells you that they are against my platform for streamlined government, then ask them why and then question their motives.

Action. When you think of streamlined efficient government, think of Jack McNew. When you think of a government structured for the future, think of Jack McNew. When you think of our limited resources realigned to support the local economy, think of Jack McNew.

Now is the time for new. It's time for a new approach. I will be your vote for an efficient government with investments for the future.

Jack

Vote New. Vote Jack McNew.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As I have been out speaking to voters, people repeatedly ask me, "If elected Roane County Property Assessor, what will you do differently to ensure proper and fair assessments?"

My short answer is this: “I will use real market data, including both the positive and negative sales. The incumbent Assessor does not use this data as she should. I will use real world sales data that coincide with Roane County’s actual real estate economy.”

Basically, Teresa Kirkham has driven assessments artificially high by not including the real data.

As your next Property Assessor, I will correct this. I will include external obsolescence, short sale and foreclosure data into the comparable sales, plus I will calculate the absorption rate and housing supply as I develop an economically sound model. The incumbent Assessor doesn’t; in fact, she is primarily using only the "positive data" while ignoring the lower sales data. This is not an economic reality and it should not be happening. Her assessment methods simply end up driving Roane County’s assessments higher and higher over time. We know the reality: this economy has been horrible. Roane County needs someone in the Property Assessor’s office who can relate to the real world economy. We need someone who will use the real data to ensure fair property assessments. As your next Property Assessor, I will do that.

I am running for Property Assessor because the current assessments are unfair. It is my strong belief that many of Ms. Kirkham’s assessments are grossly inflated. Conversely, it is my driving principle to achieve fair property assessments for everyone in Roane County. I understand that fair property assessments = fairer property taxes paid. Every day, I have people tell me that they could not sell their property for the inflated assessed value provided by Ms. Kirkham’s office. This is not fair, and people are hurting.

Lest we forget, Roane County had one of the worst environmental disasters in history right here in our backyard – the TVA ash spill. The incumbent Assessor made no adjustments whatsoever to account for the economic impact. Ms. Kirkham may have forgotten—but I have not forgotten, and I believe voters in Roane County will not forget.

These are just a couple of the differences between Teresa Kirkham’s and my professional philosophies regarding fair assessment. I am certain that once all the economic data are properly factored into the equation, it will help bring the assessed values and current real estate market closer together.

In closing, Ms. Kirkham continues to say that she has no control over the assessments in Roane County. She incorrectly cites the misconception that the State mandates exactly how her office must conduct the assessments and re-assessment. This is just not the reality. As your next Property Assessor, I will use sound assessment principles. I will take responsibility for the Assessor’s Office, and I will not blame others for unjustly driving up the values on our taxpayers.

I ask for your vote as we fight together for fair property assessments for Roane County.

Thank you.

David

It's time for a change.
Fair Property Assessments for everyone.
fairpropertyassessments.com
David Morgan for Roane County Property Assessor

The Creative Arts Co-op is proud to present its annual Christmas production. This year's show is the American classic 'It's A Wonderful Life- A Live Radio Play'.

Join us as the characters come to life in front of you and George Bailey's story unfolds.

The details are:

'It's A Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play'
December 16 & 17, 2011
Both Shows begin at 8:00pm
Tickets are $5.00 at the door.
at the Creative Arts Co-op Visual & Performing Arts Center, 426 Ruritan Road, Harriman.

For more information, contact 865/765-1129 or visit (link...).

Reading about Tennessee's dwindling unemployment compensation fund led me to wonder whether the fund had lost any money in the downturn through bad investments.

I didn't find out the investment performance but did discover other things. One document, available behind a disclaimer on the tn.gov web site, is packed with some alarming numbers.

On December 22, 2008 the largest coal fly ash disaster in the world occurred in Roane County, Tennessee along the banks of the Emory River at the Kingston Electric Coal Plant which is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Coal fly ash is a toxic by- product produced by burning coal to make electricity. Coal fly ash is currently unregulated in the United States. TVA has been very reluctant to take responsibility for the disaster that they created and took active steps to keep the news of the disaster out of the media.

As part of the United States federal government, TVA has been investigated by its own Office of Inspector General which has issued numerous reports detailing how badly TVA officials and employees responded to this disaster. The worst and most telling reports are yet to come. TVA had more than 40 years of internal reports showing the structural weakness of the failed coal fly ash storage pond and they chose to ignore the problems and continue to stack the coal fly ash to a height of more than 60 feet using the wet storage method.

It has been one year since the disaster. By viewing the following videos you will see that the situation has gotten worse as the trail of coal fly ash becomes more dispersed. So far the coal fly ash has floated down the Emory River, Clinch River and Tennessee River all the way to Alabama. As the ash continues its downstream march it will eventually reach the Ohio River, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The main points of concern with water quality right now are the elevated levels of arsenic, selenium and other heavy metals which have leached out of the coal fly ash and into the drinking water of millions of people downstream, not to mention all of the animals which live in the water or eat the fish. Kingston, TN is the nearest town whose water intakes are a mere 6 miles downstream. Chattanooga, TN is the next largest city downstream of the disaster.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has permitted the spilled coal fly ash to be shipped via railroad to Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown, Perry County, Alabama. It has been documented that this landfill is currently pumping the landfill leachate (landfill juice) into the ditches surrounding the landfill and right next to the homes of local residents. These residents have been told that the coal fly ash is safe.

Many residents are concerned about their health. An independent air monitoring program started by Roane County residents, United Mountain Defense and the Global Community Monitor has shown that on a least one dry day in October 2009 that there existed elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium in the air surrounding the disaster site. On Feb 3, 2009 a massive dust storm more than 100 feet tall and half a mile wide was documented as it blew off the coal ash disaster site. Many residents have reported respiratory distress up to a 10 mile radius around the disaster site with symptoms that include burning eyes, nosebleeds, sinus infections, ear infections, scratchy throats, rashes, skin sensitivity to sun, nausea, vomiting, headaches, migraines, asthma and many other ailments. Many of these residents had never been sick on such a regular basis before the disaster and now have mounting health bills which they cannot pay. Yet TVA is continuously allowed to state that there is no danger from the coal fly ash and none of the workers involved in the cleanup and recovery efforts are made to wear respiratory protection.

This disaster occurred because of negligence. This disaster is not an isolated incident and as all of the coal fly ash storage sites around the world continue to age many more people will be at risk of having to deal with such a disaster in their neighborhoods. If you live near a coal burning electric power plant you may also live near a coal ash dump. Coal fly ash is NOT safe! This is a disaster that the world needs to learn about and we intend to help spread the word about it, will you help us spread the word?

For more info check out the following websites
(link...)
dirtycoaltva.blogspot.com
(link...)
(link...)
(link...)
Thank you for your time, matt landon Appalachian Organizer for United Mountain Defense
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com
865-689-2778

Here is a video that a Roane County family produced about living next to the TVA Coal Ash Disaster. TVA refuses to evacuate them.

(link...)
Here is a video made by a resident of Roane County, Delano Williams who lives about 1 mile from the TVA Coal Ash Disaster.

(link...)
This dust storm was documented on Feb 3, 2009, the day that Matt Landon got back from the training for the citizen's air monitoring program.

(link...)

Perry County, Alabama Uniontown Citizens speak out about Arrowhead Landfill where TVA coal fly ash is being shipped and dumped by rail. It has been discovered that the landfill is also dumping the leachate (landfill juice) into the ditches surrounding the landfill and right next to the homes in this video.

(link...)
Marion, AL coal ash landfill leachate issue. Arrowhead Landfill is dumping tanker truckload after tanker truckload of landfill juice into a waste water treatment pond which can’t handle the increased load
(link...)
Proposed dump for TVA coal fly ash on a coal mine valley fill in Cumberland County, Tennessee

(link...)

Data from the citizen’s air monitoring program started by Roane County residents, United Mountain Defense and the Global Community Monitor

(link...) 2nd round Raw data
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Page 1
(link...) 2nd round Air Data Spreadsheet
(link...) Expert interpretation of air data

The following are a few words from our air analyst about what these latest air samples mean.
Attached is my interpretation of metal levels in the two air samples collected near the TVA coal ash spill on October 19th and 20th. I added the interpretation to the spreadsheet containing the interpretation of metal levels in the two previously collected air samples (15 July 2009 and 1 October 2009). Rows 4 and 5 contain the new data.

Of note is a ‘hot’ sample (the one collected on 20 October 2009) with a cadmium level that exceeds the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s Chronic Reference Level for cadmium. This sample also has an arsenic level that is above the World Health Organization’s guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

If you average the concentrations in all four samples (assigning a ‘0’ value to non-detects), then the average cadmium level is below (60% of) the California OHEAA’s Chronic REL for cadmium, but the average arsenic level is above the WHO guideline value of 0.66 nanograms per cubic meter to prevent a one per one million increased risk of cancer as a result of lifetime exposure.

I urge caution in how you publicize these results for two reasons. 1) The cadmium levels in the air samples are less than 3 times their uncertainty levels; 2) the arsenic levels in the air samples are less than 2 times their uncertainty levels.

Here is a video made by Delano Williams who lives near the TVA Coal Ash Disaster in Kingston, TN.

Here is the (link...)

Media Contact: vacelious1@aol.com

Again, as promised, I walked the clean streets of Rockwood, Tennessee today and snapped many shots of the great old buildings there!

PLEASE GO HERE to see all the photos I made.

I'll visit Oliver Springs one day soon.

Take a quick look around Kingston, Tennessee. GO HERE and click on “Slideshow”!

As promised, I took a walk around Kingston yesterday…another beautiful day with a dark blue sky for a background. Note the one shot of the closed business with the “Closed” sign hanging in the door. It seems to sum up all of our little towns in Roane County. However, I, for one, believe something will happen one day to cause those signs to be removed. You just have to believe our “Appalachian Dreams” will come true.

Please take the time to look at the photos and send me any historical information you might have on them. I don’t know the building/home names or the dates they were built. Please help! Send to fuzzbert_1999 AT Yahoo dot com.

I plan on doing the same "walk around" for Rockwood and Oliver Springs soon!
Check out stories from "A Sixties Kind of Man" HERE!

Dear folks,
Here is another video of the TN state regulators, TDEC doing a less than fine job of keeping TN's environment safe from coal fly ash.

(link...)

Thanks, matt landon full time volunteer staff United Mountain Defense and dedicated Roane County Volunteer

Our fair state has succeeded in cracking the top 5 in the country - this time in a POSITIVE sense!