It Matters Who Governs - Monteagle

Many of you have read previous posts where I have ranted about the ineptness of my local government...especially when it came to infrastructure issues. We have had a complete systemic failure in our sewer treatment functions, we have run out of water and we have had horrendous audit reports with issues that haven't been corrected in 20 years. Now if that isn't bad leadership, I really don't what is. But hey, we allowed it to happen. It does matter who governs folks.

Fast forward to the elections of 2008, one woman decided to run for city council. She wanted to make a difference in the community that she loved. She was elected in spite of some of the local naysayers. She was off-handedly given the task of getting grants for the town. What harm could she do there. They didn't know Marilyn Nixon.

Identifying needs, finding grant money, getting the paperwork done and taking the steps necessary to get those grants is an arduous task even for the most functional of local governments. But Marilyn doggedly pursued the courses of action to make it happen. She fortunately had two, sometimes three other votes on the council that saw the logic and the possibilities. It does matter who governs folks.

Yesterday, the state announced that Monteagle was #1 on the list for Clean Water Stimulus money in Tennessee. Our local government had failed so badly at providing vital services, that we beat out all the other deserving local governments in Tennessee for this top dog spot in Obama's "free" cash extravaganza.

But no matter how I feel politically about all this Stimulus bs, I say "Go Girl" to Marilyn Nixon. Sometimes it takes a woman to get the job done. It does matter who governs.

Tennessee is preparing to spend $77 million in stimulus money on clean water and drinking water projects, including several local ones.

Topping the state's priority list of more than 300 projects are eight Southeast Tennessee water improvement projects for which state officials are offering quick funding opportunities.

For drinking water funding, the Ocoee Utility District in Polk and Bradley counties, the Big Creek Utility District in Grundy County and South Pittsburg in Marion County have chances to get a total of a little more than $10 million.

For clean water projects, Monteagle, serving Grundy, Marion and Franklin counties; Ocoee Utility District; Benton in Polk County; plus Cleveland and Athens may receive more than $14.6 million.

Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said money is allocated through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. She said the money will be combined with state funds for low-interest loans and grants.

If local communities decline the money or can't make deadlines, other communities will be considered according to the state's priority list, Ms. Calabrese-Benton said.

The federal money -- $57 million for sewer facilities and more than $20 million for planning, design and construction of drinking water facilities -- must be obligated by Feb. 17, 2010, state officials said. Utilities, water authorities or communities must have a signed construction contract or must have begun construction by the same date.

Many area utility officials could not be reached for comment Thursday, but Ocoee Utility District Manager Tim Lawson said his district has decided to put on hold a plan to build a water treatment system. The $1.6 million in funding will go to another project.

"We are proceeding with the drinking water application," Mr. Lawson said.

Two planned extensions will serve several hundred homes in Polk and Bradley counties, he said.

"We just don't think it's feasible for us to be able to start the (sewer) work by February, which we would have to do," Mr. Lawson said.

The state also is set to receive $458,806 to implement water quality management planning projects, including grants to three Tennessee development districts to conduct green infrastructure needs analyses.

Education

Since the legislative session is winding down and my OHV bills had a 1/3 success ratio with time to spare before next year's battle, my philosophical focus has now shifted to the education conundrum. A huge issue in my neck of the woods and one that could, in my opinion, be easily changed if we all put our thinking caps on and be willing to get over "status quo" issues and think about solutions.

Personally, I think the solution to any problem is education of the mind and expanding our world view. Since adults usually close off the most porous of these brain cells (unwillingly, willingly or just by attrition), my intentional focus will be the children and figuring out how to help them be the best that they can be in life...whatever that path may be. I think we spend way too much time telling them what they should be instead of focusing on their own unique skillsets. God has given us each our own set.

I decided to have my own children later in life (although I was one of the first of my dear college friends to do so). When I made that decision, my entire life revolved around expanding their minds and souls. Yes, I even did the Vivaldi in the womb thing.

When it was time for school, I jumped in and became that involved parent. By second grade, my eldest was evolving faster then her teachers could keep up with educationally. Unfortunately, the school resources were being spent teaching English as a Second Language and not challenging the above average student(our little suburb had a huge influx that they were not prepared for).

As PTA President, I did what I could, but the education system is not one you can "fix" overnight. So after third grade, I pulled her from public school and placed her in a Christian private school that fit my preferred educational qualifications. I had one shot at this parenthood thing and education was a huge component.

Sometimes life gets in the way with all of our best laid plans, but so far, my children are still expanding their minds (they are 12 and 17 with 4.0's). So I know this education thing has some merit. In fact, opening up their world views early in life probably helped them get thru some of the hardest of personal times a child can have in life. I am thankful every day for that miracle.

I don't have all the answers, but I welcome an open discussion on the matter...and maybe just maybe, we can put our thoughtful discourse into practical application. It is time to think out of the box on this issue. Let the fun begin!

Tea Parties

Wow, where do I begin.

Started the day in Monteagle where we had a Tea Party at Noon. A local business owner had asked me to host one because he was so darn fed up with everything. Of course, I couldn't say no. Direction was quickly given by the TN event organizers, I was VERY impressed with both Ken and Judson's immediate feedback and action plan.

Signs went up Saturday and the invite was pretty much word of mouth. I was thinking 15 people showing up would classify it as a success considering we live in such a small town with alot of apathy. People started arriving at 11:30am, I was a little shocked, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. 11:45am the parking lot was almost full and we were having traffic control issues. Noon, it was full-blown. I have not seen anything like it in all my days here. Some say 65, some say closer to 100, I really was too busy to get a head count.

Music by Sarah Mallory, Pledge, Prayer, National Anthem and then audience participation. So many great, heartfelt words...so many cheers of approval. All ages, all walks of life. It was beautiful. Food and drink were donated, war stories were shared afterwards. I feel hope again.

Made a quick dash to Sewanee for the T.Boone Pickens book signing (line too long, gave friend Andy my book to sign).

Then off to Tullahoma where dear friend Lynn Sebourn was on the organizing team. He had asked me several weeks ago to be on the speaker list and I was happy to comply. I pulled in about 4:45pm and the South Jackson Civic Center front lawn was covered up with people and signs. I was in awe. Jerry Anderson was emceeing and he was certainly in his element. Glib, charming and gently jabbing. Rep. Matheny kicked off the speakers, always my hero, he had just gotten in from a long day on the hill and he looked exhausted...but he nailed it as usual. Lynn Sebourn was brilliant as always, Steve Heath was rocking, Kent Greenough was rocking too, Greg Sandlin made his points so very deftly, my fellow revolutionary Chip Ramsey was passionate and inspiring. I got in there after Kent and since everyone was making such great points, I thought I would go in a slightly different direction and talk about guns and anarchy. I guess I hit a nerve, the response was pleasantly surprising.

As I sit here exhausted from so many discussions over the day, I can honestly say that what happened today was almost a miracle in my book. Can this be the beginning...?

Conservative Manifesto

Reading this book is on my "to do" list. Finally a Manifesto to believe in.


Conservatives' 'Manifesto' DestinyKathryn Lopez
Saturday, April 04, 2009

Standing between liberty and tyranny is you.

That's one of many essential lessons found in a powerful and necessary new book, Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto" (Threshold, 2009).

Levin's tome sounds a call to arms for conservatives, urging every last one to realize the stakes and engage in public affairs to the best of their ability. Understanding that it's not always the first instinct of the conservative to take on Washington, he urges more focus on our nation's capital, whether by going there, running for office closer to home, or educating those in your living room. Doing your job and living your life are important contributions, Levin writes, but "it is no longer enough." America needs more from its concerned citizens.

When the actions of a Republican president set the scene for the current commander in chief's CEO-firing, it's time for a new level of attention from all Americans. In Levin's words we need "a new generation of conservative activists, larger in number, shrewder and more articulate than before, who seek to blunt the Statist's counterrevolution -- not to imitate it -- and gradually and steadily reverse course. More conservatives than before will need to seek elective and appointed office, fill the ranks of the administrative state, hold teaching positions in public schools and universities, and find positions in Hollywood and the media where they can make a difference in infinite ways."

We appear to be living in a paradigm shift, during which the government is taking over in unprecedented ways. If you're uncomfortable with what you're seeing, get to work.

There are countless historical examples of American citizens with concerns similar to Levin's who went into politics. One of Levin's contemporary favorites, as anyone who regularly listens to his syndicated radio show knows, is Michele Bachmann. She's a congresswoman from Minnesota who the left loves to hate -- she almost lost her seat last year under threat from a loony liberal barrage.

After one of her foster children (she and her husband have taken care of 23 such kids over the years, in addition to five children of their own) came home from high school with an assignment for math homework that centered on coloring, she realized there was something wrong with the public-school standards area, and started working to change things. Her efforts would eventually take her to the state senate and now the U.S. Congress. Ask her about her experiences and you'll have the sense of a woman who does not have an office in mind, but a country.

Talk to Bachmann about politics and the future, and it is clear that she has "liberty and tyranny" on her mind (both literally -- she cited the book on Sean Hannity's show -- and more foundationally). Her high-minded conversation seems to be stemming not from political ambition but from those initial concerns that spurred her into politics. She views herself as a backbencher with an opportunity and a responsibility during a crucial time in American history. She's a former federal tax litigation attorney who now sits on the Financial Services Committee. A small-business owner and an educational entrepreneur (she helped found one of the first charter schools in the country, which is still running) Bachmann brings a breadth and depth of experience to Washington tables to which "gotcha" sound bites do not do justice.

On Levin's show late last year, Bachmann was open about her amazement that anyone would want to subject themselves to the harrowing rigors and painful exposure of the political process. There's little question that she's felt that way since, as her every word continues to be parsed and highlighted by the liberal media and its legion of faultfinders and scandalmongers. Bachmann was doing more than her part before she ran for Congress, before she ran for state office, before she and her husband welcomed a gaggle of foster children into their home. But she, like Levin, knows America needs all hands on deck. Consider it the real, substantive, bipartisan "yes we can" message. It's the message of the citizen-politicians of America's founding era.

In his best seller, Levin prescribes a way to combat "the ascent of a soft tyranny" rampant in the United States today. Rather than ask the government to fix everything, we must "return to founding principles," which involve "a free people living in a civil society, working in self-interested cooperation." This is what Bachmann gets up every morning and starts doing. We can't all be members of Congress, but we each have a sphere of influence upon which we ought to be full and informed participants. That doesn't just mean a vote and a letter to the editor now and then. We need to teach our children that which is worth preserving. We need to engage with our friends in a smart and respectful way. The future of liberty depends on it -- on us.

Another Monteagle Disaster

Bad government rears its ugly head again as Monteagle suffers another PR blow. Poor management seems like a callous disregard for public safety to me. When are we going to learn that IT DOES MATTER WHO GOVERNS!

Monteagle Sewage Spills Into Creek

March 16, 2009 - 9:55 PM

A massive rupture at Monteagle's Sewer Treatment Plant sends a hundred thousand gallons of raw sewage into a local creek. City leaders say the water supply of a number of residents who live at the base of Monteagle Mountain could be impacted by the spill.
Monteagle's Mayor says he has no idea what caused this spill right now but he tells us all of that sewage spilled into a creek behind the plant. That creek goes into the ground about half a mile down from the plant and the Mayor says because of that they have no idea where the spilled sewage went or who could be affected.
Cold water flows from the pump in Robert Myers' yard today, but Myers tells us he won't be drinking that water anytime soon.
"Well yeah you know I don't want to be drinking sewage," Myers says with a chuckle.
Over 100,000 gallons of sewage poured into the Juanita Creek yesterday after an equalization tank ruptured at Monteagle's Sewer Treatment Plant #1.
"Well I heard it bursted the tank up there," Myers says.
"The westside of the tank completely laid down on the ground," Monteagle Mayor Charles Rollins says.
Rollins says they have since bypassed the collapsed tank and put chlorine into the creek, but he says they have no idea what the spilled sewage's affect on the community might be.
We managed to get behind the sewage plant and could see several workers on the scene trying to fix this problem. Their biggest concern is that the sewage that leaked out got into creek, flowed downstream, and then got into the wells on people's property.
The Mayor says that's around twenty-eight wells that could be impacted, including the well in Myers' backyard.
Myers lives in the Pelham Valley which is directly down stream from the spill. Myers says Police Officers and the Mayor stopped by to warn him about the rupture.
"He said it would be okay to shower and wash clothes, but he just said don't drink it," Myers says.
And while Myers says he'll continue to let his dog drink water from the well...
"I don't think it will really affect him," Myers says.
He says he won't take the risk of going to the well one too many times.
"They furnished me bottle water," Myers says. "Long as it's safe that's all I care."
The Mayor says Monteagle residents will not be affected by this spill. He says it could only be the people who live in the Pelham Valley and even then only people who have wells on their property.
The Mayor says they notified the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and also says they'll be testing over the next week to see how much damage the spill really caused.

Tennessee Democrats

Everyone reevalutates strategy after a defeat. Nationally, the Repubs are doing it, and in Tennessee the Dems are doing it. It is smart and necessary.

The state Dems just elected a new chairman that is going to rock everyone's world. He is an Obama follower for sure. Which means that the old school Dems like Lincoln Davis are not going to be happy. Why? Because Lincoln Davis is a conservative and his constituent base is conservative. He won our county by the biggest margin ever this past election. My people LOVE Lincoln Davis. And you know what, I kinda like the guy myself except for the Nancy Pelosi factor (he has to vote with that liberal lunatic).

So in my world, I am pretty darn happy with the state Dem chairman choice.

Forrester Calls Out Republicans for 'Racist Smear Tactics'
By Jeff Woods in Politics, WoodsMonday, Jan. 26 2009 @ 5:45AM

Demoralized and in disarray, Tennessee Democrats met at the Capitol over the weekend to elect a new chairman and proceeded to make their party's future even shakier by giving the finger to their entire senior leadership. Charles Robert Bone, son of a long-time party money guy, enjoyed the backing of Gov. Phil Bredesen, and Congressmen Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon and John Tanner, plus Harold Ford Jr. and a bunch of former party chairs--Doug Horne, Bob Thomas, Dick Lodge, Randy Button, and Gray Sasser. (Did we leave anyone out?) So who did the party's executive committee elect? Chip Forrester.

And it wasn't even close. Forrester, the party treasurer, won by a vote of 42-25 and--surprise!--he immediately called for unity. "There's much more than unites us today as Democrats than separates us," he said, hopefully.

Insiders say the establishment now might wash its hands of the party, refusing to raise money or helping only half-heartedly. As Forrester was elected Saturday, aides to Davis and Gordon hustled out of the House chamber without talking to reporters. Party leaders favored Bone for his fund-raising prowess. They see Forrester as a flaky troublemaker. He wears bow ties and wire-rim spectacles, for chrissakes, and he had the audacity in 1992 to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Bob Clement in a primary.

Forrester won because of his long association with the executive committee--he has belonged himself since 1988--but also because of something else: He's the new champion of the party's liberal activists. He filled the House gallery with sign-waving supporters. Barack Obama's victory stirred them up. Over the years, they have watched in frustration as Democrats have put conservatives on the ballot election after election. Bredesen, Davis, Gordon, Cooper and Tanner all act like Republicans most of the time. The elected leaders say that's what it takes to win in Tennessee, although the Republican Lite strategy hasn't been working out so well for the party lately. Liberals have this crazy idea that Democrats can excite a mass following in this state, just like Obama did nationally, if they will only stay true to their core beliefs and stop pretending to be Republicans.

One of their biggest grievances has been the failure of the Tennessee party and its leaders to vigorously counter Republican attacks. In last year's losing campaigns in particular, state Democratic leaders outraged liberals by keeping a conspicuous silence as the Tennessee GOP smeared Obama and some Democratic legislative candidates. In his acceptance speech, Forrester brought the House chamber cheering to its feet by vowing to fight back against "racist smear tactics."

"I want to put the Republican Party on notice. The Democratic Party will no longer sit quietly while the Republicans run racist, demagogic falsehoods against our values, our principles and our candidates as they did this year against President Barack Obama, Representative Nathan Vaughn and other legislative candidates. When you lie about our candidates, our office holders, we're going to call you out as liars. There is no place in politics for such conduct. Robin Smith, Jason Mumpower, Bill Hobbs and Chip Saltsman, I tell you now you are put on notice. As chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, I will not stand by and see this happen without a full-frontal attack on the racist smear tactics that you have used in this past campaign. Decent men and women in Tennessee are demeaned by your racist, bigoted attacks, and I will not stand for it and neither will the Tennessee Democratic Party. Be ready, I'm putting you on notice now, Republicans in Tennessee and those of you who support those tactics."

Also in his speech, Forrester pledged to run "95-county campaign" for governor in 2010. "We're going to make this thing happen," he said. "We're going to make the changes we know we need to make."


"First and Foremost I want to renew my pledge to you that I made to you during my campaign that we're going to open this party up to everyone, everyone who believes in the ideals of the Democratic Party, the party of hope and change. We're going to make this the most inclusive political party in the state of Tennessee which will enable us to build the grassroots organization necessary to elect a new Democratic governor, regain the majority in the House and Senate seats in 2010."
The new chairman said he would hold a summit of Democratic leaders "to look at what we did wrong and what we did right [in the 2008 campaign] and begin to incorporate what we learn into a comprehensive strategy for 2009 and 2010. From this summit, we will emerge with a program of fundraising, new technologies, grassroots organizing to truly build this party from the precinct level up. We need to stop talking about organizing and actually begin doing it."

With the party's leaders sulking on the sidelines, it's not clear at this point who might join Forrester at his meetin

Pay it Forward

I love it when a plan comes together, especially when the hand of God is so very apparent.

Last week I got a phone call from our city councilwoman Marilyn Campbell Nixon, who had gotten a call from the Appalachian Women's Guild who had gotten a call from Hampton's Tax Service about a young, newly homeless couple needing help (I love living in a small county). It seems this couple walked from Monteagle to Tracy City in the freezing temps to see if they could get a Rapid Refund to pay for their bus tickets back to Oklahoma where they had jobs waiting for them.

I put them on the bus this morning, one week later, but the story behind the story is worth telling.

Dean Owenby takes charge. Dean was the person the couple happened to see last Wednesday at Hampton's (also called Jackson Hewitt). Who knows why or how the good Lord operates, but this couple's story touched something in Dean and put her into action. The rest of story just miraculously unfolded from there. Dean, Dean's officemate April Fults and customers Carrie Castro and family all pitched in to get the couple someplace warm for the night and food in their belly. Somehow thru all of Dean's phone calls, the situation became known to Stephanie Gibbs who jumped into action as well. With the help of her church, Lords House of Faith in Altamont, they came up with the funds to house the couple at Regency Inn until their bus left the following week and funds could be raised to purchase the tickets.

Marilyn problem solves the bus ticket situation. A sign of a good leader is someone who assesses a situation and finds the means to get it solved. Monteagle doesn't have a budget line item or a "community chest" set up for situations like the one this couple was in. Her next line of thinking was dead-on, find someone who is involved with a local church. That is where my phone call came in. Because we are both results-oriented people, she knew this kind of project was right up my alley. She was right. I contacted my church elders (Morton Memorial UMC) who jumped right in without question, JoAnn Sargent (who works at City Hall and whom I love dearly) contacted her church (Cumberland Bible Church) and they jumped in without question as well. Then a surreal Facebook moment happened when Chip Ramsey from the Saturday Independent gave me a name of an organization who helped Middle Tennesseans like the couple in question and they immediately agreed to round out the final funds needed to purchase the tickets. It really, truly was an amazing series of events. Things clicked.

Fishes and loaves. What made this story even more compelling was the other missing pieces of the puzzle that came together like fishes and loaves. Monteagle Church of Christ helped feed the couple this past week, New Hope Community Church and Ed & Nola Fults donated funds to help house and feed them too. My Kiwanis/Chamber friend and all around great gal Sue Herrick donated funds for their food during the trip to Oklahoma. Our needs were so fulfilled that I even had to turn away an offer from my Republican compadre and Christ Church elder Matt Pilcher. Now that is a rare moment indeed!

Pay it forward. As I paid for the tickets with the raised funds and handed the couple a card with food money enclosed, I echoed the request that came from the lips of all who helped: "Please pay it forward. Your time to help others will come, so make good choices along the way and be ready. You will never know how, or when or why, but the good Lord works thru all of us at different times and different capacities. You just have to open up your heart and listen."

Safe journeys Patricia and Michael!

Grundy County GOP

Yep, I accepted the Chairmanship. Onward Ho!

Grundy County Republican Party announces 2009-11 Leadership

On Saturday, January 17th, 2009, the Grundy County Republican Party held their Reorganization Convention and elected the following people to the 2009-11 leadership team:

Chairman – Iva Michelle Russell
Vice Chairman – Scott Pilkington Jr.
Secretary – Jim Waller
Treasurer – Marianne Waller
Vice Treasurer – Alf Adams
Finance Chairman – Matt Pilcher
Precinct Chairman – Chuck Clabber
Publicity Chairman – Jennifer Parmley
Immediate Past Chairman – Ted Smith
District 14 State Executive Committeeman – Betty King
District 14 State Executive Committeeman – Reuben Watkins

New Chairman Address:

“I am very honored to be serving as county chairman this term, especially with such an accomplished leadership team. Due to the efforts of so many conservatives across the state, we now have an historic opportunity to build our party locally due to the shifting power structure in state politics and the historic presidential vote in Grundy County. With the new majority status in the state General Assembly, we were able to elect three Republican Constitutional Officers as well as receive a majority status on all 95 Election Commissions. I am confident that our people will lead the way in preserving and expanding gun rights, pro-small business legislation and shedding the light on back-room deals that have greatly hurt the state of Tennessee and the citizens who pay the price.

As a conservative Republican, I strongly believe in the philosophies’ of Ronald Reagan: Less government, less taxes and personal responsibility…especially fiscal responsibility. In a down economy, it is more important than ever to find qualified candidates who understand how to run budgets and to make every dollar count. We will also be looking for candidates that understand the need to educate our children for the jobs of the future and to give them every opportunity to succeed in life. We have many challenges ahead in our county, including infrastructure and job creation, I am confident that we will find candidates with the heart and soul to come up with solutions and to work in a non-partisan way with everyone in our community. I respect every individual and their right to choose a party that fits their belief structure. Our job will be to educate and motivate Grundy County voters to get involved in the process, and if we do our job right, vote for our candidates because they are the most qualified to represent the needs of our people.

As always, I will rely heavily on our people with military and first responder backgrounds. They understand honor codes, work ethic and a team approach to any situation. I am very thankful that my new leadership team has several members that fit this description and I look forward to finding candidates with the same convictions.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Immediate Past President Ted Smith for his unwavering vision and belief structure. Great leaders learn from the mistakes and successes of the past in order to build and shape a brighter future. They must also have conviction of purpose. Ted Smith is one of those leaders. In the words of Winston Churchill “Never, never, never give up”. Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to serving you.”

The New Year

Yep, the kids are back in school, the holidays (all month of them) are finally over and a fresh new year is ahead. I LOVE the new year feeling. I am always invigorated by a new project and a new year fits into that concept. New ideas culled from the down time will now be put into action, new planning begins for the spring and summer season. Spring signals the beginning of "business" for our little piece of paradise and summer is prime time...even (and especially) in a down economy.

The other exciting part of the new year is the start of our state's legislative session. I am a political junkie and I could eat, sleep and breathe politics if it paid my bills. My current legislative project deals with Off Highway Vehicles. I think in previous posts I have gone over the saga of why I got involved with this particular mission, but it mainly deals with justice and the little guy being heard. The mission also makes perfect economic sense for rural Tennessee. I will have three bills being presented this session. This will be my third year on the project and I should see a modicum of success due to the hard work and logic put into this project. Logic flew out the door the past two sessions because the state legislature was ruled by thug politics. But logic this session may see the light of day. Being a political purist, I am really excited by the concept of this new leadership team. We need heroes in politics.

Lastly, the New Year will bring elections for our county Republican party. I have been tapped to become Chairman and carry forward the success of our '08 victory. If the proposed team gets elected, the next two years should be alot of fun.

So heres to the New Year!