Property tax, Wheel Tax, PILOT money, “only” options to funding Bradley County School projects

At an August 15th, 2011 meeting of the Bradley County Education/Finance Committee once again have peaked its tax and spend head once again and they are asking for more from you in the form of your hard earned cash and are dead set on decreasing your quality of life.

I am doing this report a little different from previous reports and am going to put the details in a list form so the details want get overlooked in the narrative.

As you can see, we are in trouble once again and instead of us putting a plan together to decrease our debt service from the benefits of “bringing in the big Corporations” we are offsetting any benefit from our investment of millions on “big business” benefit with more debt.
I have a novel idea and don’t hit the floor when I say this, “why don’t we take the benefit ,the money, from all these Corporate giants and pay down our current county debt instead of spending it before we see it.”
I know, I know, its hard to swallow, I know what you are thinking, “you are a true genius”,it’s hard for me to be modest here, WOW, all the answers. Put a little nest egg together, I have to do it at home, why cant we expect our local officials to do the same! Get up out of the floor, its time to get busy.

Read below for yourself, these were direct quotes from the joint meeting on Monday. Try to put a money figure on every request you read and then ask, “how are we going to pay for this and what is everyone thinking when all we are doing is suggesting Tax and Spend, just as DC is doing. We are near collapse and we are still spending. This is a recipe for disaster!

The Finance/Education Committee suggestion notes!
1)Property tax increase of 14 cent as stated by Commissioner/Finance Chairman Connie Wilson
Editors note: Ok a 14 cent property tax on every 100 dollars of assessed value, currently at 1.7920 per 100 to 1.93 per 100. With this increase it would put us as one of the highest combined city/county tax rates in the state and we haven’t even gotten started yet! Now add in all the other projects below and a 10 billion plus dollar growth plan and can you see where we are going, up,up,up! It’s a cumulative effect!

Note: Check out some of the highest property taxes in the state! Where did our own Chamber of Commerces Doug Berry come from? Yes, the counties with the highest property taxes in the state, the Knoxville area! Check it out! Do your own research, and look where we are going!! http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/pa/LR.asp?w=10#.Tk08dS-eNFs.mailto or google Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury-Division of Property Assessments-Property tax rates, the messenger has been delivered to our area and Im afraid the result will be the same, definitely getting there.

2) A wheel tax at an unspecified amount.
Editors Note- The last one I think I remember was a tax of 23 cents ( amount based on memory, may not be completely accurate, but close) increase and it was shot down by the citizens of Bradley County, in fact 80% of all wheel taxes in TN are voted down.

3) Use of PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) money for debt service.
Editors note:Now, this suggestion surprises me the most or maybe again it doesn’t. All the “benefit to our community” of bringing in these huge corporations has been completely nullified in one fail swoop by the Board of Education. “Lets take the money made from the PILOT program and hand it over to the Board of Education instead of paying down our debt service with it!

Come on guys, we all know the schools are important and we do every thing in the County “for the kids” but I think it is high time we ask the Board of Education to make some “hard decisions”, and before you jump all over me with a “you don’t care about the kids” comment (that is a weak argument), a father of three in County schools, please, so take it somewhere else.

The argument should be lets see more results from our school board, lets show more accountability to their money managers (I doubt very few know where our money really goes), lets demand an audit of that money locally ( bet it would surprise you) , lets show we can raise our standard scores before we hand over more of your hard earned tax dollars.

Lets simply ask them where all this money is going! Think about it!

Are you still paying fees or getting sent home nasty notes from your kids schools that you haven’t made payment yet?
Are you seeing money collected from fundraising school yard sales, carnivals etc, only to see a great portion of that money go to pay for a teachers salary.

Ever seen a needs list outside the classroom with 3×5 cards to “help your teacher” get the stuff they need?

Ask a teacher how much out of pocket expenses they spend to get the things they need! It will surprise you! Hundreds, even thousands! Ask a teacher, they love their students and they would have it no other way, but they deserve better.

4) Use of property tax revenues from Wacker, Amazon, Whirlpool and the Spring Creek development.
Editors note: Another 1 million of what was supposed to be a benefit to the county only to get handed over to the vacuum called the Board of Education. Does this sound like the right thing to do, don’t you see a problem with this?

5) Morelock suggests “an in depth look at what potential borrowing power would result from this revenue” Editors note: More money from you, but this time you will be stuck with loads of tax interest that your kids will be stuck with in their future and the generation yet to come. This is not the answer!

6) orelock suggests the the County would need to borrow about 38 million dollars (many have suggested up to 50 million) to include the 33 1/3 to the City because it would be a Capital project
Editors note: Need I say more?

7) Morelock went on to suggest a plan to fund not only the schools needs but the Industrial Park Land and the Veterans Home Request as well (again multiple tens of millions of dollars)
Editors note: Again, lets not only pay for the educational system but I have a few other projects that need to be funded. When will “conflicts of interest, nepotism and cronyism be a subject of interest in local politics?”

Yes, here is another sensitive area, veterans, any attempts to make an argument here would also be a weak argument, I’m a veteran and have served my country honorably and with distinction, no doubt about the “love” I give to my fellow soldiers. There are other ways to do this and it doesn’t have to be with your tax dollars, that’s all Im saying.

8) Morelock suggests a Comprehensive Plan (one big ole tax, my interjection based on perception) rather than putting these things as separate items.
Editors note: Bundle it up, so we can get it over in one big vote, yep that will take care of this bundle, then we pay for the next, then the next and next project. It will never stop!

9) Morelock also suggests “If we do these things, some of them, its going to require a tax increase.” “I don’t see any possible way around it!”
Editors note: Mr Morelock, there are other ways, I challenge you to email me with the many ways you have explored first before you made this statement. I challenge you to show me where a committee has documented and implemented a program to do anything but raise a tax. I will keep a special place for you in my mailbox, Im waiting.

10) Education Chairman Jeff Yarber and Adam Lowe “agreed a plan includes all the projects is needed
Editors note: Im gonna challenge you a little here, show me a reason why all these projects are needed then I will further challenge you to show me where you have developed a plan to do something besides tax the citizen of Bradley County!

11) Ed Elkins said the (PILOT ) money will not be available till 2015 from the County Budget.
Editors note: I think Ed sees the writing on the wall, how do we wait till 2015, hopefully by then we will have more conservative members on these committees, council and commissions.

12) Education Chairman Jeff Yarber suggested the “committees should also consider the increase in state and federal funding that will come from increased growth in the school system.
Editors note: NOOOOO! Requesting more money from the fed and states is what has gotten us into this situation. Enough spending already.

13) Adam Lowe said he would like to see the school look at putting more money in the school systems budget each year for capital projects. Editors note: Growing government and asking for more money to be carved out to more greatly fund the schools is not the answer. Lets suggest we look at the Educational budget and see where we can cut. The many leaders who are getting wealthy would be a start.

14) Morelock also suggested the Bradley County Board of Education hold two public forums to get community input on the capital needs to aid the joint commission in its decision. (NOT A WORD UTTERED AFTER THIS MOTION) and no action was taken.
Editors note: Actually this is a pretty good plan, but I can assure you, based on prior attempts to communicate including many emails, phone calls and attendance of board meetings it is no surprise you could hear crickets when Morelock made this suggestion.

15)The immediate needs of the School Board is Land for a new middle school, construction of a new academic building at Lake Forest Middle School, at Walker Valley High School and construction of a new elementary school in the Blue Spring community.
Editors note: Remember, the original request was for solving flooding problems at Walker Valley and Lake Forest to solve flooding problems knowing the schools were built on flood plains. Then when the assessment was done and a low figure by comparison was forecasted the Board starting adding on item after item till we have a 50 million dollar price tag and a revised 5 year plan, complete with a raise request for Mr McDaniel and a glowing 5 star evaluation.

Where does it stop Bradley County?

This is only the beginning!

We have leaders currently in place all over the our County, especially to include the City Government that do not have your best interest in mind!

We are everything but in control of our government.

This current combined makeup of our local leaders (we do have some very bright spots for which I am grateful) is going to bankrupt our city and county.

Our leaders should be directing us in the right direction and they are not.

In the meantime we can call and demand change then when they are up for re-election and we simply don’t vote them in!

Its that simple!

You heard it right!

The County Education and finance committee once again suggests multiple tax increases to fund immediate future needs expressed by the County School Board.

No sports for Bradley County homeschooler, but thanks for the tax dollars!

No sports in Bradley County for homeschoolers!

A split 4 to 3 vote at a recent school board meeting says “NO sports for homeschoolers in Bradley County, Tennessee!”

The YES votes to allow this young man to participate in a county supported school were Vickie Beaty, David Kelley and Charlie Rose!

The NAYSAYERS were Chairman Troy Weathers, Richard Baker, Christy Critchfield and Rodney Dillard!

There was a one year pilot program suggested by Vicki Beaty (which I feel was a very good proposal) to see if there would be any issues that would surface from allowing a child to participate in football at Walker Valley High School being raised obviously by a very caring, yet non-traditional type family.

The Board room meeting was packed and charged with passionate home schoolers and their parents and the motion for a pilot was quickly shot down by the swift kick and leadership of Chairman Troy Weathers. One thing that was evident in the room was that this issue should have been considered at least as a pilot at the school. After all, the child was allowed to practice all summer and I didn’t hear of any issues that arose.

Board member Kelley and Rose expressed support for the pilot motion but did express concern for accountability and behavior type issues as a reason for hesitancy on the pilot. Walker Valley Principal Danny Coggins whom Im sure was towing the “populist, party line type vote” because we all know that you don’t stay a teacher or principal long if you don’t.

He said that he knew what the parents were trying to do but “you have to have accountability measures in place” Coggins stated further “that he could not sign off on a student being eligible to play if he could not verify eligibility to play.”

“Accidentally letting an ineligible student to play would jeopardize the whole team.” Mr Coggins, sir, there are already so many eligibility and behavior issues that are too numerous to count already from county students! Why do you fear that a home schooler is going to make the situation worse? Statistically, home schoolers don’t shut down school athletics programs!

Charlie Rose went on to cite TSSAA handout wording that clearly states that if a student is deemed ineligible because they knowingly provide false information, their punishment would be ineligible for a year.

Editiors insertion! Why? Because I can! 1st Amendment…..forget it! This means a child is eligible, just because his parents pay taxes and he is a living breathing child in Bradley County, HELLO, McFly? He becomes ineligible when he boo boos, he hasn’t boo booed yet, so he is eligible. Not ineligible just because he is a home schooler! Gaaaaah, this was a no brainer! Oh my this argument at the General assembly will be fun to watch and participate in, cant wait!

Mr Rose went on to say “the school board would not be responsible in this case, based on the wording on section 14 on page 24 of the handbook . Rose said the change was made about two years ago. School Administrators disagreed! Did you hear that school administrators disagreed with the TSSAA handbook, not believing the interpretation but disagreeing with the rule. It was so refreshing to see Rose, Kelley and Beaty stand up for this child, I believe they saw the human element in this this, did their due diligence and researched, came up with an appropriate argument to only have it nullified with tyrannical behavior such as comes from the Chairman of the board.

Kelley went on to say that this issue was going to be taken up with the Tennessee general Assembly in their next session. He said he feels a state law will be passed forcing schools to allow home school participation.

Chairman Weathers in his usual rapid fire Commando Dictatorial type leadership style says “THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT SUCH A LAW WILL BE PASSED! Tounge in cheek, because I will make sure of it! (note to self, my words, not his) Mr Weathers, let me remind you that if the PEOPLE want the law, there will be a law! You cannot dictate from the Chairman seat, just sayin!

EDITORS NOTE: Im a little dazed and confused here and many would argue that is my constant state anyway, but, if I am paying 60 % percent, did you catch that? 60 percent of my taxes to the Bradley County School Board in one form or fashion, my money is being used copiously like a heroin addict on a weekend binge by the board and many will argue (not very frugally,) but for every dollar in taxes that I pay goes to the school board, 60 cents lines the pocket of some semi wealthy Board of Education somewhere, don’t you think I should at least get something in return for that. I cast a novel scenario, if you refuse to let my homeschooler play sports, give me my tax dollars back and I will use that money to sign him to play elsewhere! You know that want happen, but why not?

Forget that he has non traditional parents (which I feel is part of the real issue anyway, you know that behavior thing from those “type” people!) but you have a young boy in his teens, tall, sandy haired muscular, good looking all American type boy with a desire to play sports at Walker Valley High, to increase his school experience, to get “the full experience” is being denied because bureacrats on the board are getting choked up on a rule that officially doesn’t even apply to this student or any homeschool student. But, its a “good global fit” to expose our children to Socialism, Marxism, Leninism and Communism with a 2 plus million dollar grant from the fed to start an expensive International Baccalaureate Program at Walker Valley that the taxpayers will have to foot, but a good kid cant play sports, go figure!

Note to self, board member Richard Baker did not attend Tuesdays work session but was “informed and updated by school administration” and his vote was ultimately the deciding vote at Thursdays board meeting! Hmmmmm sounds a little like DC in BC! Well played! You decide!

They made their decision based on a rule that pertains to a student within the system already. In this town, we have loads of behavior problems from non homeschool students on the teams who are still playing, because they will “contribute to wins.” Take for instance, a rule violation in the last few years that caused one of our local sports team to forfeit all their wins from the current season. I bet that was not a homeschoolers discipline problem!

What about the homeschoolers that are already participating, (I want mention them because it would be egregious to call them out in this forum, and if they are having the opportunity, please dont now take that away from them) I have cheered for many of them. Perhaps they are from church programs, that may make them “eligible”, I assume, although that still makes them ineligible, I would think. If that is the excuse they are using.

No child left behind! Race to the top! All these federal dollars going to a broken system and we cant even assist one and possibly others through our school system and allow them to play on a county team. My heart goes out to these guys whom for one reason or another have chosen to homeschool and now their dreams to play sports is no more at least for now.

I guess when you talk about “No kid left behind” I guess that only applies, well of course, only if you don’t home school.
Mr Weathers, once again you have peaked your liberal head up and negatively affected one of our students in our schools again. You have not been an advocate for the child but a puppet for the BOE! You shut citizens down in board meetings, you run citizens objections into the ground, you assemble a small group of “YES” people into a huddle and push the leftist agenda in our town. It is high time you and your cronies, your “YES” men and women, “NO” in this case are no longer “eligible” to play on the school board team.

Your behavior is not fitting of a Team player! You are now ineligible! How you like those apples?

The people, I know that is a tough bunch for you to tolerate, but, they are your boss. Like it or not you answer to the people and hopefully the next election will toss you out on your behind with the rest of the leftist, progressive, globalist politicians, I dare say. Yep your time is short and the next election the will of the people will hopefully “dictate” to you, your future, with the push of a button at the election booth! Just as you have stopped this child, you too can be stopped! The Republic is still intact and the will of the people at least for now, still gets the last word!

The Board Members that voted NO and left this child behind!
Weathers
Critchfield
Baker
Dillard
A change is due, just a suggestion that would turn our board back to “we the people!”

Vote and make your vote count!

This is the only true way we get change in Bradley County!

Contributing source: Cleveland Daily Banner