Bradley County Finance Committee mulls 16 cent property tax increase

The County Commission via the Finance Committee is once again discussing taxing the citizens of Bradley County Tennessee.

The “what if” by the finance committee to propose yet another tax on the citizens in light of a recent overwhelming wheel tax defeat is beyond what my somewhat simple mind can handle.

Listen to the people! We do not want another tax! We are living in tough economic times! We are hurting. Struggling to feed our families and make ends meet.

Are we so comfy in our lofty elected and appointed posts that we do not see the ramifications? Why is it that everytime we need to fix something the first and second response is to turn to the peasants for a constant stream of seemingly endless requests on our revenue stream?

Some have told me that it’s only about 50 dollars on the average home in the county. Quit looking at it as a single hit on our budgets, it cumulative and it’s more than likely permanent. This 50 dollars gets piled up on another 50 dollars etc and eventually we can’t pay it anymore and we lose our property and the rights that go with it.

I was recently asked in an email exchange from one of our elected State Representative “Why don’t you provide some solutions?” In other words, stop your bitchin and do something about it! Really? Should I, a citizen, who just cast a vote that elects you to be my representative and you tell me to provide solutions to solve the problems of our state and local governments. My response is to that scenario is either resign or don’t run again and I gaurantee you we can put a citizen in that will represent the people and act on their request. Please forgive me this morning, I woke up in a rather gripey mood and I feel an overwhelming need to apologize. This type of malarchy just sets me off.

If the best you can do is shuffle a few line item scenarios around to make it look good on paper then perhaps your rent is up and it is time to elect someone who can put it all together and get our county back on track. This is a replacement tax for Gods sake, in case the County loses the 3,000,000.00 case over a sales tax issue. This tax will not even be attributed to knocking down our current debt load, but to replace money lost! It will not help our situation one bit, it just gets us back to where we were! What an excellent opportunity to have to cut costs within our county budget. What an opportunity missed to fix our problem with big government before we tax the citizens further. That sounded original didn’t it and it looks proactive, right? Another apology for my grumpiness.

You have to be one brick shy of a load to think this will be the only tax in our future. We are facing a 4 to 10 billion dollar growth plan in our immediate future. Who do you think is going to pay for that? Let’s not also forget we have already shifted close to a million dollars to an out of state company that has at best cut out a cardboard cookie cutter county growth plan that has drawn the ire of and disapproval of 73 percent of our citizenry. We, you and our children will be the beneficiary of this debt fiasco. Oh yeah, how could we forget the county mayors stealthy 16 county, 3 state regional growth plan that is well under way. Let me mention this while I’m here and I will elaborate later, this regional growth plan will take your county, Bradley Counties tax dollars and send it to another county to help them pay for one of their projects. How you like those apples, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Is there some type of unspoken rule or edict that says our County has to take federal grant money in great amounts and more often than not turn around and ask the citizens to turn over increasingly greater amounts of their hard earned money? I am aware of Public Chapter 1101, but the immensity of it? Who dictates how big it has to be?

Keep in mind, I’m just a concerned citizen, with a keen sense of insight who happens to like to write. I am not a professor of finance nor a guru of all that is financial but let me ask one more question of our elected officials then I will shut up.

Why dont we fix our problems inside our own government house before we request more from the already unstable and stretched budgets of the citizenry? If someone can answer that with a logical response will get a big hug from me. Why not get our house in order first. Why not take the politics out of it and look at it from a human perspective?

King George and his court were ousted and our country reshaped some 250 years ago for this same type of behavior and blatant disregard for the people he represented. Sounds like it is time to do the same and vote these distinguished characters out of office before we can’t afford to live here anymore.

The message is simple, lean in closely, I am about to scream. NO NEW TAXES! PERIOD!

And I mockingly borrow from a quote by one our elected Mayors from the city as he screamed at me recently in one of his familiar rants, “If you are man enough,” and I add, “Put this to a referendum and let the citizens decide if they want to give you more of their hard earned money!” I am pretty sure the response will be the same as the wheel tax and the growth plan. This way it will leave you no doubt whether you are simply doing the job you were elected to do. No guilt, let the people decide for you. You know the old adage “to be representative of the people and for the people.”

Good day and I’m very curious to see if anyone mans up and steps up and not on the citizens of Bradley County Tennessee! I doubt it, but i’ve seen greater miracles.

One of the sources of info:
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/20535126/article-County-looking-at-%E2%80%98what-if%E2%80%99-over-sales-tax?instance=homefirstleft

Cleveland mayor, Bradley County tea party chief defend roles in flier dispute

published Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
Cleveland mayor, Bradley County tea party chief defend roles in flier dispute
By Randall Higgins
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/aug/15/mayor-tea-party-chief-defend-roles-in-flier/?local

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Mayor Tom Rowland says the city has no reason to apologize for asking for a police investigation into who was distributing fliers to south Cleveland homes in June.

The fliers, which stated the city was planning to use eminent domain to take more than 300 homes in the name of development, were untrue, Rowland said Monday.

It is the Tea Party of Bradley County that needs to apologize for upsetting families, some of whom have lived in their homes for two generations or more, he said.

“They were in tears,” Rowland said.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, a lively, but civil, debate took place between council members and members of the Tea Party of Bradley County. In the end, the only common ground was that no one will apologize.

Donny Harwood, president of the Tea Party of Bradley County, said his organization has no reason to apologize, either. At the time they were distributed, the fliers were true, according to the latest public information, he said. It is the city that needs to apologize for intimidating the group’s members and seeking to deny them their right to free speech, he said.

The call for an investigation aimed to “essentially hunt down, arrest and expose members of our tea party group as we made efforts to inform the community of horrendous plans for their community,” Harwood said.

“This flier contained truthful information based on the last known public meeting,” Harwood said. The “white paper” on which the flier was based later was changed, he said.

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“We haven’t stopped your free speech,” Rowland told Harwood.

“Have you passed any leaflets out to apologize to the 300 homeowners that this was not true?” he asked Harwood.

Rowland said the investigation was only to determine if laws were violated, and since none were the point is moot.

“If you are man enough, you will go down there and apologize,” he told Harwood.

“There is nothing for us to apologize about,” Harwood responded.

The group, he said, held a town hall meeting to seek explanations but only one councilman, Bill Estes, attended. Other council members, and Rowland, said they got the invitation after the meeting was held.

Tea party member Dan Rawls said that isn’t true because he sent the registered letters.

Councilman George Poe said he got a late invitation to a meeting to discuss something he had no intention of doing anyway.

“We couldn’t afford to buy 300 houses in the first place,” he said. “We have never talked about what we are accused of.”

If Harwood’s group was so alarmed, Poe said, they should have come to the council first with questions.

Rowland and Poe said they have not read the “white paper” from contracted consultants on which the flier was based. Harwood said the paper was handed out during a three-day public planning meeting at Bradley Square Mall.

Councilman Richard Banks, who said he has read the white paper, told tea party leaders they took the “300 homes” statement out of context. The original question was what would happen in the community if Whirlpool stayed in its old location, he said.

Consultants said that up to 300 homes might have to be seized through eminent domain to accommodate the company’s expansion there. But Whirlpool moved to its new Benton Pike site.

It was only a “what-if” discussion, Rowland said.

“There is nothing for us to explain, because there was nothing to it,” he said.

Contact staff writer Randall Higgins at rhiggins@timesfree press.com or 423-314-1029.

Council, tea party leader argue over apology need

Council, tea party leader argue over apology need
by DAVID DAVIS, Managing Editor
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/19800265/article-Council–tea-party-leader-argue-over-apology-need?instance=latest_articles

The Cleveland City Council became embroiled in a 40-minute argument Monday with Bradley County Tea Party President Donny Harwood over who should apologize for deceiving the public. In the end, neither side admitted wrongdoing.

Harwood approached the Council during the regular voting session regarding what he viewed as an action taken by the Council that impinged on party members’ freedom of speech.

The resulting exchange centered around a flier distributed in June by the local tea party and subsequent action taken by the Council on June 18.

“On June 18, I witnessed first-hand the Cleveland City Council and its Mayor Tom Rowland display behavior uncharacteristic of a free republic bound to the U.S., the state constitution and the city charter. With this most recent breach it is safe to say our first amendment rights are imperiled in Bradley County,” he said. “There is still egregious legislation on the books today that has yet to be reversed that limits our freedom of speech.

“Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland, with a unanimous resolution vote of 7-0 by this Council ordered an investigation using police force to essentially hunt down, arrest and expose members of my Tea Party group as we made efforts to inform the community of horrendous plans for their community, thus criminalizing our free speech.”

Rowland said Monday there was no resolution. It was simply a vote taken after he expressed his opinion at the June 18 Council meeting that whoever anonymously distributed the flier should be publicly identified.

The anonymous flier was in neighborhoods south of the old Whirlpool Plant in downtown Cleveland. It warned homeowners of the impending loss of their property rights, if they did not immediately act. The flier stated 300 homes were targeted for demolition and redevelopment.

“I think this is a very cruel hoax on the citizens of our community. This is sneaky. It’s deceitful. I don’t like it and I don’t like my citizens to be in fear,” the mayor said in June.

He said then it was a gray area as to whether or not an actual crime was committed by distributing fliers containing false information about the future of the area and “whoever wrote this should be exposed to the public and to those people who called Greg (Planning Director Greg Thomas) with fear in their hearts. They ought to know who wrote this.”

The Council voted 7-0 to request the city attorney, police and district attorney’s office to fully investigate the matter to determine if any laws were broken and try to uncover the source of the flier. The matter was investigated. It was determined no laws were broken and no further action was taken.

“I think this flier is very inciting and I don’t find anything, other than some terminology here and there, that’s even true,” Rowland said during the June meeting. “We formed the Southside Development Committee, but that would do nothing but increase values in that area by getting rid of the blight in our city and enhance the value of the property around it.”

Harwood said Monday the flier contained truthful and accurate information based on the last known public meeting where the information was provided.

“The white paper draft plan is the last known information available to the public in a public setting,” he said. Since that time, he said the plan was changed in a private setting.

Thomas said in a June 17 interview the white paper was written by a Knoxville-based planning consultant and it was handed out to the public in April during a three-day planning workshop at Bradley Square Mall. Thomas said that was the first time he saw the white paper and subsequently, he requested that section be deleted. There have been no public meetings since April.

“The bottom-line answer is the city is not going to run in and take anybody’s property,” he said in June.

Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Vice President for Economic Development Doug Berry said in July references to 300 houses came when talks first began with Whirlpool about replacing its century-old manufacturing facilities. The company wanted to remain in the downtown area where there is historical linkage because it is a big issue for a company to break that attachment.

“When we first sat down with Whirlpool, they told us they needed to develop modern manufacturing facilities, that the inefficiencies of these historic plants were so great it was having a bottom-line effect on the company,” Berry said. “They told us they would prefer to do a rebuild in the area of their existing plant. Their first request of me, as a representative of this community, was to provide them a redevelopment option for them to put two half-million square foot buildings in this corridor.”

Berry said during the July MainStreet Cleveland luncheon that such a redevelopment project has never happened in Cleveland. Ultimately, keeping the plant in its historical location would require the use of eminent domain. Berry said he expressed his concern to the company, but agreed to analyze what it would take to put a million square feet in the neighborhood. In order to do that, he said it would require buying all of the property between Plant No. 3 and Ocoee Street, all the way to Plant No. 2.

“That’s 300 lots. That’s where the 300 number came from,” Berry said. “I then sat down with the company and explained that I did not think this was a viable option because this community has not been through the process and has no history of ever having used eminent domain as part of its economic development program. When you hear about the 300 homes that are going to be taken and bulldozed, that number actually has basis, but it’s not fact in the conclusion of those statements,” he told MainStreet members.

Rowland asked Harwood on Monday if he had apologized to the 300 homeowners.

“They were alarmed that their houses might be taken when that’s not a fact,” the mayor said.

Harwood said, “There is nothing for us to apologize for.”

Rowland said, “You should go back and apologize to those people whose lives you have upset. Would you do that or not? We have not stopped your free speech. You have passed leaflets out since then and during that time you haven’t been stopped. We wanted to know who was doing it so you would know what you are passing out is not true. There is nothing true about it. This Council has not voted on it and you know good and well where it started — when Whirlpool said what if we build down there, it was said you might have to buy 300 houses. Period. Where did Whirlpool move to? That was irresponsible —”

“Well, the information —,” Harwood said.

“Listen to me!” the mayor demanded. “The only people I’ve talked to were in tears because somebody put some kind of information out that has no facts to it at all and if you’re man enough, you’ll go down there and tell them that you were wrong.”

The remainder of the argument centered mainly around Harwood and Tea Party member Dan Rawls asking Council members why they did not appear at a Tea Party town hall meeting to discuss the issue. Councilman Bill Estes, who represents the 2nd District, was the only councilman who accepted the invitation.

In return, Councilman George Poe asked Harwood why he didn’t attend a Council meeting months ago if he had questions.

TN budget heads to Haslam, Virginia gets our loot to boot scoot

Our most recent Tennessee State budget has been approved by our state legislators and awaits Governor Bill Haslams signature.

One certain detail that may not or may have gotten overlooked when approving this budget was 500,000.00 or so dollars is going to the state of Virginia to help fund a Country music museum.

Its called Regionalism, megaregionalism, shared governence or globalism. We help others with our tax dollars for the collective good of all!

Ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid you are witnessing the birth of a movement that will basically plunge us into a socialistic society much quicker than we once thought. See, our elected politicians have somehow deemed it acceptable to basically gamble your tax dollars away to another state in the hopes that we benefit from it.

To participate in regionalism or megaregionalism without even a mention if it was acceptable to the general public of which 100 percent of the funds are coming from for our politicians to play with your money and give it away!

After reading the following article in the Chattanooga Free Press recently it seems we are funding a Country Music Museum in Virginia, not in Tennessee, but in Virginia with your tax dollars!

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jul/27/something-to-sell-tva-official-says-region-has-to/

In a May 1 article from the Chattanooga Times this give away was justified by saying “tennessee will get a benefit out of this.” Is this now the threshold for giving away TN tax dollars? Is it as simple as saying it must be acceptable if it benefits the state? The problem I foresee with this is it is pretty much like gambling in Vegas. If I plop down 500,000.00 dollars on a roulette table, I risk a very big chance of it not “benefitting” me to do so. Same with Haslam and our other politicians sending our money to Virginia for a country music museum. How do we know if it pays off and how long will it take? That argument could be used for any state.

This is one of the problems with regionalism, one state’s tax dollars going to fund “economic development” in another state. We have stepped into what could be a bottomless pit. Let’s keep our tax dollars within our state. I can’t believe I even have to say that. Doesn’t even sound logical. Lets collect taxes from Tennesseeans and send it to another state?

A quote from the article below: “Bristol is “unique” and “Tennessee will get a benefit out of this” and its “barely” on the Virginia side I guess the implication is we are only doing this because of the proximity to the state border but in the July 31 article from the Chattanooga Times Charles Wood vice-president of Economic Development of the Chamber of Commerce in Chattanooga says “county lines, state lines, city lines — none of that means nothing, Keep in mind Mr Woods is nothing more than a hired bureaucrat who has been given too much power to make decisions on the peoples behalf. When Mr Woods left Pensacola many doubted the Chambers contribution to assisting the local economy out of a slump, perhaps this type of mismanagement is why three department heads left around the same time and our region gets the offspring of that departure! And now we trust this organization to “run our region?” Its just my opinion and we know what opinions are like? Right?

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/01/31-billion-budget-heads-to-haslam/ article

If you owned a business on the TN side of the Bristol border would you give 500 thousand of your own money based on the belief that “visitors simply walking across the street into Tennessee to visit restaurants and shops” would benefit you personally? I would be willing to bet you would not. This is nonsense. This has to stop.

Elected officials, many of whom have boasted recently about this budget failed to mention that a half million dollars or so is going to Virginia to promote a country music venue. Non elected bureaucrats or politicians have no right to invest our state taxes to another state. Isn’t this illegal? They have no right to give away TN tax dollars to other states just because its “barely” in Virginia and you believe Tennessee will benefit.

“Chattanooga has to start thinking regionally” says the article below. If it says Chattanooga, then that means Cleveland/Bradley County. In recent years the push has been local growth plans, then that expanded into a regional 16 county, 3 state plan with Chattanooga leading the way then we hear of a Piedmont mega region that will connect a great deal of the southeast then the rest of the nation blocked off into 9 or so separate districts. From these alliances we are expected to pool our taxes and help each other pay for projects, a sharing of our fortunes or abundance of taxes. There is something at work here people and it is clearly bigger than we are!

Doesnt this seem like we have been duped? Where is the taxpayevoicing in all this? Have we no representation any more? This is the most proposterous plan I have ever heard of. The larger cities will clearly eat up the bulk of the revenue and the smaller cities will shrivel away to nothing as the likes of Atlanta, Charlotte and Greenville eat up the lions share.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/22/charles-wood-plans-build-citys-efforts/

Even as economic development slows, the region and Tennessee budget grows and a large chunk of it goes to Virginia and perhaps many other state economies in the near future. How do we justify this inequity? Who is buying into this and driving this type or form of a new regional socialism? A common theme among all these plan is once again the Chamber of Commerce, the father of the United Nations, the most corrupt regime in the world!

The nation is in a recession, unemployment rises, economic development is in a “doldrum” and businesses we are recruiting have little viable future in a down economy and the Chamber of Commerce continues to suggest ways to spend your tax dollars in another state. I fail to see the logic in this. What is the ultimate goal? Spread the wealth? Spread it so thin that it benefits no one?

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/27/Second-Quarter-GDP-Growth-is-1-5-Percent?utm_source=e_breitbart_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+July+27%2C+2012&utm_campaign=Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+July+27%2C+2012&utm_term=More

Ask your state representatives Brooks and Watson why this has been allowed to happen. Ask them to lead the charge to recover the tax dollars given away and to pass a resolution that says Tennessee tax dollars cannot be given to any state, regardless of how “unique” the situation is. Next time it might not be a neighboring state because Woods says state lines mean nothing, it does to me and it should to our representives.

This madness must stop! The only way for it to stop is for you to tell them to stop it! Call them today!

Chamber of Commerce turns on spin cycle regarding “eminent domain” plans for downtown

Recently Mr. Doug Berry of the Local Chamber of Commerce was quoted in the local press that he was the one that came up with the 300 number while referring to lots, that were targeted for demolition and redevelopment and mentioned in a “propaganda flyer” that was passed out to residents within the target zone. That action drew the ire of the Chamber, the Mayor and City Council over allegations it was misleading and untruthful. Well you can decide for yourself what the white-paper drafted plan was talking about regardless of the spin that is placed upon it.

I asked my self what purpose would it serve for Mr Berry to take this on himself? Why would he say he was the originator of the “300 lots”, causing further controversy just to have controversy?

My opinion is he is placing this on himself to deflect from the elected officials that are involved. See he didn’t get elected by the people. He was hired to be the “hatchet man” much tbe way he was hired in Knoxville to do when they used eminent domain to build that downtown.

The most interesting thing I see about this is that Mr Berry, at least the three days I was there and during my participation in the SWOT analysis was not there or should I say, at least was not visible at the three day Charade, er, Charette.

The Consultants and planners while at the Charette made it sound and was able to provide “proof” that the 300 homes that would “be best served by demolition and redevelopment” was spawned from the SWOT Analysis and it was our input and our idea! I’m really confused. How could “we” have done it and Mr Berry claims he did it? You can see what is going on here! When I was in the military we call this FUBAR, I don’t need to fill it in I think you know what that means! The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing! There is so much cover up trying to hide the true plans for our county that they catch themselves in opposing stories! If Mr Berry is in fact the purveyor of the 300 homes then what worth is the SWOT anaysis. Does Mr Berry have more say so in the plan than the public! That seems the opposite of what the consultants are telling us at the public Charades! I thought “we” suggested that the 300 homes be best served by demolition and redevelopment? Shoot, now he goes and admits it was his idea! I’m sooooo confused!

It’s my opinion that by admitting it and somehow attaching it to him it’s better or somehow throws you off the scent of true intent. And then he says 300 lots, not 300 homes as in the white paper draft that was given at the last public meeting. Its spin folks! My head hurts!

He said and I paraphrase here, while that 300 home statement has basis, BUT, you clearly can see by the way I tell it that we were only talking about the property within the Whirlpool boundary! You know those old buildings and “lots”, not the silly 300 homes that people live in, eat, sleep and raise their children in! Not those silly people, why would I refer to that area as the one we had “drafted” and “planned” to bulldoze, after all if that was the plan, that would be 10 years off, haha! Those silly peasants! They are so annoying! He didn’t really say that but through his series of statements in the banner article I can entertain my inner child and somehow play out a comical sketch to somehow lessen the severity of the impact that our non elected bureaucrats are playing with our minds and our property! Are these actions to cover up a bold move by one too many bureaucrats with their hands in the pot. I don’t know you decide.

What vantage point does the Chamber of Commerce seek with all this double talk? To speak louder than the citizenry? To vilify those informing the public of their plans?

Let’s just spin it so the silly peasants sound as if they made the the whole thing up about the 300 homes and say it was just the whirlpool site and 300 lots! Sounds ingenious doesn’t it, except for one thing Mr Berry, all the info, drafted or suggested plans and past press statements you made say and project otherwise!

Let’s start with the white paper draft plan that no one seems to acknowledge or that it even exists And was handed out to the public and very clearly describes what the consultants, Mr Berry, the Chamber of Commerce and planners really planned to do with your property.

Excerpt from the drafted “White paper draft plan” that noone will admit to existing but is the last known plan released to the public.
 
Listen as I quote the information given out at the last charade public meeting and see if you believe this sounds like the activity Mr Berry speaks of (a benign 300 lot factory) will be confined within Whirlpool property?

“An area of particular concern consists of several blocks of “postage stamp” lots located directly south of the Whirlpool Complex, The area consists of small work force housing on small lots built during the 1920’s 30’s, and 40’s and are now in poor repair.”

“The roughly 300 units are valued at approximately $35,000 each and several landlords own 6 or more units. Due to age and value, the units as a whole are not well maintained.”

“Those attending the SWOT Analysis (not Doug Berry) concurred that this area would best be served by DEMOLITION AND REDEVELOPMENT!”

Note the detail of those statement above! Doesn’t sound like some broken down empty warehouse lot to me!

You know Mr Berry, why have controversy for the sake of controversy! Doesn’t make sense to me. The people that live in those 300 lots would alot rather hear that that “WAS” the plan, after much debate, we heard you and we heard you didn’t like this and we changed course because we care about you and your property rights! That is much more palatable than trying to tell them a double sided story that is full of holes.

I personally doubt any concerned citizens that supposedly formulated the SWOT analysis really said the area would be best served by demolition and redevelopment as the white paper draft concluded. Its that adage of believing if he said it then it must be true kinda thing.

The SWOT Analysis was designed to direct and limit your choices to the outcome that the city desired with the appearance that the community was behind it. The city has been trying to convince the city of Cleveland that the citizens are behind the plan. Take a look at this article in CDB.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/18934474/article-Thomas–Planning-is-growth-tool?instance=homefirstleft 
 
I thought this plan was the work of Rick Russell (who popped up out of nowhere at the Charade and the banner include me in an article about the greenway of all things) and his firm, why is Mr. Berry now saying he is responsible for the 300 number? Did he contribute to other areas of the white-paper, or was this the only area?
 
It is now confirmed that eminent domain was on the table and still is. Mr. Berry says “it would be false of me to say we can redevelop there without acquiring some homes or commercial businesses. That’s a given if we want to replace these manufacturing jobs with more manufacturing jobs.” Now Mr. Berry admits eminent domain is a “given”, how else does the city acquire property or get the residents to clean up their property.

Maybe we can look at 890 Inman Street for an example which I believe is in the gateway to the city that Berry is so concerned about. The memo giving the owner of the property 60 days from 5/4/12 to demolish the structure.

If I owned the 2 junkyards mentioned in the white-paper that were identified as eyesores I would be more concerned than ever after Berry says “gateways and inner cities are important because they are they are the definitions of who and what a community is to the outside world.” He doesn’t stop there he continues, “we have to be careful at times on how we route people into Cleveland so people who are from out of town do get the right impression.”  So even if you don’t lose your property you may not be able to use it as you desire.

Mr. Berry has now given us an ultimatum, if you want more jobs, accept eminent domain, and now he admits homes and businesses are at risk and “that those are some tough decisions we have to be prepared to talk through and work through with the neighborhood.”
 
What jobs is he talking about replacing? I thought Whirlpool just relocated. Did they cut employees?
 
It seems the flyer’s that were distributed in the CCA were accurate and the city has been in cover up mode by changing the original white-paper, and when given the opportunity to hand out the new white-paper at a June 18 status update public meeting with residents from the central city area in attendance they failed to do so. Why is that, if the document was changed on May 31, why would the mayor and city council and others who were at that meeting not make it available to the residents of the central city area? Because it appears the White paper was changed to cover up the city’s true intentions! To demolish and redevelop!
 
It also appears and this again is my opinion, that the local press are in cover up mode also! Why? Why are we trying to hide something from the public that will in the end hurt the people of Bradley County? Why can’t a reporter even after hearing presented evidence of why the Mayor blasted his constituency, to report it. Because the truth somehow leaked out and now we go into spin cycle and deny it because it would not be politically expedient to every sitting elected official! That’s the true reason! In my opinion!
 
Is he lying? Is he covering up his true plans? Is he on spin cycle?you decide for your self! I personally believe that the plan to to move forward with Demolition and redevelopment will go forward as leaked and many people will be displaced from their homes! Just a hunch!

Mr. Berry says “I can’t lie to people!” Look at his statements made in public and captured in print and you make a determination if ge has lied to you!
 
“The following are excerpts from local press articles of Mr Berry displaying his true intentions for Cleveland and all of Bradley County!”

“Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Vice President for Economic Development Doug Berry, who worked with Nance on several Knoxville projects, said the primary area in Cleveland is the 93-acre Whirlpool site.”

“One of the things we’ve struggled with is that this all started around Whirlpool’s decision, which would tend to put it at Inman Street moving south and kind of easterly,” he said. “If we get into redevelopment, we certainly need to look at stepping across (north of Inman Street).”

“Though how far to step north of Inman Street is debatable, Berry said there is a need to at least engage all the streetscape for the sake of cohesiveness

“In order to successfully develop the Whirlpool site, the BROADER AREA NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED!!!”

“The first time I looked at how to redevelop around Whirlpool and keep them there at that location, it was 113 properties we had to deal with,” he said. “When I thought in the context of what is an appropriate area geographically to create opportunity from a mixed-use perspective, it jumps to a minimum of about 330 properties.”

BCN side note: 330 properties! Not lots within the Whirlpool boundary!

“In Knoxville, the development corporation used a form of eminent domain to clear the titles. But Berry said he realizes Cleveland has never utilized eminent domain and has no interest in using that procedure as it is interpreted here.”

BCN side note: In fact eminent domain was used in the 40s and reportedly displaced one of our County Commissioners families. Also, at a meeting at the library, which of course didn’t get any press coverage but Mr Berry told me he had no problem with condemning a property and taking it if we couldnt find an heir or that person didn’t mow their grass! I quickly responded in that meeting that this is the reason I am here today protesting because of you saying stuff like that!

Nance said a form of eminent domain was used in Knoxville in a “FRIENDLY SENSE” because it provided tax incentives and other advantages for the property owners.

BCN side note: Their is nothing friendly about eminent domain!

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/16178609/article-Whirlpool-site-redevelopment-eyed?

Such a redevelopment project has never before been undertaken in Cleveland and ultimately, it would require the use of eminent domain. Berry expressed his concern to the company, but he agreed to analyze what it would take to put a million square feet in the neighborhood. In order to do that, it would require BUYING ALL OF THE PROPERTY between Plant No. 3 and Ocoee Street, all the way to Plant No. 2.

BCN note: Hereege tells you what he is going to do and it is exactly what we warned you he was going to do! He notes that a redevelopment project has never before been undertaken……AND IT WOULD REQUIRE THE USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN!!! How much clearer can it get? How do we give the Mayor, the Chamber, hired consultants and our planners a pass when we know what their ultimate plan is! All they are doing is attempting to villify the people who are telling you about it and they have a willing press to cover it up!

The difference between an outright purchase which will be their first move and eminent domain is whether you are willing to sell or not. Say no! I wanna keep my home and they take it!!!

Mr Berry continues “That’s 300 lots. That’s where the 300 number came from,” Berry said. “I then sat down with the company and explained that I did not think this was a viable option because this community has not been through the process and has no history of ever having used eminent domain as part of its economic development program.”

“When you hear about the 300 homes that are going to be taken and bulldozed, that number actually has basis, but it’s not fact in the conclusion of those statements.” He said some use might be found for the Hardwick Stove Plant (Whirlpool Plant No. 2) which is directly across from the Woolen Mill. That would be a tremendous project to anchor a VLOUNTARY redevelopment strategy. Plant No. 3 might have interim uses but it will be a demolition job. It will be a brownfield or a new vacant site for development. He expects the buildings that make up Plant No. 1 are worn out after 100 years of continuous manufacturing.

BCN note: Voluntary is key word!

“What do we need to do to successfully redevelop this with manufacturing or distribution or job centers? I CAN’T LIE TO THE PEOPLE! We will have to assemble some larger tracts from these core parcels, predominantly because of the way companies develop sites now,” he said. “It would be false of me to say we can redevelop there WITHOUT ACQUIRING some HOMES or COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES. That’s a given if we want to replace these manufacturing jobs with more manufacturing jobs.”

BCN note: Silly peasants! I can’t lie to you! He probably should have said “I must tell you the truth!” He is telling you he can’t redevelop the area without ACQUIRING HOMES AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES! What is different than what was in the so called “propaganda flyer!” The two junkyards are in his target too, just read the white paper draft before they can change it again!

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/19349438/article-Redevelopment-needs-talk–Doug-Berry?

“We started with Whirlpool’s decision,” said Doug Berry, the Chamber’s vice president for economic development. But Cleveland may want to look BEYOND the century-old plant site’s 113 acres to ADJACENT AREAS INCLUDING INMAN STREET, he said.”

Berry, in his former job as a Knoxville planner, worked with Nance on that city’s redevelopment projects.

A common funding technique in Knoxville has been TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, Nance said. That process uses anticipated tax revenue from increased property values to subsidize development.

BCN note: With TIF financing, they purchase or acquire your property at rock bottom prices, redevelop and resell you property to a select realtor it develops, value goes up and the difference used to fund the redevelopment of your old property! This will also shuttle money from the city coffers and away from the schools for 20 to 30 years! How you like those apples! “It’s for the kids right?”

“It is one way for the public to have a voice in the city’s development, he said. But the objective, Nance said, is for the market to drive the redevelopment, whether commercial or residential.”

“Knoxville ALSO has used its POWER of EMINENT DOMAIN to ACQUIRE some PROPERTIES!”

BCN note: Mr Nance used to and is seemingly still is working with Mr Berry! One question? Also? Did someone squeeze a duck in the room? Also meaning Knoxville and Cleveland? Perhaps a little slip on
backroom conversation! Just an observation!

While the use of EMINENT DOMAIN CAN BE CONTROVERSIAL in some cases in Knoxville it was the ONLY WAY to clear titles and get loans for redevelopment, Nance said. He cited one property with 150 HEIRS making it impossible to find a LENDER.

BCN note: Soooooo! The one piece of property in the example above had so many people that were heirs that it was impossible to get lending? Hmmmmm? Sooooo, so many people wanted to KEEP their property that it would have tied up the court system so long that there would be no chance in hades of expediantly resolving it so take it by eminent domain and wack those 150 heirs out of their inheritance. Now I get it!

“It can be done in a FRIENDLY (they sure like that friendly word) way with tax advantages to the owners,” Nance said.

http://www.tfponline.com/news/2011/oct/26/options-weighed-for-whirlpool-site-in-cleveland/

“Approach the comprehensive redevelopment task with an OPEN MIND and DETERMINED mindset remembering that DEMOLITION of EXISTING STRUCTURES and HISTORIC PRESERVATION can share in the COLLECTIVE GOOD of the community and area residents. To PRESERVE WHEN REASONABLE and to START OVER WHEN NEEDED are LEGITIMATE OPTIONS and WORKING PARTNERS!”

BCN Note: in other words, your Government and The Chamber of Commerce comb over your property, go eenie meenie money mo and select what homes and businesses dont cut the mustard then by you being a fantastic team player, you give up your home for the “collective good” and you take your little chunk of change and go somewhere to start over like a good little boy or girl!

“Any idea geared at redeveloping the Whirlpool site is worth debate but not all will be doable nor economically feasible. Most of the existing structures are old and many sit in a flood plain. But these should not be VIEWED AS LIMITATIONS but rather as OPPORTUNITIES!”

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/11559088/article-Time-to-start-planning?

Berry pointed out the industrial site is large enough that its redevelopment will IMPACT SURROUNDING AREAS; hence, the need for COMMUNITY INPUT!

BCN note: In other words when we take your property we want you to know about it! Wait a minute, didn’t the flyer provide an avenue to let you know what they were planning? Didn’t the Mayor and the City Council form a resolution in city chambers to hunt down, expose and arrest those that were seeking community input! They don’t want your input, they want a Tom Rowland Convention to replace your home? No, then read this:

Councilman Banks suggests a Tom Rowland Convention Center and a couple of buildings for planners!
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/11400314/article-Whirlpool-site-redevelopment-talks-eyed?

“Over the next couple of years, Whirlpool leaders will have two focuses in Cleveland. One will be construction, and completion, of the new factory. The second will be a close involvement with the community in REDEVELOPING the existing site, Berry said.

“They (Whirlpool) will need to be involved to understand community expectations,” he offered. “ … Ultimately, the community and the company will have to come to terms with what we’ve got and WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO WITH IT!”

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/9584992/article-City-to-seek-grant-for-redevelopment-of-Whirlpool-site?

I think it is pretty clear they, everyone is covering up what they plan to do downtown around the ole whirlpool site! The Chamber of Commerce with it’s grand plan of what they want to do with your property is pretty clear! No matter what spin they throw at you, the deed is done and no matter of resistance will stop them! It is now up to you to stand for your property rights and defend your self against an intimately aligned organization of the UNITED NATIONS! The Chamber is the number one consultation status with the UNITED NATIONS and perhaps their true colors are showing!

Cleveland TN Town Hall meeting set to discuss plans for Downtown Central City Area

This Tuesday, July 17th, 2012, the Tea Party of Bradley County hosts a town hall meeting to discuss the growth in the downtown Cleveland Tennessee Central area. The meeting will be held at the Cleveland/Bradley County public library on Church street at 630 pm.

As many of you may know the Cleveland City Council and Mayor Tom Rowland has vehemently denied that 300 homes in the downtown area was set to be demolished and redeveloped. A flyer controversy erupted with the Mayor disputing the information from the flyer which resulted in the Mayor and City Council passing a resolution 7 to 0 to hunt down, arrest and expose the person or persons passing out these so called “untruthful and misleading literature!”

Little did the Mayor know that while he was ranting about the drafted plan being unbelieveable, untruthful and a scare tactic to scare senior citizens in the area, the plan that he and his council approved was the actual wording that was included in the plan he was admonishing.

Six days after he made a hasty news conference he announced along with Planner Greg Thomas that the plan had been changed in a private meeting because so many people didn’t like it. The changes were made unaware to the public and all the public had was the last public information given out at the last Charette at the mall.

Our question is to the planners and our councilmen is when are we going to get the real draft? When are we going to see the “real” plan? Is this going to be a pattern for future meetings? Are we going to get a public drafted plan and have a hidden private plan on the side?

Plans that are this fluid are no good to the public if they are going to be changed once the public is made aware behind closed private doors.

We are hoping our elected leaders who have been elected to lead us will show up and tell us what the plans are for our future. We are also hoping the planners are going to show up and tell us which plan are we to believe.

All members of the council and the Mayor have been sent certified letters and emails inviting them to this meeting to address the citizens concerns.

We are seeking answers, real answers to Growth concerns! If we are going to be given one drafted plan only to have the plans changed secretly behind a closed door with no public notice, the least we deserve is to have the opportunity to address our concerns.

Come and visit with us on Tuesday at the library, bring someone with you and ask some questions.

Please pass this news realease through your email lists and on Facebook. We are hoping to see a big crowd for this event.
See ya there!

“Flyer propaganda” prompts Cleveland Mayor to order investigation on citizen exercising free speech

There is no Propaganda! There is nothing being made up! There are no mistruths in the much discussed flyer that was handed out in the central southern downtown area.

The only thing that did happen was a lone patriot took it upon himself to warn some friends and neighbors of the up and coming drafted plan to demolish and redevelop their homes.

Many of these mostly blue collared and retired citizens just south of the old whirlpool have only one entity to live in fear of and that is the actions of their locally elected officials who are supposed to represent them and protect them.

The Mayor, his council and their hired consultants and Greg Thomas drafted a plan that called for the demolition and redevelopment of 300 homes in downtown Cleveland.

Only when the citizens were informed of their demise did the mayor and Planner Greg Thomas go on the offensive and look as if they had no part in the published draft for the BCC 2035 downtown growth plan which was handed out at the last public meeting and at the time of the flyer handout was the only known draft.

Only after the Mayor, Greg Thomas and editors at the Banner ranted at the sick and demented acts of a single Patriot for 6 days did we suddenly all realize that a private meeting was reportedly held and the planners and Mayor miraculously came up with another plan and the Flyer guy was handing out old “outdated” information.

“This area would be best served by demolition and redevelopment!” as quoted from the last public notice of the last updated public plan draft. This quote came directly from the consultants hired by our local government using a 3 to 2 vote by City Council to go forward with redevelopment that gave the go ahead for the consultants and planners to draft the plans with the above ominous sentence.

Until the very recent discovery of a “new draft plan” the area south of the old Whirlpool Plant with 300 homes had been targeted for DEMOLITION AND REDEVELOPMENT!

The above statement is confirmed in the draft of the plan handed out to the public at the last public meeting at the Bradley Square Mall. If you recall many were sorely disappointed at the drafted plans on that date and over 73 percent of those in attendance for the three day event disagreed or strongly disagreed and more than 80 percent disagreed with the Central City plan.

The Consultants, Planners and Elected officials took a deaf ear stance to the cries of a citizenry that did not want to see this happen in their communities. The cry was loud, even prompting additional purchased adds in the local paper because noone, to include the hired Consultants would publish the results…..”because they were too negative!”

My conclusion to this would be if you had listened to those who attended you would not have been surprised when many called the planners horrified that their homes were suggested to be better served by demolition and redevelopment.

The overwhelming message at the Charrette is you will be violating our property rights and when the people affected discover your vile plan the Mayor and Greg Thomas act mortified and disgusted that anyone would dare tell a citizen about your plan that contained the scary, absurd and crazy message.

Too negative? The outrage from this last public meeting Charrette at Mall was labeled too negative to report the findings. Would you attempt to label something too negative if it meant giving up your property rights? I know not of a single person that addressed this issue and our very verbal concerns but instead chalking up the many who spoke against this development and demolition as “stirring up trouble!”

The local Bradley/Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, in their April monthly newsletter, mailed to every business member in the area and basically condemned our efforts to warn the public of the dissatisfaction with the redevelopment plans for this area that the Mayor has now reportedly vehemently denied will ever happen showed much disbelief that someone would tell those people something awful like that and upsetting senior citizens, Mr Mayor, this was your drafted plan that contained the bad news!

What is happening in this community? Bureaucrats, elected leaders, Mayors, consultants, planners, vested parties, the utility departments, the Chamber of Commerce, the many appointed boards and elected officials turning on the general public and attempting to block, squelch and criminalize anyone that dares to expose this stealthy plan. This same group is surprised when the now informed public learns of their own demise at the hands of our locally elected officials and take a precarious stance to act like it never happened.

I have addressed and dredged up many many reports supporting the facts in the flyer. Read some, read them all and you will be amazed at the amount of trickery, spin and energy that goes into denying the facts. It is almost as if they don’t realize that with 99 percent of what they do or say there is some type of public record about most of their actions. Nothing a little Google search want confirm.

City Planner calls flyer allegations “crazy and scary!”
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/19016093/article-Planner-calls-flyer–allegation-%E2%80%98crazy%E2%80%99?instance=homesecondleft

The Cleveland Daily Banner in an “anonymous” editorial letter in this weeks paper called the actions of citizens “absurd!”

A recent conversation with a Banner reporter which will remain unidentified out of respect for this person, I told him that alot of people are going to be angry over this “spin” and lack of details of this drafted plan for the BCC 2035 growth plan that noone wants to assume ownership of and the local press is only offering one side of the story.

I am now convinced after compiling this data that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing as this unknown government goes forward with redevelopment. Others have expressed that this is deliberate and the opposing messages being sent to the public are intentional, much like self governance, the unknown government and consensus through techniques like the Delphi!

I do know one thing and mark my word. The demolishing and redevelopment portion of the Central City plan white papers is very real and is the last known draft that the public has been privy to. The Mayor and the City Planner, based solely on their comments and it is my opinion only, no fact to base this statement on but it appeared the Mayor and the Planner at the time of the flyers being passed out were either unaware of the drafted plans by hired out of town consultants or are flat out not being honest with the people that they represent. It has to be one or the other based on the many reactions in shock of the drafted plan and their repeated cries they didn’t know where we were getting these “bogus ideas!”

Let me put another opinion out there, no fact, just my humble opinion, let me put out there another scenario. When the mayor called a press conference and eventually a 7 to 0 vote by his council to criminalize a patriots action why didnt the Mayor or City Planner express to the many news outlets on that Monday, June 18 th and the following 6 or so days that “the news being put out was outdated instead of a farce as they alleged. Why wasn’t the opportunity to inform the public not done initially instead of many days later. Just a thought and again my opinion is he didn’t even know what the planners and consultants had put in the plan.

The day of my interview with Channel 12s News, Bill Mitchell after interviewing the Mayor told me we had been acting on old outdated plans and that the “planners” met on May 31st and changed the wording to say nothing of redevelopment and demolition. How convenient is that! Now that the word is out and the plan changes drastically and not one word to the public or coverage in the local papers. News this big did not make it out to the public for nearly 4 months?

I requested the “newly updated” version of the plan from Corey Divel and it was indeed updated and did not mention demolishing or redevelopment as the original last known draft to the public said. The newly revised plan from Corey Divel had the same date as the original. I’ll let you form your own opinion here.

I requested yet another draft plan, this one from Greg Thomas, this one with the original date and the updated date and of course no mention of the demolishing and redevelopment of 300 homes South of the old whirlpool plant. He later communicated to me that he did not like being misrepresented. I now ask the question, what is misrepresentative about the only current public information we have that says the 300 homes South of the old Whirlpool plant would be best served by Demolition or Redevelopment. I do not see what is false or misrepresented about that?

Perhaps, after reading the many attached articles you can find out where the mistruth is in the flyer that was disseminated by an anonymous flyer man exercising his First Amendment right. I can’t find it! I tried to find a mistruth in it, I honestly did! Then I would be forced to shut up and drop the issue.

Remember, this issue was brought on by our elected body who attempted to warn the public and to criminalize the actions of a few citizens with a stronghand vote from City council and a horrendous media smear of this person! That’s the only fault I have found with this whole debacle!

My many thanks goes out to the Banner for providing much of the information I have displayed! I encourage you to keep reading the Banner for it’s timely reporting of these issue and spend that 50 cents and dollar on Sunday getting the news of our local happenings.

A statement from Mayor Rowland, “This flyer was anonymously passed out in the city. It’s my understanding that over 20 people contacted Greg Thomas because his number was listed on the flyer, who were concerned and some even expressed fear that we’re going to take their property. Nothing can be further from the truth. I think this flyer is very exciting. I don’t find anything, maybe some terminology here and there that’s even true.” He also went on to explain that this person must be exposed and explore any possible criminal activity that may apply!

Tennessee Code Annotated 13-20-201, Kingsporhttp://www.khraredevelopment.org/aboutus.html

3 tools to use under TCA 13-20-201

the Statute T.C.A. 13-20-201. The tools that could be used in a Redevelopment District include:

Tax Increment Financing (TIF):
TIF is the redirection of increased property tax revenues
which occur as the result of a redevelopment project, in support of the project. It is a means of providing funding to spur redevelopment activities. TIF must be approved by the governing bodies involved. A side note- the schools, police and fire as well as many other budgets are affected by TIF financing because of frozen property tax rates and the diversion of tax dollars to the likes of developers and etc.

Ability to Assemble Property:
Are able to acquire property either through outright purchase, or through the exercise of eminent domain, which is defined as the taking of private property for the public good, with just compensation and assistance with relocation.

Bonding Authority:
Are authorized by T.C.A. 13-20-104(a)22 has the capability to borrow funds through its bonding authority in support of projects with a public purpose, with public ownership. This may be at a lower, tax-exempt, interest rate.

Doug Berry communicates with Richard Cathey of KPMG! Bond discussion and or outsourcing conversation? The details of that conversation have not been made public. Wasn’t Bernie Madoff tied up with KPMG at one time? Just wandering why we are dealing with this company. May be no relation, just an opinion!
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/13540791/article-Existing-area-industries-looking-to-future-expansion

Mayor Rowland calls for redevelopment of downtown: Remember, he asked what development in the Chattanoogan article.
http://clevelandbanner.com/bookmark/10902054-Redeveloping-Whirlpool-site-a-key

Tom Rowland Civic Center downtown: “most exciting redevelopment project in our history!”
http://clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/11559088/article-Time-to-start-planning?

Favored developers, raising property values and taxes, Tom Rowland Convention Center:
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/14498402/article-Southside-Redevelopment-seeks-public-awareness

What redevelopment? Favored developers? Quote from Commissioner Banks “With public and private opportunities, I think this Whirlpool property and surrounding property could be a great asset to Cleveland,” he said. “That’s where Cleveland started.”

He said Cleveland businessman Tom Robertson texted him a series of messages suggesting the redevelopment could be based on the creek that runs all the way from Big Spring Baptist Church to the Village Green before it turns north along Keith Street to Willow Street where the Cleveland/Bradley Greenway begins. Some of the waterway is open and some of it runs under buildings.
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/11706070/article-Council-says-OK-to-study-of-south?

Favored developers through public private partnerships? I dont know, you decide! “The spec building is a public-private partnership between Dillard Construction Inc., contractor; Dillard Partnership, the developer; Cleveland/Bradley County Industrial Development Board, the organization that holds the note on the land; and the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce, which is handling the marketing and information distribution for the development.”
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/17040710/article-Economic-development-remains-on-track?

Legislation, HB 1554 introduces TIF as funding source for redeveloping downtown Whirlpool site
http://clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/13484178/article-Legislation-offers-redevelopment-funding-source?

Using a City Council vote to squash freedom of speech and attempting to criminalize a patriot exercising his freedom
of speech and face possible charges if they apply:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/6/18/228576/Cleveland-City-Mayor-Tom-Rowland-Calls.aspx

Chamber of Commerce, Public Utilities, other Economic Development personnel have a “VESTED INTEREST in the region’s anticipated growth over the next quarter century.”
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/11134808/article-City-planners-OK-BCC-2035-growth-strategy

Call it Sustainable Development or Agenda 21 it’s still Sustainable Development under the direction of the United Nations 21 Local plan for our County with direct influence of the Chamber of Commerce!

Click to access BCC%202035-1.pdf

Planning efforts draw ire of Rosa Koire:
http://www.democratsagainstunagenda21.com/1/post/2012/06/it-takes-guts.html

BCC 2035 plan as per AECOM consultants to McBride,Dale and Clarion

Click to access 18435%20Cleveland%20Bradley%20Growth%2004.12.pdf

“The biggest redevelopment project the community has ever seen.” The City Mayor was recently quoted by the Chattanoogan, “what redevelopment?”
http://clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/9584992/article-City-to-seek-grant-for-redevelopment-of-Whirlpool-site?

City Council narrowly approves growth plan, discusses raising property taxes or cutting services to fund it. Also discussed, salary of consultants! “The plan was initiated by the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce” in partnership… “At that time, the cost of the study was $221,720. The local share of $171,720 was paid by the participants.”
http://clevelandbanner.com/bookmark/12540647-Council-says-OK-to-growth-strategy

Copy of a quote in the Banner from the above news article by Councilman Banks:
““When we vote on this it’s not just because it looks good in a notebook,” he said as he held the strategic plan in his hand. “We’re setting a course. If you read what’s in there, we are going to have to make some tough decisions and one of them is trying to get a property tax increase in the next 60 days.”

Banks said increasing the property tax might be best, but before raising taxes, he urged department heads to think about where they could save money.”

The Delphi Technique to achieve consensus. That overwhelming sense that no matter what we get back from the public, we will get what we want!

Community gives growth plan thumbs down, police called, tyranny reigns in Bradley County!

73 percent of Bradley County residents disapprove of growth plan, 80 percent disapprove of Central City Plan but the plan goes forward as if consensus reached.

73 percent of Charette attendees strongly disagree with Bradley County Comprehensive Plan

Redevelopment, the unknown Government- Speaks of the same things we are implementing here in Bradley County by hired out of town consultant is the same thing that is destroying California’s economy without a single vote cast by the people!
http://www.sanlorenzoexpress.com/norby1.htm

Strongly ask your self why did our elected leaders act so strongly toward a single taxpaying, constitutionally protected citizen? I would cide with my opinion that they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar and quickly responded negatively against the citizen who did the reporting. This again is the easy thing to do and they clearly took the low road. My daddy used to tell me son, if you are going to say something, you better be willing to back it up! Wished many would have received that advice! Thanks Dad! God rest your soul!

73 percent of Charette attendees strongly disagree with Bradley County Comprehensive Plan

The overwhelming message from the recent Charette at the Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland Tennessee was the citizens of Cleveland and Bradley County Tennessee do not want this comprehensive plan or hire consultants from out of town for hundreds of thousands of dollars of our tax dollars who will leave our community with heavy new land use regulations that will infringe on our property rights and substantially increase our tax base and utility bills to fund it!

As a matter of fact 73 percent of all that attended the three day Charette disagreed or strongly disagreed with the plan that McBride, Dale and Clarion have devised at the behest of many citizen objections!

The results: Compiled from a review of surveys provided by planners at the Charette. (Video was taken of the surveys and complied in another setting!)

Northern Corridor- 85.7% disagree/strongly disagree
Central Corridor- 70.1% disagree/strongly disagree
Southern Corridor- 63.5% disagree/strongly disagree
Growth and Strategies- 56.5% disagree/strongly disagree

Summary- 73.1% of Bradley County/Cleveland residents in attendance disagree/strongly disagree with the BCC Strategic Growth/Comprehensive Plan

“I was very proud to see so many citizens of Bradley County show up in force to speak out against the terribly expensive and overreaching BCC Comprehensive Growth Plan” said Donny Harwood, Tea Party of Bradley County founder and organizer, while attending the Charette.

Many “regular citizens” among them, concerned, tax paying and voting Tea Party types also filed into the Charette! Many were upset for different reasons. The construction and plans around exit 20, the encroaching business parks being built around their homes, road supervisors saying your fence and trees need to come down, many in the McDonald area, hwy 60 business owners who will lose property, people upset a fence has to go around a creek so cattle can’t walk through it, people who dont want to be annexed or rezoned or dont want a commercial business in their back yards, citizens fined by the EPA, resounding constant chatter regarding property rights and the businesses getting chosen and given tax breaks the “regular” business person doesn’t get, the cost of the project and a whole slew of other concerns permeated the mall.

My observation was the planners were overwhelmed with the negative response and were left attempting to explain away the reason the results, questionnaires and comment cards came back overwhelmingly negative on members of the tea party. We are citizens too, we just happen to be involved, engaged and vocal about our discontent with this plan! There was no gerrymandering and no agenda was set forth! We happen to know what is going on and you ask for public input and you got it, that’s all! There were also many employees on the city/county payrolls that filled out a few ballots too or you may not have gotten even 23% to agree with you on the plan!

Consultant Greg Dale was overheard saying he didn’t have time to tally the results of the public input portion of the Charette but quickly changed his tone to say he was joking when he found out that many around him wanted to see the results and were disappointed the results were not tallied for public view. He went on to say he has never seen such a negative response where so many in the community didn’t even want a plan!

Although I was there the majority of the time to oversee the Charette I met many for the first time and was very glad to see so many respond that were not in the Tea Party! I think it is a testament to our county that so many “grassroots” people are becoming involved in our local governments affairs!

We are no longer living in a time when we can ignore what our planners via our locally elected officials are doing. Our community has come alive and we are seeing what is happening and we are no longer going to take haphazard plans laying down. We live in a different time and our current environment calls for the citizens to act in a different way! We can no longer be silent as our local governments do as they please often overlooking the will of the people. Making enemies of your concerned citizens is easy. Listening to them, absorbing what they are saying, responding and thanking God every day that you have “watchmen on the wall” is the difficult part that very few practice!

It was overheard and reported to me that one of the planners was going to say that the Tea Party was stacking the surveys to look negative! My response to that accusation is if the response was overwhelmingly positive they would have had no problem reporting those findings! This is also tyranny folks, fear and intimidation from your government with repercussion for your actions! This is the sad part inside our Republic!

The accusation that the Tea Party stacked the votes is actually a compliment and a testament to the reason that tea parties were formed! Just as they were formed to protest a tax on tea from India, so be it we protest when a group of consultants and planners in coordination with their local government propose billions of dollars in cost to the taxpayer and a disrespect for their property rights!

The bottom line is the citizens, albeit some in the Tea Party, which is their well defined role, projected a positive affect on it’s community by speaking up and out about this grossly expensive and expansive growth plan delivered by out of town consultants for over a half a million dollars!

One thing that the planners, consultants and elected officials forget is that those “awful” tea party types are citizens too who are engaged, cast votes and just happen to speak up and show up when asked to for public input. This is called patriotism! This is the direct result of a Republic intact, not a socialist wanna be community where everyone listens to whatever the government says and the people agreeably nod!

The “politicians” of Bradley County should be proud of it’s patriotic people who show up when asked instead of villifying the ones who exercise their God given rights to direct their government when they step out of line. Any attempt to “make the Tea Party look bad” will be a direct push to stop a free people from freely addressing a grieveance of their government.

The Comprehensive Growth plan is not a popular one, but the overriding determining factor, regardless of the will of the people is the perceived “relief” our community gets when you bombard it with federal grants and the likes. We have seen over and over again that “spending our way out of debt” is not the answer! Smaller government, less taxes, the free market and higher accountability is the answer.

Any attempts at this point to squelch the voice of the people looks socialistic, communistic or perhaps Marxist! The best move is to stand with the people! The people are fully within their constitutional boundary to limit the size of their government and the influence they have on our daily lives.

The battle being waged should not be on the people but on the bureaucracy we call our standing government. History will stand in favor of the people, bureaucrats inside the government will fade like a silent whisper.

For now, step outside your tightly wrapped box and see that the people have spoken loudly! Try as you may but our voices will not succumb to tyrannical role players inside a rusty machine!

Public sounds off at Bradley County Comprehensive Plan Charette: Strongly disagree!

A strong and loud message was sent to hired consultants McBride Dale and Clarion, and that message was “We do not want this Comprehensive Plan and we strongly disagree with your goals!”

Many that attended the Charette on April 17, 18 and 19th, 2012, in the Conference room at the Bradley Square Mall saw a charade of plans that encompassed the Northern, Central and Southern portions of Bradley County!

These meetings were to inform the public, receive public input and then compile that information from the public and present it on the 19th and display the results for all to see!

Well, the public came, the feedback received, but no compilation of that input was done!

When asked why there was no data being displayed on the 19th as promised and as part of the contract, Greg Dale on the 18th said we really dont have time to compile it! Then turned to those listening, “I was only joking!”

When pressed for a more definitive answer the reply was that the data was overwhelmingly negative! He led us to believe his thoughts, which led to these opinions, was that the data may have been skewed by a few in the room with a different agenda than his!

Mr Dale went on to say that he believes this is the strongest negative response he has ever seen and that he doesn’t ever remember a community coming together and flat out saying no to a plan!

On the 19th as concerned citizens gathered to see the compiled results! None! Nothing! Not a single item of compiled data, just a bunch of hired consultants standing in a mostly empty room with other bureaucrats boasting on how good their maps were!

The community has spoken and the community of Bradley County does not want this terribly expensive and heavy tax burden well into our future and our childrens future!

This meeting carried a sense of impending doom and a certain feeling that this was a done deal with or without public input! After all, paying 525,000 dollars of taxpayers hard earned money for a plan, it had better go forward!

It was no secret that I was there to object to this large overreaching plan but what surprised me was the fact that many from different socio economic back grounds came out in droves to “strongly disagree” also with this plan! I saw county commissioners, Lawyers, Doctors, farmers, and little ole people with a 1 bedroom shack on a few acres that just wanted to keep their property taxes intact with no government plan to intrude in their lives!

Many of those people attending were professionally and warmly greeted into the room but once the majority of them were voicing discontent they would soon be seen as the “enemy” or villified for daring to speak out against this plan! By the end of the Charette, I felt deeply divided in the room! The few yes men and women to one side and the NOs to the other.

As the Charade ended and the small crowd dispersed, we left the room unsatisfied that our voice was not heard nor were our ballots accumulated!

If the reason for not doing them was “too negative” then I suggest that this plan not go forward! At the very least return my taxpayer money because you have contractually failed to meet your end of the deal! You have not provided public input or feedback as promised on this Charrette!

Concerned citizens and the public need to know that this plan is not being well received in this community! So pack you bags and let the people of Bradley County choose their own future, not let the government choose our path for us!

This obvious avoidance of the citizens of Bradley County cannot be ignored!

The people have a right to speak up and file grievance with their government! I am doubting our government leaders know that or are pretending that right doesn’t exist!

Whatever the conclusion, regardless of how frustrated you become with those annoying citizens, we have every constitutional, American right to be there! To become vilified by our government and it’s hired consultants is a shame!

To ask the citizens of this County to essentially “sit down and shut up” by members of our own elected body, this is the real tragedy!

TN State Executive Committeewoman links Comprehensive Plans to Agenda 21

It was only a matter of time before our politicians would finally see the light. The RNC, the GOP, select Democrats and State Executive Committeewoman Sally Absher are now speaking loudly and are talking about the dreaded Regional Growth Plan and it’s close ties to Agenda 21.

Also on board recently and sounding the alarm is Tn State Executive Committee Woman Peggy Lambert and State Senator Jim Summerfield!

On the flip side, the opposite is true in Bradley County and the region! Chattanooga/ICLEI/Recalled Mayor Ron Littlefield/Beth Jones/Bradley Planner Corey Divel/Mayor Gary Davis/Mayor Tom Rowland and many others in Bradley County are still pushing the Agenda 21 Growth Plan as the “plan of all plans” despite warnings from within their own party!

Please stay tuned and read the letter below from Sally Absher! You will clearly see the line of demarcation that is continuing to divide our state! Some continue to move forward, while others like Sally, Peggy and Jim are attempting to halt it!

I can’t figure why the “powers that be”, the decision “makers and shakers” of this huge unconstitutional tax burdened, highly regulated, land grabbing growth project are still moving forward as fast as they can while their State Executives and the RNC are saying halt!

On the other hand, I believe I do understand! As a father of three, I think I am qualified to make this judgement call. They are acting as a child in a candy store wanting that one piece of candy they can’t have. In this case that one big federal grant, and they are lying on the floor, on their back and are kicking and screaming, “Daddy told me if I was a good boy, I could get that piece of candy or in this case a few measly million dollars of grant money, and I’m gonna lay here and resist till I get my way!” “Because the Mayors are saying its good for the local economy!!!”

It is obvious to me that special interest, lobbyist, the PPPs and the NGOs have got our politicians ear, not the parties that are representative of the people! This is the sadness of all this!

We are witnessing the slide of our political machine that is supposed to be representative of the people, melt off into the abyss! Our local, State and Federal bureaucrats have let the proverbial cheese fall off the cracker! The lust for money, the promise of power, greed and a misdirected plan has hijacked our local representatives and are unfortunately are influencing their decisions!

They are no longer representatives of the people but are minions, stooges, dare I say, “useful idiots” of an International Socialist engineering scheme that has captured and took over any decision making skills they may have had!

I feel sorry for the whole lot! Can you imagine where they are now! They have gone from, in a very short time of being the hero, the bringer (if that’s a word) home of the big piece of the pie to the persons who are now being held responsible for engineering the scheme that makes us a socialist nation with bigger plans for the eventual takeover of our country by a New World Order!

Now because of their poor leadership, people in their districts will soon be living in POD communities, stacked in little HUD houses, looking begrudgingly at the next scourge that may wipe out parts of the population so that we can be sustainable!

Because of these elected people, we are now living in highly regulated, annexed and expanding Urban Growth Development areas while assisting the UN in decreasing sprawl and living around uninhabital land reserves placed within a color zone!

We gotta annex so we can get those extra tax dollars from the ones we represent, you know!

In the meantime, we are witnessing the greatest loss of our freedom and sovereignty by land grabs and horrendous land use regulations of our time?

Can you imagine why they are not backing down after numerous calls from their leadership? It’s a pride thing now, we are in way too deep! Turning around now would mean they were right and I was wrong!

I believe honestly they would rather go to their grave knowing they destroyed our country than acknowledge that they were wrong! I see the quandry, I understand, I feel the pain, I really do! But it’s high time to do the right thing and reverse course! I understand feeling you are too deep into this diabolical international plan to turn tail now! But we must be realistic here!

I feel it is time to make it right and save face! I must either forge on or I must get slapped in the face with a big ole piece of humble pie!

Dont be that “useful idiot” too proud of this Regional project to ever save face. Its time to put on our big boy panties, suck it up, be a big man and admit to wrong doing and change course!

I can’t imagine a representative of the people continuing to fight till the last breath against cries from within their own party or from their constituency, but I imagine there is a few that will!

This house of deception is crumbling fast as more and more people are seeing it’s real intent! I would not personally want to be still holding the bag when it collapses!

Many lives are being directed into your imperfect storm! It’s time to guide them to safety! Let’s disassociate with ICLEI and shove off this International inspired growth plan, watch the free market take care of this growth thing all by it’s self with the best interest of the people in mind!

Don’t be that adult child that screams and pitches a fit long after they have been told “no!” Be the man or woman you were elected to be and represent the people!

The letter from one of our Tennessee State Executive Women Sally Absher to Adam Nickas , Executive Director, Tennessee Republican Party!

Adam Nickas
Executive Director
Tennessee Republican Party
(615) 269-4260
adam@tngop.org

http://www.tngop.org

Dear SEC Members, County Chairs, Young Republicans, College Republicans, and others,

First I would like to thank Peggy Lambert, our RNC Executive Committeewoman, for her report last Saturday in which she identified “the social engineering program known as Agenda 21″ as one of the top issues for the RNC this year. This is a very complex topic, and there are many components to the UN’s Agenda 21, from education policy to restricting rural development to “smart growth” in our urban areas. But the two areas that impact citizens across the state are the policies that affect the rural areas, and urban areas of our counties. We have seen an explosion in “Comprehensive Plans” – some at the county level, some encompassing multiple counties or even extending across state lines, as with the Chattanooga area’s 16 County 40 Year Plan. It is up to us to dig beneath the surface, and expose the over-reach of government and the waste and abuse of tax dollars to support these programs. Please understand – I am all for conservation and being a good steward of the resources the Lord gave me. What I am against is restriction of personal property rights and government making decisions on where people can live, work, and how they can get around in their community.

I have attached two fact sheets that will quickly bring you up to speed on the basics, as well as a figure showing the state of Tennessee from the stimulated reserve and corridor map that Dr. Michael Coffman drew up based on the Global Biodiversity Assessment Report and the US and UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program (google these). What you need to know is that this is the end plan, unless we stop this now. As with most incremental plans, this won’t happen all at once, but ultimately, red areas will be completely off-limits to all human activity, yellow and green areas are limited use areas (agriculture, etc. – for now). All people will live inside the black dots on the map, in “stack ‘em and pack ‘em” high rise apartments. No lake houses. No mountain cabins. No suburbs. You can also search YouTube for the video “Agenda 21 for Dummies” – about 9 minutes long. It’s a little dated and the ending is a bit hokey, but it is a good introduction to some of the national figures who have been in this battle for the past 20 years.

This is a lot of information to toss to you at once. There are several good speakers on this topic across the state, so if you would like for someone to make a presentation to your GOP club or organization, please let me know and I will help you get that set up. Another thing to remember is that this is a non-partisan issue (or maybe it is a bi-partisan issue). George H.W. Bush signed the agreement at the Rio Conference in 1992; Bill Clinton created the President’s Council on Sustainability; Mayors and Governors of both parties embraced these programs in order to receive federal grant money, and Barack Obama (along with the EPA) is pushing the pedal to the metal as far as implementing this. EO 13575, which established the White House Rural Council. This should be of concern to everyone who lives in a county with rural areas. It will be to the GOP’s advantage to get out in front of this quickly, but don’t hesitate to try to educate democrats as well. You might want to check out Rosa Koire’s book “Behind the Green Mask: UN Agenda 21″ available at Amazon for $14.37.

My apologies to the folks in the Chattanooga area who already received some of this information! Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit about this, and again, I urge you to do a search on the computer for “sustainable development” and your county or city. Or “comprehensive plan” and your county or city. You might be surprised by what you find!

Sally Absher
Tennessee Republican Party
State Executive Committee SD 6
865-621-3765
Tennessee Reserve and Corridor.pdf
TN Reserve initiatives and Corridor info
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The Sustainability Dilemma2.pdf
The Sustainability Dilema
(193.77 KiB) Downloaded 13 times

The Sustainability Paradox2.pdf
The Paradox
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