Friday, July 29

Who Holds All the Power?


The Citizens of Hardin County, you and me, who are eligible to Vote, hold ALL the ultimate Power and WE hold the ultimate responsibility for abdicating, relinquishing and/or renouncing our Citizens responsibilities as the holder of this ultimate power that keeps Hardin County encumbered in it’s chains. Sorry about this tough love thing.

The painfully truthful answer is that the folks who have chosen to register to vote, and who actually vote at each and every opportunity, exercise the ultimate power for all the other complacent and apathetic citizens. These folks disburse all the power to our elected officials, who now hold all the power that keeps Hardin County encumbered in it’s chains, whatever they are.

"Originally, our founding fathers envisioned a government Of the people, By the people, and For the people, that included a checks and balance on governmental powers with the Separation of Powers Doctrine.

The Separation of Powers Doctrine basically states that there shall be a separation between the three branches of government, i.e. Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Neither branch could exercise the power of the other." THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1821

Hardin County’s Judiciary - Complaint of the Hardin County Grand Jury – All one need do, is look at the composition of the Grand Jury. How can a Grand Jury which has been infiltrated and influenced by the judiciary/law enforcement be expected to do its primary job of investigating official malfeasance, judicial arrogance, lack of accountability and corruption?

Hardin County has had national exposed, via the Internet, with judicial and political corruption allegations, along with a designation as a major drug route for illegal drugs coming from the gulf coast via the Tombigbee Waterway to all points North via the Tennessee River to the Mississippi River to all points northeast, with a lot dropped off along the way for local area distribution. We are at the end of the Tombigbee Waterway corridor in a tri-state area, that’s good for our industrial development programs, but it comes with a price.

Hardin County’s Legislature/County Executive - On December 10, 1998, I noted in a letter to each of our County Commissioners the following:

"Over the years the 20 member County Commission have come to relied on the County Mayor to administer the affairs of the County Commission by his almost ritualistic election to the office of Chairman of the County Commission. Over the year this reliance has evolved to an abdication of responsibility by those County Commissioners who take the position that "I have to rely on the Chairman/County Mayor" because he has looked into it, for me. Or "I have to go along" with the Chairman/County Mayor and the Sheriff because they know what they want to do.

This reliance violates several fiduciary responsibilities of the individual Commissioners, the primary being the check and balances system of oversight. The County Commission as an entity has the oversight responsibility for the County Government including the County Mayor and Sheriff. In Hardin County the question can be asked - Where is the oversight when the Chairman and the County Mayor are one and the same?

And last, but not least, Hardin County Executive Branch - All in all, with the exception of the County Executive and the Sheriff, the Executive Branch is mostly operated by a group of dedicated elected officials and county employees.

THE ANSWER: WHO HOLDS THE POWER?
WE DID, BUT WE GAVE IT AWAY.
WANT TO GET IT BACK.
PARTICIPATE AND VOTE IN 2006 General Elections.
THE JAIL, WHOSE FAULT IS IT, ANYWAY?

You, my brothers, my sisters, and I are and have been the one’s that were responsible for the conditions of Hardin County.

The family had to protect them, that’s all there is too it. (NOTE - My ‘brothers, et.al.’ in this case include members of the Judicial Branch, Legislative Branch and Executive Branch of our local county government, several enforcement arms of our State government and the citizens of Hardin County, for tolerating it.)

The Sheriff - T.C.A. §§41-4-121(a) "The sheriff has authority, when the jail of the county is insufficient for the safekeeping of a prisoner, to convey the prisoner to the nearest sufficient jail in the state."

The Judges - T.C.A. §§41-4-121(b) "In all cases, also, where it is shown to the committing magistrate, judge or court, that the jail of the county in which the commitment should be made is insufficient for the safekeeping of the prisoner, the commitment shall be by mittimus or warrant stating the fact, to the nearest sufficient county jail."

The Lawyers - Why did it take an ‘out of town’ Lawyer to file a ‘class action’ lawsuit for deliberate indifference? Didn’t some of our local Lawyers collect money to represent the best interest of some of these prisoner? Where the hell has the Public Defender’s Office been?

The Mayor - T.C.A. §§ 41-4-116(b) "The county executive shall be an ex officio inspector of the jail in each county."

The County Commissioners and The Citizens - "As long as we make it look like we are doing something, they, (The Feds or State), won’t bother us." And my personal favorite - "Ain’t gonna do nothing about it until somebody makes us and there ain’t nobody making us, yet," or, "Don’t care, we ain’t gonna pay for it with increased property taxes!!"

Wednesday, July 27

Chamber of Commerce
Why should I care about the Chamber of Commerce.
Answer this - Do citizens have an obligation to the community? Every person owes a debt to the community that cannot be paid in taxes - a debt of personal service.

I entered the public service area, first when I joined the Navy, in 1961, and again when I decided to stay in Hardin County, in 1994, with my family instead of returning to the business world in Memphis.

As a citizen I believe that I owe it to my grandsons, and my extended family, to do what I can, and the best that I can, to present to them for their care and keeping, when the time comes, a clean, safe living and working environment.

This includes a Chamber of Commerce that is not only user-friendly but is also pro-active to the wants and needs of it's members. A Chamber of Commerce that utilizes it's assets, both manpower and position, to ensure maximum efficiency of services to the members, while at the same time planning for the future members and citizens that will enjoy an ever evolving Hardin County.

THE CHAMBER AND IT’S MISSION

My research reflects that the Chamber of Commerce is a private, self-governing, self-administrated, public benefit corporation organized to facilitate a continuing effort to provide the means and resources, whether financial or other, to advance and maintain public awareness, and promote the advancement of the commercial, industrial, civic and general interest of the attributes for Hardin County and any other activity permitted by law for a non-profit corporation.

It is a perpetual entity, organized exclusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes.

The Board of Directors, on a voluntary and part-time basis are task with the responsibility to provide the means and resources and to administrate over all business and function of the Chamber. The Board of Directors look to the individual selected for Executive Director to carry out this function on a full time basis, with the guidance and counsel of the Board of Directors.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT QUESTIONS

For their own reasons, our local county government has kept the leading question before the citizens and the business community - Is the Chamber of Commerce a W.O.M.B.A.T.? Is it a Waste of Money, Brains And Time?

My personal opinion is that it is the local county government, as administered, is the W.O.M.B.A.T.! That's a fact Jack. It is an absolute injustice, for all the wrong reasons. To borrow from CHESTERTON, My County Right or Wrong is like saying My Mother Drunk or Sober and as Tom Hayden would allow, A Silent Majority and Government by the People is INCOMPATIBLE. The past silence of the Chamber of Commerce about this injustice has contributed to the life of the injustice.

The Chamber has to develope the backbone to stand up and take positions, even on non-business issues.

Some other thoughts are -

I believe that one of the most effective constructive influence, of our time, is the force of organized business functioning through the Chamber of Commerce for community betterment.

I believe that the Chamber can and should help create and express sound opinions on questions affecting the welfare of my community.

I believe that the Chamber of Commerce should unify the public spirit of my community and directs it to useful and constructive channels.

Finally I believe that all we have are our values and when we lose those we don‘t have anything left.