Greetings,
More than a few folks have expressed some regret that I did not choose to throw my hat into the Mayor’s race this time. To those folks I have said, "I’m doing what I think I can get done." My home district deserves the best representation they can get and that is where I think I can be of the best use, at this point in time. There’s a lot that need attention.
That is not to say that I am not concerned with the other districts or the County wide election. Let it be well known, I am keenly interested in who else might be on the team that returns true representative democracy to Hardin County.
For what it’s worth, for years I was the butt of a standing joke at the Mayor’s office and the County Commission. That was, "If Ted Cook is fur it, we’re aginn it, and if he’s aginn it, we’re fur it!!!!" That may be the way it is at the courthouse, but I don’t think that’s the way it is in the county and I know for a fact that’s not the way it is in the Sixth District. The up coming vote of the citizens will prove or disprove that assumption.
For the moment, let’s assume I’m right and some folks might, just might, have some limited interest in considering what conclusion have been reached, if any, concerning the other elections. To those few folks I would be happy to share my scouting report results.
Let’s start with the easy one, the Mayor’s race.
In the case of the incumbent Mayor, Mayor Kevin Davis, the scouting report covers 4 ½ years and is much more detailed and documented. Personally, Mayor Davis is a fine church going, family loving and generally all around good guy.
Having said that, Mayor Davis has presided on an administration that has routinely ignored the spirit and intent of the Sunshine Law and the Open Records Act to the extent the county made the national news for their first attempt at the wheel tax. In the big picture of things most of the Mayors supporters will forgive that, but one has to wonder how in the world can they sanction the Mayors support in ignoring the vote of the people? I can’t get there on my best day.
Jimmy Pattersons scouting reports reflects that although Jimmy is still much loved and respected in the community for his prior service to the County, it is hard to get past the point that going back to the way the county conducted its business many years ago, (not really that much different than it is today, maybe different faces but same attitude), would not be meaningful progress forward. Hardin County is reinventing itself for the 21st Century not the 19th.
There is not much to report on Mr. Robert Bills. Mr. Bills is to be congratulated on his willingness to serve and to offer himself as a choice for change in Hardin County.
There is no good reason not to trust the job of Mayor of Hardin County to J. Stanley Shaw and a lot of good reasons to believe Mr. Shaw is up for this very difficult job.
Right age - still forward looking. Right business background - proven success in dealing with the complexities of project management in the real world of modern international corporate
business.
Overall rating - Most likely to succeed. I’m gonna support, as much as possible, J. Stanley Shaw for County Mayor. That’s a fact.
The next office is Sheriff of Hardin County.
We need to change the way we conduct our law enforcement efforts in Hardin County. We need a Sheriff that will take responsibility and understands what the Citizens want, not just what they will tolerate or accept. We need a Sheriff that believes that we must involve the citizens of Hardin County in our law enforcement efforts not discourage them.
Of the two challengers for the Sheriffs office, Charles Seaton and Danny Jackson, Mr. Jackson scored higher on his scouting report because of his past law enforcement experience here in Hardin County. Although Mr. Jackson has served under prior administrations, his input and recommendations were often times ignored for political reasons.
Overall rating - Mr. Jackson is most likely to succeed and I’m gonna support, as much as possible, Danny Jackson for Sheriff of Hardin County.
Last but not least, we have our County Commission.
That’s really a no-brainier. 19 out of 20 chose to ignore a legitimate vote of the people. They need to be gone. They have given representative democracy a bad name in Hardin County and across the State of Tennessee.
Pd. Pol. Ad. Paid for by Ted Cook
WITHOUT permission of the named candidates.
Don’t need permission, Didn’t ask for it.
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