Ignorant Commissioners Wield Power Vote for $100million the taxpayers oppose 15 to 1

This is Harry for Truth Radio news Blount county’s ONLY 24/7 NEWS SOURCE broadcasting from am1470, streaming audio at triple w dot truth radio.tv and on your cellphone without any app at 760-569-7754.

Blount County’s October Commission Agenda had a resolution selecting Alternative A as it’s choice of the four proposals presented in the September 6 letter from TDOT Secretary John Schroer outlining the four choices ranging from a no build alternative, using and improving existing roads alternative D and the Scenic Highway limited access interstate Alternative A.

Despite15 well spoken and informed citizens presenting against the A route for the Pellissippi parkway and only Brian Daniel the President of Partnership Blount speaking in favor, once again the Commisson showed it’s ignorance of the issue and arrogance of power with a 15 to 5 passage of the most opposed choice.

Brad Ansley reminded the commission of the “Southern Loop” having returned to the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organisation’s project list and hope the Commission would fix some of the messes they made before they start on paving paradise.

Kathlene Skinner reminded the Commission our county’s previous Budget Director’s research showed how residential properties take 20 to 40 years to break even because of the excessive costs of education over the property tax paid.

Jamie Davis identified himself as a Software CEO considering a relocation of his company. The rural feel of Blount county was the main draw. This proposed road extension diminishes the appeal of the area. I appreciate that you want to improve our economy …This road is not the way to do that.

Doug Gamble who lives off 411 north declared that the most dangerous road I drive is on 411 into Maryville. Mr. Gamble after the meeting very astutely pointed out to both Commissioner Lambert and Budget Director Jennings the error of their comments and to this reporter.

Mr. Gamble reminded me that the TDOT letter from Secretary Schroer in the commission packet describing the Pellissippi Parkway Extension alternatives that build Alternative D six sentence paragraph description says in the third sentence, ”Alternative D would use portions of existing Sam Houston School Road, Peppermint Road, Hitch Road, and Helton Road.“

This reporter when addressing the commission meeting reminded them of the last good decision it made regarding roads was when they voted to apply for the Federal Grant to fund 80% of the cost to widen Morganton road and at that time highway superintendent Dunlap had reported that we have “67 hazardous road conditions our children ride over in school buses every day” and that alternative D would improve existing roads.

Commissioner Lambert later asked the Budget Director Jennings if the project money could be used on Blount county roads to which he said no. Mr. Gamble believed it gave the margin of victory necessary to Alternative A.

Tona Monroe Ball out did herself with a quote from the Savior in Matthew 23:13,14 where He says Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

I attended the agenda meeting last week and there was so much straining over who gets to dole out what office space, something that didn’t amount a hill of beans to this County and then when a $100 million dollar project came up …there was no discussion about the road. If Jesus were to come back today I think those scriptures would read: Woe unto you Blount County Commissioners, hypocrites! For ye dole out office space and have omitted the weightier matters of law in building $100 million roads that the people don’t want. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

The Blount County WBCR High School Football Players of the week are William blount Senior Quarterback Hunter Saunders who totaled 260 yards with 9 completions of 16 attempts and 2 TDs and rushed 15 times for 70 yards and a TD for the Govs- 34 to 27 victory over Lenoir City. Maryville Sophmore Shawn Prevo earned the coveted customized Player of the week CAP from WBCR by scoring 4 touch downs in Maryville’s victory over Farragut 35-6.

Congratulations Players of the Week.

Alcoa's Green Police

By Karen Miller
Banner of Truth

On Sept. 14th 2011 it was reported in The Daily Times that in Alcoa, TN, a $500 fine for not mowing the lawn could become a law. This can take place because in 2006 the city of Alcoa adopted into the International Property Maintenance Code - City Codes Enforcement Officer. This is an example from the International Code Council. In 1994 the not-for-profit International Code Council was created. More information about ICC is available here: www.iccsafe.org

These codes can impose draconian restrictions on individual freedom. Many communities have extensive code enforcement departments. In Birmingham, Mobile, and Atlanta, these code enforcement officers are called Environmental Police.

Rondal Keith Jervis failed to mow his grass the way the code enforcement officer in Corbin, Kentucky thought it should be mowed. Jervis was fined $100. A dispute arose between Jervis and the enforcement officer, and Jervis’ fine rose to $2,250 for high grass and debris on the Jervis property. A phone call to the code enforcement office resulted in a shouting match, and Jervis was charged with “third-degree terrorist threatening.”

The 106th TN. General Assembly SB3428 by L. Finney under Municipal Government--As enacted, authorizes municipal governments to create an office of administrative hearing officer to hear building and property maintenance code violations. On May 13th, 2010, the Senate adopted Amendments #1 and #2 and passed Senate Bill 3428, as amended.

AMENDMENT #1 adds administrative law judges to the list of persons who may be administrative hearing officers. This amendment also requires input on the curricula for initial training from the administrative procedures division of the office of secretary of state instead of the department of commerce and insurance. This amendment specifies that any fine levied by a hearing officer must be reasonable based upon the totality of the circumstances.

AMENDMENT #2 requires that hearing officers be appointed for four-year terms with eligibility for reappointment instead of “indefinite” terms.

On June 4,2010, the House substituted Senate Bill 3428 for House Bill 3659 ,adopted amendment #2, and passed Senate Bill 3428, as amended.

AMENDMENT #2 specifies that fines issued by hearing officers under the bill would be up to $500 ”per violation” for violations occurring upon residential property and up to $500 “per violation per day” for violations occurring upon non-residential property. This amendment specifies that administrative law judges serving as hearing officers would not be subject to the training and continuing education requirements of the bill, as described in the above summary.

Anyone who reads Chapter 7 of United Nations' Agenda 21, and then reads their local comprehensive land use plan will immediately recognize that most of the provisions of the local land use plan come directly from Agenda 21. More often than not, the elected officials who adopt these plans never read Agenda 21, and many have never even heard of the U.N. document, signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Comprehensive plans are developed by planning professionals committed to transforming local communities into social structures described in Agenda 21 documents. The procedure to achieve this goal is deliberately designed to bypass local elected officials during the development process, while giving the public impression of engaging a broad spectrum of the community’s citizens. Only after the plan is essentially developed is the governing body called upon to give it the force of law by a formal vote.

A comprehensive land use plan adopted by government gives the government, not the owner, the superior right to decide how the land may be used. This reality gives government the benefit of land ownership while leaving the responsibility of ownership with the owner. The owner must ask the government for permission to use his own land, but is required to pay tax on the land and maintain the land in whatever way might be dictated by the comprehensive plan. In King County Washington, for example, rural land owners are required to leave 65 percent of their land in its rural condition, while paying tax on the 100 percent of the land.

This process varies slightly from community to community, but every community has undergone, or soon will undergo a similar process. The goals of sustainable development amount to a complete transformation of American society. Sustainable development embraces education, economics, and social justice, as well as environmental issues. Once the new collaborative decision process has been established, it can be used to develop policy in all these issue areas. Whenever public policy is developed by government-funded advocacy groups, administrators, or bureaucrats, there can be no accountability to the people. Private property rights are eroded and individual freedom evaporates.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.”
-Frederick Douglass

These are the opinions of Karen Miller