Jail House Rock

You folks who "ain"t from around here" will have to bear with me for a minute. I have local housekeeping to deal with for a minute.


Ok, so as of Tuesday we are about halfway done gathering the number of signatures we need. The only people who haven't offered to sign the petition are those who simply don't know enough to decide. Too bad, because if we don't decide, the eight people on the County Commission, who can't give you a real reason for the jail when you corner them, will be able to raise your property taxes by over $2,000,000.00 a year.


here's a quick check list:

1. The given reason for the Jail, overcrowding, is an administrative problem and doesn't really exist.

2. Roane County does not release anyone on their own recognizance, they have to make bond. (This is incredible, actually...Be sure and say hi to the Judges next time you see them out to lunch with the bail bondsmen.)

3. Ten percent of the prisoners don't belong to Roane County in the first place. (Duh...guess what step one to eliminate overcrowding should be?)

4. The budget for the new jail as presented to the public is woefully inadequate and very misleading. (Surprise!)

5. No accurate cost for transportation has been presented. This will be huge. (You mean the commissioners aren't telling us the whole story?....Shocked! Shocked! I tell you!)

Why the Rockwood representatives want that jail down near their town is a mystery to me, anyway. Don't they know that if you have jails, you have created a gathering place for the most nefarious of the underclasses in America? The dregs of society? I mean, why would the good citizens of Rockwood want to create, near their homes right in their own community, a haven and gathering place for...

Lawyers?

Print this out and get every registered Roane County voter you know to sign it and get it to us by this Thursday. We'll have signing tables set up at all the Roane County Food City locations. You can drop them off there or emaill me and we'll come pick your petition up.


Jail Petition


I had the pleasure of spending time with Congressman Harold Ford yesterday, and frankly, I'm impressed.

Apparently, so is everyone else that meets this guy. While the Republican smear machine works overtime to tar Harold with the deeds of his relatives, he seems to keep his head high, look people in the eye and ask folks to judge him own his own record of public service...Unblemished and impressive.

I've been in the room with any number of politicians and most of the time I feel like I need a shower afterward. Harold Ford is something different. We'll see if Tennessee is ready. I hope so.


Peace,

Steve