catvoter
Joined: 08/10/2007
Posts: 100

Recent Comments by catvoter
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/24/2008 06:52:35 PM
Oldsoldier is probably thinking of Bill Clark, but I think Abe Lincoln (tall guy, big hat) converted Clark to Republican when Clark was a younger man. Or was it that Clark converted Abe? Did they home school together?

Most older candidates around Catoosa County have Democratic skeletons buried nearby. Some closer to the surface than others.

Gracy, Marks, and Emberson all had Democratic histories. While I disagree with some of their voting as Commissioners, they all ran as Republicans.

Wolford didn’t decide to be a Republican until he didn’t like a Democratic meeting he went to first. From the looks of some recent comments, Wolford is astride the fence and hurting. Hint: use ice packs and take short breaths. The problem will go away July 15th.

While generally Republican, I have “slipped” in a vote for some local Democrats when the local Republican candidate was not competent. (Abe forgive me!)

Everyone that has been around Catoosa County and Georgia politics knows you couldn’t get elected years ago unless you said you were a Democrat. Now it helps to have the “R” by the candidate’s name.


Emerald, you have the heart of a Connecticut Yankee.

Clark obviously cares about the poor, particularly us poor taxpayers.

Trailers? ALL the Commissioners in the last 10 years have voted to tighten the zoning rules. The facts support the need to keep “trailers” in limited areas to avoid affecting property values if the housing was mixed. There is a proper place for trailers, apartments, condos, regular houses, commercial zones, and industrial zones. The zoning rules help maintain some organization and order.
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/23/2008 06:22:43 PM
oldsoldier.

You seem to have a candidate in supporting Greene that is running only on the platform of tearing down another old soldier, past state representative, and well qualified public servant, Bill Clark.

You also seem to blend into the "Country Club Gang" from the performing arts, colonnade, ampatheather, and Chamber of Commerce that want to be leaches on the funds paid by the taxpayers of Catoosa County.

I think us regular taxpayers should consider boycotting the Chamber member businesses until the Chamber stops leaching off the County. The business owners contribute a lot to the County and are the collection sources of our ESPLOST, SPLOST, and LOST sales tax revenues. But those owners should remember that their profits come from us customers (taxpayers). Why should us taxpayers subsidize the "Country Club Gang".

Oldsoldier please also remember ALL the past issues:

Didn't Commissioner Emberson lead the first fire department meetings and studies? Emberson and Gracy pushed for the studies. Didn't the County waste over $25,000 on a consultant report and ALL the fire departments say was not needed?

Your 3 vote gang of Emberson, Gracy and Marks passed the largest property tax increase in history! Clark was a no vote, correct?

You mention putting "sewers only in areas of their special interest supporters" as if Clark leads that. Clark, Hill and Winters did not. The past and even current projects were approved and engineered way back (some even before Clark four years ago), by some of that same spend, spend group of Emberson, Gracy and Marks(plus Mark Fletcher and Pat Page).

The Board of Assessors that didn't approve the YMCA the first time (but later approved it in early 2008 after the Y filed the right paperwork) was also appointed by some pre-Clark Commissioners weren't they? Who is on that Board that is a big Bill Clark supporter?

Oldsoldier, you give us misleading info on the Y. From the paper: "The initial exemption denial is due to the ground lease agreement between the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority and the Metropolitan Chattanooga YMCA being filed after the Jan. 1 date of assessment,” he said. “The board legally cannot grant a property tax exemption for something that did not exist on the tax digest.

“Officials of the YMCA have repeatedly reported they are a membership and fee-based organization that does provide scholarships for individuals and families that may not have the resources to pay for services provided by the YMCA,” he said. “The board of assessors does not question the non-profit status of the YMCA.” end quotes from the paper.

You praise Emberson and Gracy. But they were the leaders (along with the dud County Manager Ed Vickery) that tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the best financial guy in the County, Carl Henson. Henson was pointing out wasefull spending and invoices by Vickery, and they tried to railroad Henson out. Vickery was forced to resign in shame and Gracy got clobbered in the next election.

While I think Clark has done a good job of watching out for our taxpayer money, Wolford also had a good idea to get rid of credit cards used by Commissioners. That effort was no doubt prompted by the wastefull, fancy dinners of Emberson and his wife at out of town Commissioners conventions.

Greene is the candidate being pushed by the "Country Club Gang" at the Colonnade, Performing Arts, and Chamber of Commerce so they can collect more money from us regular taxpayers.

Greene hasn't been around Catoosa County and only knows the story versions of the "Country Club Gang". Greene hasn't attended or participated in past public meetings on zoning ordinances, public works meetings on sewers, or any of the past public hearings on 2020 or planning.

Why turn the County over to Greene and the Country Club Gang?
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/19/2008 11:16:24 AM
Grace,

They deny, but some time in the past Clark wronged them, and they go against everything Clark does.

Clark wanted a sole Commissioner (I doubt the majority of voters want to lose the 5 member Board).

Clark and Bandy were the start of the Republicans in Catoosa County years ago and ran that party for years until Brad Scott was elected over Clark's people in about 2000.

Naysayers try to pin Brad Scott as Clark's man, but Scott seems to be running on his own. I think Secretary of State Karen Handal came to Catoosa County to support Scott at a fund raiser.

Clark seems to be doing the right things for the taxpayer. Burkhart is running for the big contractors and builders. Burkhart became a millionaire as FO Mayor by being buddies with Emerson Russell and buying up the Cloud Springs Road property before everyone knew the widening was coming.

Wolford and Green are so new no one knows where they stand. They are "green" as grass. Probably nice guys but don't know the issues of the landfill or past history of budgets.

Those that talk against Clark never say what they would vote differently on. They have personal issues.
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/15/2008 08:50:41 AM
Coffee shop says Wolf-Obama was very confusing in his comments. No one understood what his comments had to do with the Catoosa County issues.

Green was more quiet and overshadowed by Burkhart's rant against Clark. Burkhart supposedly was stone faced.

They said Clark related the facts and just stated the County issues. Didn't argue with anyone. Things are going good. Why change?

I doubt that Wolf and Clark have conversed much.

Don't know anything about Green other than he has never been a leader in Catoosa County anything.
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/11/2008 06:43:34 PM
Wolf - you and Obama are working out of the same play book.

Both Obama and Wolford:

Both are a generation younger than the incumbent.
Both have very limited or no political experience.
Both talk about generating votes from the new grass roots because they are not in tune with the history.
Both talk "change" with feel good words and no details.
Both think that "a fire in the belly" beats experience and common sense.
Both evade the issues and questions from the public and talk in general "political speak".
Both say they can reduce taxes, but when asked for details cannot answer intelligently.
Both are attorneys with a "know it all" plan and overwhelming self confidence.


Wolf - please, please go back and explain how you are going to turn FO/Chickamauga retail sales and ESPLOST revenue into money that will reduce school property tax?

How will you do that at all?

Address the detailed questions? Don't keep using the Obama plan.

Wolford - you say you attended a Democratic meeting, did you ever participate in the Catoosa Republican meetings? You say you went to the Democratic meeting "to talk with a certain person"? Your initial potential political mentor is a regular at the Democratic meetings?

Before signing up to run for office; what Commissioners meetings, Economic Development meetings, Planning and Zoning meetings, Public Works Board meetings, Library Board meetings, or any other Catoosa County public hearings were you at? I'm betting zero.

Can we have some straight talk on the questions? Didn't you enter this chat area to seek questions and state your positions?
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/11/2008 08:47:51 AM
Family - The school board spending over $50 million on the new Heritage High School is a good enough reason to change board members this election.

Plus they make wish lists for budgets with every kind of spending and then just raise taxes to pay for it. They should look at what tax money is available and just spend that.

Why are Catoosa schools spending more than the state average per student, but not getting the results?

Ray - vote and vote again. I've always urged Catoosa Democrats to go to Hamilton County, it would raise the average voter intelligence in both counties. {:-)
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/11/2008 01:26:41 AM
Wolf -

Forget the agressive responses.

Where are the details on what specifically you would do differently than Clark on the recent public issues of the Chamber not paying rent to the County, the saving of money on the library, and what you would have done?

I just don't think you personally have been keeping up with the issues of the County the last few years and are just now being filled in by a few people. You haven't personally been engaged in following the issues.

You keep mentioning what others have told you about the issues. Have you been to any Commission meetings? These planning committees for the 2010, 2020 and 20/20 plans are discussed in public hearings.

Public hearings are announced at the Commission meetings, posted in the Catoosa County News, often show up in the Chattanooga Times articles, are announced and discussed (and cussed) on the Judy O'Neal shows and are topics at the coffee shops. Why haven't those 20-25 business persons you talk to been involved in the public meetings? How can those folks know of "unrest with the voters" when they aren't tuned in to the issues the Commission has been addressing?

Wasn't Eaker and many other Chamber members on the planning Committee? Did they discuss it there at the Chamber meetings?

Don't beat around the bush like Obama, face and answer the questions clearly. You talk about change like Obama. You are talking around the tough questions like an attorney defending a guilty crook. Until you qualified as a Republican what would have given anyone a clue as to your political leanings?

I sure would like to hear your comments on the question posed earlier:

You said ... "The taxes that seem to be increasing are the taxes by the Catoosa County School Board, and they have an E-SPLOST already! More retail sales and focus on tourism in and around Chickamauga Battlefield is the answer to funding public education (20/20 Plan, p. 8), not increased property taxes."

Explain your comment on the 2020 plan about how more retail sales in the FO/Chickamauga Battlefield can move money into the school system thereby reducing school property tax? Exactly how would that work? What would you do to accomplish that?

Key question: Are you aware that ESPLOST money from sales tax has been legal to use for capital projects, but not legal to use for salaries and most expenses? How are you suggesting that the retail sales tax will reduce the school property tax?

Please ask your business friends about the facts and history on the way Clark runs his campaigns. Everyone will say he spends very little, he is tight with his spending just like he is with the taxpayers money. He didn't have a big campaign even when he won the seat as a State Representative. He's too cheap! I don't know what he does do for campaigning, but it sure isn't ""spending huge amounts of cash" like you said.

The people, including Clark and all the recent Commissioners in the last 10-15 years, have been the leaders that have put together plans like the 2020 you seem to be using as your guide book.
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/10/2008 06:46:52 PM
RayJay5 -

I am a registered voter in Catoosa County. You seem to be working hard to make strong opinions on the election process in both the Catoosa County and Walker County related blogs.

Are you registered in both counties?

You want Wolf to run for Catoosa District 4, yet you want to vote for Bill for Clerk in Walker County.

Your opionions are interesting, but tell us what County has your vote.

Thank you.
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/10/2008 06:29:39 PM
Wolf
Thanks for all the words. "Wheres the beef?"

I was surprised you were not aware of the 2020 Plan before Eaker told you. The 2000 and 2010 Plans have evolved over the years and everyone in the public has had notice of the meetings as they got developed. A wide range of citizens have served on the committees. This should not be new to you.

Please let us know what you would have voted differently on compared to Clark. No general "I'll work harder and smarter" statements please. Be specific, name the meetings and issues you are familiar with that you didn't agree with the vote.

Did you ever attend Commission meetings over the past few years? Have you attended any before starting to run for office?

You said ... "The taxes that seem to be increasing are the taxes by the Catoosa County School Board, and they have an E-SPLOST already! More retail sales and focus on tourism in and around Chickamauga Battlefield is the answer to funding public education (20/20 Plan, p. 8), not increased property taxes."


Explain your comment on the 2020 plan about how more retail sales in the FO/Chickamauga Battlefield can move money into the school system thereby reducing school property tax? Exactly how would that work? What would you do to accomplish that?

You are to be commended and respected for your service to our country in the same manner equally as we all respect Clark for his service. Not that it makes much difference now, but who has rank, you or Clark? You were educated as an attorney and Clark as a Dr. of Veterinary. However I will say that some of our Commissioners with little education and a lot of common sense have been and are the best people for the job. They understand us taxpayers the best and try to keep issues simple. Both you and Clark seem to forget the little guy sometimes.

Your lengthy replies sound good, just like Obama; change for the sake of change, but give us some details of what was done wrong and what will you specifically do different?

Does the Chamber need a free ride?
Is the library now on the right track?
Should the Colonnade Performing Arts elite crowd be subsidized by the poor taxpayer?

Would your votes have been different than Clark's vote on these well publicized issues? Why?

What do you know and plan to do besides quote the 2020 plan? Following someone elses plan isn't fresh leadership or new ideas.

What about your time? As an attorney, do you have 10 to 30 hours a week to spend on Commission business? Most attorneys can't even keep up with their office work without working 60 hour weeks already. (At least they usually bill for 60 hour weeks!!!) Why are you different?
What makes me mad in Catoosa County is...
06/10/2008 09:38:30 AM
Ray - Clark cronie, no; Clark supporter, yes.

Wolford wrote in this blog on 6-8-08 that he was asked to run by three small business people and an attorney. Wolford also has said he has the support of NWGA Bank and Martha Eaker of the Chamber.

I don't think Wolford is a bad guy, particularly since he supports many of the same programs Clark and the current Commissioners have introduced.

I'm looking forward to Wolford's answers to what would he have done differently and why?

BettyJo - Just ask Donna at the Annex. No problem to see the record of which primary election someone voted in. I'll bet Brad Scott voted Republican and Chris Scott (the teacher that ran as a Democrat for District 4 Commissioner two years ago) voted Democrat.