2008 City Commissioner Race

Date: Dec 21, 2007

RE: 2008 City Commissioner Race

Date: Dec 21, 2007

Maybe so but we need modern thinkers in city government. Shelton and Farris added a great deal to the commission when they arrived. In my opinion they are the best two commissioners down there. Gregory and Lynch are both good men and probably have their strong points but I really doubt that they are what Corbin needs to get to the next level. Tye is in the same boat as Gregory and Lynch.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

You are probably right. No local political leader is perfect but Shelton and Farris have done good for Corbin. Sheltons strong point is recreation. He has worked hard for improvements at Rotary Park and the place looks great. Farris was for getting the city back in good financial shape. It looks to me like they have both done what they set out to do. If you happen to know those two men then you know that they are both honest and hard working. Those two will have my vote.

Gregory and Lynch are good commissioners too in their own right. Gregory is very well known and works hard in a lot of organizations. Lynch looks like he is still trying to get a name for himself by questioning city bills at meetings. The people at city hall tell me that he could do that any time and not just at the
meetings so most people think he is just campaigning early. Tye would fit in good too. He has a lot of experience but as someone said before he is a Vance man.

I do wish more working people would run for this office. If we had two good younger commissioners to go with Shelton and Farris the city would be in great shape. Corbin has come a long way in just two or three years but still has a lot of progress yet to be made.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Suzie Rasmus would be an excellent commissioner, and would be an excellent Mayor. However, there are still many people in this area who won't vote for a woman. To me, that is ridiculous because many women across our nation have proven themselves to be competent and effective leaders.

When you look at leadership during these past forty years we men have made a mess of the world. Our macho, Lone Ranger approach to dealing with complex problems have failed miserably in our area, in Frankfort, and in Washingon, DC. There are some terrible times facing us with all the debt that has been piled up in our counties, our State, and in our Federal Government. Mortgage failure rates and high interest credit card debt are going to have a growing impact on jobs and our quality of life.

We have got to get out of our old boy habits and vote for the best persons and not just our buddy boy buddies.

One of the reasons I respect my wife so much is that she won't take any guff off anybody. She is sweet, she is pretty, I love her very much, but she is her own person. It is appalling to see the polls and find the number of men who say they won't vote for a woman.
That is sheer stupidity.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:

Mortgage failure rates and high interest credit card debt are going to have a growing impact on jobs and our quality of life.

So ... her campaign promise would be to bring the interest rates down?

Wow!

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:
So ... her campaign promise would be to bring the interest rates down?
Wow!

No mention was made of campaign promises. Read today's news about credit card debt and mortgage failures. This is an example of the disaster we have had in leadership at the county, state, and federal level. Deal in facts and not in good old boy politics. You are a perfect example of what I was talking about, Lone Ranger.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

The consumer is responsible for credit card debt.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So ... her campaign promise would be to bring the interest rates down?
Wow!
No mention was made of campaign promises. Read today's news about credit card debt and mortgage failures. This is an example of the disaster we have had in leadership at the county, state, and federal level. Deal in facts and not in good old boy politics. You are a perfect example of what I was talking about, Lone Ranger.

You brought it up Tonto.

What does it have to do with a city race?

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:
So ... her campaign promise would be to bring the interest rates down?
Wow!
No mention was made of campaign promises. Read today's news about credit card debt and mortgage failures. This is an example of the disaster we have had in leadership at the county, state, and federal level. Deal in facts and not in good old boy politics. You are a perfect example of what I was talking about, Lone Ranger.
You brought it up Tonto.
What does it have to do with a city race?

I take the reference you made of me as Tonto as a compliment. My wife is Native American. At any level of government, many men in this area still want women to wait on them hand and foot, and they don't respect them as the competent and effective persons they are. You are another good example. You won't deal with facts.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

In early times native women took on a dominant roll in the household. It is probably like that in your home today. Hi-O Silver!

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:
I take the reference you made of me as Tonto as a compliment. My wife is Native American. At any level of government, many men in this area still want women to wait on them hand and foot, and they don't respect them as the competent and effective persons they are. You are another good example. You won't deal with facts.

I don't believe for a second your wife is Native American. I do believe she is in charge in your house, though.

Date: Dec 24, 2007

Anonymous wrote:

You are probably right. No local political leader is perfect but Shelton and Farris have done good for Corbin. Sheltons strong point is recreation. He has worked hard for improvements at Rotary Park and the place looks great. Farris was for getting the city back in good financial shape. It looks to me like they have both done what they set out to do. If you happen to know those two men then you know that they are both honest and hard working. Those two will have my vote.

Gregory and Lynch are good commissioners too in their own right. Gregory is very well known and works hard in a lot of organizations. Lynch looks like he is still trying to get a name for himself by questioning city bills at meetings. The people at city hall tell me that he could do that any time and not just at the
meetings so most people think he is just campaigning early. Tye would fit in good too. He has a lot of experience but as someone said before he is a Vance man.

I do wish more working people would run for this office. If we had two good younger commissioners to go with Shelton and Farris the city would be in great shape. Corbin has come a long way in just two or three years but still has a lot of progress yet to be made.

Did Shelton get the Engineer Street Bridge project started?

Date: Dec 27, 2007

Actually Ed Tye started all the Lynn Camp Creek improvements which would include the Bridge.

Date: Dec 27, 2007

I have never heard that before. Ed Tye had nothing to do with the bridge restoration. McBurney, Gregory, Shelton, Farris and Lynch were responsible for the bridge improvements.

Sgt Rock · Senior Member

I hope enough candidates are running to have a real election. I loved the last elections forum they had where we could hear what they had to say. However, next time, I would like to see it done where people could ask questions in person about the issues.

Number one for me is the knox county occupational tax issue.

Thunderbird · Veteran Member

Number one for me is jobs and economic growth, or lack of. What do the candidates know about bringing jobs, and what is their agenda for growth.

There is also:

- Knox County occupational tax issue

- Tourism growth ($250K in the bank?)

- Downtown Renovation

- Parks and Recreation (Bike and jogging trails, tennis and basketball courts, and so on)

- Annexation plans

- Streets and roads

Future Commissioner · Veteran Member

These topics would make for a great debate, and I hope we are allowed the opportunity to discuss these issues with all commissioner candidates, including the current crop, and with a host such as the high school or EKU instead of the chamber or newspaper. The Chamber has proven that politics leads thir decision making.

I agree with the last post, jobs and local industry should be the focus of the next election, along with the knox occupational tax, annexation, and the rest of the above list. You hit some good issues that none of the current group seems to want to address.

The Advocate · Senior Member

Yes they would be great for a debate. The problem is, the 4 current commissioners think they'll be the only ones running. And since Tye has signed on, and I believe I'm correct, with only 5 running the election will be decided in may, with the top 4 vote getters only, unless we have a total of 8 or 9 to have a runoff.

Usually a debate in corbin means a "in the hallway" meeting at city hall before a meeting so no one will disagree.

LynnCamp68 · New Member

I have never found city government to be that way. I kept up with the skate board project and the engineer street bridge because they were both in my neck of the woods. The city leaders have always spent a lot of time behind the scenes taking care of city business. There would be no reason for them to go into a public meeting and start hashing out details that they already know. From what I hear there are five running this time. All of them seem to be good candidates. Last time there were several candidates that were not city leader material and the voters proved it on election day. From my point of view the mayor and commissioners are doing a great job and to make a change at this point would not be good for Corbin.

Sgt Rock · Senior Member

I'm glad you think so. You say the bridge and skate park is in your neck of the woods, so I'm guessing you live in East Corbin. If not, that's fine too.

How do you feel about the lack of action of our elected city leaders concerning the knox county occupational tax money we aren't getting?

So they're doing a great job? Letting hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from city business's go directly to knox county, and corbin receive none of it.

Remember, we provide police and fire protection to the corbin end of knox county, as well as sewer, water, and electric service, garbage pickup, and street maintenance work on non-state roads. And for this, we are getting only the property taxes, and none of the occupational taxes from the city business's. Do you think that's right? Do you still think they're doing a good job?

To get my vote, all a commissioner candidate would have to do is promise to fight until all appeals are exhausted for our share of the tax money.

I just hope we can get enough candidates for a primary.

LynnCamp68 · New Member

I am concerned about the Knox County occupational tax problem. I think that Knox County officials have done Corbin wrong for many years. For me our magistrate is the biggest disappointment for not taking up for people in East Corbin. My husband, his entire family, and I all voted for him but probably never will again. A couple of years ago I talked to Amos Miller who was the mayor then and I recall that he said it would probably take a long time to get the legal ducks in a row for Corbin to be able to deal with Knox County on this issue. He said the people of Corbin needed to be patient. Most of them probably have. I have also talked not long ago with some of the present city leaders and they say that they cannot talk much about the Knox County occupational tax issue just yet but that they are working on it. They also asked me to be patient and one of them added that I would probably be happy with the outcome. I know most all of the city officials and I believe what they tell me. Perhaps you should be less critical and more supportive.

Sgt Rock · Senior Member

Honestly, and I say this with a calm and composed tone, we need critical as much as supportive attitudes right now with regard to our city leaders. I say this because I had almost identical conversations with the very people you mentioned from the first day after knox county passed the occupational tax and gave corbin nothing. They told me the same thing, almost to the letter of what you stated. But,,,,,,,,,,,,,no results as of yet, and I'm sorry, but sometimes that type of answer is just to patronize you into leaving them alone with regard to that particular subject. A few months is no problem, even a year or two considering the magnitude of the issue, but this long, 3 years and longer, there has to be something going on, good or bad. No one could keep it quiet this long.

This time frame they are operating on has me thinking either they have never had anything going on regarding the tax issue, or have just started.

I want to say this though, if I'm wrong about this, I will honestly apologize and admit my error. And I do hope I'm wrong. The good of the town is what matters, and this is a major part in helping corbin survive and grow as it needs to.

We can all disagree on an issue, that doesn't mean it's personal.