CURRENT ISSUE
#119
August 3, 1999
 

      PARTNERSHIP:  “DEAD IN THE WATER”!   This quote is from Lee ‘Fireplug’ Baker himself.   Baker admits the partnership is, for all practical purposes, doing nothing.   He says it’s not going to work.   I agree, the partnership isn’t doing anything and so long as Baker is in charge it won’t be doing anything either.   Baker blames all the organizations’ problems on someone else.   He needs to look in the mirror.  It’s him and his puppets who have shot down the chances of the partnership.   I watch the comings and the goings of people around town.   Right now, the stumbling blocks to growth in Newport are Baker, Dean ‘Trifling’ Williams and Tom ‘The Con’ Rosberg.   (With Baker calling the shots.)   He’s getting to the point where I’d have to compare him to ‘The Dragon Queen’ in ambition.  I’d like for Baker to say who’s to blame if it’s not him.   He says he’s willing to tell it in private.   Spit it out!   The partnership could have been a good thing.   It still can be.   But once I saw them put ‘The Same Old Bunch’ on the board of directors, I knew it would just be more of the same.   What else could it be?

     INDUSTRIAL BOARD BLUES!   I’ll bet that same ‘bunch’ is singing the blues over the recent appointments of some working people on the Industrial Development Board.   I was so glad to see the CLB make some good choices for this board.   I believe that Morgan, Bugg, Denton and Moore will make a difference.   It’s way past time we put some common sense, working business people on the important boards around town.   For too long we have sit back and let the so-called elite run our lives.   This country was founded and built on the idea that people should govern themselves.   But too often people get comfortable and lazy.   Then a select few takes over and stays forever.   Once they dig in like ticks, it’s hard to get them out.   They have all the money and all the power.   And they intend to keep it that way.

     CLB SALUTE!   Speaking of the County Commission…I was also glad to see the 5 cent tax cut proposed by the Finance Committee.   It’s unheard of in Cocke County.   (I said so a few issues back!)   Some are grumbling it’s not enough.   Well, it’s something.   And that beats an increase all to pieces.   The CLB has been doing real good since the new members took over a year ago.   They certainly seem to be looking out for the taxpayer more than anyone has in a long time.   I was also glad to seem them deny the tax break to the theater.   I don’t want to see the theater close, but I don’t believe it’s an industry.   It’s simply not fair to start granting this kind of status to businesses.   Once it starts, it will snowball and it’s not fair to give to one and deny another.

      ADVERTISING ADVICE!   I see the city has gone back to buying advertising for everything again.   They stopped for awhile but now are making up for lost time.   The other day it seemed like there was a city sponsored ad on every other page of the ‘Un-plain Talk’.   It’s also blaring away on WNPC everytime you turn on the radio.   It’s obvious to everyone that ‘Deadweight Jack’ is buying the silence of the local media.  He doesn’t want the state’s report to be made public.   It was my understanding the state audit was to be made public on July 22!   But all that’s come out of the city is silence on the matter.   No one wants to talk about it.   I say it’s illegal for the city to sponsor advertising.   I’m checking into it.   I hear that the city council is going along with this.   They should be looking out for the taxpayers like the CLB has been doing.

     Next time, I’ll have a report on the state’s findings in the city recorder’s office.   Also, the web site is caught back up.   I apologize for letting it get behind.   You can now, once again, read all issues of  THE WATCHDOG on line.   (Maybe ‘Little Roseberg’ and Popiel will link me up!)   Always remember to share THE WATCHDOG.   I don’t sell them, they are free of charge.   Certainly, all donations are truly appreciated.   CONTRIBUTIONS AND INFORMATION IS KEPT STRICLY CONFIDENTIAL.

AN AWARD WINNING WATCHDOG PRESS PUBLICATION                     VOLUME   #119
 

To be notified by Email when this page is updated enter your  Email address below and SELECT your computer's OS.

EMail Address:

Identify Your Computer Operating System:  MacOS  Windows 95  Windows NT  Windows 3.x Risc OS  Amiga  Be  OS/2 Unix  Linux  DOS  WebTV Bandi  Game Machine  Other

OR

Enter your e-mail address to receive e-mail when the latest issue is available on-line.
Your Internet e-mail address:

Brought to you by 

Back to THE WATCHDOG main page

Prior Issue Archive Page