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June 23, 2006
Not A Nickel's Worth Of Difference
I just read a good opinion article in Wednesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, written by the former Republican Congressman from Georgia, Bob Barr.
Congressman Barr argues (and I agree) that it has become almost impossible to tell the Republicans from the Democrats anymore - not only in Washington, D.C. and state capitals like Atlanta and Nashville, but also in local governments. Republican local officials have become such big spenders and over-regulators, they might just as well be Democrats. Neither "major" party stands for responsible, limited government, that keeps its nose out of your business and mine, anymore.
Nowhere is this more true than in Hamilton County, District 2. We have an incumbent commissioner who runs as a Republican, but he is such a big-government, "nanny-state" liberal that the Democrats don't even run anyone against him. Why bother, when you can get someone from the other party to do the dirty work of expanding government spending and regulation for you?
As Barr says, "it doesn't seem to matter much anymore whether one sports an 'R' or a 'D' after their name." If you want smaller, less intrusive, more cost-effective government, you won't get it by voting for Democrats or Republicans; you need to choose "none of the above." You can do this by voting for me, Joe Dumas, the Taxpayer's Best Friend, on August 3. See you at the polls if not sooner!
Posted by joedumas at 08:12 AM
June 21, 2006
Going Into Debt
Hamilton County citizens should be aware that the County Commission voted this morning to issue up to $125 million in bonds. The necessity of going into debt, especially this much debt, should always be questioned. The really troubling part, though, is the broad language of the resolution (you won't find it on the county web site - I had to go to the Commission office yesterday and pick up a physical copy) that allows the bonds to be issued to pay for just about anything.
After reading the full text of the resolution, I sent the following e-mail to County Mayor Ramsey and all nine Commissioners. (I have yet to receive a response, but their action this morning speaks more loudly than an e-mail message or a conversation.)
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"Dear County Mayor and Commissioners,
"I write to express my concern about Resolution 606-76, which you will consider at tomorrow's Commission meeting. I am concerned not only with the amount of the proposed bond issue - $125 million is a lot of money - but also with its open-ended nature (no specific projects are supported, just a generic 'laundry list' of the types of things that might be funded).
"This resolution, if adopted, will create the equivalent of an open line of credit, on the taxpayers' tab, in the amount of $125 million. Once created, the temptation to use the full amount of this line of credit will likely prove overwhelming, in the same way that far too many individuals 'max out' their credit cards or home equity lines.
"I find it unrealistic that capital budgets once estimated at $90 million could mysteriously have risen in cost by $35 million in just a few months. Construction costs increase over time, but not by that order of magnitude. Citizens can only wonder what manner of 'pork' hides in a $35 million 'slush fund.'
"Of course, I am not convinced that even the full $90 million in originally scheduled capital projects is necessary. In particular, I urge you to re-think, one last time, the wisdom (or lack thereof) of building a new high school on Signal Mountain where the student population is small and the environmental impact of the construction is large. Surely the funds required to implement that project could better be used for maintenance and upkeep of existing schools, or better yet, left in the citizens' pockets.
"In any event, I hope you will authorize no bond issue in excess of what is truly needed for urgent projects, and I ask that if you do approve any bonds, that you tie specific amounts to specific projects so that no hidden pork-barrel spending is funded.
"Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
"Sincerely,
Joe Dumas
Signal Mountain"
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It's too late now to stop the politicians from opening this huge line of credit, but not too late to let them know you don't want them to spend it all just because it is available. Let them know how you feel by writing to:
CountyMayor@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District1@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District2@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District3@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District4@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District5@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District6@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District7@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District8@mail.hamiltontn.gov
District9@mail.hamiltontn.gov
Posted by joedumas at 02:32 PM
June 19, 2006
A Little Late For Good Ideas
I noticed today, in a story on the chattanoogan.com, that my incumbent opponent has recommended combining four local tourism agencies (the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Convention Center, the Sports Committee, and the Tourist Development Agency) into one, more efficient, entity.
For once, I have to say I agree with my opponent. He's wrong on tax increases that burden the citizens and stifle economic opportunity, and he's wrong on regulations like the vehicle emissions inspection program that hurts low-income workers and senior citizens, but this seems like a reasonable suggestion to me.
I'm just curious why, having been in office for almost eight years with very little to show for it, my opponent is suddenly coming up with ideas now. I don't suppose it has anything to do with the fact that he is running for re-election against a strong, determined challenger?
Posted by joedumas at 01:36 PM
June 15, 2006
The Times/Free Press Covers My Race (With Podcast)
Today's Chattanooga Times Free Press has a story on my race, with quotes from yours truly as well as my incumbent opponent. You can read it on-line here.
Material for the story was drawn from live interviews yesterday between the candidates and the TFP editorial board. Audio podcasts of the complete interviews are also available on-line; you can find mine here.
Happy reading and listening!
Posted by joedumas at 10:08 AM
June 11, 2006
Another Chattanoogan.com Article And My Response
Here is another chattanoogan.com article "What Were We Thinking In Electing Waltzers" that discusses corruption in government officials.
My response, which hasn't made it onto the site yet over the weekend, was:
I join David Booth in deploring the actions of the crooked politicians caught in the Tennessee Waltz sting operation, and in urging all citizens to carefully research the character of the candidates before casting a vote they may regret in the future.
If you want to support a candidate who is honest, fair, and believes in open communication with the citizens, please consider me, Joe Dumas, candidate for Hamilton County Commission, District 2.
Not only have I pledged to uphold the same high standards of ethical conduct on the Commission that I already apply every day in my personal and professional life (as a professor at UTC), but I have also promised to decline the salary/benefits package normally paid to commissioners. I don't want there to be any question of personal financial advantage to me by taking this post, if and when the voters choose me. Instead, I will be proud to serve as a real "Tennessee Volunteer."
If that sounds like the kind of person you would like to have representing you on the County Commission, I invite you to visit my web site at www.JoeDumas.com or e-mail me at joe@joedumas.com to find out how you can get involved in my campaign.
Together, we can move past political corruption and make sure the hard-working, and retired, citizens of Hamilton County are honestly, ethically, and energetically represented!
Joe Dumas
District 2 County Commission Candidate
joe@joedumas.com
Posted by joedumas at 07:29 PM
June 10, 2006
Asking The Right Questions About Vehicle Inspections
This past week, an article on the chattanoogan.com questioning the vehicle emissions inspection program caught my eye. I finally found time to respond to it last night. This is what I wrote:
Michael Locke makes some great points regarding the vehicle emissions inspection program. I commend him for doing his research and discovering some facts that I didn't know myself. There are many such testing programs around the country, and ours is one of the most oppressive in terms of the frequency and the large pool of vehicles, including newer ones, that must be tested.
It's funny (not ha-ha, but strange) how we test all cars (except brand new ones and antiques built before 1975), but we don't test any large buses or trucks over 10,500 pounds, even though they pollute far more than a car or light truck. That hardly seems fair to me.
And of course we don't test the thousands of cars and trucks driven into Hamilton County every day by commuters from other counties in Tennessee, northeast Alabama and northwest Georgia, not to mention tourists and truckers coming through on the interstates.
Mr. Locke wants some answers as to why we can't modify our testing program to be less of a burden, and when we can eliminate it. The best way to lessen the burden is to junk the program completely, and we can do that any time five county commissioners muster up the guts to admit they were wrong.
If you live in District 2, vote for me, Joe Dumas, "the Taxpayer's Best Friend" on August 3 and I will work to put together the five votes needed to set us free from this inconvenient, intrusive, unfair and ineffective program.
Joe Dumas
County Commission Candidate
joe@joedumas.com
Posted by joedumas at 09:07 AM
June 01, 2006
A Busy Day
Today was a busy day in my campaign to stand up for the hard-working, tax-paying, vehicle-driving citizens of Hamilton County. I put in quite a few hours of both "seat time" and "sweat equity", and even got a parking ticket for my efforts, but it was well worth it.
This morning, I attended the County Commission's hearing on the vehicle emissions inspection program, much-despised by the vast majority of Hamilton County citizens. Officials from the state air pollution control board as well as the company contracted to perform the testing were in attendance. As I expected, they mouthed all the right platitudes about how great the program was and how we should love it so much because it was making our air so much cleaner and helping us recruit industry (yeah, so where's that long-awaited auto plant? Not coming here any time soon...). Yada yada yada ..., as Jerry Seinfeld would say. I remain unconvinced, but that is because I have done my homework on the subject. More of it, I suspect, than the so-called "experts." Vehicle inspection programs are just not an effective way of reducing air pollution ... but they do make money for the state and the company that does the testing!
TV cameras were up and running at the meeting. I hope yours truly, plus the several other citizens who got up to address the commission in opposition to the program (none spoke in favor of it) got some good air time. I know I got a mention on chattanoogan.com, which also covered the meeting. I hope we'll get a story in the Times/Free Press also.
Posted by joedumas at 07:39 PM