OUR CITY COUNCIL: HAH!

By

Jimmy Joe Meeker

First Published in The Wilson County Advocate, Vol. 1, No. 22 ©October 29, 1991 by Donald W. Gillette

There's an amazing thing happening in politics on the local, state, and national levels.

It's the same thing that cost Albert Gore, Sr. his Senate seat years ago when he said, "I know more about what the citizens of Tennessee need than they do."

Almost no politician in this city, county, or state votes the way his or her constituents want. They thing they're God's gift and they know better than we do.

Take Saturday's city election, for example. The citizens of Lebanon defeated the sales tax referendum by an almost two to one margin. We didn't want another tax, we didn't need another tax, and we were not going to vote for another tax. And here's what our recently elected representatives said about this proposed sales tax hike:

Don Fox: "I would have to be for it."

L. Joe Hayes: "I would be in favor of it."

Arah Preston: "I'm not saying I'm voting for or against it."

So, the people of Lebanon voted down a 3/4 percent sales tax increase by a two to one margin and two of these three so-called representatives didn't care what the people wanted--they were in favor of the tax and the citizens be damned. Arah Preston couldn't make up her mind.

On the other major issue of this election, the citizens of Lebanon approved the sale of liquor by the drink by a 25% margin. We wanted liquor by the drink so we could have some decent restaurants, some more tax dollars, and some more jobs. And here's what our recently elected representatives said about voting in liquor by the drink:

Don Fox: "I'm opposed to liquor…I don't feel as strongly about it."

L. Joe Hayes: "…don't approve of it."

Arah Preston: "I really don't have any feelings on that."

So again, the people of Lebanon voted for liquor by the drink and two of these councilpersons didn't care what the people wanted--they were against liquor by the drink and the will of the citizens be damned. Arah Preston couldn't make up her mind.

A brief aside: Does this chick have an opinion about anything?

Moving on to the state level, Ned Ray McWherter knows the people of Tennessee don't want a state income tax. By not having one, we keep what is probably the best draw Tennessee has in bringing industry and jobs to our home. But regardless of what the citizens want, he keeps jamming this damned thing down our throats. And now he's telling the press that the education problem is our fault. Because we won't support him. Yeah, well screw him.

On the national level, if you'll recall, there was a vote in the United States Senate about a year ago on whether the United States should go to war against Saddam Hussein and his army of misfits. This was before the "Mother Of All Retreats". Although the calls to Senators Albert Gore, Jr. and Jim Sasser were almost six-to-one in favor of going to war, that squeaky-voiced, bug-eyed Tennessee Kennedy twin, Jim Sasser, voted against the resolution. He knew better than we did so I repeat myself: The citizens be damned.

The Constitution of the State of Tennessee is probably one of the most radical in the nation. As a matter of fact, and I'm not making this up, it has a provision that says citizens who don't take up arms against the government when it shows a lack of concern for the will of the people are guilty of treason.

One more election like this one and they'll hang us all. If anybody can get the District Attorney to prosecute.

No one here gets out alive.

XXX