Who's parade?

I read Cleveland Daily Banner editorials. A short while ago those written by editor Larry Bowers were a journalistic joke. So slanted as to be unbelievable. Then, suddenly after announcing his retirement he reappeared as a Banner reporter of local government affairs, an activity superbly suited to his socialist "government can do no wrong" agenda. He was truly a fine choice to suck up to and provide propaganda for those leaders that are forging a path of financial ruin for Cleveland and Bradley County. I believe he did and still does betray his readers on a daily basis.

When Associate Editor Gwen Swiger assumed the Banner editorial reins it was a breath of fresh air not to have to labor through Bowers' daily propaganda dribble. Swiger dragged the Banner editorials back to the political center, displaying common sense and insight for local happenings. Many times I was tempted to call and congratulate her but felt that as with my distaste for Bowers' writing, my liking for hers should be kept to myself. Lately though, Swiger has been a disappointment and I need to set the record straight. Her editorial on December 5 congratulating MainStreet Cleveland on their wonderful Christmas Parade was a slap in the face for the citizens of Bradley County. It was like MainStreet had originated the idea and were responsible for its success. She failed to mention that the Christmas Parade was originally a community affair in which anyone could take part. It used to be that local horse owners could just show up on parade day and ride their horses through town. A sight to behold, but not any longer. Then, it was a parade of the people, for the people. Floats were simple, but anyone could join in - and without asking permission, obeying arbitrary rules and paying a fee. What does MainStreet Cleveland do for the parade? They set the rules, regulate entries and collect a fee for the service - not bad for a private company to move in and take over, huh! Three days after the December 5 editorial, MainStreet organizers Lynn DeVault, of Jones Management and local businessman Lou Patten were described in the Banner along with City Manager Joe Cate, County Mayor D Gary Davis and Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland as local officials. MainStreet had taken it upon themselves to become city officials and the Cleveland Daily Banner were aiding them to appear part of government. MainStreet Cleveland is a not-for-profit private company with no special government powers other than those taken for themselves with the aid of the establishment media and genuine elected officials who have been suckered into serving on their board. It's scary, but there is a growing trend among Cleveland's back-room power-mongers to assume government authority and privilege by using not-for-profit companies with official sounding names to take control without being directly accountable to the people. Sounds like a quasi-governmental Mafia to me. That's what I think.

"What do you think" Continued

What do you think?

Who's spying on whom?

After 9-11, American law enforcement abandoned many of the safeguards written into law regarding surveillance of US citizens. Concern for personal privacy is making headlines more frequently nowadays and locally it is no less worrying. During the first year of The People News publication in 1998, a number of citizens complained to me that for a variety of reasons they believed the Bradley County Sheriff's Department were tapping their phones. One person said they had even recorded a uniformed officer in their home when they were out. At the time I was skeptical, just as I was when told of election fraud. After investigation though, election irregularities proved to be fact and my skepticism faded. So it has been with law enforcement's surveillance of law abiding citizens. I now believe that certain members of the Bradley County Sheriff's Department are engaged in routine monitoring of prominent and less prominent members of the community and have been doing so for some time. For obvious reasons it is easier to witness election tampering than to delve into the secret operations of the Sheriff's office. Even within the department itself only a select few are aware of the extent and sophistication of the surveillance. At first it was mostly eavesdropping on telephone conversations, then computer and e-mail surveillance, and now with the advancement of miniature video cameras and satellite photography, actual real-time footage can be obtained from someone's office or home. The Bradley County Sheriff's Office has recently requested video enhancement software for the the new state-of-the-art forensic lab at the justice center. The reason for the request is supposedly to provide services to other law enforcement agencies in the region. It cannot be denied that a well equipped police force is a prerequisite for public safety but I have to ask myself why a local police force needs such sophisticated surveillance technology when genuine crimes requiring such equipment would be severe enough to be investigated by the federal government.

How can the citizens of Bradley County be sure that surveillance is conducted legally and if not, that the perpetrators are discovered and punished to the full extent of the law? 

At present they can't, but the first step would be to elect an honest and trustworthy sheriff that will investigate eavesdropping and notifying those illegally monitored so that civil and criminal action can be pursued. To ensure all this happens, people with conscience and the proof of illegal surveillance (or election fraud for that matter) should contact this newspaper (anonymously if preferred) with details. You can arrange to meet with me personally if you wish and I give my word that your identity will remain confidential for ever. All allegations will be investigated and the results published. With a little courage and your help, Bradley County can be cleansed of official misconduct and made whole again. That's what I think.

What do you think?

A good man insulted by an idiot.

On page 6 of this issue you can read an article by Joe Kirkpatrick in response to the Bradley News Weekly's personal attack on Bradley County Board of Education member, Mel Griffith. Joe doesn't know Mel Griffith but I do because he also writes a column for The People News, and I can vouch for the fact that Mel is one of the most hard-working and public spirited men I have been fortunate to meet. He is probably the most educated man in Bradley County yet does hard manual labor running a farm almost single handed. He and his wife live simply but reach out generously to local children and care for any stray pets that wander by. Mel's achievements for the public good have been many but he has asked for nothing in return. He is a courageous yet gentle man who I feel proud and honored to have met. For the Bradley News Weekly to attack a person's Christianity for an opinion they have on how to deal with check bouncers goes beyond belief. I thought it would have been impossible for the Weekly to sink lower with their version of gutter journalism but they have proved me wrong. Whoever wrote the editorial slamming Mel Griffith is an ignorant moron, just the type of person the Weekly would attract. That's what I think.

What do you think?

"What do you think?" Continued

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