Talk is cheap
Literally thousands of words have been written on the Reese scandal. The ifs and buts of it all become overwhelming with page after page of revamped reports and differences of opinion clouding the issue. But there are some basic facts that should be remembered if we are not to repeat Cleveland's sordid past indefinitely. Just about everyone involved dropped the ball on this one because nothing has changed, including the media, and yes even this paper. In hindsight everyone must have seen it coming, even the political ostriches that frequent city hall, yet nobody stepped forward until Tim Gobble got elected city councilman. Everyone knew about Reese's past. We were aware of dissatisfaction within the department.

Gobble spoke out, yet even after Reese threatened him and others with a lawsuit; nothing changed. 64 Cleveland Police Department officers risked everything to sign a petition and the brooms started sweeping busier than ever. If it weren't for the support and status of attorney Jim Logan, it is likely the brooms would have been successful and those courageous officers would have been hung out to dry.

The reason we have dropped the ball is because we are saying  it's over and returning to business as usual after Reese's resignation. Well it's not over, it's just hidden from view again. Mayor Tom Rowland and his fellow ostriches recommend that the sordid affair is put behind us for the good of Cleveland's reputation but Cleveland's reputation will never be polished while we emulate an extremely stupid bird. It's time to clean house for everyone's good.

Business and property owners alike have a financial stake in making sure Cleveland is respected far and wide. The affluent outsiders we are desperately trying to attract will give Cleveland a wide berth because of the pettiness and incompetence of some of our leading officials. We need to remove the yes-men, kick out the crooks and build a city everyone can be proud of, not just Rowland and his cronies. With leaders like Tom Rowland and administrators like Joe Cate, Cleveland can't hope to be prosperous for ordinary folk.

What do you think?

What airport?

Lets just close the bloody airport to stop the whining. If we close Hardwick Field and forget we ever had one it will make a lot of people happy. The owners of the fancy homes in the flight path. The developers who want the property. The county folk threatened with a new one. Even poor ol Governor Phil Bredesen can land in safety at Chattanooga without being disappointed. So who will be unhappy if we close the field? Alan Jones will be unhappy - poor man - because he'll have to park his jet in the next county. And the small plane owners may be upset with Jones because of his greed they will now have to travel down the interstate; and Rowland may have a tantrum but really, what would be the big deal in closing Hardwick Field. At least those guys wouldn't be embarrassed of our county anymore.

What do you think?

Peace pipe.

I hate to keep bashing the Bradley County Board of Education.... No, come to think of it I don't. Anyway it was announced that in the spirit of friendship and cooperation, the school board will allow the Bradley County Volunteer Fire Department to hook up to the Waterville school sewer line. The fire department intends to use the old Waterville school gymnasium which the county owns, as a training facility and need the sewer connected there. This is where this new spirit of cooperation gets a little confusing. Why would the school board not be cooperative, even if they hated the fire department. Presumably the volunteers would be expected to save a burning school even though the school board doesn't pay for the service. Technically, I suppose the school system owns the sewer line but it is only a technicality as its all owned by the taxpayer. And. what would the school board have done if the fire department had just laid a pipe and plugged it in - would the school board have sued. This whole thing is just too silly even for the school board - No, maybe it's not.

What do you think?

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