Job security and elected too.

It is apparent that Bradley County Commissioners are not interested in citizen input and why should they be? Michael Plumley is following in the well trodden footsteps of previous commission chairmen by scheduling public meetings in places other than the room designed and financed for the purpose - the commission room at the courthouse. When the voters of a district elect government employees to positions which control the purse strings, is it surprising that they brazenly conspire to raise taxes for government wants, after all, all tax increases benefit fellow workers and occasionally themselves directly. The problem for people like Plumley is that it becomes necessary to surround themselves with supporters when sticking their neck out. The easiest way to avoid the wrath of the citizen is to schedule public meetings when they are at work or schedule them on unfamiliar turf where in both cases fellow trough feeders will be present.

The ploy is simple but it works. Anyone that regularly attends public meetings will know the daytime is the best time to be surrounded by other government employees - on the clock of course. And the next best is evenings at some obscure location that is either unwelcoming for the citizen or hidden away from view.

Although some would argue the practice is legal, I would suggest it is sneaky and unethical as are the commissioners who promote the practice.

That's what I think. What do you think?

Who's fault was it then?

Bradley Memorial Hospital Board Chairman Herbert Lackey told Kiwanians recently that the administration were not at fault because the hospital went belly up, indigent care was the cause and the lack of TennCare reimbursements. Protecting Chief Administrator Alan Watson he said, "we didn't go down the tubes because of him" I wonder if Lackey would have been so charitable had it been his company and his money that had disappeared down a hole. Lackey was backed by Dr. Don Robinson who is clamed to have said, "the last team on the field didn't necessarily lose the game." The word "necessarily" casts doubt on their assumption and Lackey's statement probably reflects why the hospital did fail - none of the administration in recent years were competent to handle hospital business, including Lackey.

It is bad enough that Lackey and his hand picked subordinates ruined the gem of the community but to have him continue to protect incompetence and mismanagement is unforgivable. The hospital had always treated indigents since its inception and the cost of treatment for the paying patient had risen as quickly as the need for service but he didn't mention the leased medical building fiasco that they tried to hide, or the exorbitant severance packages awarded to failed and incompetent administrators. He didn't mention propping up friendly media with unnecessary advertising or the good ol boy network of do-nothing employees.

To someone like Lackey it is always convenient to blame others but in reality it his him and his cronies who are the failures.

That's what I think. What do you think?

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