Cobb Chairman's Pockets Filled by Special Interests

Dear Readers:

This July 31 Cobb County registered voters will have the opportunity to help reshape the direction of Cobb County Government.

You will also be able to vote against the SPLOST-T program as has many others. You can access these columns on Patch.

The Cobb County Commission Chair post is perhaps the most important vote you will cast for a candidate. There are . There are so you must vote in the republican primary and likely run-off elections.

I will concentrate on one candidate only for this column. The current incumbent is Tim Lee. He took the position when respected Commissioner Chair, Sam Olens, ran for the Attorney General office and won. I was on the City Council at that time and I think that we all had high hopes for his term. Today I believe that he should be defeated. 

An elected official in his capacity should recognize that he represents all of the citizens of Cobb. His track record indicates otherwise. 

I refer to his unabashed support for the SPLOST-T tax increase along with the bureaucracy that goes along with it. This bureaucracy will become a millstone around the back of us all over the years. It is heartily supported by special interest with deep pockets who stand to make big money if the project is approved.

His campaign money meshes in nicely with his campaign contributors who are movers and pushers of this and other issues. I am speaking here of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has decided to take a lead role in pushing the SPLOST program mainly because some of their well healed members stand to make big bucks if the measure passes. They have combined with other Chambers around the region who represent the same bunch. 

Here are a few items so that you understand the close relationship between the Chamber and other pushers of this and Lee's campaign:

-Item, last month Lee called citizens who oppose the Splost "spoiled brats" It was in all the news so that is what he thinks of citizens who are simply using their own limited resources to defeat this measure.

Counter that with the $6 million (perhaps more by now) that the Chambers have been spreading around the region in pricy ads, surveys and soon mailings. They have hired a high priced PR group to appear before groups who often don't bother to get the other side. They call this "voter education".

I call it propaganda which carries a very different meaning. You might also throw in "indoctrination" considering the half truths or down right lies.

-Next, Lee has made a number of stump speeches where he really lets the truth be known, for once or twice. Twice now he has started his talk by saying " here is why I am running for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Presidency"!  If defeated he just might be in line for that job.

In fact, the current Prexy, David Cornell, was recently cited for carrying a pistol at airport check in. Thats something that many of us would have been forced to quit our job over or if elected quit.

I don't know his excuse and I guess its yet to be adjudicated. But there was no questions from Chamber big shots. Frankly, I think that his misdemeanor is minor compared to the mess that Lee and the Chambers are leading us into simply for greed.

I know that there is a lot here but our area depends on having elected officials that are honest and not those who would obfuscate and make things up to serve their own needs whatever they might be. 

You can find out so much about these issues by going to the MDJ online or Patch. Yes you will need to spend some little time if you are not already up on the subject. But it is well worth it.

Personally, I am 68 years old and won't live to see the worst of it, just the beginning and middle. But that's enough, and as stated in another column my past service forced me to look for the future of our city and area. Thus I write these columns and then let you judge based on the evidence.

Thanks,

tom bevirt