Nomadron,
There is a great deal of truth to your statement. However, we need to consider the following points:
•The majority of the New Council have already made public statements which are less than friendly toward Mr. Joey Preston.
•The Administrator is the only one on county payroll with a contract which includes three years severance pay.
•The majority of the Present Council do believe that Mr. Joe Preston has performed well and honorably, and they do have the voters' mandate until December 31, 2008, to make decisions based on their best judgment.
•Allowing Mr. Preston’s contract to end with one year severance pay would be a compromise decision, which would save Anderson County from potential future legal battles, at a great cost to taxpayers.
-art-kaldas
AK, You have brought some statements which make sense to some of us. Yet there remains strong resentment from the "right-wing" followers of Driver and associated drones which will never let go of the idea of the power which chairing Council represents to them. There is a core of folks which simply cannot forsee any future for anderson unless it involves dissention, anger and mistrust. There is no noticable cooperation or plans for a brighter future, just "get rid of Joey" sophmoric mentality. These council members are supported by a anger mob of simpletons who go with whatever is the popular theme of the day. Same folks who cursed our family in council and courthouse steps, who used swear words to express their feelings about us in lobby with our 11 yr old at our sides. Same folks who said Blue Laws were good business.Same folks who say that added taxes here & there are necessary {for their direct benefit} but show no reasoning or rhyme about those projects for the entirety of the community. Same folks who whine about re-assessment yet don't argue about the added value of their property when they get loans on them. I respond with the following observations which I am not alone in noticing:
Yes, there IS positive support from outgoing council members, businesses and community membership. YES there is already pre-determined hatred from newly elected members which I present as bias and prejudice going forward. YES, I see this as a hinderence for the next council to proceed forward in a positive way when there already is a not-so-hidden adgenda on the panel. YES I forsee many a embattled council meeting in the coming months about this likely payoff to JP, funding of this audit during lean times and dispute over chairmanship. YES I see more bad feelings from businesses, enterprises, individuals and corporations who were courted to come here when council has such animosity in their politics. YES I see an audit which will uncover more than was wanted to be known. YES there will undoubtedly be legal ramifications to follow such audit. YES there is already several Ethics violations and State-level meetings which will add fuel to the fires of who's really starting unnecessary troubles for this county, and sure to add to the financial woes of Anderson County..And YES I see the onslaught of negative {aka thumbs-down} commentary from the bloggers who simply hate such appraisals of what is plainto see & likely will happen being said in the open.
