What is next?

Michael Cunningham is well aware that he was appointed illegally by not following the county laws on hiring a new administrator. He should make it known to the council, especially the new ones coming in, that he prefers to be the interim man and will apply when the job opening is posted. There would be about a 90% chance he would be selected if he plays his cards right and does not depend on the 5 idiots that voted him in last Tuesday.

I'm sure you all were listening to the Rick Driver show this morning. We are fortunate in having 5 intelligent and honest people to represent us for the next two years. I don't believe any of the 5 will embarrass our County like McAbee and Gang have done the past few years. The other 2, ugh, quit, leave.

-prevail

"intelligent?" Apparent,ly you were not listening.

Very true JDTippett. It is the same procedure as when Bob and Cindy voted no to the 800 mh system. They were voting against the way the Gang of Shame crammed the untold millions in debt to the taxpayers without full investigation and by using underhanded methods to pass it.
Again, we will have 5 HONEST (look it up Repub) people out of 7 on Council for the next two years. We will see a world of difference in how county business is conducted.

Cunningham has already made several statements, Noeline. Nobody here seems to have been paying any attention. For example:

“My goal is to contribute and to help the county to be successful. I’m not interested in credit,” he said. “I have a responsibility to do the best job I can do. … And honestly, all the things we’re doing as a county, I want to see us continue those things, but the leadership role of the community is in the hands of the council, not the administrator.”

And this:

“I’m realistic. This was an unusual set of circumstances,” he said. “I realize there will be lots of comments and reactions and those are beyond my control. What I hope for is to do a good job and get a chance to serve in the very best way that I can and certainly not to be a distraction from the community and from the leadership and not to be the focus in any distractions.”

And this one:

“I’m optimistic and I pray for some calm and certainly some cohesiveness,” he said. “I know that won’t be immediate, but I’m committed to doing what I can to bring it about. Now, I know how the interim coach at Clemson (University) feels. … You come in under less that opportune circumstances, and you just do the best that you can.”

I agree with you, Noeline, that everybody should take a deep breath and give Cunningham a chance. HOWEVER, the issue everyone is upset with has little to do with Cunningham himself. It has to do with a lame-duck Council selecting a County Administrator the new majority will have to work with after January 1 without seeking their input on that decision. It would not have mattered who they chose to replace Preston.

The bigger discussion isn't about Cunningham, the man. The issue is the PROCESS, not the OUTCOME, and voters who voted for a change have every right to be upset at how their opinions were so easily dismissed and, possibly, totally overridden by that lame-duck Council.

And, Prevail, there's a difference between "illegal" and "just not right." Other than a few violations of the Freedom of Information Act by five members of the seven-member County Council ($100 and/or 30 days in jail for each violation), I see nothing ILLEGAL about the selection of Cunningham to be County Administration. Your casually throwing in the phrase "illegal" repeatedly, as you are prone to do, does not make it true. That will be for a court to determine in the future..

-jdtippett

JD: I agree. I do have one caveat. The voters who voted in the last council election did not ALL vote for the change. True, the majority of voters in three districts voted for change in councilmen. Tow district returned their council representatives. In another district (Mr. Waldrep's) it took a run-off to settle the councilmen. Ms. Wilson won handily and Ms. Floyd won handily. Hence, the duplicity of views in Anderson County. Perhaps when the cynosure (Preston) is out of the picture, cooler heads will settle in. Although, I do have to say, I haven't heard anything from the council members-elect that gives me much hope of a more positive direction. They a fully lined up with the Rick Driver crowd and that is divisive in the community. They will win friends but not the kind that move a county forward.

JD I agree with you that is the problem. In the meantime the people of the county get hurt. Maybe just maybe Cindy and Bob ought to make the grand gesture or maybe Cunningham should by having a lunch or something like that to discuss their differences or more importantly the things they have in common. Ya know thee is a reason so many businesses have lunch meetings and dinners. It is hard not to work with people you eat with. and if you start out with the things you have in common then work to the things you do not have in common usually you can come to some kind of consenesus.

-noeline

What? I thought Cindy and Bob objected to such luncheons? Preston has been repeatedly ridiculed for lunches and dinners while trying to build concensus, develop economic projects and community pride. I'm confused !

Yes you are confused. It was not an issue of his using the credit cards to make friends and influence people, it was the excess involved and the intent of the "influence" he was trying to gain.

-1-opinion

Just what was the "intent" of the "influence" you alledge?

It seems to me you have found a way to parse this issue. Probably because you and the MC Wilson know that it is virtually impossible to run economic development and community pride without investing in entertainment of prospects, business executives and community leaders. Of course. MC Wilson NEVER does anything to help Anderson County so how would she know?

That's one-opinion.

Amazing. All that I have heard is very positive. Repub, you should listen to WAIM more often and read AIM to know more about their positive attitude for our county. The are the exact opposites of the three scoundrels they are replacing. We are replacing the "all I can get for me" group with "what is best for our county" group. Everyone should want this, right?

-prevail

We should want that. It remains to be seen if we get it.

Ya know I don't know any of these people in the council or the Administration. I do not know Mr. Cunningham and feel he was put into untenable position. The man may be the most quailified administrator in the entire world, however for the forseeable future he will be an Administrator with a huge cloud over his head. Everything he wants to do will be held to a different standard then most administrators simply because the way he was put into office. I think we ought give the man the beneifit of the doubt, so something can get done for the county and the people of the county. Right now it looks like the people of the county are being screwd by the council and the outgoing administrator. They may not be however there is an old saying that goes something like

Perseption is everything. Right now Mr. cunningham ought to make some kind of statement as to how he plans to help the county and the present council work together.

-noeline

Mr. Cunningham has already made a public statement. It was on the AIM website.
It seemed pretty humble and positive. I believe he'll be good for us, but only if he isn't the target of MC Wilson's wrath because Preston beat her again.

Score is Preston 13 C. Wilson 0.

We now have a chance to say Game Over! Unless MC Wilson wants to go into overtime.