At last week's city council meeting, much of the discussion was on the Adequate Schools Facility Tax, ASFT, and how ONE commissioner had misled all the other commissioners to vote to give the county schools more funding from the ASFT. More
on that later.

The best part of the meeting was before it even began. One of the new things we've all had to adapt to in zoom meetings and live streaming meetings. New audio and video equipment has been installed in many meeting rooms just for live stream. Currently, in any meeting, one needs to be aware that you're being recorded, at all times. Brings us to the story.

Before the city council meeting began, council persons and others were just having various conversations. The good one was the conversation between councilwoman Jennifer Wampler and councilman Mike Henline.

Wampler Explaining It To Henline

Wampler: You heard Eddie's going to run against Van?

Henline: Nods

Wampler: We got to start beating the bushes

Henline: Nods

Wampler: Our lives would be so much easier

Henline: The only way to beat Van....

Wampler: I told Eddie, all you gotta do is ask him , name one thing you've done, since you've been there that benefitted or advanced our lives in any way at all...not a da** thing

Mayor Aikens: Call the meeting to order.

Click Here To For Video

Boy, there's a lot to unpack here. Let's start from the top. Ms. Wampler was almost giddy when asking Mr. Henline if he knew Eddie (Simpson) was going to run against me.

Then, as vice mayor tells Henline, "we gotta start beating the bushes". I assume she means she and the city council have to start campaigning for Simpson. Would anybody expect less? Guess I'll be running against the whole Lenoir City political machine in the next election, and I'm OK with that. As I said before, I've never had a political opponent I've ever been more comfortable with comparing voting records with.

Then Ms. Wampler says, "our lives would be so much easier". A lot to take in there. Who's lives would be easier? I assume she's referring to city government? Their lives would be so much easier if, Simpson runs against me? If Simpson beats me and is on commission and city council?  I'm not sure how me being on commission makes their lives hard. Maybe she thinks if I'm not on commission, I won't still hold them accountable for their actions on my website? Maybe if Simpson is on county commission, he can somehow help Lenoir City government have more control of county commission? 

I wish I could have heard the rest of Henline's "The only way to beat Van...." but there was too much background noise. If I knew the only way to beat me, I could just avoid it. 

Finally, she's apparently Simpson's campaign advisor too. She telling Henline the advice she gave Simpson about how to defeat me. "name one thing you've done, since you've been there that benefitted or advanced our lives in any way at all...not a da** thing".

To Ms. Wampler, I'll let the residents of the fifth district speak to whether or not I have been a good representative for them, but I'd like to introduce you and the rest of city officials to a concept you're apparently not familiar with. It's not just what you DO for people, sometimes it's what you DON'T do to people.

• I have never voted for a property tax increase.
• I have never voted to give huge property tax breaks to developers while raising property taxes on residents.
• I have never voted to raise sales tax.
• I have never voted for a gas tax increase.
• I have never voted for a Rain Tax

Maybe you and the council should worry more about what you've done to people, rather than what you've done for people.    

As far as the rest of the meeting, mayor Aikens and others kept referring to that "one commissioner" who misled the other commissioners in voting for the change to the ASFT. I'll be honest I don't believe that any of my fellow commissioners believe I, or for that matter, any other commissioner would ever intentionally try to mislead them on anything.

That's not how we do business.

Click Here For Video Of Entire Meeting

The good parts are at 1:19-1:57, 5:51-13:59, 24:10-35:10