The Blount Partnership, which the CEO/President Bryan Daniels describes as an umbrella organization for the Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Foundation, Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority and Industrial Development Board (also referred to as the Economic Development Board), has admitted that it is blocking communication from two Blount County Commissioners. Commissioners Jamie Daly and Tona Monroe have been blocked.
The Daily Times has a story today on the matter.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/news/busy-signal-blount-partnership-blocks-two-county-commissioners-from-communicating/article_c86c6d00-141b-58b1-b074-2002eaaefa8d.html
To read more about the economic environment created by entrusting large sums of tax dollars to the Industrial Development Board and the Smoky Mountain Tourism Authority, both part of the Blount Partnership, click here.
The Blount Partnership says, it “is the sole economic development agency for the Blount County area.” An active citizen in the community and frequent commenter on this website, recently wrote me saying, “I think a “Blount County Industrial Guild” would work wonders for Blount.”
What do you think? A government subsidized monopoly has given us the results of being the only county in the region where average pay isn’t keeping up with the rate of inflation and being tied for the biggest drop in median household income.
If you’d like to communicate with Bryan Daniels, his email address is bdaniels@blountpartnership.com.
It appears as if Blount Partnetship, like most bloated non elected butraucrats, has grown a bit too big for its britches. Defund them. They offer no econimic value for the County. I believe if these 2 Commissioners did some legal resesrch they might just find grounds to take legal action against BP. I would ask the Commission Chair what action he intends to take against BP. BP is funded by tax payer money tberefore answerable to the Commission whether they like it or not. It is obvious Ms. Monroe hit a nerve when she investigated possible misuse of County money. If BP doesn’t feel they owe explanations for their actions then I believe they need to find other ways to fund themselves. Perhaps the citizens need to start a petition to stop the use of tax payer funds to this group.
Who can we call/write to ensure you all included? And here I thought theses southern shenanigans ended last century. Sheesh.
Bryan Daniels: bdaniels@blountpartnership.com 983-2241, 983-7715
Other numbers for the Blount Partnership are 273-1207 and 273-1212.
County Commissioners:
makard@blounttn.org, aallen@blounttn.org, aarcher@blounttn.org, bbowers@blounttn.org, scarter@blounttn.org, rcarver@blounttn.org, gcaskey@blounttn.org, mcaylor@blounttn.org, tcole@blounttn.org, dcrowe@blounttn.org, jdaly@blounttn.org, gfarmer@blounttn.org, rfrench@blounttn.org, jheadrick@blounttn.org, mlewis@blounttn.org, kmiller@blounttn.org, tmonroe@blounttn.org, jmoon@blounttn.org, ssamples@att.net, tstinnett@blounttn.org
Commissioner Kenneth Melton doesn’t have an email address. His phone number is 981-2683.
County Mayor: emitchell@blounttn.org
You can also come to commission meetings and speak off the agenda, near the end of the meeting, about the matter.
Called one of the above phone numbers to BP, got transferred to a guy named Jeff (Geoff), pretty much got the run around, said commissioners can request info in writing which I said was not standard practice in the past. He wouldn’t get past his statement. In his mind BP is a corporation, well it is, but a non profit I believe. So they are beholden to the taxpayers, but not in his mind . I’ll gladly sign a petition to defund BP.
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