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| A letter from Amy |
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Dear Neighbors and Friends,
For far too long, Knox County was under the shadow of ugly politics - backroom deals, good old boys, lawsuits, mudslinging - until the sun finally came out after Black Wednesday and Knox County Voters took charge of their government once again.
It is said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. The sunshine we've brought to bear on Knox County politics over the past few years has done an excellent job of exposing the graft and baseness that had become the order of business, and bringing a new light to our efforts to move Knox County forward, away from the negativity of the past. In only a few Elections, we have come a long way.
Unfortunately, in this election cycle we have seen a return to the ugliness that marred Knox County politics prior to Black Wednesday. We have seen a return to mudslinging, innuendo, and misrepresentation as campaign strategies.
This past weekend my opponent mailed out a flier. In it, he distorts my actions on two issues, and outright lies on a third. This is not the first time my opponent has gone negative, and it probably won't be the last. He has also engaged in a personal attack on a family member.
In a recent piece of campaign literature, my opponent states that I said Knox County's debt is "healthy." What I actually said is that most economists agree that a debt of no more than 10% of your budget is considered healthy, but that my preference was that we carry as little debt as possible. (If you would like to watch the episode of Tennessee This Week where this was discussed, you can see it here)
He further states that I am in favor of granting taxing authority to the School Board. My exact words regarding giving the School Board taxing authority were, "I'm not saying I advocate it, but I wanted to throw it out there." (If you would like to read the KNS article about this discussion, you can find it here)
I would like to point out that this quote was part of a much larger and vigorous conversation about how we might be able to get the School Board the funding it needs. There were lots of ideas "thrown out there" in addition to this one. Some were better than others, but the bottom line is that it got us all thinking a little more creatively about how we fund our schools. And that is a very good thing!
In this new piece, my opponent attacks me for giving discretionary funds to the Knoxville Presidential Inauguration Celebration (he inaccurately calls it the Obama "Inauguration Celebration"), implying that I gave your tax dollars to a partisan party event celebrating President Obama's election. Nothing could be further from the truth. The event was a celebration of the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Knoxville, which was attended by Mayor Haslam, as well as other elected officials and community leaders. The event focused on the contributions of a dozen special individuals to the Civil Rights Movement in Knoxville, including Sarah Moore Greene, Betty Reddick, and Guy & Candy Carawan.
My contribution paid for tickets for home-schooled children and their families, including the Boy Scout who led us all in the Pledge to the Flag, and local neighborhood advocates who found the cost too prohibitive for them to otherwise attend. A percentage of the proceeds from this event were donated to Lost Sheep Ministries.
I have a statement on my website written by Roy Cruze, Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation and one of the organizers of the event. I have also added to my website a Knoxville News Sentinel article that came out in advance of the event.
My opponent goes on to criticize my travel expenditures, implying that I have wasted your tax dollars and overspent my allotment. What he doesn't include is that I was one of only five Commissioners to travel on county business during this two-year term, and that half of my trips were paid for out-of-pocket, through grants, or by scholarship. I have also detailed my county business trips on my website, www.electamy.com, where I discuss where I went, why I went, and what I brought back to benefit Knox Countians. It is important to note that the Chair of the Commission must approve all trips made on County business, so Commissioner Strickland both knew and approved of my trips. And, if I am not mistaken, the Commission came in under budget on travel during my term.
Lastly, my opponent attacks me for accepting a $200 contribution from the Rural/Metro Political Action Committee, implying that it was a payoff for voting favorably on a contract that benefited Rural/Metro. The truth is that there was no such vote during my tenure on Commission and that every incumbent received the same contribution. Rural/Metro PAC contributions are voted upon by Rural/Metro employees, and my opponent's assertions impugn the integrity of those employees.
The rumor mill that is part of my opponent's smear campaign has suggested that I ran for Commission to get health insurance, that I hid my disability from the voters, and that our family business is not successful and had to file for bankruptcy. They have attacked me for selling Girl Scout Cookies to county employees and for missing meetings while recovering from multiple neurological surgeries.
I had health insurance coverage before my election to Commission, and it was that coverage which paid for my first brain surgery back in 2008, before the County carrier picked me up. I would like to point out that on the County's insurance I now pay more - much more - for coverage, but am happy to do so. The County's carrier will cover me, it is better coverage, and I am grateful to have it. However, I would serve in this office whether it came with insurance benefits or not.
I have always been open and honest with my constituents regarding the Trigeminal Neuralgia I suffered with for so long, was grateful their good wishes and prayers when I had to be hospitalized, and shared with them my happiness when the surgery I had in 2008 was successful.
As for my family's business, it is still going strong. Like most small family businesses, we had some lean times during the recession. However, due to my husband's work ethic and reputation for excellence, we managed to pull through when other flooring businesses did not. It has been suggested that I have misled the voters by claiming to run a successful business with my husband. If you are judging success by yearly income, you might have a point. However, our family has always defined success as putting out a good product that your customers are pleased with, having an excellent reputation in the business community, and being able to sleep at night because you are able to provide for your family and meet your obligations in an ethical and honorable manner.
I have never filed for bankruptcy, nor has the family business. In 2005 my husband filed for personal bankruptcy as the end result of a very personal medical crisis involving a close family member. Although my opponent has tried to claim that this bankruptcy was filed for the family business, the filing was of a personal nature. Because of my opponent's accusations, I have posted the entire court document relating to the bankruptcy on my website.
My husband filed when I was eight months into a very difficult pregnancy, and he did all he could to keep me from feeling the stress of the situation, which he bore entirely on his own. He did what he thought was in the best interest of his family, while protecting the confidentiality of a loved one. That my opponent would attack a family member on a personal issue and attempt to use it against me is unconscionable.
As for the Girl Scout Cookies, I make no apologies. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. I will continue to promote the Girl Scout program and ideals wherever I am and whatever I am doing.
My campaign will continue to be a positive, fiscally conservative, issues-oriented campaign, based on my core values:
- A solid commitment to transparency and accountability in government
- A long record of service to the neighborhoods and communities in the Second District
- A passion for public service
- The integrity to campaign honestly, on my own merits
We encourage all voters in Knox County to pay attention to what arrives in your mailbox. When you receive campaign literature, do your research. Take responsibility for educating yourself about the candidates and the issues. You will be better able to separate fact from fiction, and to discern which candidates are making truthful statements and which candidates' statements aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
If a negative or "attack" piece shows up, toss it into the recycle bin without another thought. It isn't worth your time, and it is an insult to your intelligence. If you feel like doing so, contact the candidate's campaign and tell them you will not accept any negative campaign materials. Then show them with your vote. Give it to someone else.
I hope that Knox County voters will also take note of which elected officials, candidates and future candidates have put their name next to my opponent's, giving their tacit approval of these despicable campaign tactics. Let them know that Knox County voters no longer accept that kind of behavior.
If any voter needs clarification on any of my comments, actions, or positions on issues, please contact me at 237-6538, or by email at northknoxamy@gmail.com.
I am accountable to the voters of the Second District. Ultimately I trust that their good sense and judgment will reject the ugly, divisive, and negative campaign tactics being used by my opponent. As a community, we have moved beyond that, and we all deserve to be treated in a more respectful manner.
I am grateful for the support I have in this race, and I am looking forward to Election Day. Mostly, I am looking forward to returning full time to the work I love, serving my neighbors in the Second District, and working hard to make Knox County the best place it can possibly be.
Best Regards,
Amy
7/26/2010
Campaign Finance Disclosures:
7/14/2009
2/1/2010
4/12/2010
4/24/2010
7/12/2010
Amy's Travel Expenditures
Parkey Bankruptcy Information:
Petition
Discharge Order
My Opponent's Mailer
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