My "listening" tour

My friends I would like your help. I am interested in knowing what it is that you want from County Commission.

Do you want more involvement, more services, less services, lower county taxes, more funding for schools, less funding for schools, more patrolling officers, more helicopters for the sheriffs department?

What is it that makes a good county commissioner in your eyes? Is it the stuff they can get for you, a new park, new roads? Is it their dedication to principle, or perhaps even their willingness to forgo principle to achieve results?

These are questions I have been wondering for a while now and hope to get feedback on from those interested in this upcoming election.

Please be specific, be blunt, but be serious. Thanks.

My First Campaign Promise

Well it had to happen.

Eventually every candidate does it and so here I am to make my first promise to my constituency.

I, John Cullin Spellings, on this the 20th day of May in the Year of Our Lord 2008, do hereby solemnly vow to never vote to allow the use of Red-light Cameras in Knox County.

Whew, there I did it it's done. I've been fretting over what would be my first promise and I fell this is one that I can certainly keep. I despise those cameras, I don't understand how they can #1 be legal, and #2 be accepted by any freedom loving group of people. I won't go into my rant about them here, you can read my many rants on the Wigshop blog if you like though.

This came about from Sunday while listening to George Corda's (sp?) show on 100.3 FM and the entire show was about these cameras. I did call in and speak my peace, or at least ask a few questions of one of the city judges who upholds the cameras lawfulness, such as it is.

It was a typical enough discussion until he mentioned that the county had not YET approved the use of the cameras. Wow, so this could happen to us, well that's what I thought at least. It just takes a few greedy commissioners to decide that what's good for goose is good for the gander.

So I am here to say that if elected I will fight tooth and nail against these things on the basis of their fundamental disrespect for so many of the traditions of law enforcement and because of the clearly questionable civil rights issues they arise.

So there you go, the first and long anticipated campaign promise, kind of anti-climactic isn't it.

An Imperfect Candidate

In recent weeks I have tussled with myself over the direction of my campaign. During this slow time before the election it is easy to become self-reflective about why I am running and what I have to offer. And as the title of this post reflects, I have discovered that I am an imperfect candidate.

When I consider my shortcomings I get rather discouraged. I don't have decades of experience working in county government, I'm not a lawyer, and at the ripe old age of 25 I am running against other candidates who have very admirable qualities about them. Mr. Baah is a business owner, that is one of the most difficult and respectable careers in my opinion, to take onto yourself the responsibility of managing, operating, and maintaining a business. Mr. McKenzie has years of experience working with ORNL which also shows he must be a capable and organized individual.

I am a young man, working a relatively entry level position at a very respected insurance company in town. My life consists primarily of my wife, my church, my friends, and my work. But it struck me yesterday, while I was watching all types of people enjoy themselves at the the farmers market downtown , what it is that I offer to the voters. I offer my two greatest commodities, my time and my passion.

It is the community that makes me want to run. I look at the passion of those around me, those who have invested so much of their personal time, treasure, and hopes for a better future into this community and I say to myself, "How can they not have someone representing them in government who feels the same?"

So that is what I offer the people of District 1, a reflection of their own commitment to a strong and vibrant community in Central Knoxville.

I'm not a perfect candidate, but I am the candidate most likely to understand what it is that compels us all to work for a stronger and safer community for everyone.

A Non-Campaign Rally

Well it's First Friday here in Knoxville, another one of the reasons I love downtown some much, where people from all over come in to downtown to look at art, visit the shops and enjoy themselves.

Tonight I plan on browsing a few galleries myself, but at around 9:00 my friend Drew Holcomb of Nashville will be playing a show at Patrick Sullivan's. And he has been kind enough to allow me to pass out flyer's about the campaign there.

Drew is a perfect example of people who I disagree with on many issues, yet highly respect for his opinion and intelligence. I feel that this skill could be useful again on county commission. No more factioning, with the sheriff or against the mayor or whatever all that non-sense was, I simply hope to serve downtown and the surrounding communities by putting their needs first and fighting for our fair share of what county government offers.

This means a real change to the schools in our area, not just more funding, but new ideas on how to encourage under performing schools and the students there. This means not letting things like baseball stadiums, new hotels, and other development opportunities be missed because of greediness or ignorance on the part of our leadership.

It's time to choose our direction for Knoxville. Are we content with where we were, or are head striving to become what we hope to be?

~ js

Write In Spellings