I would like to say that many of the politicians in Chattanooga have been friends of mine for years. In fact I have contributed to their campaigns and have tirelessly worked daylight till dark on some of their campaigns for months to help them get elected. Sadly some have even used my public comments without my permission to try to damage their opponents.
I was a board member of a local non profit group of citizens called HCRAA that spent four long years fighting off and defeating the forced annexation of our county residents into the city by our previous mayor and city officials that saw us as a cash cow to help them solve their cash strapped city government problems.
I say all this to show that some of us have been proud to take a stand against the disgusting side of "politics as usual". I have seen how politics causes good folks, some with the best intentions that begin to weigh new political friendships and influence as well as the need to raise money, and seemingly change perspectives on what was thought to be "representative government". We have constant turmoil in Washington and getting anything accomplished for the people is sadly forgotten in an atmosphere where holding on to power or regaining it is all that seems to matter. In the "swamp" of Washington, the only thing that could possibly save our Republic is the imposition of term limits. Yea, right. Try to get politicians to vote on that one.
I know Tim Boyd personally, and through my involvement in local politics I have sat in on many County Commission meetings where he has obviously at times been the one commissioner that goes to great lengths to actually investigate the issues. Yes he can be long winded, but sometimes that is what was needed to fill in the blanks on issues that in politics can get decided because of political and financial pressures by the power brokers in Chattanooga. To be sure, Tim can be a pain in the backside to the "good old boy network".
Because of my past friendship and support of Tim Boyd, and the public stands he has taken against some of his colleagues and even friends on the Commission and even the mayor, I find it very hard to believe these charges against him. Seems these kinds of things conveniently crop up just as folks are about to cast their votes. Hmmmm.
Take the measure of the man, and his record. Don't be swayed by last minute charges that a candidate has no time to defend against. As for me, I'm done. Very few good people last long in office. They either go along to get along, resist the system and are pressured out of the way, or they finally have enough and leave on their own. Only informed voters can make a difference.
And you wonder why Americans are disgusted with politics.
Bill Reesor
Ooltewah