posted August 1, 2006
Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Bobby Wood has questioned a $5,000 campaign contribution from the Service Employees International Union to County Commission candidate John Bailes. Stuart James, the county Democratic Party chairman, called the Wood comments a "diversionary tactic."
Service Employees International Union has been active in recruiting city of Chattanooga employees.
Mr. Wood said candidate Bailes should clarify his position on governmental unions.
He said, "The SEIC is now seeking to purchase another vote on the County Commission. John Bailes could well be the deciding vote to encourage collective bargaining in the public sector.
"When the commission sits down
next year to make their budget and direct your tax money, no union negotiator should sit at that table.
Unions have a purpose, value and place. While the free market works best to regulate prices and wages,
there are times when working men and women might need a voice in marketing their labors. The area in
which the SEIC seeks to enter is far different from the construction or manufacturing industry. It seeks to
deal in vital services that are directly paid for by your tax dollars.
"The SEIC proudly boasts that they reprsent more immigrants than any other union, and that undocumented
immigrants who work and pay taxes should be eligible to an earned path of permanent residence and
citizenship, and that criminalizing undocumented workers is unrealistic and unfair. Was John Baile's
stand on this requested when he received the $5,000 contribution?
"This is not a diversionary tactic, it's a direct question. Mr. Bailes, where do you stand on public employee
negotiations? Since you are a firm believer in an individual being compensated fairly for their efforts, will the SEIC receive their money's worth for their $5,000?"
Mr. James issued this statement on Tuesday, "In this morning’s newspaper, the headline reads, 'GOP Chief questions Bailes on unionizing public workers.' The article addresses campaign contributions given to John Bailes. The article states that Republican Party Chairman Bobby Wood has called on Democratic County Commission candidate John Bailes to state his position on unionization of public workers. The article later discusses (incumbent) Curtis Adams’ view who states that just because he changed parties does not mean he does not support unions. This article is on the front page of the paper. Despite giving a quote in response to Mr. Wood, that quote does not appear in the paper.
"Earlier, I called upon Mike Walden to resign from the Election Commission, sending a statement to the paper. I stated that there is an appearance of impropriety by serving on the commission and as campaign manager for Sheriff John Cupp. I also questioned why Mr. Walden provided security at the courthouse and served on the 911 board. The article in the paper on this subject appeared in the political footnotes of the paper.
"I will leave it for the community to judge the importance of each respective article. I will leave it to the voters to decide the importance of the issues. However, I am wondering why Bobby Wood’s call is given such prominence and the Democratic Party’s call for Mr. Walden’s resignation from the election commission is buried in the newspaper. I am also wondering why the paper gives such prominence to Mr. Wood without discussing the Democratic Party’s view of the situation as it relates to the article in the paper.
"These diversionary tactics by Mr. Wood and his party should get what they deserve, a mention in the political footnotes of our paper.
"Recently it has become a popular Republican tactic to divert the attention of the voters from the issues facing our County. Curtis Adams and Bobby Wood want to divert our attention form issues such as education, jobs and accountability. The Adams/Wood team cannot engage the voters on the issues. Instead, they want to talk about labor unions and the power structure in Chattanooga. It is an old tactic, a tactic used when you have no position on issues facing the community, issues involving education, jobs, health care and the accountability of our elected leaders.
"Take for example a Chattanoogan.com article written by John Smith entitled “John Bailes Can't Keep All His Promises” Mr. Smith concludes his article by writing:
“Reject power structure hacks like John Bailes and vote for Curtis Adams.” I wonder if Mr. Smith would consider the following contributors to Mr. Adams campaign as power structure hacks? Here are a few who gave to Mr. Adams this year
"SE TN Pac gave $500.00 that includes Charlie Peavyhouse, a long-standing Republican leader;
Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon $200.00;
Larry Sanders, Developer for Wal Mart;
Friends of Zach Wamp, yes our Congressman, a Congressman who is part of the Chattanooga and Washington power structure--$400.00;
County Commissioner William Hullander, a part of the Hamilton County Commission power structure--$100.00;
Fowler for Senate as in State Senator David Fowler a part of the Chattanooga and State Senate power structure--$100.00;
Hamilton County General Session Court Judge Bob Moon, once again, $100.00;
Committee to Elect Claude Ramsey, our County Mayor and a part of the Hamilton County and Chattanooga power structure $100.00;
Joseph DeCosimo of Decosimo Accounting $500.00;
"Michael Walden, campaign manager for Sheriff Cupp, Election Commissioner and member of the 911 Board — the same Mike Walden who does not see the appearance of impropriety in serving on the Election Commission and as Campaign Manager for John Cupp. Mr. Walden is definitely a part of the Hamilton County and Chattanooga power structure.
"Mr. Smith, are these people included in the power structure hacks you speak of, or are they excused from that category because they gave to Curtis Adams? Mr. Smith, do you know where Mr. Adams stands on education, jobs and the accountability of our elected officials?
"Tony Thomas writes another piece. In his article “Bailes Is Taking Money From Organized Labor Groups” Mr. Thomas states, 'Curtis Adams has his faults, but he'll keep the organizers out and let the market steer the right course. Vote for Curtis Adams on Aug. 3.'
"Mr. Adams’ record speaks for itself. He has accepted money from Tn AFL-CIO Labor Council in 1998, Tn Carpenters Regional Council in 2002, IBEW Educational Committee in 2002, IBEW-C.O.P.E. PAC in 1998, Hamilton County Education Association in 1998, and the First Tennessee Financial Pac just to name a few. He has, moreover, accepted money from PACs, elected leaders, and a sitting judge in this election cycle. Mr. Thomas, is Mr. Adams really going to keep the organizers out and let the market steer the right course? Isn’t your criticism of Mr. Bailes unfair especially when Mr. Adams accepted funds from sources you would find questionable?
"Mr. Thomas, do you know where Mr. Adams stands on creating opportunities for education, opportunities to return our dollars going to Nashville to the classrooms in Chattanooga, opportunities for creating higher paying jobs with good benefits such as health care? Based upon Mr. Adams recent refusal to engage Mr. Bailes on the issues, I really do not think that either you, or Hamilton County, knows Mr. Adams position on the issues.
"Mr. Adams will surely say he is not accepting money from labor because he switched to the Republican Party. Mr. Adams’ record speaks for itself, he willingly accepts money from the power structure, or the power structure hacks as Mr. Smith puts it. Mr. Adams has accepted money from labor, when it suited his needs. Mr. Adams accepted money from the Democratic Party when it suited his needs. Now that it does not suit his needs, Adams and his supporters want to criticize others for doing what Adams did.
"It is obvious the Woods/Adams team is more than interested in diverting attention from the issues because they cannot discuss the issues. This recent diversion is just that, a diversion.
"Unfortunately, candidates have to raise money to run for office. Until Mr. Adams stops accepting money from PACs and from the power structure neither he nor his supporters have the right to attack Mr. Bailes. Instead, they should be talking abut
education, jobs, and accountability."
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