Something Is Rotten In Sullivan County

URGENT CALL TO ACTION FOR SULLIVAN COUNTY

URGENT CALL TO ACTION
If you believe elections in Sullivan County, and for that matter in every county in Northeast Tennessee, should be conducted in a fair, impartial, and non-partisan manner by competent, qualified and bi-partisan election commissions read on!!

On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at noon at the Sullivan County Election Commission, 3258 Hwy 126, Blountville, the five (5) member Sullivan County Election Commission will hold an open and public meeting. You need to attend.

The opening of the meeting will be presided by Betsy Shine, as the senior member in age [Tenn.Code Ann. 2-1-113] until a new chair is elected.

The new three (3) member majority on the Commission, James Holmes, Tom Morton, and Gerald Cassell, have stated their first order of business on Tuesday will be to discharge Gena Frye, Administrator of Elections in Sullivan County for the past 14 years solely because she is a Democrat !!

In violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings ("Sunshine") statute, GOP Commissioner James Holmes has obtained applications for the position of Administrator. Further he submitted questions to the applicants and narrowed the nominees for the position to two (2), one of whom is the current Chair of the Republican Party in Sullivan County!
First, the position of Administrator is not vacant ! Gena Frye is our Administrator; she and the staff are preparing for municipal elections on May 5th in Bristol, Bluff City, and Kingsport.

The last time a vacancy occurred in the position of Administrator of Elections, the Sullivan County Election Commission, then comprised of three (3) Democrats and two (2) Republicans, by unanimous action gave the public notice of the vacancy [ it pays $72,427 per annum], accepted applications irrespective of political affiliation, held public interviews and conducted the process in an open and public manner in compliance with out Sunshine Law. Holmes and his two (2) GOP colleagues however have kept the process secret - contrary to state law - not only from the public but from the two Democratic members of the Commission, Betsy Shine and Leslie Carr.

The Attorney General of Tennessee issued on Opinion [AG Opinion 09-52] on April 8th stating it violated the Constitution of the United States to discharge a non-policy making County Election Administrator because of their political affiliation. Administrator Gena Frye is such a non-policy making administrator.

If you believe its time to stop the power hungry Ramsey - Mumpower political steamroller and protect the Open Meeting ("Sunshine") law in Tennessee, now is the time to have your voice heard.

Please attend the Sullivan County Election Commission public meeting at Noon, Tuesday, April 14, 2009 in the Sullivan County Election Office, 3258 Hwy 126, Blountville.

Your presence is essential and necessary to help Leslie Carr and Betsy Shine combat the Ramsey - Mumpower Machine and stand up for what is fair and right !

The same thing is happening in Unicoi County!