In case you didn't know, noon today is the deadline to turn in a petition of 25 registered voter's signatures to the Maury County Election office to qualify you as a candidate for alderman in April's election.
Speaking of April's election, I awoke this morning to the following sight on Main Street...
For more information on our newest Ward 3 Alderman Candidate Tommy Duncan, check out his website here: www.tommyduncan.us
Here is a quick intro from the website:
Tommy has been serving Spring Hill as a volunteer for approximately 6 years on various boards and committees with no political agenda other than looking out for the best interest of Spring Hill. Tommy recently voted unanimously every variance to allow the mega Target and its out parcels in order to generate city revenues. Tommy is the Vice President of Operation & Technology for Quality Mortgage Services where he employs Spring Hill citizens. Tommy, an Army Green Beret, served in Operation Enduring Freedom where he earned recognition from President Bush and was recently called to Washington DC to serve on an Intelligence Board during the Israeli and Hezbollah War. Tommy currently holds a Lieutenant Colonel battalion command and is currently enrolled in the prerequisites of the War College. In 1996, Tommy was inducted as an honorary member of the Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (IRNET) after serving as the Director of Intelligence. Tommy was elected as Charter President of the Lifeway Christian Resources’ Toastmasters Club and was later elected as Area Governor of Nashville. Tommy graduated from the Williamson County School system and is a double alumnus from MTSU where he was awarded a Presidential Scholarship graduating with a Masters of Aerospace Education.
Now...nothing personal here, in fact I admire your enthusiasm for the upcoming race, but the following is from the Spring Hill Zoning Ordinance (Article IV, Section 10.3{7}):
"...signs may be allowed on election day and thirty (30) days prior to the election, and must be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the polls close."
I wonder if Spring Hill's enforcement officer with the gallon sized, leg strapped mace weapon will be out this morning enforcing the city code?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Tommy Duncan Introduction
Posted by Gorilla in the Corner at 7:02 AM
Labels: Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Election 2007
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is a series of personal opinions and is not meant to reflect an official position by the City of Spring Hill.
49 comments:
Congratulations Mr. Duncan, you have lost my vote if it is your vision of Spring Hill to litter our roads with your campaign signs for over three months.
If you're running for public office, you should have a comprehensive knowledge of the laws and ordinances that govern the elections. Smooth move Duncan...
Hey, you can't fault Tommy for this. I'm certain that he would have called Ferrel's office and was probably told that there is no regulation on political signs in the city - as long as they are not blocking the view of traffic (as I was told just a week ago).
Thanks Gorilla,
I was going to call Beau tomorrow to find out when and where my signs could go, but now I know the answer. Reminds me of my Code Enforcement days spending months picking up illegal political signs.
Congratulations Mr. Duncan, you have gained my vote. Your early signs indicate determination and organization.
Don't let your opponents drag you into the mud. Obviously, they are viewing and commenting on this site and are very surprised by your organization.
I spent last week reading all the SH by-laws so I was a little surprised to see campaign signs up this morning. I called Beau today, not to complaint, but to get clarification before I make a decision. He said they had a meeting this morning and made a decision to allow the early signs. By my calculations, 30 days before early voting would be February 22. Now, all of the candidates must make a decision whether to put their signs out or not at this time. I am concerned by an unfair advantage if I do not. I will pray & think about this for a few days and listen to other's advice and comments before making a decision.
Rick,
If you wan my vote, I'd wait until Feb 22nd to post your sings.
Just my two cents
Rick,
I spoke to Beau as well, and I am going to take the high ground here. Even though the city is allowing them out early, I am not going to place them out until February 22. I am also going to follow the ordinance dealing with number of signs on public property so that we do not make our city look trashy. If we want to lead this city we need to follow the rules that are in place and set a good example. There are other ways to get our message out besides signs.
Ron,
I appreciate the position you have taken and your committment to abide by the law. I sure wish your 'partner' in ward 3 would have done so as well. Still wanting to vote for him, even though he obviously is not concerned about making Spring Hill look, as you said it..'trashy'?
After discussing this situation with several people, I have decided to wait until February 22 to put my signs on public areas, even though, it could jeopardize my race.
The "law is the law" whether it is enforced or not. My signs have been delivered and ready to go. I will allow the posting of our campaign signs for private residences & supporters, including my own, now. This is acceptable under our freedom of speech and property ownership rights.
It is important to do the right thing.
"Congratulations Mr. Duncan, you have lost my vote if it is your vision of Spring Hill to litter our roads with your campaign signs for over three months."
Funny, I never heard you complain about the Dominoe's pizza box I saw on the side of Saturn Parkway. Have you boycotted Dominoe's for their trash?
"If you wan my vote, I'd wait until Feb 22nd to post your sings."
Do you honestly base your vote upon what plastic sign you see on a road??? Based upon your spelling, you probably do.
Well, if this is the issue that you are concerned with, I'm not planning to put any signs out until March sometime. Does that get me your vote?
MD
Using the donkey basketball game of all things to cram your election propaganda down my throat just cost you my vote.
It appears that Mr. Duncan did his research and was supported by the board in deciding when to place his signs in various places across the city...perhaps his planning and organization led to the spot you wanted for your sign to be occupied? His "get it done" energy and attitude should be celebrated and respected. If it's any indication of his devotion to accomplishing his goals for Spring Hill, he's got my vote!
Breaking the very by-laws you are running to enforce, serve & create. Integrity? Honest? Self-Serving? Large, crude, hand- painted signs in fields that exemplify how you will vote for the beauty of Spring Hill in the future? Mr. Duncan and Mr.Holms, thanks for helping me by scratching you off my potential vote.
So let me get this right: because Tommy Ducan has the drive and initiative (that some of you obviously lack) to think ahead and post LEGAL campaign signs in the city for which he is running for office, you are spinning it as cheating? Are you serious? If you think this is cheating, then I don’t want an Alderman like you Mr. Some guy thinks fast and reacts to the game and you throw up your hands and cry foul? What kind of leader would you make?
I assure you, the members of the board in Spring Hill would have told Mr. Duncan NO (when he asked their permission) if there was any wrong-doing. Key in on this statement: HE ASKED THEIR PERMISSION. THE CITY GAVE MR DUNCAN PERMISSION TO POST HIS SIGNS. Here's a novel suggestion/idea for some of you trash talkers: Try looking at what qualifies the candidate for the office he/she is running for. And then ask what he/she has done in the past, what he/she stands for. You are being foolish to dismiss any candidate because you’re unhappy that he has a sign posted.
I am with the gorilla on this one. I am not so much upset with Mr. Duncan as I am with the codes department. It is another good example of the codes department giving bad advice to a citizen.
I would suggest then that there is an issue that many of you may need to take up with the codes department if you are not satisfied with the decisions they are making. Nonetheless, Mr. Duncan asked for and received permission to place his signs...and he has done so in all the appropriate places in which I've seen the signs placed in the past. The only change Feb. 22 will bring about is that there will be more of them, from those of you who choose to wait until that date.
I am actually encouraged that we have someone running who, through his military and professional training, has experience leading and implementing infrastructure...an issue very relevant to a town experiencing the type of growth that Spring Hill is currently experiencing.
So take some time and get to know him...get to know all the candidates...learn what issues they feel are important, and do they have the relevant experience and skills to tackle these issues.
Like "sg" said, don't arbitrarily dismiss someone from your ballot because they have begun placing their signs out.
Looks to me like he has his campaign together and maybe that unnerves some of you. Maybe I'm wrong and great if I am...then we can make this race about the real issues facing Spring Hill.
The city officials can only say they will not enforce a by-law, which seems to be a common practice. They cannot extend permission to break a by-law except by the BOMA,which has not happened. The early campaign signs are illegal but not being enforced by choice only. We have bigger issues with the candidates and soon enough our city will be cluttered with campaign signs.
sg and sj,
if you are speeding in your car and nobody stops you to give you a ticket, you are still breaking the law
O.k., the Doctor is in:
In order to properly diagnose you, I just need to ask a couple of questions:
Q1: Did Mr. Duncan seek and obtain the city's approval before posting his signs?
Q2: Are you or someone you know running for the same office that Mr. Duncan is running?
Q3: Are you watching this site everyday and thinking of ways you can throw dirt on Mr. Duncan?
If you answered YES to any of
the questions above, then you have what’s called WHINER's disease (wine-ers). It can only be treated by heavy doses of reality and a steady diet of truth. But today you are in luck as I happen to have some free samples to give away:
Truth 1:
Long before deciding to run for alderman in Ward 3, Mr. Tommy Duncan served Spring Hill by working in voluntary capacity for over 6 years.
Truth 2:
A highly decorated officer in the US Army, Mr. Duncan served his nation for over 20 years. His latest combat tour has taken him to over 14 countries and today he currently holds a Battalion Command.
Truth 3:
Mr. Duncan is the only candidate that outlines HOW he is going to implement the initiatives on his agenda.
Reality:
Spring Hill has grown exponentially in the last 6 years. And like other cities across the nation that have experienced this type of rapid growth, there came a need to take a second look at some of its laws. For example: In one metropolitan city today in 2007, there is a law that prohibits “singing in the shower.” Every person in that city who sings or has sung in the shower is in violation of the law. Even though the laws were written many years ago, when the city was quite different, the old laws still remain on the cities books. Are they enforced? What do you think? Someone who has worked in business and has a mature approach to this concept might recognize a similarity with Mr. Duncan and posting his signs.
This growth trend isn’t going to stop. Spring Hill needs someone like Tommy Duncan to help navigate the direction of our city, someone with experience working in business and someone who isn’t afraid to take charge of this unique opportunity our city offers and usher in good growth.
Holy cow! Someone needs to take a little valium. I hope that you are going to be okay when this race finally ends, because we are still months away and nothing has happened yet. Wow!
Stacy,
Tell me, in what way is Mr. Duncan not breaking the law?????
Hmmm????
SG, if I'm not mistaken, the sign ordinance was updated within the last couple of years.
Regarding Truth 1: Why was Duncan fired by Ray?
Regarding Truth 3: Does he realize that he's running for Alderman and not Mayor? An Alderman can DO nothing except talk to the other Aldermen.
"why was Duncan fired by Ray.." **No, he wasn’t fired by Ray. get your facts straight
**Duncan may have stirred up the hornets nest, yes. Tommy is a leader and sometimes that’s what leaders do. In every city, there are folks who complain about this and that, but who never offer solutions. When they do offer them, they want someone else to fix it. It seems, they know everything that’s wrong with the city, but when someone starts tasking them with actually doing something to make it better, it often tends to rub some folks the wrong way. Ray observed this and recognized Duncan was a take-charge leader. Ray saw how Tommy tasked some of the citizens with helping in the success of the city’s agenda. Some on the board liked it, some did not. Ray had the right to do whatever he saw fit with this committee. Ray decided to move Duncan from the Economic Development Committee over to the Board of Zoning and Appeals, a promotion to be exact. You probably also forgot to include in your post that after he moved Duncan, Ray held his seat on the committee the entire time Duncan was deployed to combat. Duncan supported Ray and vice-versa, in fact Duncan still serves today on the committee.
"Does he realize that he's running for Alderman and not Mayor?"
**I would suspect he realizes that he is running for Alderman. I sure hope so, or else those signs need to be re-made.
"An Alderman can DO nothing except talk to the other Aldermen."
**IF you think so little of the Spring Hill Aldermen and their contributions to this city, then why aren't you busy doing something else besides slinging mud on this site??
One last comment before I attend to other important work:
Anonymously posting negative comments at folks is cowardly and shows lack of backbone. If I say something that is wrong, then it has my name by it, if you say something that is wrong, who can pin it to you? Are your comments worth standing by?
Per Duncan's quote in the recent article:
"I realize there are significant timelines that are critical to the success of my campaign. There are two dates that resonate louder than the others. The significance of those dates pretty much nulls the 30 day ordinance."
What the...??? This guy knowingly and willfully threw the lawbook in the trashcan because of his campaign agenda??? And actually tries to justify himself.
"Because this is the first time in Spring Hill history that there is early voting for the city elections, I realized the ordinance wasn't going to apply."
I guess now he's a judge. Either that or he's just willing to flip the bird at the city lawmakers and continue on. HE just figured for himself that the law wouldn't apply to him so he figured he'd go ahead and break it. Why not? He's got a campaign to run after all. By the way, there was early voting in the last city elections two years ago.
Not to mention flipping the bird at the citizens themselves...
Regarding Stacy Graham's comments, I don't know where this person got their information regarding Duncan's move from the EDC Board to the Zoning Board, but it is incorrect. I advise anyone to talk to a member of the EDC Board at that time and find out the real truth. I knew the Mayor well. Please quit writing propoganda about him.
A lot of people in Spring Hill knows the real truth of why he was moved off the board by Mayor Williams. It was an action by the Mayor due to something Mr. Duncan did inappropriately. Everyone is hestitate to mention it publicly.
What could someone on an Economic Development Board possibly do?
I think you are giving him way too much credit.
"I think you are giving him way too much credit."
What a wonderful way to put it.
The only thing Mr. Duncan did inappropriately, in Mayor Williams eyes, was be a leader and not a puppet.
Sounds like another "conspiracy" to control someone who thought for himself.
Sounds like the "old guard", who is supporting Sharon Cantrell, is doing a little mudslinging at another candidate. I suspect all candidates in Ward 3, with potential to win, running against Mrs. Cantrell will have mud thrown at them during this election.
who the hell is "old guard"?
What if Tommy wins? Could it be argued in a court of law that the visual presence of his illegal signs with no competition for two months before an election had an influence in his winning?
What if Tommy's self-admitted, pre-meditated breaking of the law were reported to the Tennessee Ethics Commission?
What if the city's blatant and publicly-stated intention to turn a blind eye to the breaking of its laws was reported to the TBI?
What if all the TV cameras and reporters were down here asking questions?
Hmmm. What if...
This could turn into a mess quickly. Tommy, you should have just quietly taken your signs down.
That's the stupidist thing I have ever heard.
Anon @ 16:09
The media did report on it; no one cared.
I never saw any TV news coverage. I saw a newspaper article where Tommy incriminated himself. Nothing more than that.
Preferential- wink/wink- Treatment from SH City Hall? Are the city officials biased and giving preferred treatment for their favorite alderman candidates? Why would they look the other way (Vice Mayor Johnson claims they are on the radio) and let some candidates put their signs out 35 days illegally (Jan. 18)? Is this election tanted now? DO CITY OFFICIALS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO NOT ENFORCE THE BY-LAWS? Where is the television media? Will BOMA react to this bias? Why do Spring Hill business signs get pulled around town but not these illegal campaign signs? Are these questions being ignored by City Hall?
anonymous...You can stop asking questions and contact the tv media yourself:
news@newschannel5.com
news@wkrn.com
news@wsmv.com
news@fox17.com
Thank you for posting the email addresses. Although city officials and Duncan (they are much closer than some people realize) would not suggest doing it, perhaps if enough people sent emails, we would have the coverage this deserves.
Enough already about the signs - yes they are horrible to face each morning - but more importantly - Mr. Duncan lost my vote based on his plans/ideas for the city....Growth, growth, growth - what the city needs is to catch up with the growth we've already experienced. We need officials that can realize the vulnerable position SH is in regarding preservation of the land, the historical value and the natural beauty of the city before it is lost and never to be seen again.
Tommy,
How can I support you when you are breaking the law. You are no better than the aldermen we have. Sorta do what you want when you want. I mean that is the way it is up there with the present aldermen. I would like a answer to this and not one of those beat around the bush answers either.
He did take the signs down.
He took most of them down. There are still some here and there on city property.
I asked for a reply from tommy. Not an anon. Tommy how can we support you.
Tommy,
since there is no reply- means to me you are just like every other pol. Lost my vote!
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