A Lie Is A Lie No Matter
How Many Times You Tell It

It's sad to say, but we have all just kind of gotten accustomed and even expect that many of our politicians are mostly liars. And for the most part we tend to just let it go or ignore it. But sometimes when we hear a politician just keep telling the same lie over and over, we have to call their hand on it.

At Monday's commission meeting, Doyle Arp, again, stated that the county HAD to pay the $400,000.00 to build the new private road to the Tennessee National development under what he called a "prior agreement" and even scolded people who said other wise. He said they "needed to get their facts straight." I am willing to give Arp the benefit of the doubt. He is either a liar or is totally ignorant of the facts. Either way makes no difference the outcome is the same.

Before commission ever voted to give away the $400,000.00 they and Arp both knew full well there was no legal obligation for the county to make the payment. In fact when questions first arose, Arp was quick to point out to commissioners that "he" was the first one to point out the opt out motion to commissioners. Let me restate the facts for the benefit of those of you who may have missed the story the first time.

In the late nineteen nineties John Thorton partnered with a company called The Hines Group began plans for the current development now known as Tennessee National. They approached Loudon and Loudon County with a request to participate in building a new road to the development. Many things transpired over the years but ultimately both Loudon and Loudon County voted to pay for the road. Loudon to pay 70% and the county to pay 30%. The county resolution was passed on March 5th 2001. By November of that same year the Thorton/Hines project had stalled. Ultimately the project went belly up.

To his credit, former Commissioner Jerry Park realizing the liability of the outstanding financial commitment the county had made to build the road, brought it to the commission's attention that if left open ended something like this could someday come back to bite the county.

On January 7th, 2002, Park put forth a motion that if the Thorton/Hines project was not underway by July 1st 2002, the county would withdraw from the project. The commission voted 6-2 to pass the motion. Obviously, the Thorton/Hines project never materialized. Tennessee National didn't arrive on the scene till mid 2004.

The only agreement that was ever signed was by former county mayor, George Miller. For reasons I do not know, in 2005, Miller signed the agreement to fund the road a full three years after the county had withdrawn from the agreement. If anyone has any obligation here, it would be George Miller who signed the agreement without consent of county commission.

If as Mr. Arp has stated so many times the commission had any obligation, it was to honor the vote of the commission in 2002 that put a deadline on the obligation to participate in the construction of the road. Given all the facts of the case, for reasons I can not comprehend, last month the commission voted unanimously to give developer Thunder Thornton his $400,000.00. It's a real head scratcher.

Apparently, Mr. Arp thinks if he keeps saying the same thing over and over that some how that will make it true. Sorry Mr. Arp, that doesn't work. If anybody needs to get their facts straight, it's Mr. Arp. But obviously he cares nothing about facts or truth.

BACK
5/22/08