Citizens for Better Government

Blount County Tennessee

The Mayor’s bigotry against outsiders – Why?

We should have been concerned about Mayor Cunningham’s latent bigotry against newcomers, retirees, and outsiders during his campaign last spring, when he used these words in refusing to debate with his opponent, Joe Gallagher. "I told him, `No,"' Cunningham said of Gallagher's repeated requests to debate him. "I don't know what he doesn't understand about no. Even someone from New York can understand that."

Since Cunningham took office his comments have continued, and broadened to include retirees, especially those from outside the county. In December, Cunningham observed: "I have no desire to turn Blount County into a retirement Mecca. I have seen too many comfortable retirees who made a living elsewhere, had other citizens’ taxes in other states educate their children, move here because of all we offer and not be willing to pay a nickel to watch an earthquake”. Apparently, the Mayor doesn’t believe that anyone who moves here ever paid taxes before.

The Mayor added “transplants” to his list when he said: “many of those complaining about county government are transplants who, when it's time to retire, get on the Internet and find Blount County with low taxes, no income tax, every amenity and service. Then they move here and start complaining."

Recently, Cunningham has added anyone who questions waste in county government to his list. He commented on criticisms waged against the sheriff that compare his budget with the sheriff offices in Washington and Sullivan counties, and characterized some critics of the sheriff as "chronic malcontents." He added an unfortunate religious overtone to his verbal excess by saying: “There are some people who would complain about the second coming of Christ because he didn’t come to their house first.”

The Mayor’s attitudes have even begun to seep into the editorials in the local paper: “We Americans see an ideal spot to which we want to locate, one that has many of the things our present location does not have. So we move there for the beauty, open space or low taxes. And the first thing you know we are trying to change our new home location to be like the place we just left because it wasn't as desirable.” Later the editorial added:” The unhappy campers have made their point and we need to move on.” Apparently, the editor never considered the possibility that the newcomers might be trying to prevent our county from making the mistakes that were made in the communities they left.

One can only wonder what Mayor Cunningham is trying to accomplish with his comments. This county depends on new industry moving in from far away places. The County needs a steady flow of young families and retirees to sustain its construction and real estate industries. Bigotry aimed at anyone who was not born here is unlikely to help with any of these goals.

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