David Bennett as Finance Director
and

Republican Party Chairman

• As a former officer and Board Member of several technology companies, I can tell you that the qualities you value most in a Chief Financial Officer are independence and objectivity.
• You want a Financial Officer, to tell you what the numbers say, with complete objectivity.
• With objectivity, he will tell you what projects are backed up by credible estimates, and likely to succeed. He will also tell you about weaknesses and risks in estimates of proposed projects.
• An independent Financial Officer will highlight departments who have good financial controls and are consistently performing to budget. He will also highlight problem departments with poor management, who are always looking for more money.
• The worst thing you can have is a Financial Officer with his own ax to grind. He will shade the numbers, either consciously or unconsciously, and lead you to make bad decisions.
• Unfortunately we may not have an independent and objective Financial Officer in Blount County.
• David Bennett is our Financial Officer.
• But, he is also Chairman of the County Republican machine
  
• All but three of the twenty-one Commissioners is a Republican. (It is important to note that several of the Republican Commissioners are true reformers who have no use for the Republican county political machine or Mr. Bennett).
  
• Virtually all County departments are led by Republicans.
• This puts Mr. Bennett in a position where it is nearly impossible for him to be objective.
• Is he likely to criticize management practices and financial controls in a County Department run by a powerul machine Republican to whom he owes his chairmanship?
• Is he likely to point out the waste of millions of dollars in a department run by the most powerful person in the Republican machine e.g. the Sheriff?
  
• Is he likely to criticize a deal that will benefit someone who is a major contributor to the machine?