Hilly Boy's Deception (as in the Lovely Tennessee Rep. Matthew Hill)

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, Team Ramsey GOPers kick TNGA House Speaker Kent Williams to the curb at Blountville campaign rally

2009-08-09T00:46:00.011-04:00

Watch the video - Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey and other TNGA GOPers on stage at a recent Team Ramsey campaign rally in Blountville snubbed TNGA House Speaker Kent Williams, leaving the House Speaker in the crowd to rather pathetically wave his handmade sign in support of Ron Ramsey...and Williams does not look none too happy about the rejection in the Kingsport Times-News video clip.

Ramsey brings gubernatorial campaign to hometown of Blountville
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9015826
By Hank Hayes
Published August 6th, 2009

BLOUNTVILLE — An emotional Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey insisted Thursday night he’s got the right kind of state government experience to be Tennessee’s next governor at a rally held before a throng of approving home folks.

With the streets blocked off in front of the Sullivan County Courthouse, the Blountville Republican made his case as the best candidate to win the 2010 GOP nomination to friends and a number of supportive Republican lawmakers on a clear and warm August evening.

“I look out here on this crowd and I literally see friends ... from Mountain City to Memphis and everywhere in between.... I can tell you in the House of Representatives no candidate for governor has more support than Ron Ramsey does,” House GOP Leader Jason Mumpower, Ramsey’s protege from Bristol, told the crowd before Ramsey was introduced.

The rally marked one year before the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary.

Among the supportive state senators was Church Hill Republican Mike Faulk, who introduced Ramsey as the best candidate to deal with the state’s economy.

...

House Speaker Kent Williams, a Carter County Republican who was kicked out of the Tennessee Republican Party after his surprise Democrat-aided victory over Mumpower in the speaker’s election, stood on the street with the crowd and not with other pro-Ramsey GOP lawmakers behind the stage.

“I think Ron has a great chance to win.... I think it’s a wide open race,” Williams said of Ramsey.

No word yet as to when Lt. Governor Ramsey and Team Ramsey will get around to hiring a midget with a broom to work for Ramsey during the upcoming Tennessee 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

TRA Director Kenneth C. Hill lies to the FCC about being "American Indian/Alaskan Native"; TN voter records reveal a different story

2009-08-08T00:52:00.019-04:00

Revelation 21:8 - All Liars
"The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Radio evangelical paleface and newly minted Tennessee Regulatory Authority Director Kenneth C. Hill

October 12, 2004 print screen of Hill's public voter information then on file at the Sullivan County, Tennessee Election Commission office. (white)

Hill's application for voter registration on file at the Sullivan County (Tennessee) Election Commission office on October 12, 2004 - note: Hill at the date was voting in the wrong House District at this time as he resided at 139 Polo Drive in Blountville.(W)

WPWT Owner Information - see FCC 323 OWNERSHIP REPORT FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATIONS BOA - 20080318AAH (WPWT 870 AM) hyperlink below. (American Indian/Alaskan Native)

List the respondent, and, if other than a natural person, its officers, directors, stockholders and other entities with attributable interests, non-insulated partners and/or members. If a corporation or partnership holds an attributable interest in the respondent, list separately its officers, directors, stockholders and other entities with attributable interests, non-insulated partners and/or members. Create a separate row for each individual or entity. Attach supplemental pages, if necessary.

(Read carefully - The numbered items below refer to line numbers in the following table.)

1. Name and address of respondent and each party to the respondent holding an attributable interest (if other than individual also show name, address and citizenship of natural person authorized to vote the stock or holding the attributable interest). List the respondent first, officers next, then directors and, thereafter, remaining stockholders and other entities with attributable interests, and partners.
2. Gender (male or female).
3. Ethnicity (check one).
4. Race (select one or more).
5. Citizenship.
6. Positional interest: Officer, director, general partner, limited partner, LLC member, investor/creditor attributable under the Commission's equity/debt plus standard, etc.
7. Percentage of votes.
8. Percentage of total assets (equity debt plus).

(...)

1. Name and Address KENNETH C. HILL
2. Gender (male or female) Male
3. Ethnicity (check one) Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
4. Race (select one or more) [x] American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
5. Citizenship US
6. Positional Interest 51%
7. Percentage of votes 51.00
8. Percentage of total assets (equity debt plus) 51.00

(...)

SECTION III - CERTIFICATION

I certify that I am PRESIDENT

(Official Title)

of INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

(Exact legal title or name of respondent)

and that I have examined this Report and that to the best of my knowledge and belief, all statements in this Report are true, correct and complete.

(Date of certification must be within 60 days of the date shown in Question 5, Section II and in no event prior to that date.)

Signature
KENNETH C. HILL
Date 03/18/2008
Telephone Number of Respondent (Include area code) 4238786279

WILLFUL FALSE STATEMENTS ON THIS FORM ARE PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND/OR IMPRISONMENT (U.S. CODE, TITLE 18, SECTION 1001), AND/OR REVOCATION OF ANY STATION LICENSE OR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (U.S. CODE, TITLE 47, SECTION 312(a)(1)), AND/OR FORFEITURE (U.S. CODE, TITLE 47, SECTION 503).

FCC - Ownership Report Search Results (WPWT - Application)

FCC 323 OWNERSHIP REPORT FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATIONS BOA - 20080318AAH (WPWT 870 AM)

FCC AM Query & AM List Results (WPWT 870 AM)

Tennessee Regulatory Authority Director Kenneth C. Hill

Talk About a Monkey Wrench

2009-01-16T17:51:00.008-05:00

Wow, Carter County's own Kent Williams pulled a trick no one saw coming. I can't believe he is now Tennessee's House Speaker. Almost every Republican in the state is steaming with anger. A lot of newspapers are equally annoyed with this development. This is incredibly satisfying for me just because it appears Gregory's money still can't quite buy everything he wants. I do think, though, that the majority party should be the one that chooses the speaker. Williams also had to do a lot of lying before hand to set this up. I'm never a fan of lying. So, I am just about equally disappointed in this development. Williams, in effect, let the Democrats pick the leader, one who is not too experienced, too. Worked in Williams' favor for now, but there is no way he will get reelected in 2010. The bad part here is that dumb Jerome Cochran will probably run again. So, maybe Kent will get reelected. Sometimes, you just can't make this stuff up. I bet John Lundberg is annoyed too, since he was salivating at a possible increase in business with his employee set to be the new speaker. Oh well, at least Mumpower will have more time to read his comic books.
---
UPDATE: Apparently, Mumpower had a ton of flags ordered to celebrate his big day, which of course didn't turn out to be so good for him. He also had some goofball video tape him all day to preserve the historic moment. I would like to see that video, especially when the final vote put Williams in. While Williams seems awfully dirty in this trick, I do enjoy that Matty Hill will likely continue to be ignored due to his incompetence. That's not good for the 7th District though. It's just that Mumpower and the Gregory cronies would have overlooked Hill's shortcomings.
---
UPDATE II: I just learned that this whole mess could have been avoided if freshman Republican Terri Lynn Weaver had actually understood how to vote on a tabling motion. That is pretty amazing. Sounds like a Fred Merkle indeed.

And, on another note, Matthew Hill still annoys people in his own district, or at least the person who posted this lawsuit info. By the way, that's a bummer what happened to Bernier. Sounds like he was blindsided.

David vs. Goliath: Independent Mike "Moxie" Williams Takes On MegaMillionaire John M. Gregory Proxy

2008-08-09T08:37:00.003-04:00

Here are the URLs for the online Tennessee campaign finance reports filed by Independent Tennessee 7th House District Challenger Mike ~~Smith~~ Williams --- a "man of the people" , who despite the meger amount of money that candidate Williams is currently self-financing into his 2008 General Election campaign, demonstrates how gutsy Williams is to take on the carpeting bagging errand boy of the pharmaceutical megamillionaire John M. Gregory and his family members.

Search Online Campaign Finance Records - TN.gov: Reports for WILLIAMS, MIKE

2008 Pre-Primary for MIKE WILLIAMS submitted on 08/03/2008

BEGINNING BALANCE $0.00

RECEIPTS
MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS, UNITEMIZED $0.00

MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS, ITEMIZED One item found.

Contributor C/P Rec'd For Date Amount Aggregate
WILLIAMS, MIKE
1200 RIDGECREST ROAD
JOHNSON CITY, TN 37604
C
Rec'd For General
Date: 07/03/2008
Amount: $528.33
Aggregate: $528.33

2008 2nd Quarter for MIKE WILLIAMS submitted on 07/07/2008
[zero balance]

Independent Mike Williams To Take On Both Toady Hill And Gregory Money Mill

2008-08-09T07:42:00.004-04:00

‘We need some-one who can get things done and make things happen.’
— Mike Williams, independent candidate for 7th House District seat
[photo caption]

By Ben Ingram
Press Staff Writer
bingram@johnsoncitypress.com

While most candidates are winding down following Thursday’s election, Mike Williams, an independent candidate for the 7th House District seat, was just getting warmed up.

Williams, who at one point appeared on the August Republican primary ballot, said he opted to run as an independent when the ticket started getting crowded.

“I didn’t know if it would confuse the voters or not, so on the advice of a friend I decided to run as an independent,” said Williams, a business process improvement specialist with Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin.

As for why he decided to run for the 7th District seat, held by Republican primary winner Matthew Hill of Jonesborough, Williams said there were a number of reasons.

“My alarm goes off and every single day it seems crime is getting worse in Tennessee,” he said. “It seems there is a lot of gang-related activity in the area and maybe there’s just something that could be done on the state level, primarily increased funding for local law enforcement.

[more at the Johnson City Press]

Williams goes onto to refer to Rep. Matthew Hill as a "great guy"...it is not readily apparent from this Press news report if Williams is another Hill friend/political 7th House District challenger as happened to be the case with the political novice Todd Smith who took the Hill-Gregory-Tennessee Conservative PAC machine with both an 1:8 campaign treasury disadvantage and a seemingly absent campaign management team...

Williams also seems to be repeating the same novice Smith campaign mistake: not lauching the public campaign effort early enough to start churning up name recognition across the Tennessee 7th House District --- to do so this late in the game will likely cost a greater amount of time and money than if Williams had launched this effort last summer.

David Davis Loses!

2008-08-08T00:06:00.006-04:00

Well, Hill may have won easily (which is no surprise given his Sullivan County money and, according to some of his volunteers, the not so well run campaign by Smith-who, unlike Hill, wasn't granted time off by his daddy), but a much bigger fish got fried in old David Davis. He has been an embarrassment to east Tennessee and it is truly satisfying to see him booted by a genuine anti-PAC Phil Roe. Congrats Phil Roe! This is the first time an incumbent has been defeated for this seat since 1930, I believe.

So, I feel like I helped knock some holes in Davis' Gregory funded armor. I busted little Timmy on the Internet vandalism story (in fact, I broke the story) and made sure the Knoxville News Sentinel was tipped off. They did good reporting and little Timmy was put on the wire for the world to see. Elmer Gantry busted Davis for giving Timmy an $8000 bonus for that stunt. Of course, Davis' dog fighting vote and Saudi Arabia blood money were the bigger daggers.

So, that makes Cochran and Davis two Gregory candidates defeated in the same election. Not a bad day.

On Hill, when is an opponent going to hammer him on being a U.S. military protester? This is three candidates in a row who haven't touched Matthew Hill's biggest weakness in a district that doesn't take kindly to not supporting U.S troops. Just ask military veteran Marion Light. I guess that Patton would have been a better opponent than Smith after all.

On an unrelated note, I'm glad to welcome Elmer Gantry as a co-author on this blog. Our opinions are not always the same and I'm sure I'll point that out sometimes, but Elmer is a free thinker who is not beholden to any party. He is a Tri-Cities native and has seen quite a few more elections than Hilly boy, so he brings good perspective to the discussion of politics. Enjoy!

Todd Smith v Matthew Hill

2008-08-02T03:46:00.004-04:00

-This great JC Press story about campaign donations shows that Matthew Hill has a ton of money, but almost zero support from the 7th District. There’s nothing like letting Sullivan Countians run Washington County!

-Here’s a great story about Smith and Hill. I especially like how Hill is scared to debate Smith publicly. I also like how Hill acts like his lack of securing road money is not that big of a deal. This editorial goes into more detail about how hard Hill has had to work at avoiding a debate.

-This JC Press story demonstrates how Matthew Hill lies like there is no tomorrow. He is as unchristian as they come. He said that Smith will raise the gas tax all by himself, hoping to make voters afraid of Smith. Smith has countless times said publicly that he will oppose a gas tax increase, and Hill knows this.
I got a big chuckle from Hill saying Smith had special interests funding him. Hill has had nothing but non-7th District special interests funding him since 2004, and Hill’s special interest money is 8 times more than any of his opponents have received, due almost entirely to the Gregory machine.
This story also demonstrates Smith’s support for veterans, something Hill doesn’t get since he protested against the U.S. military a few years back! Hill has refused to acknowledge or apologize to veterans for it.

-Here’s a great editorial highlighting how Matthew Hill will use his new child as an advertising prop. Of course Hill also put a picture of his child at 21 weeks on there to subliminally suggest that Smith is pro-abortion. At least Hill is not outright lying about Smith, like Hill did with Patton on abortion. That lie that Hill spread is the only reason he beat Patton by 400 votes in 04'.

Houk also made a great point about Hill talking about opposing gay marriage. We overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment two years ago. The issue is settled and it’s time for our 7th District Rep to actually get something done.

I like how Ford isn’t supporting Hill. I heard that Ford wanted to advance some legislation regarding divorced parents being punished for turning in false reports to DHS against the other spouse, but Hill would have none of it because of how it affected someone close to him.

Matthew Hill News

2008-08-02T03:40:00.001-04:00

Here’s an interesting story about one of Matthew Hill’s special interest funders from outside the 7th District:

Larry Bates is listed by Hill or his organization as being "self-employed" within the broadcast industry without listing Bates' actual company name.
So just who is the Memphis area broadcaster Larry Bates anyway?
A lengthy Google search reveals that Larry Bates is both a former associate of Jake Butcher and a former three-term Democrat member of the Tennessee House of Representatives (1970-1976; Bates switched to the Republican Party after he moved to Memphis). It also turns out that Bates wears many other hats (small bank CEO, economist, author) and heads up the Information Radio Network, Inc. (IRN USA Radio News) --- and one of the radio programs featured on for-profit Information Radio Network is the newly and nationally syndicated "The Matthew Hill Show" airing at 0800 a.m. and 1200 noon (1-800-773-8255).

So why is it that Rep. Matthew Hill is hiding his employment/independent contractor relationship with Larry Bates from public review of the Matthew Hill campaign disclosures filed with the Tennessee Secretary of State?

Here are a couple of things Bates is alleged to have said: We SHOULD execute ALL women that have ever had an abortion. And God has forbidden women from being leaders of countries, including the U.S. and Indonesia.

-Apparently the latest “nonprofit” incarnation by the Hills (this one out of Matty's home) was cited by the Federal Communications Commission over CFR violations regarding too-many new construction license applications for non-profit radio stations in various locations across the United States and filed late in 2007.

Political Happenings

2008-08-02T03:14:00.001-04:00

Here's a smattering of political news related to the Tri-Cities:

-Here’s an interesting post that exposes Rachel Davis apparently stretching the truth about the Davis family dog in her attempt to defend David Davis’ support of dog fighting.

-Congress.com Ranked U.S. Rep. David Davis Among Least Influential Members.

-U.S. Rep. David Davis is this election season’s leading congressional recipient of donations from a billion-dollar global defense contractor accused of bribing Saudi officials with call girls and money. This company is the same one Davis secured money for.

-I must add that Davis was not happy about this.
-However, the Bristol Herald Courier stood by the story.
-This blogger has all the details. I can't believe that Davis' first release had BHC Jerks in it. Very professional.

-Speaking of Davis, here’s a good post that shows David Davis gave Timmy Hill an $8000 bonus after Timmy was busted for committing vandalism.

-By the way, Matthew Hill makes about $30,000 for his part-time job as a legislator. Too bad he doesn’t get anything done for the 7th District.

-Here’s an excellent letter that was sent in to the Hill clan’s WHCB Newsletter:

You are publishing falsehoods. No, Gov. Ben Hooper was not "as described in the story." Yes, he was an out of wedlock child that went on to become the Governor of Tennessee; this is true, but the rest of the story is made up poppycock. Nothing in Gov. Hooper's autobiography notes about how he slipped out of church in order to avoid the question of "Who is your daddy?" His autobiography is silent on the subject of preachers at this time in his life. This story is a pre-fabrication and based on the theme of being a "Bookkeeper in the Brothel", i.e., a man applies to be a bookkeeper in a brothel and is turned down because he can't read. He then goes on to be a great success, which keys on being rebuffed leads to one's own success.

You should be ashamed at printing this story as actual history as it is not verifiable. Call me a detractor?? Perhaps, but you can call me someone who does not believe everything he reads without doing some research. Shame on you for distorting history for your own religious cause. A simple statement about the story being urban legend would've been fine and a statement about how it is both fact (out of wedlock) and fiction (church story) would've been fine, but you stated Ben Hooper was "as described in the story." His autobiography rebuffs that statement and essentially makes your printing a falsehood. God forbid that your readers actually read his autobiography, they might actually learn something if they did that. I will pray that TRUTH will come to LIGHT. So mote it be.

Matthew Hill's Buddy Cochran Fails To File Ethics Form

2008-05-11T17:31:00.003-04:00

Well, Jerome Cochran, a buddy of Hill who loves taking Gregory money, was busted by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research for not turning in his disclosure of conflicts of interest form. This nice bit of law-breaking by Cochran is another reason why he needs to be kept out of office. I'm surprised Hill even knew he was supposed to turn this form in. His close relationship to Cochran speaks to Hill's character regardless. Good job to the TCPR's director and Johnson City native Drew Johnson on this one. It appears one of Cochran's opponents also didn't file her form, but I've never heard of her.

UPDATE: The May 14 JC Press ran a front-page story about Cochran's failure. His quote and the headline sure are a gem:

Cochran: Unfiled form must have been lost

According to the story, apparently Cochran is no stranger to unethical actions:

Cochran faced sanctions once before over a financial oversight. Last year, the state Registry of Elections made allegations Cochran had violated election statutes when he accepted the maximum donations of $2,000 in contributions from James and Susan Gregory for the 2006 Republican primary and another $2,000 from the Gregorys for the 2006 general election. Since Cochran lost in the primary, the second donation should not have been used, yet Cochran reported an ending balance of only $428.32. The registry voted to take no action when Cochran promised to reimburse his campaign an additional $204.22.

The JC Press ran this story on the 15th. It looks like Gregory called and chewed out Drew Johnson.

Matthew Hill Builds on His Legacy of Ineffectiveness, Shows His Appreciation for Septic Tanks

2008-04-19T10:19:00.003-04:00

Well, I knew it wouldn't take him very long to give us more fuel for Todd Smith's campaign. Matty has made headlines for his deception and disrespect to his fellow lawmakers by trying to add his useless English only law to a bill about septic tanks, of all things. Here are some gems:

“I fail to see how English as a second language has anything to do with septic tanks,” said Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville), who sponsored the septic tank legislation.

...House Majority Leader Gary Odom (D-Nashville) said the GOP amendment, which Odom says Hill added Thursday morning and never told Gilmore about, showed a lack of respect to Gilmore.

“To me, that has a lot to say about the seriousness of the amendment’s sponsor,” Odom said. “Now we can do this, we can play these games for the next few weeks that we’re going to be in session, and that’s going to make the days a lot longer and a lot harder.”

While that story came from Nashville, The Bristol Herald Courier , Hill's hometown paper, had this to say:

THUMBS DOWN TO: Legislative bait-and-switch - State Rep. Matthew Hill’s sneaky maneuver to tack an English-in-the-workplace measure on to an unrelated bill dealing with sewage systems is disappointing, but not surprising. Hill, R-Jonesborough, has a history of placing a higher priority on partisan politics than on actually governing. His effort was thwarted on a 51-46 vote.

...No doubt, this disappointed Hill. But the manner in which he attempted to revive the English-only measure runs counter to the premise of open, transparent government. The sponsor of the sewage system bill didn’t learn about Hill’s amendment until her bill reached the floor, nor was the amendment offered as the bill made its long and winding journey through the state’s Byzantine system of committees and subcommittees.

Rep. Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol and part of the House Republican leadership, gave his approval to Hill’s end-run around the normal legislative process. Mumpower noted that lawmakers sometimes must "make decisions on the fly" in order to handle matters important to their constituents. In other words, the ends justify the means.

We disagree. In this instance, Hill and Mumpower, by his assent, made a mockery of the legislative process – attempting to exploit it for political ends. Given that this is an election year, we expect more of the same.

Once again, Hill's actions make the Tri-Cities look like a joke. I don't know why Hill hasn't been very good at directing more roads money our way. It certainly couldn't have anything to do with the way he needlessly ticks people off while trying to pass bills that help no one at all.

Thank You Bob (and info on Matthew Hill's Money)

2008-04-10T13:23:00.002-04:00

Well, luckily Bob Patton has withdrawn in a move to bolster Todd Smith's chances of sending Matthew Hill packing. All I can say is Thank You. With the support of Bob's friends, Smith should have more of the votes now, but he definitely can't take it for granted. He'll have to work extra hard since Hill doesn't have a real job.

In other news, according to Tennessee.gov's online campaign finance info, Matthew Hill has received $24,500 in donations for the current campaign, and $18,050 (more than 2/3) came from outside the 7th District. More than $10,000 of that came from the Gregorys alone. In addition, Hill spent $4,100 of his campaign money with groups outside of the 7th district, quite a bit more than he spent in the district. Not surprising, really.

Here are the links to this info.

Yep, Todd Smith is Actually From and Supported by The 7th District

2008-04-07T17:15:00.001-04:00

Well, Todd Smith is already giving Matty Hill a run for his money by knocking on doors in early April. He happened to knock on the door of Matt's official blogger and her only complaint is that Smith has support from a wide range of people in the 7th District. I guess she is disappointed that Smith is not like Hill, a Sullivan Countian being funded by Sullivan Countians. I'll take a native over a carpet bagger, so my vote is still for Smith.

Patton Needs To Step Aside

2008-04-04T01:28:00.004-04:00

Well, after this recent Johnson City Press article, it's pretty clear that Bob Patton needs to step aside and let Todd Smith clean Matthew Hill's clock. Otherwise, Bob will be helping the Sullivan County kid who beat him by spreading lies about Patton. I would think the last thing septuagenarian Patton would want to do is help kid clueless.

I also thought this quote by Smith was pretty funny:

“Bob Patton was a good representative, but in today’s environment when you have a lot of people unsatisfied with the incumbent, it clogs things up,”

There are definitely a lot of people fed up with Hill.

Matthew Hill Called a Pig for Wasteful Spending

2008-03-31T00:29:00.001-04:00

Well, Matthew Hill was one of three lawmakers called out by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, run by Johnson City native Drew Johnson.

Wasteful Spending Continues for the Three Little Pigs of Washington County

Everyone remembers the fairy tale about the “Three Little Pigs.” You may not know, however, that we have our very own version of the Three Little Pigs right here in Washington County. In the fairy tale version, the Three Little Pigs leave home to seek their fortunes, learning valuable life lessons along the way. The Three Little Pigs in the Washington County version are state legislators who leave home to spend your money, forgetting their promises of fiscal responsibility in the process.

Washington County’s Three Little Pigs are state Sen. Rusty Crowe and state Reps. Dale Ford and Matthew Hill. All three of these state legislators, each of whom is Republican, claims to be a fiscal conservative and a responsible steward of your tax dollars. Unfortunately, for taxpayers, those claims appear to be fairy tales...

Matthew Hill, who, to his credit, was against the idea of the pork grants when they came up on the House floor, was quick to present one of the oversized checks. In a quote to the Johnson City Press, Hill proclaimed “it’s always a good thing when I can bring home money to the community.” While the vote-buying practice of sprinkling pork throughout a district in a way that benefits a few people at the expense of all other taxpayers may be a “good thing” for Rep. Hill, I imagine most taxpayers don’t believe that it’s a good thing for them.

Only One Republican Should Run Against Matthew Hill (though many Republicans Don't Like Him)

2008-03-23T23:12:00.004-04:00

So, even though Republican Todd Smith very early on announced his campaign against against Matthew Hill, the rumor is that Bob Patton is thinking about jumping in too, in addition to a possible fourth candidate. This has to make Hill happy. If a ton of people run against the brainless one, since he is the encumbent, he will likely get the most votes because his name will be most recongizeable. The Republicans need to get their crap together and stand behind Smith, who declared first and has the experience to run circles around Hill.

Patton is a great guy who was smeared by Hill and his Sullivan County money, but Patton's 10 years were long enough. Plus Patton's income tax vote will be brought up all over again, even though Ron Ramsey publicly said he thought he would have to support the vote too. Ramsey decided against it, but he and Patton publicly talked about it with the very same words. If you don't beleive me, go to the library and look at the local papers' discussions of the issue before the vote. I stumbled on them and was amazed at what came out of Ramsey's mouth. Obviously the difference is he didn't vote his conscience.

Another reason there only needs to be one Republican candidate is because the one thing Matthew Hill does well is knock on doors. Since he doesn't have a real job, his daddy lets him campaign full-time during election seasons, probably because hid daddy's "nonprofit" businesses are funded by the Sullivan County Gregory clan, the same one's who fund Hill's campaigns. All other candidates have actual jobs and businesses, but Hill just goes around knocking on doors. He doesn't fulfill promises or get anything done in Nashville, but his door knocking does hoodwink a number of people whose doors haven't been knocked on by a politician. For this reason, there needs to be a unified front against Hill by the Republicans.
---
As one commenter reminded me, a big reason that Hill "knocks" on so many doors is that he uses home-school kids from around Chattanooga to do his door knocking for him. I think Hill should run for office there instead of here.

Even Matthew Hill's Supporters Disagree With Him

2008-03-18T00:34:00.002-04:00

Here’s a stay-at-home-blogger who is not too excited about Hill’s so-called attempt at DUI punishment reform.
The blogger also discussed Hill’s stupid waste of taxpayers' funds with his “Protecting English in the Workplace” bill. This is why he has a Christian Republican opponent this year. While Washington County loses out on road funding, Hill wastes his time on trying to pass laws that accomplish absolutely nothing. He is a clueless Sullivan Countian who also happens to be a U.S. military protestor. Plus, this looks like another example of government intruding into the private sector yet again. It’s pretty clear that Hill has never owned his own real business. I’m looking forward to a new rep this year, that’s for sure.
---
In other news, I think it’s is pretty funny that Jerome Cochran is trying to get his old seat back. I’m sure Gregory wants his puppet back in office. Like Hill, Cochran is good at getting little done. Here’s proof from the man that beat Cochran:

Following the meeting, Williams stood by his comments. “When I was first elected I went to TDOT to ask about the Northern Connector and they could not even find a file on it. That told me what the status was.”

I also thought that Ramsey had an interesting quote:

With a nod to the Democrats, Ramsey said his relationship with Bredesen has been good. “It is so nice to have a governor in the mold of Ned McWherter, who knows how to work with both sides and knows how to say ‘no’ and not make people mad,” Ramsey said.

---
More Proof That Hill Needs To Be Replaced

It sure seems ironic that U.S. military protester Matthew Hill talks about being proud of those who served in the U.S. military.
---
Journalists are taught to write in the inverted pyramid style, putting the most important information first and the least important information last. That is why I find it telling that Matthew Hill’s plans are the very last part of this story about our area’s representatives.
---
I find this story’s quote about Matthew Hill pretty telling too. The story was about accomplishments by area legislators in the 105th Assembly:

Attempts to reach Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, were unsuccessful.

If you want a change, vote for Todd Smith.

Todd Smith’s Web Site

2008-02-12T17:08:00.001-05:00

Here's the Web site for Todd Smith's campaign: www.smithworksforyou.com. It looks pretty good. He sure has more experience than Matthew Hill.

Oh, and by the way, Smith is a U.S. military veteran. Matthew Hill is a U.S. military protester. There's a big difference!

Matthew Hill's Opponent Is Already Campaigning

2008-02-11T17:21:00.001-05:00

Well, here’s a few updates related to Sullivan County’s finest, Matthew Hill.

-Todd Smith, hopefully the next state rep for the 7th District, is out campaigning against Hill already. That’s a nice little video of Smith, who is a much more polished public speaker. Based on Hill’s Web site, it appears Matty is still trying to decide if he should run against Smith.

-Over here, you can read a JC Press reader’s comments, spelling out Matthew Hill’s lack of accomplishments in the area of education.

-I find it interesting that Matthew Hill felt obliged to honor Al Gore and his Nobel Prize-winning An Inconvenient Truth.

-Someone has been posting info about shady business practices by the Hill family.

-Matthew sure does enjoy getting beer money.
---

Here’s some David Davis news:

-Timmy Hill’s replacement, Ryan Tronovitch, is a New Yorker who graduated from college in 2006. Strange.

-David Davis has a very wealthy opponent this fall.

“David and I have some things in common. We’re both committed Christians and we’re pro-life,” Roe said.

However, Roe said the differences lie in his aversion to accepting money from special interest groups and Davis’ “inconsistent” votes.

“I wouldn’t support collective bargaining for firefighters and I certainly wouldn’t have voted against a dog-fighting bill like he did,” Roe said. “When he was a state representative he voted for the largest tax increase in state history. I didn’t know conservatives did that.”

Dr. Roe is better than Davis in so many ways.

-Davis stated his support for amnesty for illegal aliens, the same platform that has conservatives annoyed with McCain and Bush.

-David Davis received a campaign donation in October from an attorney representing Studsvik, Inc., a radioactive waste incinerator company. You know, the company that most of Erwin doesn’t want as their next neighbor.

DICAMILLO, JOSEPH
WILMETTE IL 60091
10/02/2007 500.00
STUDSZIK INC./COUNCIL
[FEC FILE NUMBER] 28930026490

I must say, Smith and Roe in 2008 wouldn’t be too bad for Washington County. I sure wouldn’t miss Hill and Davis, that’s for sure.

Defer to Todd Smith

2007-12-18T16:30:00.000-05:00

Well, Fred Phillips, and according to comments on an earlier post, Patti Garrett, are considering running against Matthew Hill as well. While it is no secret that many people want him out of office, it looks like Todd Smith is the best person for the job. I think Fred is great, but Todd is better qualified and would likely defeat him since the district votes Republican usually. Patti just doesn't have the credentials that Todd has, though she would still do a million times better job than Matty. If all three (Hill, Smith & Jarrett) ran in the primary, the votes might get split. It would be just the district's luck that the majority of the Republican primary voters would reject Hill (just like in 2004), but he would still win. I don't think that is possible since Garrett ran in the 6th District last time. I think everyone agrees that Hill doesn't have a chance against Todd Smith. Since Smith made his announcement, even Hill has refused to say if he will run again.

Hallelujah! Todd Smith to the Rescue

2007-12-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

Finally, a Republican with experience, brains and ethics has decided to run against U.S. military protester Matthew Hill. Todd Smith,a U.S. military veteran, is truly a godsend.

Who is Todd Smith?

2007-11-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

So, who is this Todd Smith who is rumored to possibly run against Matthew Hill? Doesn't a Todd Smith work at the Millenium Centre? Trust me, Todd is not the only one considering running, but others just don't like having to go against the Gregory bank account.

On an unrelated note, here's another Matthew Hill mention in the JC Press' online forum.

Matty's Brother Leaving D.C.

2007-11-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, this is interesting. Less than a year after starting his job, Timmy Hill is resigning David Davis's office. I would say he got offered a job with the Gregory clan, Tom Delay or he just missed his radio show and its 12 listeners.

Maybe Timmy heard that Phil Roe was going to oppose David Davis next year. That's what the Nov. 5 Tennessee Journal reported. Davis has $110,000 on hand for his reelection campaign. However, Phil just gave $2.5 million of his own money to Austin Peay University.

I think the real truth here is that Timmy just folded under the pressure of being named to the Tri-Cities Business Journal's top 40 under 40 list. I think the honor was tongue in cheek since the only thing he really accomplished was getting busted for online vandalism. By the way, has the TCBJ ever had an editor? I find more mistakes and misspellings in there than in the ETSU newspaper. It's really unfortunate.

Matthew Hill News

2007-10-28T22:49:00.000-04:00

Well, there was an anti-war rally in Jonesborough this weekend, and U.S. military protester Matthew Hill was referenced here.

Also, good old vandalism expert Timothy Hill makes $50,000 a year, according to this blog post. Must be nice. Glad that Timmy and his daddy still ask people to give money to their Jimmy Swaggart-like radio station.

Matthew Hill and Nazi Germany

2007-10-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

Even when he gets something right, Matthew Hill finds a way to be an embarrassment to the Tri-Cities. This came from the Oct. 12 BHC.

Tennessee should end its heavy-handed effort to clamp down on cross-border tobacco purchases. It’s embarrassing to have state revenue agents staking out the parking lots of convenience stores and large discounters looking for Tennessee residents buying a few cartons of smokes. Seems like a waste of resources, too.

On this, we agree with state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, although his rhetoric – he compared the state to Nazi Germany, for crying out loud – is overblown.

Also, I find it amusing that Matthew Hill is mentioned in a story that has the following paragraph:

Tennessee wouldn’t be in this pickle if it didn’t rely so heavily on the sales tax to fund the budget. Because state lawmakers remain averse to an income tax, they’ve been forced to jack up sales tax rates again and again.

Was Timothy Hill Paid by Gregory to Vandalize Wikipedia?

2007-09-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

Here's another story about Gregory going on the offensive. This story makes me wonder if Timothy Hill was following Gregory's orders, with taxpayers covering the tab, when he was vandalizing Wikipedia. Gregory has essentially been Timmy's bank while Timmy lived in the Tri-Cities. I find it very likely that Gregory would ask Timmy Hill to do something unethical, while simultaneously distributing a paper that says Gregory has done nothing unethical.

-GOP contributor sends letters to defuse critics. (KNS, 9.21.07)

The “precipitating event” for the Gregory donation defense effort, Holcomb said, was a recent controversy over attempts to revise biographies of U.S. Rep. David Davis and state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, on Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia.

Timothy Hill, press secretary to Davis and brother of Matthew Hill, has acknowledged using Davis’ office computer in the editing attempts and, as a result, was ordered to attend ethics training classes by Davis’ chief of staff. Part of what Hill attempted to edit were references to the Gregory family and their donations to the congressman and Hill’s brother.

One of the documents distributed by Holcomb is a commentary on Wikipedia entries on Gregory, King Pharmaceuticals and company dealings with Tenn-Care over Altace.

-I also like how Gregory is annoyed that his man in Elizabethton got beat. Gregory has already given $5,000 to Jerome Cochroach, who lost his re-election bid in 2006. Cochran, who is a decently paid lawyer, is apparently using Gregory's money to run again in 2008. There are a lot of needy people in Carter County who could use that $5,000 more than someone the voters rejected just last year.

-By the way, the state Democratic party needs to return any money it received from that weirdo Hsu. He's a crook and his money is tainted. Don't worry, Gregory's money is tainted too.

Hill Puts His Money Man on the Offensive

2007-09-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

It looks like John Gregory sure is glad that Timmy Hill got busted for deleting info off of Wikipedia. Matthew Hill's landlord and sugar daddy doesn't think the people who take his money are doing enough to stand up for him.

-Former King CEO defends record, GOP contributions (KTN, 9.16.07)

Major Tennessee Republican campaign donor John Gregory is going on offense in an attempt to clear up his professional record and counter future attacks by Democrats.

One reason Gregory is doing it is because he apparently doesn’t think Republican leaders have done enough to defend him.

Gregory’s spokesman, business associate and former Tennessee state Sen. Jim Holcomb, has issued a “talking points” document defending Gregory’s campaign contributions to Republicans and his tenure as former King Pharmaceuticals chairman and CEO. Gregory declined to be interviewed for this story.

...The greatest frustration has been that most of the Democratic attack on the Gregorys is defensible while only token efforts have been made by our leadership to call their assertions lies and protect one of the party’s benefactors.”

...After Gregory left the company, King agreed in November 2005 to repay $124 million plus interest to resolve allegations that it underpaid rebates owed to the Medicaid program and overcharged various federal and state governmental entities for its drug products, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

-The comments on this story are pretty telling too.

"I would ask the Gregorys not to be blindly devoted to the Republican Party however, in light of the Bush Republicans' positions towards outsourcing American's jobs, lack of immigration enforcement, NAFTA, etc. The current Republican platform has abandoned the very people who supported it, and we are abandoning the Republican Party until they change."

Tri-Cities Voter Calls on Hill to Enlist

2007-09-18T12:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a great letter to the editor that ran recently.

-Davis' staffers should enlist (BHC, 9-8-07).
Rep. David Davis, R-Tenn., is again in the news supporting the president’s foreign policy in Iraq, yet his congressional office is filled with young men and women who are of fighting age. Why is this so?

I call on Rep. Davis to ask all of his congressional staffers who are 42 years of age or less to make application to join the armed forces of the United States. If this Iraq war is as important as he wants his constituents to believe, then I believe it is imperative that he sets an example and does this. By this action, then his rhetorical bellicose speech will be more believable. I suspect this request will fall on deaf ears.

When it does, then we have more evidence that the Iraq war boils down to a three letter word and that word is spelled O-I-L. Is Iran next?

Gary M., Bluff City, Tenn.

Hill Update

2007-09-08T03:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm sure everyone believes that Timmy Hill's antics had nothing to do with David Davis' chief of staff wanting to be a gardner. Davis had to talk her out of retiring.

Davis’ chief of staff to delay retirement.

Here's a quote from the Tennessee Report: “I had other interests I wanted to pursue — either go into the private sector or try some gardening.” — Brenda Otterson, on her decision to retire. She said the decision had nothing to do with a flap over press secretary Timothy Hill’s alterations to a Wikipedia biography of Davis. Several days after she announced her retirement, Davis announced she has now agreed to stay until the end of his term.

More Tri-Cities Voters Upset With Timothy Hill; More Punishment Coming in September?

2007-08-31T17:24:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of bloggers who are not too impressed with Matthew Hill’s brother, Timmy. One is from a Tri-Cities voter. The comments on that one are pretty rough on Hill too.

-A Slap on The Wrist (TriCitiesblogs.com).

.. is pretty much what David Davis’ aide, Timothy Hill, is getting for his escapades on Wikipedia.

…Show of hands. Who believes the lesson that Hill has learned from all this is to cover his tracks better next time?

-House Ethics Group Not Done With Davis Aide.

"It turns out that despite efforts from the 1st District Congressman David Davis, the House Ethics Committee is still reviewing what actions might be taken for Davis' PR Chief Timothy Hill who was caught removing factual details about contributors to Davis from the WikiPedia website.

...But the committee itself hasn't ruled on the case yet and likely won't until Congress re-convenes next month.

...The facts remain that Hill's work is likely a violation of ethics rules, despite protests to the contrary."

Matthew Hill's Brother Hurts Boss's Image in the Tri-Cities

2007-08-31T17:18:00.000-04:00

Below is a scathing letter sent in to the Bristol Herald Courier by a Tri-Cities voter. Unfortunately, the Hills are not interested in living by true conservative Christian values.

-Davis should admit his gaffe. (8.26.07)
It was very discouraging to learn that U.S. Rep. David Davis does not like our dogs. However, it may have been even more disturbing that he would stoop to another new low by having his press aide attempt to alter or remove biographical information from the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

The material – which Rep. Matthew Hill’s brother and Kenneth Hill’s son, Timothy – attempted to remove involved Davis’ connection to the Gregory family/King Pharmaceutical cabal.

Davis was complicit in the infamous incident in which Sen. Ron Ramsey, Rep. Jason Mumpower, then-Rep. Steve Godsey [now Sullivan County mayor] and he flew to Nashville as guests aboard the King Pharmaceuticals corporate plane with the ambition of selling King’s antihypertensive drug, Altace, to the TennCare administrator. They were successful.

It was added to TennCare’s "preferred" drug list within weeks, just before that specific administrator of TennCare unexpectedly resigned. Soon thereafter, the price of Altace virtually doubled – enabling King Pharmaceuticals to fleece Tennessee taxpayers of millions of dollars.

If Mr. Davis is ashamed of his collusion in this ethical debacle, then why doesn’t he do the morally decent, Judeo-Christian thing and admit his gaffe?

Moreover, he could further redeem himself by returning the tens of thousands of dollars he has accepted in the form of personal campaign contributions from Gregory family members, King Pharmaceutical executives and the numerous reactionary, arch-conservative political action committees, which they both fund and control. As a result, he would clearly demonstrate the behavior of a true Christian conservative and would show everyone in Washington, D.C., some real East Tennessee values.

Greg W.
Kingsport, Tenn.

Hill "Investigation" Draws Ire of House Ethics Committee

2007-08-27T13:43:00.000-04:00

It looks like David Davis' office misspoke in regard to little Timmy's punishment. He was asked to "clarify" after his office made an announcement on Thursday.

-House conduct committee hasn't taken position on David Davis' aide's Wikipedia flap. (KTN on 8.25.07)

The U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct hasn’t yet taken an official position concerning Timothy Hill, who used a government computer to delete information in the online Wikipedia biographies of U.S. Rep. David Davis and Tennessee state Rep. Matthew Hill, Davis’ Chief of Staff Brenda Otterson said Friday.

...Otterson said the committee asked her to clarify her Thursday announcement noting that Davis decided Timothy Hill should be required to take ethics training classes in September for editing Davis’ and Matthew Hill’s Wikipedia entries by using a congressional office computer.

"...The committee has not taken any formal, official position on this matter,” Otterson said in an e-mail. “I just want to make it clear that this was an informal inquiry by phone with staff on the committee to see how we should handle this matter, and I sought advice and counsel from them — no formal investigation by them — just our seriously looking into what the precedents were, and to see how we should or could address the issue.”

Here are some gems from Davis:

"...Timothy probably used poor judgment in altering Wikipedia. ... I think he will benefit from the classes he will continue to take.”

"...I’m sorry Timothy actually took the word edit literally,” Davis said.

Matthew Hill's Brother Goes Back to School

2007-08-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears that Timmy Hill's fate for taxpayer-funded vandalism is having to learn how a press secretary is supposed to be behave.

UPDATE on 8.24.07: Matthew Hill Noticed by the AP & the Tennessean
-Press aide who altered Wikipedia bios to attend classes.

-Davis aide to attend conduct classes (Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8.23.07).

U.S. Rep. David Davis will require his press secretary, Timothy Hill, to attend classes on appropriate conduct for congressional staff members because of Hill’s attempted alterations of Wikipedia entries using an office computer.

-Staffer who altered Wikipedia entry to attend conduct class. (KTN on 8.23.07)

-Staffer who altered Wikipedia entry to attend conduct class. (Oak Ridger on 8.23.07)

-Davis' Press Secretary Going to Class. (TNPoliticsBlog.com)

-Rep. Davis’ press secretary to take classes after Wikipedia problem .(Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8.22.07)

Brenda Otterson, chief of staff for Davis, said Hill will attend the classes each Friday in September. She said the requirement is considered discipline...

-Congressman Davis' press secretary will attend "appropriate conduct" classes. (BHC 8.23.07)

-Congressional press aide disciplined for 'net alterations.' (KNS Blog, 8.22.07)

Matthew Hill's Brother Accused of More Vandalism; Matt Bypassed for Dale

2007-08-21T12:38:00.000-04:00

Though I doubt little Timmy Hill will lose his job, stories about his taxpayer-funded vandalism continue to pop up, including allegations that he made edits to more strange Wikipedia entries. And don't forget, he was erasing info on his big brother too.

-U.S. House Ethics Committee to examine congressional press secretary vandalizing Wikipedia articles with government computer. (from MensNewsDaily.com on Aug. 20)

This article has quite a bit more information on Timmy's actions:

"...Other interesting Wikipedia articles edited with the history detail revealing Rep. Davis Davis congressional office IP number (although not attributed to Hill) includes John Leslie (porn star) and sports professional Ray Jackson. The vandalism at the Jackson article was not directed toward the sports pro, but rather at a congressional staffer of the same name who is employed at the House Rules Committee.

...There is also an IP number indication that U.S. Rep. David Davis' congressional office has also been anonymously "shadowing" online blogs with at least one blog (The Tennessee Waltz) originating in East Tennessee with content that was critical toward Rep. Davis for his voting against the federal 2007 Animal Fighting Prohibition Act."

-David Davis' Press Secretary receives criticism over Wikipedia actions.(from News Channel 11 on Aug. 13)

Here's a gem from genius Matthew Hill: "I just have to admit that I was kind of like, 'what's the big deal,'" Matthew Hill said.

-Speaking of Matty Hill, the Aug. 19 Johnson City Press had an editorial about this whole mess with Timmy, David and Matthew. According to the paper, officials in the 7th District prefer rookie Rep. Dale Ford as their go-to guy when they need help. Not a surprise really. Hill better hope Dale doesn't buy a house in the 7th District anytime soon.

Timothy Hill's Job in Jeopardy? More Scathing Reviews of His Performance

2007-08-15T15:44:00.000-04:00

So, here are a few more new stories about Timmy Hill's tax funded vandalism. Looks like his job might be in jeopardy too. Public servants are supposed to be ethical.

-Hill gets caught in web of scandal. (from the Bristol Herald-Courier on Aug. 15)

...At a minimum, Hill is guilty of a serious lapse in judgment. He has embroiled his boss in a needless controversy and made himself the target of an internal U.S. House investigation.

...Yet, Hill was willing to risk his career and reputation to "clean up" the entry about Davis. Did he do so on his own initiative or was he encouraged by his boss to police the entries? Neither Hill nor Davis has answered that question.

...If Hill violated the rules for congressional staffers, he should be reprimanded. If no rules were broken, he still must live with the fact that he created a controversy where none existed. That’s not a particularly useful skill for a press secretary.

-Lawmaker's office awaits panel's verdict on aide's act. (from the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Aug. 15)

"Timothy Hill declined comment Tuesday."

Lots of People Have Noticed Timothy Hill's Questionable Behavior

2007-08-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

So, check out all these additional blog posts about Timmy Hill's time spent looking at literally 1,000s of blogs and Web sites.

-Congressional aide playing Internet games? (Knoxville News-Sentinel blog on Aug. 13)
-Sanatizing Wikipedia. (WKRN blog in Nashville on Aug. 13)
-Entries on Wikipedia edited by Davis aide.
-Blogs get the attention of a TN congressman.
-Rep. David Davis Dogged Again.

And, check out these two stories about Timmy Hill stalking a blogger:
[Update on 8-15-07: According to the blogger, "Hill probably did look in on my blog since the House IP address is the same as one given in an article about Hill. But I never claimed that Hill was looking."]
-Watching you watching me.
-Talk to me: Watching you watching me Part 2.

Perhaps it's time for David Davis to fire his very professional "press secretary."

And here's another good story about David Davis being a fan of Michael Vick.
-Rep. Davis Takes Heat for Dogfighting Vote.

Timothy Hill Busted for Tax Funded Vandalism

2007-08-13T12:54:00.000-04:00

Timothy Hill got busted for trying to delete unfavorable, but true, information on David Davis and Matthew Hill from Wikipedia, from a congressional computer. What a great use of our tax-funded assets. Good job bringing negative attention to your boss and your brother.

Kingsport Times News: Davis aide under fire for trying change information in his boss' and brother's online biographies. (Aug. 11)

Knoxville News Sentinel: Entries on Wikipedia edited by Davis aide: Press secretary also admits deleting info on brother via federal computer. (Aug. 11)

Knoxville News Sentinel Blog Post: Congressional wiki-shenanigans. (Aug. 13)

The story was first reported by a local blogger: U.S. Rep. David Davis' Playhouse: His House office using federal tax dollars to vandalize Wikipedia political bios.

Here's yet another blogger who wrote about Hill's "mistake": Aide to Rep. Davis Caught Altering Online Bio.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from little Timmy:

-When initially contacted about the attempts to revise the Davis and Rep. Hill biographies, Hill told the News Sentinel he was not personally responsible. But he called a reporter back later to say he had spoken off the cuff on his cell phone in the midst of a hectic event involving the congressman and “miscommunicated.”
-Hill said in an interview that he made a mistake that would not be repeated.
-Timothy Hill described himself as "kind of a hard charger."
-"I have searched hundreds if not thousands of sites and stories weekly."(Does he have anything better to do?)
-"I had never really been to the site before, and I didn't understand how to use it."
-"I don't anticipate attempting to edit any Wikipedia again."
-“It wasn’t anything that was intended to be destructive or disruptive,” Hill said.

This is nice too: Wade Munday, spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, said the situation “calls the judgment of Congressman Davis and his staff into question about what is the appropriate and inappropriate use of their time as public servants.”

Munday said it would be appropriate for a political campaign, following Wikipedia procedures, to challenge information deemed incorrect on a Web site entry. Many campaigns do so, he said.

But he said it was inappropriate for “a staffer on a federal payroll” and using the U.S. House computer system to do so.
---
The commenters on both newspaper stories don't seem to be buying Hill's claims of "misunderstanding": "Mr. Timothy Hill tries to portray himself as unintelligent within the internet atmosphere. Thats pure and simple baloney, and for him to alter parts of an entry because he thought they were "inacurrate" shows how much he knows about his boss. Those Hill brothers are surely creating a name for themselves in this region. And by "name" I mean "bad image."

Here is the article for Search Engine Land that discussed the repeated, unethical attempts at vandalism from a congressional computer: SEO Tips & Tactics From A Wikipedia Insider.

Matthew Hill: Still Accomplishing Nothing for the 7th District

2007-08-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

Here’s a report of the almost nothing that Matthew Hill accomplished since January.

-He opposed funding for local public schools (KTN 3.10.07), but curiously has an interest in student permission forms (KTN 4.10.07) at those very same schools. He went on record as supporting smoking in restaurants (JCP 2.11.07).

-He complained about bringing money back from Nashville (JCP 5.25.07) to the 7th District. Rusty Crowe, on the other hand, thought the people elected to him to help: "I’ve always thought that anything I can bring home to my district to support organizations, law enforcement, etc., is good,” said Crowe, noting that before the (Gov. Don) Sundquist administration, many local departments didn’t have to worry about money they now depend on their local legislators for."

-Hill opposed funding for trauma centers in Tennessee. Once again, Rusty Crowe felt differently (JCP 6.15.07).

-Hill was quoted in the March 20 Tennessean talking about how much time he spends on the pressing issue of renaming roads. What a great use of his time on behalf of the 7th District.

-He continued to be inaccessible (JCP 6.15.07): "Attempts to reach Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, were unsuccessful."

-Hill also tried to get the sales tax on food eliminated. Those efforts resulted in a measly ½ cent reduction on the tax. Here’s the 6.14.07 Kingsport Times News’ account of Hill’s “accomplishments.”

While tax relief on food did happen, a number of Hill's other causes hit a legislative wall.

One bill to make ignition interlock devices mandatory for all first-time DUI offenders was deferred to a summer study committee. Another bill to re-establish elected school superintendents was referred for further review. Hill withdrew a bill to reduce handgun carry permit application fees from $115 to $100. His bill to require the state budget to be prepared and adopted on a two-year, rather than annual, basis, was assigned to the so-called "Black Hole" House Budget Subcommittee.

Hill's bill to make the punishment for child rape the same as the punishment for first-degree murder failed for lack of a seconding motion in a Judiciary subcommittee.

That cigarette tax increase [that Hill did not support] is expected to support Gov. Phil Bredesen's education funding reform initiative. Washington County and Johnson City are projected to receive more than $6.8 million combined under Bredesen's plan passed by lawmakers.

-And lastly, it was learned that Matthew Hill paid $11,000 for direct mail services to a company in Georgia. Too bad he can’t support the district, or even the state, he represents.

I'm Not the Only One Who Doesn't Like Him

2007-01-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

For more up to date info on the glorious Matthew Hill, go here: http://www.matthewlistens.blogspot.com/. I've got a few things in the works, but in the meantime, enjoy this great picture from the 4-18-99 Bristol Herald Courier.

An Olive Branch, Of Sorts

2006-11-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

If Matthew Hill would like to spend considerably less money in the next election, here are a few things he could do to win over some of the 7,400 voters who don't approve of his performance.

1. Stop pushing that stupid firefighters union bill. Almost every person in Tennessee, definitely every conservative, finds the bill asinine.
2. Don’t give yourself a legislative raise anymore
3. Stop pissing off local leaders by ignoring their requests for communication on topics that you disagree with them on. I'm not talking about your stupid meetings where you tell them to come talk to you. Give a little more respect to Jonesborough.
4. Do more in the 7th District than just sleep here. At least you could go to church here.
5. Stop accepting money from outside the 7th District. Even limiting your funding to 25% outside money would be a huge improvement.
6. Stop accepting money from Gregory.
7. Stop using homeschool kids from Chattanooga on your campaigns.
8. Get more roads money and you’ll stop pissing off the Powell Construction & Summer-Taylor people
9. Don’t lie. Whether it’s all the “sit down meetings” you had with the Governor on the pharmacy school, or that you cut the grocery tax. We’re smarter than you treat us and would like you to just be straight with the facts, especially when we can look them up.
10. Support open government and take steps to preserve the natural beauty of Washington County.
11. Decide that helping bring more jobs and affordable health care to the 7th District has nothing to do with what political party you are in.
12. Quit treating our schools like the they should be shut down and fight for funding and constructive solutions for improvement. Just saying the family should do a better job of guiding children doesn't change the fact most kids, including church members, grow up in broken homes. I think you are very aware of this reality.
13. Abstain from bills that financially benefit you and your daddy.
14. Admit that you protested against the U.S. military and that it is certainly not unpatriotic for anyone in the 7th District to question the president and the war in Iraq. A lot of Republicans just learned that the hard way.
15. And lastly, stop using assets from your daddy’s nonprofit for political and illegal actions, like putting a down payment on your Washington County home. That last part was alleged in an e-mail and phone call to me from someone within your own circle, but dragging their name and family into your attack campaign just wasn’t worth it.

Like I said, I still hope any half-brained Republican runs against him in the next primary election. But if his funders’ deep pockets scare them off, then I hope he decides to take his job more seriously and just be a better legislator. The hard working people of the 7th District, even the ones he wished lived elsewhere, deserve at least that much.

How Sad

2006-11-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, he purchased victory once again, though just barely. Looks like U.S. military protester Hill will defeat Phillips by about a slim 728 votes. Though Hill had much more money than Phillips, his margin of victory was quite small. That's more than 3,000 fewer votes than Hill received in 2004, which shows Hill isn't exactly getting more popular. I'm not sure how 8,000 people could be so dumb, but these results show that Hill remains one of the least liked representatives in Tennesseee.

It's just too bad so many people in the 7th District have bought the lie that Christians can only vote for Republicans. I don't know how people can go to church with the deceiver Hill and his daddy, who narrated Hill's attack ads.

My biggest consolation though, is that due to the groundswell of opposition, Hill spent more than $110,000 to win this seat. No effective legislator should have to spend that kind of money on attack ads to win a piddly state house seat. It is very clear that if any half-brained Republican decided to run against Hill in the next primary election, they will find plenty of support and an easy win. At least that's only about 18 months away.

Reasons to Vote Against Matthew Hill on Tuesday

2006-11-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

1. Matthew Hill continues to push for fire fighter unions. It is an idea Harold Ford Jr. supports. (Though everyone else in the state, including his opponent, opposes this)
2. Matthew Hill voted to raise his legislative pension.
3. Matthew Hill protested against the U.S. military and then said that anyone who doesn’t support the Iraq war is not patriotic, while claiming it was not his “calling” to enlist (His opponent served in the U.S. military)
4. Local veterans endorsed his opponent, not Matthew Hill.
5. Matthew Hill has been inaccessible to the 7th District.
6. Matthew Hill has angered and ignored almost every leader in the 7th District: here's another;
7. Matthew Hill is not even from the 7th District (His opponent is)
8. Almost all of Matthew Hill’s money and supporters are not from the 7th District (His opponent’s are)
9. Matthew Hill wants to be a lobbyist
10. While Matthew Hill has been in office, the 7th District has seen a decrease in funding from Nashville
11. Matthew Hill lied about his role in bringing the pharmacy school to ETSU (His opponent helped make it a reality)
12. Matthew Hill refused to return money he received from former Republican representative Chris Newton, the only politician in the Tennessee Waltz sting to plead guilty.
13. Matthew Hill allied with liberal Democrat Johnny Shaw on a bill that would financially benefit Hill.
14. Matthew Hill does not support open government (His opponent does)
15. Matthew Hill is pro-litter and pro-beer.
16. Matthew Hill does not want to preserve the beauty of Washington County’s outdoors.
17. Matthew Hill was not endorsed by the Johnson City Press (His opponent and Bob Corker were)
18. Matthew Hill stated that he would support an income tax if the U.S. was at war (We are)
19. Many local voters do not support Matthew Hill: here's one; and another; another; another; another; another; another
20. Matthew Hill is not interested in bringing more jobs to the 7th District
21. Rusty Crowe has a lot of good things to say about Matthew Hill’s opponent.
22. Matthew Hill’s only accomplishment has been described as weak and ineffective and it allows legislators to break the law.
23. Matthew Hill’s main financial donor made a lot of money by overcharging tax funded programs.
24. Matthew Hill wants schools to take money out of their budgets to pay citizens who don’t have children in school.
25. Matthew Hill’s campaign staff includes a large number of homeschool children from Cleveland and Chattanooga
26. Matthew Hill’s campaigns are run unethically, as are his daddy’s organizations: here’s more; and more; more; more; more; and more

Trust me, there are plenty of other reasons not to vote for Matthew Hill.

One More Local Voter Turned Off by Matthew Hill

2006-11-03T09:51:00.000-05:00

The following ran in the Johnson City Press on Nov. 3. There have been a ton of anti-Hill letters in the last month. Hill has had a few supporting letters, but almost all of them have been political favors by Republican representatives who live in other parts of the state. He is trying his best to make it look like his own district likes him.

Matt Hill’s half truths
I received another of Fred Phillips’ opponent’s mailouts today, and I am amazed at how he (Rep. Matthew Hill) has mastered the half-truth process. He implies that he voted for a pension increase for retired teachers and state law enforcement employees. However he forgot to mention that he also voted for House Bill 3266 and Amendment 2 that does give himself a pay raise that states “Provided, however, the first adjustment under subsection (e) shall occur on November 7, 2006, and on each July 1 thereafter, in accordance with the preceding sentence for persons who are in service on the effective date of this act.” Meaning yes, he voted himself a raise this Nov. 7 and a cost-ofliving allowance for every year from now on, (if he’s still in office).

He claims he brought $200 million to Washington County this year. Of course he forgot to tell you those are routine reoccurring budget items. He claimed he personally had two “sit down” meetings with the governor concerning the pharmacy school at East Tennessee State University. In an interview published today, he now admits he “mentioned” it to the governor. There’s a lot of difference in two meetings and a “mention.” Of course his memory returned when the governor was in town recently.

I have known Philips for his entire 42 year law enforcement career and no one has ever questioned his integrity or honesty. Now his opponent does, because he has been unable to govern effectively.
JEAN C., Piney Flats

And don't forget, there are plenty of other reasons why you should vote against Matthew Hill.

Outsider-Funded Matthew Hill Angry that Fred Phillips Received Outsider Money

2006-11-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

Oh, the irony and hypocrisy of Matthew Hill. It looks like Hill doesn’t know what to do when he has an opponent with pockets as relatively deep as Hill’s. In the Nov. 2 Johnson City Press, we learn that Matthew Hill is angry that Fred Phillips has received money from the Tennessee Democratic Party and Jimmy Naifeh. While I am not impressed with Phillips in this regard, he is only matching Hilly boy’s donations from the Tennessee Republican Party and Bill Dunn. The total that Phillips received, $35,000, is exactly the same amount Matthew Hill received from the Tennessee Republican Party and Bill Dunn! That total doesn’t include the extra $5,500 Hill received from the TRP and the extra $6,500 he received from the Gregory machine, both in October. Looks like Hill still has at least $10,000 more in donations from outsider groups than Phillips.

Also, did you know that Matthew Hill spent $68,000 on attack ads in October alone? Phillips only spent $31,000 during that month, and most of that wasn't even for ads. Hill is whining about all the money that Phillips has recently received from the above mentioned two sources, but in the last two years, Hill has received and spent nearly $200,000, almost all of it from outside the 7th District, to win a seat in a district that he has only lived in for the two years he has been in office.

Hill is running an ad that says he is not for sale, and it states that our values and future are not for sale. This is the most hilarious ad I have seen in a long time. Matthew Hill purchased his victory against the underfunded Bob Patton in 2004, and now that he has an opponent with some funding, Hill is so scared that he is calling the kettle black. It’s really entertaining, actually.

And don't forget, here are some more good reasons to vote against Matthew Hill.

Local Voter Condemns Matthew Hill's Antics

2006-11-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

The following, which was aimed directly at Matthew Hill and his campaign "debauchery," ran in the Nov. 1 Johnson City Press:

Don’t be swayed by advertisements and they might end them
Are we as stupid as these ultra-conservatives think we are? In any campaign where they are challenged, they barrage us with advertisements of half-truths and innuendos against their opponent and believe we will be fooled into voting for their candidate.

These ads are obviously targeted to people who do not familiarize themselves with the issues and backgrounds of the candidates. Regrettably we are currently being hammered by three such races. The local 7th District State House race is a prime example of this strategy.

In the last primary we watched them do a hatchet job on Bob Patton and lost a good, hard-working representative in the process. Now they are doing the same thing to Fred Phillips. Let us be clear, these are not local people orchestrating and funding these attack media campaigns. The numerous ad agency-produced commercials and the media to support them are very expensive.

To whom does the candidate who is the benefactor of this strategy and funding owe their allegiance? Is it the people of the 7th District or the people who put them in office? I believe we all know the answer to that.

The sad result of this type of campaigning is that it drives away a lot of intelligent, experienced people who could serve us well. They just will not subject themselves to this debauchery.

Please do not be swayed by these assaults. Whichever candidates you support, take the time to learn about their background and stance on the issues. Choose who you vote for because of the facts and not some misleading advertisement.

Maybe if these horrible things no longer worked they would stop inflicting them on us.
DENNIS W., Johnson City

The sure fire way to stop this is by voting against Matthew Hill.

Hopefully Matthew Hill Soon Will Join His Buddy Cochran

2006-10-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

In the Oct. 31 Johnson City Press, recently defeated Carter Countian Jerome Cochran encouraged the 7th District to vote for Matthew Hill. Hopefully the 7th District will give Hill the same treatment that Carter County gave Cochran by ousting him from office.

In other news, Hill's radio station is allowing people to call in and make false statements about Hill's opponent, while the host called Hill a prophet. Strange and scary stuff indeed.

Local Veterans Endorse Phillips, Not War Protester Matthew Hill

2006-10-30T13:32:00.000-05:00

According to the Oct. 30 Johnson City Press, the Rolling Thunder Inc., Chapter 4 Tennessee, has endorsed Fred Phillips instead of Matthew Hill.

In its endorsement, the chapter cited Phillips’ military experience. Phillips served in Korea with the Army’s 24th Infantry Division.

The chapter also noted his many years of service in Nashville developing respect and contacts, his personal friendship with Commissioner John Keys of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs, and his friendships with many others, including Gov. Phil Bredesen and former Gov. Ned McWherter.

The paper also reported that, both Matthew Hill and Fred Phillips attended a flag retirment ceremony hosted by the Daniel Boone High School Marine Corps JROTC, the David Crockett Navy JROTC and the Jonesborough Flag Committee.

Hill said attending the ceremony made him think of friends and family who have served in the military.

“It helps bring their sacrifice home ...,” Hill said, “and reminds me of how grateful I am to be an American.”

Phillips served in Korea with the Army for 16 months. He said the flag is important to every man, woman and child in this country and everyone should revere it.

“I think those that would desecrate the flag of the United States don’t deserve to live in this country,” he said.

I wonder what Phillips thinks of Matthew Hill protesting against his friends and family in the U.S. military? Hill was photographed and named in the caption in the Bristol Herald Courier. And don't forget, Matthew Hill said in Jonesborough that it was not his "calling" to enlist in the military. Good thing it was the "calling" of people like Fred Phillips.

Former Jonesborough Leader Praises Fred Phillips for Supporting Local Veterans, Not Protesting Against Them

2006-10-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

The following letter ran in the Oct. 29 Johnson City Press. Remember, Matthew Hill protested against the U.S. military and has yet to explain why he calls anyone who protests the Iraq war as unpatriotic.

Phillips is honest, caring
This election cycle has brought its share of negativity, especially the episodes of questioning Fred Phillips’ character and truthfulness.

Without hesitation I can say I have never found him to be dishonest in any of my associations with him. When I was Jonesborough’s town administrator, the former Washington County sheriff allowed the Community Service Units to assist the town in manual labor positions, which netted a $250,000 savings that enable us to meet unexpected operating expenses.

Then, as a member of the Veterans Park Project team, he was instrumental in allowing us to construct the Veterans Park with only a fraction of the estimated labor cost of the project. He committed the Community Service Unit assigned to the town, to laying the block for both the planter walls and the fountain in the center, pouring and dressing the concrete for the walks, installing the flagpoles, mixing concrete and painting the lettering for the granite bricks, on which veterans’ names are inscribed. Without Fred’s dedication, we simply could not have raised the funds necessary to complete the Veterans Park in its present condition.

You may not agree with him, politically, but he is not dishonest, untruthful or uncaring. I know.
MARION L., Jonesborough

I'll just add that plenty of us do agree with him politically.

Why You Should Not Vote For Matthew Hill

2006-10-28T04:16:00.000-04:00

Phillips Supports Open Government, Matthew Hill Does Not

2006-10-23T17:10:00.000-04:00

If you go the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government Web site, you will find that while Fred Phillips supports open government, Matthew Hill doesn't care. The TCFOG sent a survey to candiates in late September and the answers can be found here. Phillips answered each question, while Hill answered none.

The Oct. 26 Johnson City Press had this to say about the topic:

Voters should take note of those incumbents and challengers on the Nov. 7 ballot who have decided open government is not an issue worthy of their comment.

Fred Phillips, Not Matthew Hill, Helped Bring Pharmacy School to ETSU

2006-10-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Well, Matthew Hill has been spreading lies about convincing Governor Phil Bredesen to approve a pharmacy school for ETSU, but Bredesen says otherwise. In the Oct. 19 Johnson City Press, Bredesen had this to say at a campaign stop in Johnson City:

“You can thank (ETSU President) Paul Stanton and Fred Phillips — two men who really made the pharmacy school happen. Saying that they haunted my door in Nashville about the importance of a pharmacy school at ETSU would be an understatement.”

In other news, Matthew Hill, not Al Gore, "invented" the internet.
---
Also, don't forget to go VOTE! Early voting is now open at the Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough.

Johnson City Chamber of Commerce Angry at Matthew Hill

2006-10-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

Well, Hilly boy is burning bridges as fast as he can in the 7th District. "Don't be Misled!" That's funny. In the Oct. 19 Johnson City Press, Johnson City Chamber of Commerce President Gary Mabrey said one of Hill's ads that appeared in the Johnson City Press was run without the Chamber’s permission and was against its policy. In the ad (located to the right), Hill claims Gary Mabrey and the Chamber strongly support Hill's vote on minimum wage. This is another in a long line of stupid things Matthew Hill has done during this campaign. Sometimes it does seem like he is trying to lose.

“The Chamber does not allow board members or employees to be used in campaign advertisements,” Mabrey said. “And the Chamber does not raise money or use any to endorse candidates.”

“This was done without our permission,” Mabrey said. “Mr. Hill and I talked about it and we’re moving on, so I think that’s about all there is to say about it.”

“We don’t endorse and we don’t raise money for any campaigns and in any event that it is done, it’s done without our permission, or without the knowledge of the Chamber,” Mabrey went on to say.

What's even more sad is that Hill doesn't seem to care. And, it looks like he is going to use the Chamber's name again:

Hill says he was just clarifying his position on a statement of fact. ...Hill said that though he does plan to run the ad again, he will remove Mabrey’s name from it.

Also, don't forget that Matthew Hill said, unlike Jason Mumpower, it's not government's place to create jobs. Good thing he's a part of government.
---
Update: 10-20-06
The Johnson City/Washington County Chamber of Commerce was so annoyed with Matthew Hill that they released the following letter to the editor in the Oct. 20 Johnson City Press:

Chamber policy
The Johnson City/ Jonesborough/ Washington County Chamber of Commerce does not endorse candidates for elected office. We do not raise or provide funds for candidates. We do not allow candidates to reference our board, officers of our board, employees of the Chamber, or the Chamber in their advertisements in either print, audio or video.

Any mention in an ad would be without our knowledge or permission, either organizationally or personally.

We do encourage you to vote. Early voting is underway through Nov. 2, with Nov. 7 as the date of the General Election. GARY MABREY President/CEO Chamber of Commerce

Another Local Voter Annoyed with Matthew Hill’s Lies

2006-10-18T10:25:00.000-04:00

This letter to the editor ran in the Oct. 18 Johnson City Press.

Hill distorts facts
The latest fact distortion from Fred Phillips’ opponent appeared in my mailbox today. He attempts to manufacture talking points, but state Rep. Matthew Hill sorely misses his goal.

“He wants to end the practice of issuing driving certificates to illegal aliens.” I understood Phillips introduced the process to end that practice and was copied by several other states. Several illegal immigrants have been apprehended because of that process.

“Wrote law to crack down on drag racing and make it a criminal act punishable by jail time.” He forgot to mention that he personally withdrew Amendment 2- (HA-1094) to House Bill 2671 that created a Class D felony offense of injuring another while using nitrous oxide. By the way, some of his [Hill's] major contributors market nitrous oxide.

“End the sales tax on food.” He thinks that is a great idea, but how does he replace the revenue that is shared with local governments used for education? So he actually would be taking money from Washington County, Johnson City and Jonesborough students.

He also states Phillips is backed by the Washington County political machine. I suggest reviewing his contributors listing if you really want to know who’s backed by special interest groups. As far as his assertion of a state income tax, I believe it was a Republican, former Gov. Don Sundquist, who wanted that tax.

He states that “Fred Phillips is a nice man and his intentions are good.” At least he’s right on that point.
KEN B., Limestone

Johnson City Press Endorses Fred Phillips Instead of Matthew Hill

2006-10-17T15:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some highlights from the Oct. 15 Johnson City Press:

…Fred Phillips has been known as someone who looks out for the people he serves. It was a trait Phillips began exhibiting as a teenager when he joined the Army. While serving in Korea, Phillips sent his pay back to his family in Washington County.

…He was later elected sheriff of Washington County. Although Phillips is a Democrat, he built a coalition of supporters that crossed party lines. He demonstrated his bipartisanship and talent for consensus building while serving three years as safety commissioner under Gov. Phil Bredesen.

…We believe Phillips is the right choice for Washington County. He has the experience and know-how to see that the wishes of the people of the district are represented on Capitol Hill. He also has the respect and contacts in Nashville to help him bring home state dollars for needed projects in Jonesborough and Johnson City.

…We believe Phillips will be able to go to Nashville and work on the projects and issues that Washington County residents say are important to them. Phillips has an impressive resumé when it comes to looking out for the people he serves.

Matthew Hill: A Liar Funded by Outsider, Special Interest Groups

2006-10-17T14:55:00.000-04:00

According to the Oct. 15 Johnson City Press, Matthew Hill has been lying, again. Fred Phillips has called out Matthew Hill for claiming that he met face-to-face with Gov. Phil Bredesen to lobby for the creation of the pharmacy school at ETSU. Looks like Hill is busted:

According to Mark Brown, a former legislative staffer for Bredesen, there is no record of Hill ever having had such “a sitdown with the governor.”

Also, in the Oct. 12 Johnson City Press, Matthew Hill accused Fred Phillips of running a campaign that was funded by special interest groups outside of the 7th District. This was one of the dumbest things I have ever seen a politician do, and the Oct. 13 Johnson City Press demonstrated that Matthew Hill was lying (an excerpt can be found at the end of this post). Hill received $46,620 in donations from 16 people or groups (including one in Atlanta!), but only two people from the 7th District gave Hill a total of $7,000. It’s pretty clear Hill does not serve the 7th District.

Phillips, on the other hand, received $13,000 from 15 people, with only two of those people living outside of the 7th District. It’s pretty clear that people in the 7th District don’t want Hill.

What I find even more comical is that Hill’s campaign mailers accuse Phillips of being “funded by the Washington County political machine.” According to an article the Oct. 15 Johnson City Press, the Republican Party is the political machine in Washington County.

For Hill, a Republican, $1,000 contributors to his general election campaign included Barbara McAndrew Iris Fund of Memphis, Rep. Jimmy Eldridge of Jackson, John and Joan Gregory of Bristol — $1,000 apiece, Rep. Steve McDaniel of Parker Crossroads(West Tenn.), Rep. Richard Montgomery of Seymour, Rep. Jason Mumpower of Bristol, the National Health Corp. PAC of Murfreesboro, the Volunteer PAC of Nashville, VOTEKELSEY.com of Memphis and Justin Wilson of Nashville.

Contributions in excess of $1,000 for the Hill campaign came from the Git R Dunn PAC of Knoxville for $2,000 and $2,500, the Johnson City Professional Firefighters PAC for $5,000, the United Parcel Service PAC-Tn. out of Atlanta for $1,500 and the Washington County Republican Executive Committee for $2,000.

Hill’s in-kind contributions came from the House Republican Caucus of Nashville for field staff, polling and mail in donations of $1,500, $7,000 and $7,120.

Phillips, the Democratic nominee, received $1,000 contributions for the general election from Bo Deaton of Johnson City, Cathy Essin of Johnson City, William Kincaid of Johnson City, John G. Love of Johnson City, Kenneth Nelson of Limestone, Doug Phillips of Johnson City, James and Sandy Powell of Johnson City as well as James Powell Jr. of Brentwood, Seth and Helen Tallman of Johnson City, Mudge Tallman of Limestone and Allen Wolfe of Kingsport.

In-kind contributions came from D.J. Jesse and Thomas Jesse of Johnson City.

Matthew Hill Gets Called Out for Deception

2006-10-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

A great article in the Oct. 12 Johnson City Press pointed out that Matthew Hill received $35,000 in campaign money from outside the 7th District. The donations came from House Republican Leader Bill Dunn and the Tennessee House GOP Caucus, which is clearly afraid that Hill is going to lose. Hill's response was to state that Phillips' campaign money mostly consisted of donations from outside the 7th District. Hill must be dyslexic because it is him, not Phillips, who has received almost all of his money for every election from outside the 7th District. What a dumb statement to make when people can look up the numbers on the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance Web site.

In response, Phillips said Hill’s campaign finance statement shows that Hill’s support is coming mostly from outside the county.

“Ninety eight percent of my contributions are Washington County and 98 percent of his is outside Washington County from people who don’t vote. Who’s he representing?” Phillips, Tennessee’s former safety commissioner and ex-Washington County sheriff, said of Hill.

...Phillips said he is pointing to state documentation that Hill produced no specific highway projects for Washington County and had no face-to-face meetings with Bredesen to generate support for East Tennessee State University’s newly created pharmacy school.

“My opponent is trying to claim credit for everything within the last three or four years,” Phillips said of Hill. “There was nothing during his two years. All he has done is occupy a seat and he hasn’t brought a lot back. It bothers me that he has taken credit for everything.”

Does Matthew Hill Even Know How Government Works?

2006-10-13T15:23:00.000-04:00

Here's a great letter to the editor from the Oct. 13 Johnson City Press:

Rep. Hill doesn’t understand how programs work
I noticed in a recent interview with former Washington County Sheriff Fred Phillips’ opponent, state Rep. Matthew Hill, said he brought back “hundreds of millions of dollars to Washington County for schools and various projects including roads. Tens of millions have been brought back for roads.”

Surely he’s not claiming credit for school and road money routinely budgeted by Gov. Phil Bredesen for local governments. Since he claims all these millions of dollars, he should be more specific and state project numbers and dates of issue. To be certain, a person might want to request that information from local government officials.

He also wants to eliminate the sales tax on food and make up the lost revenue from the $300 million surplus. Since the surplus is a onetime issue, what happens next year and the next year and so on? How do state and local governments replace that lost revenue?

He also states his first priority “is ending the driver’s certificate program. The program is being used as a tool to circumvent the law and is being given to illegals.”

Being familiar with the program, it is designed to issue a driving certificate, (not a license) to legal immigrants only. If an applicant cannot produce documentation, such as a work or student visa or passport, then his application is rejected and his name is submitted to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

It’s evident that Hill does not understand how the state’s budget process or driving certificate program works.
SAM M., Jonesborough

Deficit Spending Not a Concern of Matthew Hill

2006-10-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Oct. 10 Johnson City Press rightfully criticized the Northeast Tennessee members of the Americans for Tax Reform group, including Matthew Hill. These legislators were criticized, not for being anti-tax, but for not vowing to do a thing about deficit spending. Doesn't Hill's radio station carry the Dave Ramsey Show?

Perhaps anti-tax pledges also should come with a caveat stating that in addition to not raising taxes, elected officials also promise not to engage in deficit spending. Such a pledge would be refreshing, especially in Washington where the Republican-led Congress has erased all the gains made in the 1990s to lower the national debt.

Anti-tax pledges are generally a lot of political hooey. While it may sound good for a candidate to announce he or she has vowed never to raise taxes, it is often a hollow promise. State and federal officials have, for many years now, escaped tax increases by saddling local governments with unfunded mandates. Simply put, local taxpayers are being made to pay for all those promises.

Shifting the tax burden from one level of government to another is disingenuous. So is misleading voters into thinking that they are not paying more in other ways to cover the government’s cost of doing business. How many times have legislators increased existing fees for doing business with the state, or created new ones just so they can tell the voters they have not raised their taxes?

Elected officials should be completely honest when dealing with their constituents on the issue of taxes and spending. Arbitrarily signing a pledge is not the way to do it.

Matthew Hill Ignores the 7th District, Builds Support for Fred Phillips

2006-10-10T22:06:00.000-04:00

Again, I was looking at some old issues of the Johnson City Press and I found many stories that highlighted Matthew Hill’s incompetence. The following are some examples:

In the June 4 Johnson City Press, Matthew Hill is sharply criticized for his lack of leadership:

You can’t trust legislators who only look out for themselves
A couple of questions have nagged me in the past week, such as how can a conservative Republican lawmaker from Upper East Tennessee carry legislative water for big labor, and how can we be expected to trust the state General Assembly when it hikes the pensions of its members in the final hours of the session?

Let’s start with the first question, which also has perplexed and infuriated municipal leaders here for two years. In particular, local government leaders have been wondering why Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, lent his name to a bill that analysts for the Tennessee Municipal League said would give organized labor a foothold in local government. State law presently prohibits municipal employees from joining labor unions.

Last year, Hill signed on to a bill (pushed by one of the House’s most liberal members, Rep. Sherry Jones, DNashville) to allow full-time firefighters to bargain collectively on matters concerning pay and benefits.

The freshman lawmaker has balked at suggestions he was backing a union bill, and instead claimed the legislation simply would give firefighters an exclusive audience with city officials on such issues. Why wouldn’t Hill want to grant sanitation workers, police officers and other city employees the same collective-bargaining perk?

Perhaps he would, had they been members of a professional association that gave him a campaign contribution and a public endorsement in the 2004 election.

That’s certainly what happened in the case of the Johnson City Professional Firefighters Association. It’s interesting to note this same group backed City Commissioner Pete Paduch in his last re-election campaign.

Administrators in Johnson City say firefighters, like all municipal employees, already have access to City Hall. Hill’s support of the union bill has left many local government officials suggesting he is more of a hindrance than a help to them on Capitol Hill.

The firefighter union bill was killed in the Senate on the last day of the 104th General Assembly, which ended late in the night May 27 after lawmakers rewarded themselves with a pension hike. Granted, the pension increase was modest, but that doesn’t excuse the backroom politics it took to grease its passage.

Many attacked the news media for making a mountain of what they considered to be a mole hill. If that was truly the case, why were they so sneaky about it? And, as I asked earlier in this column, how can we trust the General Assembly when it takes up such matters hours before adjourning for the year? We can’t.

According to a story in the May 27 Johnson City Press, many local officials were completely sideswiped by Matthew Hill and his firefighters unionization bill:

Notified of the bill only Monday, County Mayor George Jaynes said he believes many commissioners may have been “mixed up” as to the purpose of the vote. Commissioners actually took a vote to “opt out” of the agreement, which failed.

“This (bill) is something I was unaware of until Monday,” Jaynes said. “I was never contacted by Sen. (Rusty) Crowe, RJohnson City, or Rep. (Matthew) Hill, RJonesborough, on the matter.”

There was also the possibility that the commission might have been misled about certain aspects of the bill. Jaynes said he was even told that the bill had already been approved by the Senate when, in actuality, the bill didn’t go before that body until Friday evening.

Johnson City Manager Pete Peterson said city officials [were troubled by] the lack of support for Johnson City from its state representatives.

“Over half the counties in Tennessee and several cities have amendments attached opting them out of this thing,” Peterson said. “It’s especially troubling to us that we have communicated to Reps. (David) Davis and Hill and Senator Crowe that we wanted to be excluded from this bill and yet none of them have introduced an amendment that would do that.”

Peterson said talk of this bill is “creating animosity” among other city employees.

“I’ve had several police officers approach me already about this,” Peterson said. “This will create a lot of animosity between firefighters and other city employees.”

In addition, Peterson said this legislation is already “costing the city money” because he and others have had to devote many hours during this week alone to the topic and it will force the city to add at least one position or retain a special attorney.

“This will force us to hire a special labor lawyer to address the issues that come out this,” Peterson said.

Another aspect of this legislation, Peterson said, is that it would jeopardize the ability of those cities and counties included in the bill to attract, and keep, businesses.

“One of the things that allows Tennessee to remain competitive, when we have a lot going against us such as being ranked at the bottom when it comes to the health of our population, is that this is a no income tax and right to work state,” Peterson said.

“This is a vote against business,” Peterson said. “If we allow labor unions to get a foothold in this state it would not only be bad for local government but also for business in general.”

Even Jonesborough Town Administrator Bob Browning voiced his opposition to the measure, though the bill wouldn’t affect his town.

“It’s supporting unionization. I mean, what’s the purpose, to ensure that firefighters have good communication with the city? We have an open door policy,” Browning said. “Why single out a department saying they need more communication? We have great communication here and myself or Safety Director (Craig) Ford have never turned down a chance to sit down and talk to our employees.”

Overall, Browning said he felt the whole thing was “a slap in the face” to the town of Jonesborough and its taxpayers.

“Our firefighters even say that we don’t need something like this,” he said. “And what would we do with our public safety officers, who are trained to be firefighters and police officers?”

Hill, who represents Jonesborough, didn’t escape the ire of Browning, either, for his lack of communication.

“The thing is, he co-sponsored the bill and he’s our representative, and he hasn’t even bothered to communicate with us about the bill,” Browning said. “It really smells of politics and pandering of votes, especially during an election year.”

Matthew Hill Continues to Stretch the Truth

2006-10-07T12:50:00.000-04:00

Well, the Oct. 5 Johnson City Press had two articles on the 7th District race, one each for Matthew Hill and Fred Phillips. It was probably a draw, but I felt that Phillips looked better, while Hill seemed quite defensive, almost nervous. Here are some highlights from Phillips:

“I don’t believe that the county is getting the best return on its tax dollar,” [Phillips] said. “And there is a general feeling that we are not being represented as well as we could be in Nashville.”

Phillips points specifically to Washington County’s lack of state money issued for new roads during the past two years, unlike neighboring counties such as Greene and Hamblen.

“My opponent has said that he brought millions of dollars in road money to Washington County, when in actuality it’s for access roads, bridge work that is appropriated out of state infrastructure ... funds we get yearly,” he said.

…I would try to secure more funding for classroom space in the county as well as additional funding for teacher pay,” he said.

…On working with his Republican counterpart, newly elected 6th District Rep. Dale Ford, Phillips said he didn’t anticipate any problems.

“I’ve known Dale for 30 years,” said Phillips, who would be serving his first term as a legislator.

…“A regional jail can work if everyone can get together on one,” Phillips said, pointing to such counties as Washington, Carter, Unicoi, Sullivan and Greene.

“I definitely think it’s the way of the future…
---

In Hill's interview, he was completely deceptive, as usual. Check out this stupid statement by Hill:

If it were up to incumbent Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, his reelection campaign would have been conducted solely on the issues.

Matthew Hill doesn't know how to run a campaign on issues. He ran against Bob Patton with absolutely no issues at all. Hill spread lies about Patton and used scare tactics to make people think a vote for Patton was a vote against Christianity.

Then Hill went on to say that his biggest accomplishment was Courtney's Law:

“Being a freshman legislator and being able to pass Cortney’s Law, which makes illegal street racing a Class B felony, is at the top,” he said.

This is a puzzling statement since many in the Tri-Cities, including the Johnson City Press, were disappointed with Hill's inability to work with people in Nashville to get a law that actually had teeth.

And lastly, Matthew Hill demonstrated his excellent English skills once again with the following quote:

"Hopefully, local officials can sit down with myself and others and address this idea."

I am just hoping that 7th District voters will reject himself on election day.

Harold Ford Jr. Agrees With Matthew Hill, Local Vet Doesn't

2006-10-05T13:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Johnson City Press featured the following letter to the editor, which was not supportive of Matthew Hill:

Vets should back a vet
I read in the newspaper that someone has started an organization for veterans who support state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough. It strikes me as odd that Hill — not being a veteran — is getting support against someone who proudly wore the uniform and showed his patriotism for our country.
I urge veterans to vote for a man (former Washington County Sheriff Fred Phillips) who was brave enough to serve his country over someone who wasn't.
CRAIG D., Jonesborough
---

Also, I find it interesting that Harold Ford Jr. was endorsed by the Professional Firefighters Association of Tennessee primarily because he is one of about two people in Tennessee who support Matthew Hill’s firefighter unionization agenda.

"It was a no-brainer for us," said Gary Moore, who is with the Professional Firefighters Association of Tennessee.

Moore cited Ford's support of federal legislation to give firefighters and law enforcement officers the right to collectively bargain with their employers.
---

And lastly, I want to point out that Matthew Hill has been throwing a big fit about Fred Phillips not being endorsed by the NRA, even though they did give Phillips an “A” rating. In the 21st District Tennessee State Senate race, Republican Bob Krumm is doing exactly the same thing as Fred Phillips. Krumm is proudly advertising his “A” rating even though his Democratic opponent has been endorsed by the NRA. I really believe that Matthew Hill isn't smart enough to realize that while an "A" rating is good to the NRA, it's not the same as an endorsement.

Matthew Hill Ignores, Angers the 7th District, Votes Against Business

2006-10-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

You can’t trust legislators who only look out for themselves
A couple of questions have nagged me in the past week, such as how can a conservative Republican lawmaker from Upper East Tennessee carry legislative water for big labor, and how can we be expected to trust the state General Assembly when it hikes the pensions of its members in the final hours of the session?

Let’s start with the first question, which also has perplexed and infuriated municipal leaders here for two years. In particular, local government leaders have been wondering why Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, lent his name to a bill that analysts for the Tennessee Municipal League said would give organized labor a foothold in local government. State law presently prohibits municipal employees from joining labor unions.

Last year, Hill signed on to a bill (pushed by one of the House’s most liberal members, Rep. Sherry Jones, DNashville) to allow full-time firefighters to bargain collectively on matters concerning pay and benefits.

The freshman lawmaker has balked at suggestions he was backing a union bill, and instead claimed the legislation simply would give firefighters an exclusive audience with city officials on such issues. Why wouldn’t Hill want to grant sanitation workers, police officers and other city employees the same collective-bargaining perk?

Perhaps he would, had they been members of a professional association that gave him a campaign contribution and a public endorsement in the 2004 election.

That’s certainly what happened in the case of the Johnson City Professional Firefighters Association. It’s interesting to note this same group backed City Commissioner Pete Paduch in his last re-election campaign.

Administrators in Johnson City say firefighters, like all municipal employees, already have access to City Hall. Hill’s support of the union bill has left many local government officials suggesting he is more of a hindrance than a help to them on Capitol Hill.

The firefighter union bill was killed in the Senate on the last day of the 104th General Assembly, which ended late in the night May 27 after lawmakers rewarded themselves with a pension hike. Granted, the pension increase was modest, but that doesn’t excuse the backroom politics it took to grease its passage.

Many attacked the news media for making a mountain of what they considered to be a mole hill. If that was truly the case, why were they so sneaky about it? And, as I asked earlier in this column, how can we trust the General Assembly when it takes up such matters hours before adjourning for the year? We can’t.

According to a story in the May 27 Johnson City Press, many local officials were completely sideswiped by Matthew Hill and his firefighters unionization bill:

Notified of the bill only Monday, County Mayor George Jaynes said he believes many commissioners may have been “mixed up” as to the purpose of the vote. Commissioners actually took a vote to “opt out” of the agreement, which failed.
“This (bill) is something I was unaware of until Monday,” Jaynes said. “I was never contacted by Sen. (Rusty) Crowe, RJohnson City, or Rep. (Matthew) Hill, RJonesborough, on the matter.”

There was also the possibility that the commission might have been misled about certain aspects of the bill. Jaynes said he was even told that the bill had already been approved by the Senate when, in actuality, the bill didn’t go before that body until Friday evening.

Johnson City Manager Pete Peterson said city officials [were troubled by] the lack of support for Johnson City from its state representatives.

“Over half the counties in Tennessee and several cities have amendments attached opting them out of this thing,” Peterson said. “It’s especially troubling to us that we have communicated to Reps. (David) Davis and Hill and Senator Crowe that we wanted to be excluded from this bill and yet none of them have introduced an amendment that would do that.”

Peterson said talk of this bill is “creating animosity” among other city employees.

“I’ve had several police officers approach me already about this,” Peterson said. “This will create a lot of animosity between firefighters and other city employees.”

In addition, Peterson said this legislation is already “costing the city money” because he and others have had to devote many hours during this week alone to the topic and it will force the city to add at least one position or retain a special attorney.

“This will force us to hire a special labor lawyer to address the issues that come out this,” Peterson said.

Another aspect of this legislation, Peterson said, is that it would jeopardize the ability of those cities and counties included in the bill to attract, and keep, businesses.

“One of the things that allows Tennessee to remain competitive, when we have a lot going against us such as being ranked at the bottom when it comes to the health of our population, is that this is a no income tax and right to work state,” Peterson said.

“This is a vote against business,” Peterson said. “If we allow labor unions to get a foothold in this state it would not only be bad for local government but also for business in general.”

Even Jonesborough Town Administrator Bob Browning voiced his opposition to the measure, though the bill wouldn’t affect his town.

“It’s supporting unionization. I mean, what’s the purpose, to ensure that firefighters have good communication with the city? We have an open door policy,” Browning said. “Why single out a department saying they need more communication? We have great communication here and myself or Safety Director (Craig) Ford have never turned down a chance to sit down and talk to our employees.”

Overall, Browning said he felt the whole thing was “a slap in the face” to the town of Jonesborough and its taxpayers.

“Our firefighters even say that we don’t need something like this,” he said. “And what would we do with our public safety officers, who are trained to be firefighters and police officers?”

Hill, who represents Jonesborough, didn’t escape the ire of Browning, either, for his lack of communication.

“The thing is, he co-sponsored the bill and he’s our representative, and he hasn’t even bothered to communicate with us about the bill,” Browning said. “It really smells of politics and pandering of votes, especially during an election year.”

Matthew Hill: The Inaccessible Rep

2006-09-30T01:07:00.000-04:00

The following two stories from the Johnson City Press demonstrate that Matthew Hill's “accessible” tag is a lie. He also demonstrates his allegiance to lobbyist groups like the Malt Beverage Association instead of his constituents. The Johnson City Commission had to turn to Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen when Hill failed them:

(June 16)The Johnson City Commission will now directly seek the help of Gov. Phil Bredesen when it comes to concerns over a beer bill that is on the verge of becoming law.

In May, the panel instructed City Manager Pete Peterson to ask local legislators to attend Thursday night’s commission meeting in order to discuss legislation recently passed by both the state Senate and House of Representatives that could take away the power of local governments to enforce their own beer ordinances.

Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, did not respond to messages left by city staff.

Rather than sit back and wait for the Legislature to make changes, some commissioners voiced a desire to ask Bredesen to act on their behalf.

“I think we need to be proactive in this and encourage him not to sign it,” Commissioner Ricky Mohon said. “We want him to veto it. Our local legislators ignored our request.”

Peterson said the bill was introduced and “heavily supported” by the Malt Beverage Association and retail beer vendors. While it includes provisions that require specific and ongoing alcohol education for business owners and beer sellers, Peterson said the drawbacks greatly outweigh the positives.

The bill dictates that local governments could suspend or revoke a beer permit only after multiple violations and once the state Alcoholic Beverage Commission deems it appropriate. In addition, the bill would greatly restrict the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct undercover “sting” operations designed to catch violations at businesses.

(June 15) The Johnson City Commission will discuss new state beer laws tonight, even if some legislators aren’t ready to take part in that conversation.

While the commission is expected to discuss the matter, it is likely no legislators will be in attendance tonight.

Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, did not respond to phone messages.

Local Voter & Veteran Calls Out War Protester Matthew Hill

2006-09-26T22:47:00.000-04:00

Tuesday's edition of the Johnson City Press featured the following nice letter from a 7th District voter who is fighting mad about war protester Matthew Hill:

Hill’s war reactions

Former Washington County Sheriff Fred Phillips’ opponent for the 7th House District seat, first-term GOP incumbent Matthew Hill, stated he was pleased the Tennessee Legislature has finally recognized the men and women who are serving this nation, and deserve tax relief and various other initiatives for their sacrifices in our behalf. Though he seems to be patriotic enough, he has not mentioned the nature of his sacrifice for the United States during this or any other war we have committed our military to. Since Hill insists on “talking the talk,” let’s see if he “walks the walk” and joins a local guard or reserve unit and takes his turn defending this nation.

Could it be he is as secretly opposed to this war as he was openly opposed to the war in Kosovo and our troops’ presence there? How many Tennessee men and women died in that war?

On April 18, 1999, according to a local media publication, he and seven other people were featured at the Bristol War Memorial Park. Phillips’ opponents posted signs that read “We are all targets” and “Stop NATO aggression” as well as one referring to NATO as “Nazi America Terrorist Organization.”

I wonder how he could claim such an undying loyalty to our troops and yet protest against them by being assimilated with the extremely liberal International Action Center, founded by former Attorney General Ramsey Clark. As a military veteran, the idea that Hill could protest a war at the very site honoring the men and women who have given their lives for this nation irritates me. His action certainly deflates the morale of the men and women who are faithfully serving this great nation.
CHARLES C. H.
Johnson City

And for proof, here's the news stories:

Matthew Hill's Poor Record Blasted at Stop by Former Gov

2006-09-24T00:52:00.000-04:00

Sunday there was a great story in the Johnson City Press (also blogged about here) that highlighted Matthew Hill's failings.

Phillips said he believes there is a serious need for Northeast Tennessee to be better represented in Nashville.

“Well, you know, I was kind of pressed into service by my constituents,” Phillips said. “I get the feeling here that they’re not getting a return on their tax dollar in Nashville.”

One of the recurring arguments for Phillips’ election to office by his supporters was his well-established relationships with leaders in Nashville, something they claim is desperately needed.

One such example of using Phillips’ networking skills would be garnering road improvements within the city and county, notably what Phillips said was a need for the portion of Interstate 26 that runs through Johnson City to be expanded to six lanes.

“For some reason in the (20)06-07 budget there is no new road dollars out of (the Tennessee Department of Transportation) to do anything on the highway systems in Washington County,” he said. “Now you go in neighboring Greene and Hamblen (counties), they’re doing a complete overhaul of Interstate 81, so I just need to see that it flows on into Washington County. And I think with my direct connection with Commissioner (of Transportation) Gerald Nicely and my friendship with him I can convince him that those dollars need to come here.”

McWherter, who served as Tennessee’s 46th governor from 1987-1995, reaffirmed the notion that connections get things done, saying three commissioners appointed by Bredesen who were present Saturday were responsible for building projects in Tennessee — and Phillips was friends with all of them.

Don't worry, income tax-loving Don Sundquist is probably on his way to the Tri-Cities to stump for Hill.

And, Phillips also addressed the THP scandal, stating the only reason officers with shady backgrounds were identified was because Phillips made it impossible for them to hide.

Once Phillips was in office, he began updating the department, placing computers in the cruisers that gave officers the ability to access the database.

Officers who access the database must pass a background check to allow usage.

“I initiated that and it uncovered people who had been hired under another administration with backgrounds that were not favorable to law enforcement,” Phillips said. “I didn’t hire them, Governor Bredesen didn’t hire them, we inherited them. That brought them to the forefront, and of course I happened to be the commissioner — that was on my watch. And I stood up and took responsibility for it even though I uncovered it through innovation.”

Matthew Hill Called Out for Stopping Roads Money to Washington County

2006-09-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

Well, Phillips and Hill had their first debate yesterday. It appeared to be fairly adolescent, as most things Hill is involved in are. However, Phillips did call out Hill for burning bridges in such a manner as to stop roads money from coming in to the 7th District:

Phillips questioned why the county had not seen any money for new roads come back to the district in the past two years.

“I know if I sat on the state’s Transportation Committee, Washington County would be getting some of that funding that Greene and Hamblen County are getting,” Phillips said.

Hill's reply was that he brought $48 million back for local schools. I find this an interesting response because first, Phillips wasn talking about roads, second, where did he get that figure, and third, Matthew Hill hates public schools. He has made it known that he wants the state to pay people who home school their children. Very strange.

Then Hill declared that Phillips was lying about being endorsed by the NRA. Hill had a letter that he probably created just before the debate that said the NRA endorsed him and not Phillips. Phillips did receive an "A" rating from the NRA. So even if they felt they had to endorse the Republican candidate, the NRA acknowledged that Phillips is a candidate they would be proud to have. At least Phillips actually has been trained to use a firearm. Matthew Hill looks like he couldn't fire a gun if he wanted to, and he proposed legislation (House Bill 0887) that would allow the possession of a handgun in buildings where alcohol is served. What an idiot. He does whatever special interest groups that fund him, like the Tennessee Malt Beverage Association, tell him to do.

In addition, Hill acted like the passage of Courtney's Law showed that Hill didn't burn every bridge he came across. However, if Hill was so good at building consensus in Nashville, why was Courtney's Law blasted by almost everyone for being toothless and ineffective? Not quite the sort of thing you should be bragging about.

And, let's not forge that Mr. NRA Matthew Hill protested against the U.S. Military, and he refuses to apologize for or acknowledge his actions.

Fred Phillips' Opposition to Abortion Disappoints Tennessee Right to Life

2006-09-19T13:34:00.000-04:00

In this story in today's Kingsport Times-News, we learn that the Tennessee Right to Life is annoyed that Fred Phillips opposes abortion. I find it quite amazing that they are not saying they are glad to hear that. I think it goes to show that this organization, just like Matthew Hill, is not really about standing up for what's right. They are all about having power and getting people to do what they want them to do.

In responding to TRL's endorsement of Hill, Phillips maintained he is pro-life.
"I am anti-abortion, always have been," Phillips said. "(But) there are certain things that come into play that would warrant it, that is a threat to the mother's health or rape or incest."

Phillips also stressed he's not committed to support Naifeh, a West Tennessee Democrat who has been House speaker for more than 15 years.

"I'm not tied to any special group in Nashville," said Phillips, Tennessee's former safety commissioner and ex-Washington County sheriff. "I have made no such commitment to anyone. I think it is foolish to campaign that you will vote for or against someone when you don't know who the candidates are. I have stated many times I would cast my vote for the speaker of the House who could assure me that we would get a good return for the tax dollar and that person would benefit Washington County and Northeast Tennessee. I'm going into this election with an open mind."

I am looking forward to the Hill-Phillips debate at the Johnson City Kiwanis Club luncheon on Wednesday. I also think it is pretty cool that at Phillips' campaign event this Saturday will feature an appearance by former Gov. Ned McWherter. Does that mean Matthew Hill will bring in former Gov. Don Sundquist?

Matthew Hill and His Cronies Called Out

2006-09-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

For a great story about Matthew Hill and his buddies being sold out to special interest groups, you can read this JC Press interview with Bob Patton. This blogger has already commented on the story. I must say, it is quite telling that since Matthew Hill has been in office, "Money, Patton says, is not coming back to Washington County and there have been no new roads for two years — since he lost his re-election bid. “People have noticed,” he said.

I also am glad to hear someone proclaim that you're not a heretic if you don't vote exactly the way John Gregory wants you to. I am quite confident that there are a number of Republican voters who are voting for Fred Phillips for the very reasons Patton mentioned in this interview. I just don't think Hill can use Gregory's money to hire enough home school kids from Chattanooga as campaign door-knockers to win this election.

Courtney's Law a Disappointment

2006-09-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

I was looking over a few old issues of the Johnson City Press and I found a few articles that demonstrated some local disappointment in Matthew Hill's work:

In the June 23 edition of the Johnson City Press, a story highlighted the fact that many people in the 7th District were disappointed with Courtney’s Law:

Hill addressed criticism of the legislation — one that increased the penalties for illegal street racing if bodily injury or death is involved.
“There were some people that said this legislation had no teeth ... People are going to jail now, instead of just paying a fine,” he said. “Before, if you were charged with drag racing it was just a $50 fine.”

In the June 8 edition of the Johnson City Press, Hill’s Courtney’s Law was lampooned for being too weak:

Drag racing legislation not significant enough
Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, said “Cortney’s Law” would make significant changes to provisions of state law governing vehicular homicide.

Unfortunately, the measure does not deliver on all of the promises lawmakers made earlier this year to increase the punishment for drag racing. As Press staff writer Dee Goodin reported, the bill doesn’t carry the tough penalties District Attorney General Joe Crumley had hoped.

All victims of street racing deserve a law that actually punishes those who use our streets for their mindless pursuits. Unfortunately, the law that carries Cortney Hensley’s name does not do that.

Fred Phillips in the Newspaper

2006-09-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

While looking over some old issues of the Johnson City Press, I found a number of stories about Fred Phillips’ bid to oust Matthew Hill. The following are some examples:

In the August 16 editions of both the Johnson City Press and Kingsport Times News, Hank Hayes points out that Fred Phillips has raised considerably more money than Hilly boy. The same thing was also reported in the July 13 edition of the Johnson City Press.

Here’s an excerpt from the July 9 Johnson City Press interview with Fred Phillips:

Phillips said he that while he is connected to the Democratic Party, he holds many of the same beliefs as area Republicans, including his opposition to abortion, except in certain instances involving rape, incest or a threat to the mother’s health.

“I’m looking to re-establish the connection between Nashville and Washington County and address the needs of the people of Washington County.”

For many years, Phillips was the only Democrat able to break through and win a county office in extremely Republican Washington County.

“Voting against something just because it was introduced by the other party or the other side is just foolish. We’ve got to get rid of this wall of isolation between the two sides in Nashville.”

Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry, the association’s first vice president, said, “Everybody I know from Mountain City to Memphis just has so much respect for Fred and what he can do for East Tennessee. He is a consensus builder.”

Other top priorities for Phillips are education funding, including better pay for teachers; improving the state highway system, including widening of Interstate 26 from Sullivan County through Johnson City and into Unicoi County; and homeland security, including tougher immigration legislation.

In the April 16 edition of the Johnson City Press, Robert Houk pointedly calls out Matthew Hill for his propensity campaign in a very mean-spirited (unChrist-like in my opinion) manner:

When Phillips launched his bid for the state General Assembly in Jonesborough earlier this month, the Democrat was surrounded by quite a few Republican friends. Such notable Republican officeholders as Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal and Washington County Mayor George Jaynes were seen in the crowd.

It’s not all that surprising to see Republicans at an event for Phillips. A number of prominent Republicans openly supported Phillips when he served as sheriff of Washington County. Phillips is going to need all the help he can get from Republican voters to unseat Hill.

Hill will likely be portrayed as a political opportunist from Sullivan County who has done little to distinguish himself during his first term in the General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Phillips will be attacked as a partisan who allowed political favoritism to go unchecked at the Tennessee Highway Patrol during his tenure as safety commissioner.

Remember the negative print and radio ads Hill backers ran two years ago against former Rep. Bob Patton, R-Johnson City? Expect to see more of the same this fall.

Phillips Takes Hill to the Woodshed

2006-09-09T03:38:00.000-04:00

In the September 9 edition of the Johnson City Press, Fred Phillips didn't hold back much after Matthew Hill started his mud-slinging campaign. Here is an excerpt from the story:

Fred Phillips...said Friday he was shocked by claims made recently by his Republican opponent, incumbent Matthew Hill, implying he was soft on the issue of illegal immigration.

“It bothers me that my opponent had the audacity to make these claims,” said Phillips, who has served in the capacity of sheriff, director of public safety and Johnson City police chief since joining the JCPD in 1964.

“I’ve served 42 years in this community protecting the safety of Johnson City and Washington County. That’s just an absurd statement.”

On immigration legislation being pushed by House Republicans, Hill said Phillips would oppose such measures while condemning the issue in public stating: “My opponent is one of those people who want to talk the talk, but not walk the walk.”

Phillips maintained that he, and not Hill, has been on the front line of security for the nation, and especially for Washington County during his professional career.

“I am the only candidate to serve overseas against an occupying communist force, protecting our borders,” said Phillips of his tour of duty in Korea.

“My opponent has never served in a protective agency or in the military. I’ve served a few days — about half a century.”

...“My agenda is only to serve and represent the citizens of Washington County and I believe I am the only candidate that can connect Washington County back with Nashville,” he said.

“Though my opponent served on the House transportation committee, this county never saw any tax money come back into this community. I know if I were on that committee Washington County would definitely be seeing some of that money.”

On the immigration legislation itself, Phillips said he strongly believed that if you live here, you should be here legally.

“Every law enforcement officer has the authority to arrest illegal aliens and take them into custody — they can’t deport them, they have to go through the deportation process with I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” he said.

“I support what Gov. (Phil) Bredesen has recently done in Davidson County in putting deportation officers in the jails. The coalition of local law enforcement and I.C.E. is great.”

So, what dirty attack will Matthew Hill come back with? He can't call Phillips a spineless coward of a war-protester, because that's Hill's title.

Hill Continues to Alienate the 7th District

2006-09-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

In the August 25 edition of the Johnson City Press, Robert Houk highlights how leaders in the 7th District are quite displeased with Matthew Hill:

Local political pundits already have turned their attention to the November contest between state Rep. Matthew Hill, (R) Jonesborough, and former Washington County Sheriff Fred Phillips. Many believe the outcome of the GOP primary between state Rep. Jerome Cochran, (R) Elizabethton, and restaurateur Kent Williams has set the tone for the 7th House District race. Cochran lost the Republican nomination this month in a race that saw the challenger depict the incumbent as an ineffective lawmaker. Similar criticisms have been lodged against Hill, including a very public rebuke from Jonesborough Mayor Tobie Bledsoe earlier this year.

Also, here’s an excerpt from a story about Hill campaigning for Ed Bryant, whom the majority of Republicans in Washington County rejected. This was in the July 30 edition of the Johnson City Press:

“Hill talked about Tennessee’s high sales tax and how it is unjust for the government to tax necessities…He did not elaborate on how that could be accomplished…”

What kind of leader says he has a goal, but doesn’t have a plan to achieve that goal?

A Lot of Voters Don't Like Matthew Hill

2006-09-05T23:02:00.000-04:00

I was perusing some old issues of the Johnson City Press and I found a number of people who are not big fans Matthew Hill. The following are some examples.

A 7th District voter has not been impressed by Hill, according to his comments in the June 28 edition of the Johnson City Press: “We have viable candidates like Fred Phillips running for the state House of Representatives against Matthew Hill, who backs issues that don’t do much for people.”

Self-serving individuals (May 26)
EDITOR:
Cover Tennessee sounds to me like a good plan to help the working men and women who make less than $25,000 a year.
Why, I wonder, would our region’s lawmakers vote against a plan to help our poor and uninsurable? Reps. Jerome Cochran (Carter County) and Matthew Hill (Washington County) voted last year to end TennCare for these same people. And now they have shown again they have no compassion for their fellow man.
Please help me in voting these two self-serving individuals out of office on Aug. 3.
KEITH T

Matthew Hill misguided (May 5)
EDITOR:
I wonder who wrote state Rep. Matthew Hill’s “From the Hill” column in the April 23 Herald and Tribune? I would bet it wasn’t him. He quotes House Bill 242 that requires all driver’s license exams be worded in English. For those immigrants living in Tennessee legally, who can’t read or speak English, how should they obtain driver’s licenses if they don’t understand the wording? You guessed it, either the state must hire many multilingual interpreters or they simply drive without a license.
His mention of a program to allow the Tennessee Highway Patrol to enforce illegal immigration laws was defeated. What he failed to tell you is that only the Immigration and Naturalization Service has the authority to arrest and deport.
From a local taxpayer’s point, where would those illegals be housed? You’re right; in the Washington County jail. Normally INS does not retrieve those individuals unless there are at least 15 to deport. In the meantime, where does Hill propose we “deport” them to, one of the surrounding counties?
Now for the “sheltering” of the THP from political pressure by barring their participation in partisan political activities. The (Nashville) Tennessean reported on April 14, the six members of the THP with questionable activities were vindicated by District Attorney General Terry Johnson and would not be prosecuted. What Hill meant: don’t allow the THP to donate to them, but it’s OK for other public employees to donate to me and be involved in my political campaign.
SAM M

Reps. have forgotten (April 14)
EDITOR:
In regard to the letter submitted by Bill Smith in the Press on April 7, Reps. Matthew Hill and Jerome Cochran must have the same speech writer. I missed Hill’s statements, but noted that they were practically verbatim of the speech Cochran made at the Carter County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast on March 31.
I second Mr. Smith’s opinion. With the statements and voting records of these two representatives, no wonder we can’t see any accomplishments during the years of their tenure. The young representatives apparently have forgotten that the citizens of Washington and Carter counties voted them into office and expect no less than their bipartisan representation.
The voters have a choice this election year and they should use their vote wisely to elect representatives who will put the need of the citizens first, and personal bias aside.
D.J. C

Hill lacks bipartisanship (April 7)
EDITOR:
It seems that freshman state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, is a fast learner. He has mastered the vociferous and hateful fear tactics that so characterize the Republican Party of today.
Both sides of the aisle should be wary. His recent statement regarding the candidacy of the former sheriff of Washington County is wrapped in the cement confines of partisanship.
Obviously, Hill rebukes any idea of fulfilling his elected responsibilities for what is best for all. His statement leads one to believe that “Ford and Naifeh” are enemies rather than comrades.
The “if-you-are-not-with-us-thenyou-are-against-us” mentality has captured this young man’s soul, and is so reflected in his voting record. Hill’s brazen attempt at fear and intimidation does not play well with this reader.
I have no “horse in this race,” but I am still a Tennessean dependent on fair and bipartisan representation from all elected officials. With his statement, Hill represents neither of those qualities.
BILL S

The April 7 Johnson City Press also had a letter-to-the-editor from a local voter who strongly supported the proposed “bottle bill” because it would help clean up and preserve Northeast Tennessee’s beauty. Naturally, Matthew Hill opposes the bill. Probably because of his ties to the Malt Beverage Association, a lobbyist group.

And finally, in the July 28 edition of the Johnson City Press, Hill received a letter-to-the-editor endorsement from a union supporter. I wonder if the writer and Matthew Hill have been participating in the recent Nuclear Fuel Services strikes in Erwin?

Matthew Hill Continues to Push for Firefighter Unions

2006-08-07T13:48:00.000-04:00

Overall, I was pleased with the way the elections turned out last week. Gregory-funded Jerome Cochran was defeated in Carter County, and way more Republicans in Washington County voted for moderate Bob Corker than the combined votes for conservatives Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary. Also, Dale Ford defeated Patti Jarrett, who seemed a little too Hill-like for me. These developments do not bode well for Matthew Hill, in my opinion. Cochran was the one declaring that Phillips had no business running against Hill.

It was unfortunate that David Davis appears to have won the Republican nomination for Jenkins’ old seat, since Davis is funded by Gregory money, and since 17 year-old looking Timmy Hill (more on him at the bottom) is working on his campaign.

Hilly boy and Fred Phillips obviously won their primaries since they were unopposed. Hill did receive more votes in his primary, but that is because so many Republicans turned out to vote for Frist’s replacement. What I found interesting was that 48 people wrote in someone else to be their Republican nomination for 7th District Representative. That is pretty funny to me.

And speaking of Matthew Hill, if you look at this interview with him, you will see that he has no intention of abandoning his firefighters unionization bill, the same bill that almost everyone in the state, especially conservatives, reject. However, Fred Phillips clearly opposes it. It almost appears that Hill is trying to lose the election on purpose.

Back to 17-year old looking Timmy Hill (pictured above), hasn’t his daddy’s radio station been giving a ton of advertising and on-air interviews to David Davis while not doing the same for any of the other candidates who were vying for Jenkins’ old seat? Isn’t that illegal, when you own a broadcasting company? The Hill clan has no respect for ethics or moral boundaries. And why is this kid telling the Tri-Cities what to think politically? He can’t even grow facial hair.

***ADDENDUM, 8-8-06: I also meant to note earlier that John Lundberg, the owner of the Bristol PR firm The Corporate Image, won the Republican primary for the 1st District by a mere 20 votes. John employs Tennessee State Rep. Jason Mumpower, who receives plenty of Gregory money. What I find interesting is that Lundberg did not blabber on and on about religion on his campaign Web site, which is a relief and not surprising if you know him. However, I wondered if that upset the Gregory clan. It's very un-Matthew Hill and Ron Ramsey.

By the way, Lundberg also briefly employed Bristol Motor Speedway's Kevin Tripplett, who was trounced in the 2004 election by Virginia's Rick Boucher. I am pretty confident Gregory money was involved there too, but I don't know for sure.

So Far, 7th District Overwhelmingly Rejects Matthew Hill

2006-07-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

When it comes to donating to a candidate for the 7th District House, people who live in the 7th District overwhelmingly support Fred Phillips, not outsider Hill.

Through the end of June 2006, Matthew Hill has received almost all of his money from outside the 7th District, with very little support from inside. Hill has had only seven people from the 7th District donate a total of $3,300 to his campaign, while 16 people outside of the 7th District donated almost $15,000. Of the donations from the seven people in the 7th District, one couple was responsible for almost half, and a third person is closely aligned with the Gregory family.

Fred Phillips, on the other hand, has received almost all of his money from inside the 7th District. Phillips has received $18,400 from 33 different people in the 7th District, and only $2,200 from four people outside the 7th District. Phillips, by the way, has also received more overall donations than Hill.

Hill beat Tony DeLucia in 2004 by only about 3,000 votes. I don’t think he can count on that happening this time around. I have to say, these findings are quite enjoyable.

If you look at organizations that have given to Phillips, you’ll find the Johnson City Public Safety Association and that’s all. As for Hill, he has received money from Bellsouth Employees TN PAC, the Fund to Elect David Hawk, the Committee to Elect Sargent, Tennessee Highway Contractors PAC, votekelsey.com, the Tennessee House Republican Caucus and of course, the Johnson City Pro. Firefighters PAC (his union buddies). Throw in the $4,000 from the Gregorys (who fund many other PACs) and it’s pretty easy to see Hill is sold out to every special interest group he can find. His funding is in such stark contrast to Fred’s, it’s really amazing. I am encouraged to see democracy at the individual level fighting back against the machinery.

One last note about Hill’s funding. He received three donations from Janice Garrison, who is listed as a self-employed restaurant owner. However, Janice Garrison has two different addresses. I will admit that it is possible that two people with the same name who have the exact same profession could have each donated to Hill. However, given the way Hill’s daddy runs his non-profit business, my bet is that something fishy is going on.

Matthew Hill: He raised his pension and supports unions

2006-07-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

I have confirmed that Hilly boy did vote to give himself a pension raise. If you go to the House Journal here and look at pages 76-79, you will see on SB3178/HB3266 that Matthew Hill voted yes. Notable conservatives who voted no include Chris Clem, Beth Harwell (who really didn't like this bill) and Elizabethton’s Jerome Cochran. There’s nothing like sending a representative to Nashville just to have him give himself a raise.

In other news, Hill appears to even be alienating people in Sullivan County, his home county and the place he spends most of his time (not the 7th District). In the June 29th Kingsport Times-News, at the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Wrap-Up Session, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Deborah Woolley praised Ron Ramsey and other Republicans while condemning Hill’s work:

“But it bothers me that in a political year, when they play these wedge issues, that the business community became a pawn. There are already promises that some of these will be back next year. … Minimum wage will be back, and firefighters unions will be back. … That’s a threat.”

David Davis followed that up with this quote:

“It was one of the most anti-business (legislative) sessions I have been involved in.”

Hill knows a thing or two about pawns.

And finally, Fred Phillips was on the front page of the Johnson City Press on Sunday. Not really much talk about Hill, which I found funny. I may post a recap later, but he did state his opposition to abortion, which has to disappoint Hill.

Matthew Hill's Campaign Crew: Homeschool Kids from Outside the 7th District

2006-07-01T23:52:00.000-04:00

Well, Hilly boy was campaigning at Jonesborough Days and, from this picture, it appears that once again his campaign team of homeschool kids from around Knoxville and Chattanooga are posing as residents of the 7th District. It's all smoke and mirrors and deception with Hill and his family. Hardly anyone in that picture is older than 10. I'm pretty sure they can't vote, even in their home districts.

Of course there is the possibility his campaign team of 10-year olds is comprised of kids from his youth group in Sullivan County. Which reminds me, Hill works and goes to church in Sullivan County, not the 7th District. In fact, to this day he spends most of his time outside of the 7th District. He just happens to live in Telford, moving there six months before the 2004 election, because he thought Patton was the easiest person to beat. If only Hill had decided to campaign against someone else in another district, we wouldn't have this deceptive, disingenuous kid representing us in Nashville. Hopefully that will end soon.

Let's Demonstrate Against Matthew Hill

2006-06-28T00:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I see that Matthew Hill has decided it is time to start campaigning, with a fundraising dinner Thursday night in Johnson City at the House of Ribs restaurant. I think it would be great for some U.S. military veterans to demonstrate against war protester Hill on the other side of the street from the House of Ribs. Be sure to bring some signs about Hill wanting to be a lobbyist and that he voted to give himself a pay raise. Don’t forget to add that he has said taxes should be raised only if we are at war, which we are.

Here’s a great post on the shady dealings of the Hill family radio stations. They are slowly going the way of Tom Delay.

I also find it interesting that Bob Corker doesn’t view the Hill family joke of a radio show to be worth his time. Smart move by Corker, who will likely beat Bryant and Van Hilleary.

I also find it interesting that Ron Ramsey appears to have covered his speeding butt with this new anti-drag racing legislation.

In other news, it looks like David Davis has enlisted little Timmy Hill in his campaign (it’s buried way down among the rambling). That should all but seal the deal for Richard Venable.

Political News in NE Tenn

2006-06-10T00:25:00.000-04:00

I was perusing an article from The Roll Call about who will fill Jenkins' seat and I found some interesting tidbits. I bet Phil Roe is not a big fan of PAC-funded war protester Matthew Hill.

Frontrunners Emerge for Jenkins’ Seat, June 7, 2006, By Elizabeth Brotherton and Lauren W. Whittington, Roll Call Staff

...Even though he, too, is a local office holder, [Phil] Roe is looking to paint himself as the political outsider in the crowded race by focusing heavily on his other experience - both as a doctor and Army veteran.

"You put the uniform on, you've crawled in the mud, it gives you a different viewpoint than someone who didn't serve," Roe said.

Roe has refused to take political action committee money, and he said his bicycle tour gives him a chance to really connect with voters.

"People don't feel like they have any input," he said. "They feel like they are just electing another suit."

Also, it looks like Jenkins was probably not a full-fledged Gregory puppet since he defeated Gregory's right-hand man.

...The 1st district has a history of close primary races. When Jenkins first ran for the seat in 1996, there were 10 other candidates in the field. He defeated his closest opponent, then-state Sen. Jim Holcomb, by only 320 votes.

I also found some info interesting about Steve Godsey (not Richard Venable, whose name I mistakenly wrote here on June 10). In May, someone wrote a letter to the editor at the Kingsport Times-News about the fact that Godsey had already spent $21,000 on his campaign for Sullivan County Mayor (a position that pays $90,000+) and none of that money went to Sullivan County businesses. A significant chunk didn't even go to businesses in Tennessee. He sure seems to have plenty of money. Too bad it isn't going to the county he wants to work for.

Venable, by the way, still appears to be the front runner for Jenkins' seat. I'm convinced he's all but won it, but I could be wrong. I'd rather it went to Roe.

Did Hill Give Himself a Raise?

2006-06-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

Well, many people are not happy with the pay raise that Tennessee legislators gave themselves at the last minute this past week. The move has been accurately called "self-serving and cowardly," since the public had no opportunity to voice their opinion. Here are some more stinging comments on the topic:

[L]egislators' pensions, which now are calculated at $70 per month per year of service, will increase at about 3 percent without future legislatures having to do so much as lift a finger... [L]egislative pensions are far too generous to begin with, even without the cost-of-living adjustment...

So while most working Tennesseans will be getting no pension when they retire, a part-time lawmaker who retires (or is defeated) after 10 years of service can pull down a $700 monthly pension. Make that $721 in November when the new law kicks in.

In regard to where Hill stood on this issue, all I know right now is that 67 members of the house supported it. Only 12 opposed it, though no one, including Ron Ramsey, opposed it in the Senate.

I can't believe they would do this in an election year. Hopefully some of them will be gone by this time next year.

Hobbs Hot Over Hill

2006-05-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

Tennessee firebrand conservative blogger Bill Hobbs opposes Hill's firefighter unionization bill too.

By the way, Hill has had this on his agenda for quite a while. Here's the original Johnson City Press story from February 5, 2005.

You're Fired (soon, we hope)

2006-05-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

Well, Tennessee State Representative Matthew Hill is fast making enemies in the Republican Party. This blog post by another blogger unhappy with Hill details a bill (HB2065) he cosponsored that would allow firefighters to unionize, at taxpayers' expense of course. Talk about a guy who is out of touch with his voters. He cosponsored this bill after receiving a "$2,000 campaign donation from the Johnson City Pro. Firefighters PAC, a political action committee front-group for the AFL-CIO labor union that fully funded the local PAC during the 2004 election cycle."

What's funny is how State Sen. Ron Ramsey and Republican candidate for governor Jim Bryson want no part of this bill at all. Most cities don't want it either since it would cost them plenty.

I have to say, this sure does help Fred Phillips.

As the above blogger mentioned, the Johnson City Press ran a scathing editorial speaking out loudly against Hill's bill:

This misguided piece of legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, would carve out a special exception for firefighters under state law. Currently, municipal employees in Tennessee are prohibited from joining labor union. For the good of local taxpayers, we urge local lawmakers to regulate this unneeded bill to legislative purgatory.

Here is an editorial against the bill and here are some nice quotes against the bill:

Sen. Jim Bryson (R-Franklin) has moved to exempt Williamson County...

“I do think this completely changes the way we do business in the state of Tennessee with public employees,” Ramsey said. “I’ve always opposed the unionization of public employees.

In addition, the TML said the bill “puts an unfunded mandate on cities” because many mid- to smaller-sized municipalities would have to hire outside attorneys to conduct elections and negotiate.

Business interests have also lobbied against the bill, saying an increasingly unionized climate would hurt economic development. That left some senators worried.

Ramsey Makes Headlines

2006-05-21T00:07:00.000-04:00

Well, in this story, we hear how State Sen. Ron Ramsey and his Gregory-funded PAC are raising eyebrows for their borderline ethics. This is who Hill takes his orders from.

Last week, while the legislative session was still in, Ramsey had his PAC send out invitations to lobbyists for a $1,000-per-person fundraiser. The event's co-host, State Sen. Jim Bryson, was not impressed with Ramsey's timing:

Sen. Jim Bryson, R-Franklin, Bredesen's likely Republican opposition in the governor's race, is a co-host of the baseball fundraiser. Although no rules were broken, he said, the perception surrounding the timing of the fundraiser does not look good.

"Personally, I wish they would wait a week and send it when we're out of session," Bryson said. "People wouldn't question it, if they would have just waited a week."

---
In other news, I heard that Hilly boy was saying on the radio that he would publicly name Republican voters who voted against him. I didn't hear it myself, but that is what someone told me. I'm just wondering if he really is that clueless. He can't get access to the names of voters in the general election. If he means voters in the primary election, he still doesn't know what he is talking about because he is the only Republican candidate. What an oddball.

Hill's last days in Nashville winding down, we hope.

2006-05-03T00:57:00.001-04:00

Thanks to this great find by another anti-Hill blogger, we now know all that "grassroots" campaigning by the Hill clan in 2004 included almost no one from the 7th District. What's amazing is that many of those door knockers who impressed voters were from McMinn, Meigs and Monroe Counties.

They pretty much say they were surprised to just barely beat Patton given that Hill was not even from the 7th District. I think they were surprised they pulled the wool over so many people's eyes so easily.

Those who believe in true democracy, as our forefathers envisioned, need to stand up and oust Matthew Hill. Everything about him screams imposter and outsider.
---
In other news, the Johnson City Press has redesigned their Web site. Luckily, all archived stories from the online edition are available, but the url addresses have changed slightly. So, if you click on a JC Press link on this blog, it probably won't take you anywhere. I will have the links updated shortly though, so that shouldn't last long.

Hilly boy news

2006-04-18T22:14:00.000-04:00

Here’s a story that demonstrates Hilly boy’s shortsightedness. His bill would cost the state millions of dollars more and experts say it likely will result in more murders.

What I find interesting is that his defense was that he was just doing what state Senator Raymond Finney was telling him to do. Again, I am not convinced Hill can stand on his own two feet.
---
In other news, Hill’s Ten Commandments bill did not make it out of the House subcommittee. Washington County needs to elect a representative who can actually get bills passed. Before long, Hilly boy will have this guy's label in the Tennessee House. This Northeast Tennessee resident is glad Hilly boy’s bill died.
---
I was reading this blog post and found it interesting that Tennessee State Representative Matthew Hill has an entry in wikipedia. I also noticed references to two anti-Hill blogs, including this one. I had nothing to do with that, but I was glad to see them.

I also found a link to a 2004 election year story in which Hill said he will only vote for an income tax if we are at war. Aren’t we at war now? I really do wonder sometimes if he is fiscally liberal.
---
Not surprisingly, Matthew Hill earned a zero on the 2005 Tennessee Conservation Scorecard. I’m glad he is truly intent on preserving the recreational opportunities and beauty of Washington County. Oh wait, he’s from Sullivan County. Not that I think he cares about preserving their outdoor beauty either.
---
One last note. Who is Nancy Fischman? I just don't know a lot about her, but I am glad that she too wants Hilly boy out of office. And in regard to Phillips, this news doesn't help Hill's scandal attacks.

Cochran Crows, Crowe Doesn't

2006-04-05T00:33:00.000-04:00

I noticed an interesting article in the JC Press that quotes Jerome Cochran attacking Phillips. Of course, a major point of the legislative breakfast was Cochran's inability to get significant funding for road projects, something that motivated this guy to run against Cochran. Cochran is mentioned in this story, but the total funds are pretty small.

What I find interesting, though, is how Crowe is mum on Phillips. Crowe has publicly stated his support for his friend, and that has to make Hilly boy a little nervous. Here are some excerpts from the story:

Several long-stalled highway projects were once again a major item of discussion at the annual Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast

Cochran said a health reform issue he sponsored had just been defeated by Democrats.

Cochran said the race between incumbent Hill and Democrat Phillips in the 7th House District will attract statewide attention. He said the race could decide whether the Republicans can gain the majority in the House. He said a lot of Republican leaders will be “camping out” in Jonesborough.

Apparently, a lot of people don't like Hilly boy

2006-03-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

Looks like the battle is on in the 7th District:

Phillips… pledged to run a positive campaign "on what I can do and what I can bring back to Washington County."

…"When a man or woman came for help, I never asked ‘Do you belong to the Democrat Party or do you belong to the Republican Party?'" Phillips told supporters. "It's not about party lines. It's what about Fred Phillips can do for this community."

Tennessee Democratic State Executive Committee member Tom Jessee, who will be running Phillips' campaign, said Hill is vulnerable.

"He is the epitome of a candidate who can't get any traction in Nashville to get things done," Jessee said of Hill.

Phillips' candidacy unfolded when a group of supporters picked up qualifying petitions without his knowledge on Monday. They gathered 200 names, according to Northeast Tennessee Democrat Chairman Marion Light.

"We were going to give him a chance to at least think about it," said Light. "We showed him the petitions to say ‘Now here is something for you to think about.' ... We wanted to see if there was bipartisan support, and there is based on these signatures and conversations."

Not surprisingly, Hill sought to be as divisive as possible:

"In November, the people of Washington County are going to have a very clear choice between a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat."

---Here’s some more more positive coverage of Phillips’ decision to run against War Protester Hill, from the Johnson City Press:

…Phillips was lauded by Jonesborough Mayor Tobie Bledsoe for his 48 years of service to Washington County.

“Fred knows the importance of local government,” Bledsoe said. “And we need someone in Nashville who understands us and the small towns of Northeast Tennessee ... Someone who knows the importance of roads and schools.”

Phillips said he was aware of various nominating petitions supporting his candidacy that had been circulating around the county during the past week.

“There are many challenges and concerns facing Washington County, such as education, improved roads and highways, homeland security and providing affordable and adequate health care. I bring decades of experience in state and local government to these issues and if given the opportunity will use that experience to represent all of the citizens of Washington County, regardless of their political persuasion.”

Phillips said that for 42 years, when a man or woman has come asking for help or employment he never once asked them what (political) party they were affiliated with.
…Phillips said he couldn’t say no to the people of Washington County.

“And I want the people to know that I will vote my convictions in Nashville,” he said. “I will be in no one’s hip pocket. The issue is who can do the most for Washington County.”

Phillips will challenge freshman incumbent Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, for the seat. When asked about his thoughts on running against an incumbent, Phillips didn’t hesitate.

“In ’94 I beat an 18-year incumbent by a final vote count of 2-1,” said Phillips, referring to his victory over Washington County Sheriff Ron England.

Phillips admitted he was still a bit overwhelmed by the number of people who had signed petitions supporting his candidacy.

“When I found out these workers went door-to-door, I was astounded,” he said. “That told me that there is a need for some new direction from for Washington County.”

---In other news, here's a nice post about resume padding by Hilly boy, and here's one about the hefty pay raises for the Hill brothers at their non-profit radio station. And Daddy Hill still gets to live in a hourse valued at nearly $400,000.

Phillips to run against War Protester Tennessee Rep. Matthew Hill

2006-03-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

Finally, Hilly boy has some competition from Fred Phillips.

"A popular Democrat in what is largely considered a Republican county, Phillips has shown the ability to overcome party lines in past elections..."

Even if Phillips doesn't win, he forces Hilly boy to answer for his pathetic record. Plus, Hilly boy has to engage in more public speaking, which is not exactly his strong point. It is a good day indeed.

Here's the JC Press's story about Phillips picking up papers, and here is the Tennessean's link.

In other news, here is a new anti-Hill blog. He's getting more popular by the day.

Unlike Matthew Hill, Tenn. Rep. John Mark Windle is No War Protester

2006-03-30T22:20:00.000-05:00

Somebody needs to tell Tennessee Rep. John Mark Windle that his fellow legislator, ole’ Hilly boy, is a war protester. Windle is true patriot who suffered wounds in Iraq, something Hilly boy would never have the guts or heart to do.

In other news, here is a great link about a letter to the editor at the Johnson City Press. It appears some voter in Johnson City is not too impressed with Hilly boy's grammar.

Do Nothing Legislators?

2006-03-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

I love the way the last part of this story was arranged. Hilly boy and friends declared they were not "do-nothing legislators," and then admitted that they had not yet secured water for Sulpher Springs. Water? I thought this was the 21st century. Is it really that hard? Here's the end of the story:

Davis responded during the breakfast to recent comments about do-nothing legislators.

"This is a hard-working group that has passed a lot of legislation over the years," said Davis... "These are not do-nothing legislators."

Davis said legislators are still working to get water for a part of the Sulphur Springs community.

Sounds kinda do-nothing to me. By the way, Davis was not talking about Hill, because daddy's boy has not passed a lot of legislation over the years; he's only been there one year.

Is This the Best He Can Do?

2006-03-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

So, Hilly boy is wasting his tax-funded time in Nashville by trying to force the 10 Commandments in Tennessee courthouses. He is not trying to bring more jobs to this area, or to improve health insurance access or lower the sales tax on the poor. He is trying to make sure the ACLU sues Tennessee while our taxes pay for it.

As a Christian, I support the 10 Commandments, but I also own a Bible. I can read them any time I want. Plus, they were part of the Old Testament. Does Tennessee State Representative Matthew Hill really adhere to remembering the Sabbath every Saturday? This kind of legislation opens the door for a Taliban-like government in the future. It is just un-American. Here's what some others have had to say about Hill's antics:

(Kingsport Times-News story): Crowe and Hill seem to care more about what goes on the walls of county courthouses than in classrooms around the state. If it were otherwise, both lawmakers would instead be sponsoring legislation to raise standards and improve funding of Tennessee's K-12 educational system.

…But their approach shows an ignorance of constitutional law that is as profound as it is appalling.

…In essence, the Supreme Court found that motivation matters. Justices concluded the outdoor Texas display of the Decalogue, which was more than 40 years old, permissible, but ruled that the more recently mounted indoor displays of the Ten Commandments in two Kentucky courthouses had an overtly religious motive. "The touchstone for our analysis is the principle that the First Amendment mandates government neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion," Justice David Souter wrote for the majority.

"When the government acts with the ostensible and predominant purpose of advancing religion, it violates that central Establishment clause value of official religious neutrality,'' Souter said.

In other words, it is one thing to resist the removal of chiseled text from a public building - regardless of what it says - when it is an historic part of that building. Religious quotes and images have adorned all manner of public buildings including the Supreme Court for decades, even centuries.

But it is quite another to use the Ten Commandments, as Crowe and Hill obviously intend, as a taunt to unbelievers or as a provocation to legal action.

…Crowe and Hill may certainly acknowledge the spiritual power that God exercises over them. But they cannot, as members of the Tennessee Legislature, demand their fellow citizens follow their particular religious philosophy. In this country, no matter our ethnicity or faith, we have equal rights, something apparently lost on Crowe.

…But would they feel the same if they lived in a region where the predominant religion was Buddhism? Or Islam? What if a majority of the Tennessee Legislature were Muslims and voted to place the principal teachings of the prophet Mohammed around the walls of county courthouses? Or what if they were Buddhists, and passed a law which encouraged large, bronze images of Buddha to be placed in the lobbies of all our public buildings?

It is precisely because our Constitution prohibits government sanction of any religion that America has avoided the religious wars that have killed millions and destroyed nations.

The fact is, our courthouses will dispense justice whether replicas of the Ten Commandments are on the walls or not. Strengthening academic standards and providing adequate funding for schools, on the other hand, can make the difference between continued mediocrity and success for tens of thousands of Tennessee students who deserve a fighting chance in an increasingly competitive world.

Messrs. Hill and Crowe have embarrassed themselves, their constituents and our state. Would they have done so were it not an election year?

And from a little down the road:

(WVLT news story):"Anytime you interject religion, you're gonna get a lot of folks on both sides hyped up. It generally takes away from a lot of other things," says State Senator Tim Burchett.

Some taxpayers aren't so sure: "I just don't think it's that big a deal, that there are other things more important," says Knox County taxpayer Jim Boehms.

As for whether the ACLU planning to sue, on constitutional grounds if either bill does pass, it's saying "wait and see".

This hinges on intent, specifically what other documents a city or county government might make part of a display or monument. Ten Commandments alone, would be begging for a court fight.

Here a few more links to the legislation: Knoxville News-Sentinel, Chattanoogan and WBIR.
---
In other news, this guy, and about 6 others, is running for the 6th District House seat. Unlike Hilly boy, at least Ford is a "lifelong resident of Jonesborough."

Jenkins Out, Davis In

2006-02-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

So, Jenkins will not run again and Davis wants his seat. I wonder what the fallout will be. Looks like Jeff Anderson will run against Davis and maybe Nathan Vaugn too. Who will take Davis' place?

Someone better tell Hilly boy that there is no advantage to being a representative in another district. If he's not told he will probably have Mr. Gregory buy a house in the 6th District next week so Hill can run. On second thought, don't tell him. Also, any ideas on what new business Hill will start before the election so he can claim to be a small business owner? Probably a lobbying business.

Newton Laughs at Ethics Reform Bill

2006-02-13T11:26:00.000-05:00

Well, look here. Former Republican legislator Chris Newton says the new ethics reform bill is a joke. As the only person to plead guilty in the Tennessee Waltz sting, he should know.

Today, the Hill family radio station declared that Newton was a liar and a thief so we don't need to listen to him on this topic. If that is the case, why won't state Representative Matthew Hill return the money that Newton donated to Hill's campaign? If he is such a liar and thief, shouldn't Hilly boy have nothing to do with Newton at all? I guess it is hard for Hill to depart with money that he doesn't actually earn himself.

Newton said the ethics reform bill fails to curtail the influence of big spending special interests in elections.

"If you have almost unlimited amounts of PAC money, that becomes a factor in people's deliberations up here," State Sen. Steve Cohen said.

Speaking of someone who distributes almost unlimited amounts of money through PACs, here is yet another Gregory business development. Hope those people don't miss their families in Tupelo.

Watered Down Ethics

2006-02-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the ethics bill has been approved by the legislature. Some good changes, but not enough limits on campaign donations. The Gregory machine achieved its goal. As this article shows, lobbyists win.

And in regard to the governor’s state of the state address, I like this quote from Hilly boy:

"I don't know if there's anything to like or dislike at this point."

That's a good leader for you.

Here’s a new money-making scheme for the Gregorys.

Lastly, I loved Rep. Stacy Campfield’s comments on the Tri-Cities’ breakfast flake radio show. He said that in Tennessee, individuals donate money to Republicans and PACs donate money to Democrats. Luckily, he got called out on it by a listener. It was just an insane comment considering how much Gregory money has been distributed through PACs to Republicans, especially those from our area.

Northeast Tennessee Lawmakers Block Ethics Reform

2006-02-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here is the story. People, we have to put a stop to the irresponsible behavior that goes on in Nashville. Our representatives (the ones from Northeast Tennessee) are blocking ethics reform so they can continue to receive Gregory money. This makes the Tri-Cities look so bad.

Negotiations by state lawmakers to reach a compromise on broad ethics reform broke down today in a dispute over limits on political contributions, ending any hope a final bill could be passed this week.

Democratic Sens. Joe Haynes and Steve Cohen objected to a proposal by Rep. Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol, that didn't cap contributions by individuals at $25,000 a year.
Haynes, who is Senate Democratic Caucus leader, cited 2004 contributions from pharmaceutical mogul John Gregory of Bristol that totaled $1 million to Republicans to take on Democrats.

"Ladies and gentlemen that's wrong, and in my opinion it's an abuse of power and of the process," said Haynes of Nashville.

Haynes and Cohen of Memphis argued that without the limits the Senate had already approved, the reform measure wasn't reducing the effect of large sums of money on the political system.

Fix the Tax System in Tennessee

2006-01-31T15:14:00.000-05:00

A recent comment reminded about a newspaper story that focused on how bad and immoral Tennessee’s tax system is.

Did you know?

* Tennessee has the nation’s highest average sales tax at nearly 10%.
* Tennessee is one of only a handful of states that still tax groceries.
* Tennessee has more border states than any other state in the nation.
* Over half of Tennessee residents live in counties bordering another state.
* Every single state bordering Tennessee has a lower sales tax.
* Every day people drive across the border or go on-line to avoid the sales tax.
* Tennessee’s high sales tax costs the state tens-of-thousands of jobs.

The system is broken and we need people to step up and fix it. Way too many of our legislators, like Hilly boy [who makes an estimated $80k a year], are the wealthy people intent on making sure that low-income families pay over three-times the taxes as a portion of income than the rich.

Without real tax reform Tennessee will continue to see:

*double-digit tuition hikes at our state universities
*local tax increases as cities and counties struggle to make up for the loss of state funds
*dismal graduation rates and underfunded schools
*people dying because of unnecessary heath care cuts
*talk about a pre-K program with only token funding to make it a reality

What Does War Protester Hill Know About Ethics?

2006-01-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

Come on, Hilly boy is the embodiment of unethical. Right now he is supposed to be working for ethics reform in Tennessee, reform that specifically targets lobbyists. Yet, he wants to be a lobbyist himself. Unbelievable.

And for a comparison of class and trash, just look at what Hill and Crowe said in response to the possibility of Phillips running.

Here is class, demonstrated by Crowe:

Crowe, in a prepared statement, had only one thought on Phillips’ recent announcement, saying “It sounds as though Fred has not made up his mind as to what he wants to do.”

Instead, Crowe seemed more inclined to speak about his own candidacy and focus prior to August.

And here is trash and immaturity, demonstrated by Rep. Matthew Hill:

Hill said he believes that the voters of Washington County will cast their ballot for the candidate who has the strongest and most ethical background.

“Personally, I don’t think voters are going to send a Democrat to the House to vote alongside the Fords and Naifehs,” said Hill, referring to Rep. Ophelia Ford and Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh.

---
And, in this story, it is no surprise that the one state representative from our area who said the absolute least about ethics reform was Tennessee State Representative Matthew Hill.
---
And finally, you can guarantee that Hilly boy will do his best to make sure lobbyists continue to have access to legislators.

Run Against War Protester Rep. Matthew Hill

2006-01-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

So, Phillips might run against Representative Matthew Hill. I don't think he will really run against Crowe, given Crowe's support for Phillips. Let the campaigning begin.

Here are a couple more stories that say the same thing.

It's Like a Circus Show on the Radio

2006-01-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

The other day Timothy Hill (of the WPWT 870 AM "Tower of Half-Truths") was whining over how it was reported within an area newspaper that a possible candidate for the office of Carter County Mayor was "testing the waters" before making the full plunge and fully committing himself to a political campaign.

The Morning Flake then went on ranting about his disgust for political candidates using polling as part of the campaign efforts...talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

The following campaign finance information regarding polling paid for by little Timothy's brother --- Matthew Hill: Tennessee State Representative --- is found at Tennessee Secretary of State online campaign finance website:

MATTHEW HILL
2004 Pre-General
CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
10/26/2004

Category:
Pre-General
09/20/2004 to 10/23/2004

CONQUEST COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
2108 WEST LABUMUM AVE, SUITE 350
RICHMOND, VA 23227
$1,100.00
FOR RESEARCH / POLLING

POLITICALCALLING.COM
712 5TH STREET, SUITE E
DAVIS, CA 95616
$964.92
FOR RESEARCH / POLLING

Rep. Matthew Hill is THE ENEMY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (and ethics reform)

2006-01-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

The following (except for the last paragraph) came from some comments on an earlier post. It is just too good to leave in the comments section.
---
Rep. Hill recently put forth the idea that public school systems should give rebate checks back to citizens that don't have children in the public school. HELLO????!!!

Would this not then make the PUBLIC SCHOOLS by DEFINITTION PRIVATE SCHOOLS?? That's because under the Hilly boy's anti-public education plan, the only people that would be paying for the school system would be the people with children in that school system. That's called a private school. Right??

Using the same logic, I want a rebate check back from the federal government because I never have attended any events funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Of course the Hilly Boy's Cameo theatre took NEA money recently for an event that was held there. Remember everyone?? The CONSERVATIVE Hilly boy doesn't mind taking money from an organization that funded someone to put an inverted cross in urine, that is as long as it feathers the Hilly boy's own nest. He'll take money from anybody. How disgusting is this hypocrisy. And he's a CONSERVATIVE????????

If anyone that attended a public school supports Hilly boy and his radical agenda, you need to have your head checked.

By the way, Hilly boy once admitted on the air that he was in a special education class for Math in the public school system. I guess it's ok for us to pay for the Hilly boy's education, but he doesn't want to reciprocate. And this talk coming from a publicly financed East Tennessee State University graduate. Hilly boy is all about feathering his own nest and to heck with everyone else.

No wonder he's a Republican. Birds of the same feather flock together.
---
And in other news, no comment from Rep. Matthew Hill about the special session on ethics that Bredesen called. I guess he is just continuing his pattern of resisting ethics reform in Tennessee.