O.k. the Republicans have been stressing and stressing about Brian’s Blog and our coverage of the Becky Ruppe State Senate campaign. In the disclosure on this blog it says that this is not a blog of the Republican Party. Our mission statement is to report the news with a taste and flavor of political campaigns and to truth speak to the bias of news and spinners of news. We have been relatively quiet on the Becky Ruppe race out of respect for our friends Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs at the Tennessee Republican Party. However, Becky Ruppe is a friend of more than 8 years and she is a friend before she is a Democrat or we are Republican.

The most recent Becky Ruppe attack television commercial which we can not post because it has not been loaded on youtube as of this posting. In the commercial it states that Becky Ruppe while a member of the Morgan County School Board increased property taxes five times. Any body with a second grade Tennessee civics lesson understands that School Board members can not raise taxes. While as a school board member one may advocate for a pay raise for teachers. That is not increasing taxes. It is the decision of the County Mayor/County Commission to adjust the priorities in the county budget to give a raise to the teachers and support staff.

Our native Morgan County sources inform us that Morgan County has NOT raised property taxes while Becky Ruppe has been the Morgan County Executive. In another Ken Yager spot he brags about bringing 40 companies to Roane County from out of the state. The problem is the photograph that comes on screen when that claim is announced is H.T. Hackney Co. What state did Yager steal H.T. Hackney from? The state of Knox County, TN.

Here is the kind of political television spots we at Brian’s Blog believe should be broadcast.

Using the trademark words of my longtime friend Shirley Nash Pitts, the Consumer Affairs Reporter at WVLT Volunteer TV. Ken Yager – “Clean it UP!”